“As for you people. We will be watching you closely. You have tried to enslave these people to work in the mines for you! Yes, we know that was the plan. Many of your officers we captured are still telling us the plans. It was rather obvious when all of the demands for the treaty were based around the heticia mineral. The Jarban have no use for it at all, but you go through huge amounts of it for your engines. It was rather simple, I saw it right away.” I looked at Churlish who was not looking too happy. He knew how much trouble he was on the edge of. I decided to push him in.
“As for you Churlish. Your use of secret listening devices, and revealing us to hostile force by overriding silent running is now common knowledge back at HQ.” I turned to the Captain, handing him a tablet. “Captain, I would also like to lodge a formal complaint against Ambassador Churlish. He attempted to drug a Fleet officer on this ship. You will find evidence of the drug in his quarters.”
There was a growl from the surrounding security. Glowering, the Captain read the document on the tablet, then strode over to stand in front of Churlish, who had understandably drained white in fear. The Captain loomed over him.
“Tello, put him in the brig!” he said, his voice infused with rage. Churlish actually whimpered. “Place a guard so I don’t change my mind and deal with him myself! Also send a security detail with the Mucusto to escort them back to their ships. Once they are ready we will escort them home.”
Tello agreed. The Captain’s orders were carried out, and I could relax. After a little chat with the Royal Jarban they were escorted with an honor guard to the shuttle so they could rejoin their people. My shuttle bay emptied out until it was me, the Captain and Tara.
“Well Loneway, I will do what I can to keep you from a promotion, although you may not want to turn down better quarters. You too Tara, although I think Commander Talkner is appropriate.” She blushed prettily and thanked him.
“I can however guarantee you will like this. You are as of now off duty, Loneway.”
“Yes sir!” I said.
“I wonder if I can catch Churlish,” the Captain said, turning to depart.
Tara grinned. I we left the shuttle bay and headed down the corridor.
*****
Jake and I were catching our breath and snuggling on the bed in his quarters. We had tried our own version of the Tornado Twist. From the bed we were looking straight out a viewing pane to the stars. Snuggles and stars were the best thing I could have wished for.
“So, what is going to happen to Churlish?” I asked. He chuckled.
“He is losing his post and will stand trial for assault and for illegal use of a listening device. I did hear that he fell on his way to the brig.”
“Really?” I questioned innocently.
“Yes, apparently he had a black eye, an injured knee, cracked ribs and he is having trouble speaking.”
“I can't imagine how that could have happened. You?” I said. He laughed softly.
“Not a clue Jayne. Not a clue. So how are we going to work this.” I knew what he was talking about. I shrugged and hugged him.
“When we are on duty we are on duty. When we are not were not. I would suggest we do not advertise, just for appearance’s sake. But Tara knows, I am sure, although she has not said anything and won't.”
“It is going to be an interesting journey Jayne.” I smiled and kissed him.
“Always Jake, always.”
THE END
Bonus Story 19 of 20
California Dreamer
Annique sat atop her horse, a large bay gelding named Sampson. With an unwavering gaze, she watched the preceding contestant sail over the fences on her massive flea-bitten gray. They completed the course with only four faults, propelling them into first place.
Annique smiled and gave Sampson a firm pat, continuing his brisk walk around the warm-up ring to keep his muscles warm and supple. The crew reset the course, and the one-minute warning tone sounded. Annique nudged Sampson into a trot and steered him towards the gate. They circled the arena, Annique giving Sampson a glimpse of each fence before they started the course. The thirty-second tone sounded right before they passed the starting line. They crossed in front of the sensor, and the clock started counting the time in milliseconds. They’d started.
The first fence was easy, a blue and white combination that spanned about three feet. Sampson took the oxer as if he had wings, sailing over the fence and landing nimbly. Annique set her sights on the next fence, breathing in and out with each stride, the sound of Sampson’s hooves tearing up the ground and his breath setting a fast tempo as she counted. One-two-three-release.
