“What is it?” Aydin wished he had his scanner.
“You have to trust me, warrior. My family’s been mixing healing remedies since before the first Eon warrior bonded with a helian.”
Aydin nodded and took the vial. “I’ll do anything to help her.”
Dass’ gaze moved over his face and he thought he saw the slightest softening of her harsh features. “I see that.” She pulled out a jar from another pocket. It was filled with a green, lumpy substance. “Put this on her rash.” She set it in his palm.
Then with a nod, the woman turned to leave.
“Dass.”
She glanced back.
Aydin’s hand closed around the jar. “Thank you.”
The woman lifted her chin and then was gone.
He set to work stripping Jamie out of her suit. “You’ll be okay.” He brushed her damp hair back. “I promise.”
He sat beside her, the bunk creaking under his weight. Using the cloth and water, he washed her down. Cren, her skin was so hot. He’d studied early healing methods in his medical history classes. They’d even learned to implement a few methods, but that had been a very long time ago.
He uncapped the vial of fluid and sniffed it. He didn’t detect any poisons. He lifted her head and forced her to drink the liquid, hoping that Dass could be trusted.
Next, he rubbed the salve on Jamie’s arms. By the time he’d finished, her face was covered in perspiration, so he washed her down again.
Her upper body and arms were twitching, and she mumbled incoherently. Her legs, however, were limp.
Cren, what if she got worse? What if she lost the use of her legs? What if he couldn’t save her?
Aydin had gotten very used to being the best doctor in the Eon fleet. He had every bit of tech at his fingertips, teams of the best doctors to work with. And now, there was nothing he could do for this tough Terran.
“Fight, Jamie. You have to get better. Fight.”
Chapter Eleven
Aydin lost track of time. He leaned his head against the wall, dozing for a little bit.
“Aydin, are you there?”
Caze’s deep voice came through Aydin’s communicator. “I’m here.”
“How is she?”
Aydin pressed his fingers to the pulse at Jamie’s neck. It beat strongly under his fingertips and he let relief shudder through him. She was calmer, her skin cooler, and the rash on her arms was fading.
“Her fever’s down and the rash is getting better.”
“Good news.”
“She hasn’t regained consciousness. I need to get her back to the Desteron. I’m working with salves and old-fashioned medicines here, Caze.”
“Lara and I are working as fast as we can to get the parts we need to repair the ship. They don’t have everything we need, but we can improvise. You take care of Jamie and I’ll let you know as soon as the ship is operational.”
A screech of sound came across the line.
Aydin frowned. “Caze?”
“That damn furry alien,” Caze growled. “Think it misses Jamie. It keeps jumping on my head.”
“Tell Cutie that Jamie will be back soon.”
“I’m not talking to a furball. I’ll be in touch soon.”
Aydin rinsed out the cloth and smoothed it over Jamie’s face. Then he sensed something, and saw that she was looking at him through hooded eyes.
His pulse spiked. “Hey, how are you feeling?”
“No pain.” Her voice was croaky, and she shifted restlessly. He saw a flash of something dark in her eyes. “I still can’t feel my legs.” She grabbed his wrist. “Aydin?”
He looked at her.
“If I can’t walk…” Her voice wavered. “If I can’t do my job, I’m nothing.”
He frowned at her. “That’s cren-cursed foolishness. You are more than just a space marine, Jamie. You’re more than just your job.”
“You’re dedicated to your work. What if you couldn’t do it anymore?”
“Then I’d find other ways to help, to contribute.” He leaned closer, until their faces were only a whisper apart. “You’re a woman, too. There is more to you than just how well you fight.”
She bit her lip.
“You’re loyal, persistent to the point of stubbornness, and brave.”
Her lips parted.
“Besides, none of that matters. Once we get back to the Desteron, I’ll heal you, and you’ll be fine.” He wrapped his fingers around hers.
“Where are we?”
“We needed to stabilize you, so we stopped somewhere. This is Daarna Waystation.”
“Waystation?”
“Pocket of independent space. These places usually offer shelter and goods to space travelers and criminals.”
“You helped me.”
“I told you I would. And once we’re back on the ship, I’ll heal your legs.”
She closed her eyes for a second, then opened them again. Her gaze zeroed in on his face and she reached up a shaking hand and cupped his cheek. “You aren’t a god, Aydin. You can only do your best.”
“I need to be the best. Always.”
She tilted her head. “Why?”
He swallowed a curse, not wanting to tell the sorry story of his family. But she watched him steadily, and something made the words well up inside him. “My father dishonored my family. He failed warrior training, betrayed my mother with other women, was always looking for fun, games, and debauchery.”
“I’m sorry.”
“He left my mother to support me, my brother, and sisters on her own. So many of our friends disappeared overnight. No one wanted to be associated with our family.”
Jamie’s fingers brushed his wrist. “That’s on your father, not you.”
“Since I was a boy, my one goal has been to restore my family name.”
Her lips quirked. “So that’s why you need to be the perfect warrior, the best medical commander?”
“Yes.”