Her hands moved forward with his neck, giving him the slack he needed to stretch his neck and arch over the five foot fence. The field of sixteen obstacles had been whittled down to nine for the final round. Each fence brought her one step closer to the finish line, and first place.
Sampson was quick between each obstacle, his stride long and effortless. He was an honest mount, so Annique knew that if Sampson ran towards a jump, he intended to jump the obstacle. He never baulked at the last minute. She placed her full trust in him, and he in her. Their trust and hard work was the reason that they were one of only three pairs to make it to the final round. They were so close to winning it all, and each fence brought them closer.
The clock on the wall was nearing sixty seconds when Annique lined Sampson up for the final jump. It was a series of three, set two to three strides apart from the next. Sampson took the first effortlessly, but he chipped in on the second, adding half a stride at the last second and setting himself up for an unbalanced landing. With great effort, he tried to recover from the bobble. His knees brushed the last fence, dislodging the top pole causing it to fall to the ground. His back foot landed on the pole, causing him to lose his footing as he passed through the sensor, stopping the clock and ending their round while he stumbled. His feet went every which way, his speed too fast for a simple misstep. He lurched forward and his knees hit the dirt and he rolled, tossing Annique over his head and into the air.
She hit the ground hard, attempting to break her fall with her hands. Her elbow flew back, and she felt something pop. The pain exploded behind her eyes, a bright burst of color that brought forth the nausea. Annique heard the announcer as stable hands scrambled to catch and attend to Sampson. Footsteps thudded in the heavy dirt beside her head, voices calling her name from miles away telling her to stay with them.
Where do they think I’m going? Annique was confused. Her head felt like it was spinning, and her arm was on fire. She blinked rapidly, and her vision cleared, revealing a handsome man hovering over her, calling her name.
“You don’t have to shout, I’m right here.”
“How many fingers am I holding up?”
“What a stupid question. Yellow. You’re holding up yellow fingers.” Annique shook her head a little, trying to clear the cobwebs and finding that the slightest movement was agony. “Not yellow, two. It’s two fingers.”
“What year is it?”
“2015”
“What’s your horse’s name?”
“Oh shit, Sampson, is he okay?” Panicked, Annique tried to sit up, remembering that she wasn’t the only one who fell. The crowd spun around her, the nausea too much. So lay back down, taking deep breaths and trying to remain calm.
“Sampson is fine. He tripped, but he rolled onto his side without injuring himself badly. I can’t say the same for you. Sampson has a slight limp and the vet is wrapping him up right now as we speak.” He smiled down at her, his expression reassuring. “You, on the other hand, have a dislocated shoulder, and a broken helmet.”
Annique’s head was clearing as the doctor spoke, making his ramblings a little easier to grasp.
“I broke my helmet?”
“Yep. Clean in half. You might have a slight concussion, but looking at your pupils, I don’t think you do. Good thing you wore a helmet, or else you would probably be in real pain. Or dead.”
“Did you say dislocated shoulder?”
“Yeah, about that. You have two choices, and neither is good. You can walk, or be carried on a stretcher out of here and we can set it in the ambulance. I wouldn’t suggest that. Every movement is going to hurt, and you might actually pass out from the pain. Or, I can pop it back into place really quick, which is going to hurt pretty badly, but it won’t hurt when we put you on the stretcher and take you to the hospital. I would take option ‘b’ personally. But it’s going to hurt.”
Annique nodded. “Option ‘b’, do it quick.”
Dr. Braun moved towards her, grabbing her arm and lining himself up for the best angle.
“On the count of three. One, two—” On two he did the action. The pain was nearly blinding as Annique struggled to hold onto consciousness. But as quickly as it started, the pain was gone, reduced to a dull throbbing in her shoulder and neck.
Annique looked to the right and saw Sampson, his leg wrapped neatly, a stable hand walking him around the vet in a wide circle as she observed him. From here, Annique could see a slight hitch in his step, but nothing a few weeks off and some TLC wouldn’t cure.