Her eyelids drooped, like they were getting heavy. “You don’t need to be perfect, Aydin. That’s an endless, impossible goal that you’ll never achieve.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Besides, you’re pretty damn impressive just as you are.”
Then suddenly her eyelids closed and her breathing evened out. Aydin just stared at her.
His entire life he’d been driven to succeed at his work, to exceed all expectations. Yet, here was a woman who thought he was enough, just as he was.
Shaking his head, he rinsed out the cloth again and ran it down her arms. There was a knock at the door and when it opened, Lara stuck her head in.
“How is she?” The other marine’s tone was laced with concern.
“Her fever’s broken and she’s resting. She still can’t feel her legs, though.”
“Crap.” Lara scraped a hand through her hair. “Jamie is the most active, athletic person I know.”
He knew that. His gaze ran over her sleeping face. “Once we get back, I’ll help her.”
“The stealth ship’s ready to go. We didn’t patch everything, just enough to get us back.”
Thank the warriors. He nodded. The sooner they got back to the Desteron, the better. “I’ll bring her.”
“Aydin?”
He turned to look at Lara.
“Take care with her. The toughest shells often hide the softest hearts. And hers has been pretty kicked around.”
He felt his muscles stiffen. “By her family?”
“They aren’t my secrets to share. I will say that she was removed from her parents as a child and grew up in foster care. That means no privacy, everyone privy to her life, people making choices for her. She had no privacy and no control for years.”
Which had left his Terran wary to trust. He nodded. “I’ll take care of her.”
Lara smiled and tapped her fingers against the door frame. “I think you will.”
Aydin lifted Jamie into his arms. When she snuggled into him, pressing her face against his neck, he felt warmth bloom in hi
s chest. “Let’s get out of here.”
As they headed into the corridor, Dass met them. “She looks better.”
“She is,” he said. “Thank you for your assistance. I have payment—”
Dass lifted a wrinkled hand. “You’re in this region of space because of the Kantos, right?”
Aydin shared a look with Lara.
The bartender snorted. “I’m not asking you to spill top-secret Eon intel, but I’m old enough and smart enough to put it all together.”
He nodded. “Yes, we’re here because of the Kantos.”
Dass’ face hardened. “Bugs invaded my homeworld. Slaughtered my family, everyone I loved. You take care of those scaled scamora—” she spat the foreign curse word “—and keep them away from our waystation, and that’s payment enough for me.” Her gaze dropped to Jamie for a second. “And I can tell you that two Kantos ships slipped past here two days ago. Stealthy, like. They didn’t want anyone to see them.”
Aydin’s pulse leaped. “Going where?”
“Got coordinates. I’ll send them to your ship.”
“Thank you, Dass.”
“Thank me by stopping the Kantos and their ravenous outbreak, warrior. And take care of your woman.”
* * *
Jamie tried not to scowl as Aydin carried her off the battered stealth ship.
She felt weak and disoriented, which she hated. She barely remembered the trip to Daarna Waystation, everything a pain-filled fog.
Davion and Eve were waiting for them in the docking bay of the Desteron.
Jamie’s throat felt tight. She was trying to hold back her panic, because despite everything, she still couldn’t feel her legs.
“Jamie.” Eve bustled close with a worried frown.
“She’s had a bad reaction to an alien pollen,” Aydin said.
It was all pretty embarrassing. Here she was, a hardass space marine, taken down by pollen.
“I’m taking her to Medical,” Aydin said.
“It appears you also have a stowaway,” Davion said.
Cutie peeked out from Jamie’s shirt. The alien had been glued to her side since they’d returned to the stealth ship.
“This little gal saved our asses on Kelaff.” Jamie patted the furry animal. “And I couldn’t convince her to get off the ship.”
“I scanned the lifeform,” Aydin said. “She has no viruses or pathogens.”
Davion nodded. “Get to Medical, and let’s get the lieutenant on her feet again.”
As they strode down the corridor, Jamie looked up into Aydin’s face. “You’re still pretty scratched up.” Which told her that he hadn’t bothered to treat his own injuries while he’d been taking care of her.
“I’ll have one of my team treat the scratches. First, I want to get a better idea of this pollen, and how it’s affected you.”
Her throat tightened. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had put her first. She tried to tell herself that was just because Aydin was dedicated to his job, but even she knew it was more than that.
They dropped Cutie off in Jamie’s cabin to explore, then got to Medical. There, Aydin started barking orders to his team. Unsurprisingly, they jumped to attention.
He eased her down on a bunk. The next thing she knew, he was pressing scanning patches to her skin, his face completely focused.
“We’ll have you healed soon, Jamie.”
There was such deep confidence in his voice. As he got busy, she swallowed. He looked at the scans and conferred with his team.
“We’re going to give you a double dose of havv.” He held up two vials of the red fluid—the healing bio-organisms the Eon used. “But I need to put you under, as a double dose will be painful as it heals.”
Her heart stuttered, but she didn’t let it show on her face.
Not that it mattered, since Aydin read her like an open document. He took her hand and squeezed.
“I’ll be here with you until you wake up.”
She sucked in a breath and nodded.
He held the vial up to her lips and she ingested the havv. It didn’t taste too bad. She swallowed the second vial.
Then he pressed an injector to her neck, and the last thing she saw was Aydin’s rugged face before she slipped into unconsciousness.
Jamie was swallowed by dreams—of heat, of pain, of a man’s deep, soothing voice.
Once, when her eyelids didn’t feel like a starship was parked on them, she managed to get them open. Her vision was hazy, and her body felt like it was on fire. She turned her head and saw Aydin sitting on a stool nearby, with one of his medical assistants working on the scratches on his face.
Then sleep swept her away again.
The next time she woke, she felt much more alert. The burning sensation in her body was gone. She stared at the ceiling.
“Hey.” Aydin appeared at her side.
She turned her head and saw the lights were on low and Medical looked empty. She swallowed and realized she was thirsty.
“Water,” she croaked.
Aydin held a glass to her mouth and she took a small sip.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Better.” She tried to sit up and he helped her. She paused. “My legs are tingling.” It felt like pins and needles.
He nodded. “Good, that means the havv worked. You should have full sensation within a few hours.”
Thank God. She grabbed his hand and squeezed. Then, needing the connection, she pulled him closer. She hesitated, her gaze dropping to his lips, her stomach tight.
He kissed her gently, then rubbed his lips over hers. “You must be hungry.”
“Ravenous.”
He turned and lifted a tray. When he took the cover off, she saw a lot of delicacies, both Terran and Eon. She fell on the food like a woman who’d been lost in the desert for weeks.
“And I got this for you.”
He held up some sampa.
Her gaze moved to his face. No one had ever spoiled her before. This man was looking after her. Taking care of her. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. “
“When can I leave?” she asked. “And get back to work.”
“Not yet. You need to regain full sensation in your legs, first.”
“When—?”
“When I say.”
Her jaw clenched and she glared at him.
He smiled. “There’s my grumpy space marine.”
“Stubborn warrior.”
* * *
Aydin stood in the shower, steam swirling around him. When he got out, he looked at himself in the mirror.
His scratches were almost healed.
But in his head, all he could see was Jamie asking for his help. Jamie writhing in pain. He saw her panic that she might not walk again. Saw her trust as she drifted off into a healing sleep.
He pressed his hands to the sink and blew out a breath.
He wanted her. He wanted this surly, skittish Terran with nightmare-filled eyes. He wanted to make her smile, relax, laugh.
He thought of his mother, his siblings. For so long, he’d lived for them. To restore their family name.
Letting out another breath, he moved to dress in a clean uniform. Then he headed back to Medical.
When the doors opened, he saw Jamie standing beside her bunk on shaky legs, trying to take a few wobbly steps.
He growled. “Why are you out of bed?”
“I can walk.” Her smile was wide and blinding.
He gripped her around the waist and lifted her back onto the bunk. “Give yourself a bit more time.”
“Aydin, I can walk again.” She pressed her hands to his chest. “Thank you.”
Their noses brushed and they both stilled.
She cleared her throat. “I want to get out of here.”
“Not yet.”
She shot him a look.
His Terran hated when she wasn’t busy. He snatched a tablet off the bench and handed it to her. “Here.”
“What’s this?”
“Translation of the data we got from the Kantos lab, as well as extrapolations from the coordinates that Dass from Daarna gave us about the Kantos ships. That’s not all of it. Caze’s team is still sorting through it all.”
Jamie scrolled through the information while he sat beside her bed. He carefully studied the screens, checking her vitals.
“This is all medical information on their experiments. It’s gibberish to me.” She lowered the tablet. “Doesn’t look like there’s a mention of where they took the helians.”
He shook his head.
“Damn.”
“I have something else for you.”
She raised an eyebrow and he handed her a small, wrapped item. Her fingers stilled on the small parcel. “It isn’t my birthday.”
“Open it.” He hated that a small gift put a stunned look on her face.
She opened the wrapping and then blinked.
It was an Eon knife.
She gasped. “It’s gorgeous, Aydin. You guys sure know how to make weapons.”
He’d known a weapon would put that look on her face. He wanted her to look at him like that one day.
“It’s for you,” he said.
She lifted her head. “I couldn’t.”
He closed her hand over the smooth hilt of the knife. He didn’t tell her that it had belonged to his warrior grandfather. “It’s sleek and dangerous. It suits you.”
She looked torn. She clearly wanted it.
Aydin rose and grabbed his scanner. “I’m going to give you another quick checkup.”
He ran the scanner over her and waited until it beeped.
“No traces of the pollen remaining. In another few hours, the last after effects will be gone.”
“Thank God,” she murmured.
He traced her cheekbone. “I’m very glad that you’re okay, Jamie.”
She stroked the knife idly with her fingertips. “Argue with me.”
“What?”
“Yell, get cross, something. Stop being so nice.”
He smiled. “You’re going to have to deal with the fact that you like me.”
Her nose wrinkled. “Sit down and explain this data to me. I want to understand what the bug-brain Kantos were doing in that lab of theirs.”
Mark of Eon: Eon Warriors #5 Page 9