She sat up slowly, ignoring the protests of the doctor. She unsnapped the harness under her chin and her helmet fell apart and onto the ground. She regarded it with uninterest as she started to get up, using her good arm to leverage herself.
“I would advise against standing in your condition. The paramedics are standing by with a stretcher.”
“Dr. uh,” she squinted at his name badge, “Dr. Brain-”
“Dr. Braun,” he interrupted.
“That’s what I said, Dr. Braun. I’m walking out of here on my own two feet. I’ll get into the ambulance, but first, I have to make sure that Sampson will be cared for. And I have to walk out of the arena on my own.”
“Yes, you said that. Dare I ask why?”
“It’s not the first time I’ve had my brains scrambled, and it probably won’t be the last. There are thousands of people watching us from the stands. This is a big event, and I don’t want to leave on a stretcher. I’m sure you understand.”
“Actually, I don’t”
“Well, pretend you do and be ready to catch me if I fall.” She winked at him, a wicked smile on her face as she stood and started to hobble towards the ambulance just outside the arena. Every step eased the pain in her body, and by the time she was half way to the gate she felt much better.
Leah Grace, Sampson’s groom, led him towards the gate. His gait was already better, and his perky ears and clear eyes said that he wasn’t in much pain. Annique fought back tears of gratitude. She’d seen some pretty nasty falls over the years and knew they were both quite lucky.
Dr. Braun held his hand on the small of her back, ready to catch her if she fell. She walked the final steps to Sampson, resting her forehead on his and rubbing his face with her good arm. The tears flowed freely as she squeezed him tightly. The crowd stood, cheering for the pair.
“I’ll take care of Sampson, Annique,” said Leah. “You just go to the hospital. I’ll come see you when I have him settled for the night.”
“No. Please stay with him. Text me if anything happens, and to let me know he’s still okay. Please?”
“Of course I will. Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll make sure he’s spoiled rotten until you get back.”
Leah led Sampson towards his stall. Two paramedics rushed to help Annique the final feet to the waiting ambulance. She waved to the crowd, bowed her head in gratitude, and gritted her teeth against the pain that tiny movement caused.
Dr. Braun helped Annique onto the stretcher and eased her down on her back. The paramedic secured her to the stretcher after placing a cervical collar around her neck. He was careful not to pull her injured arm and for that Annique was grateful. Dr. Braun smiled down at her.
“The competition is over, and it’s about time for me to head in for my ER shift anyway. Is Mercy Medical around the corner okay?”
“Yes that’s fine. Will you be there when I get there?”
“I will.”
“That’s good. I need to see you there.”
Dr. Braun arched an eyebrow, but he let the odd comment slide. She probably had a mild concussion, and confusion was normal for that type of injury. Add to that the excruciating pain of a dislocated limb and he was surprised she was still conscious. She was one tough cookie, that’s for sure.
“I’ll see you as soon as I get there.”
She smiled at him until he closed the doors, after which he patted them to let the driver know he was clear to go. The doctor headed for his Mercedes in the staff parking lot. He opened the door and slid in, turning the key in the ignition and putting it into gear. He wasn’t sure what she had meant by her comment, but he was definitely looking forward to seeing her.
*****
Annique was lying in the hospital bed, eagerly awaiting her first round of pain meds when Dr. Braun knocked on the door. He walked in quietly, dressed in bright blue scrubs that matched his piercing eyes.
“You’re here.”
He smiled at her. “Of course I’m here. It’s a slow night, so you’ll be seeing a lot of me tonight. I trust that makes you happy.” His blues eyes twinkled merrily and she realized he was teasing her.
“I’m not responsible for things I say when my head is all jumbled up inside. But yes, I’m happy to see you, Dr. Braun.”
“Please, call me Connor.”
“Alright, Connor. So when will I be going home?”
He chuckled. “We need to run a few tests first: x-ray that arm, do a CT scan on your head and what not. You’re going to be here awhile so you might as well settle in. Can I get you anything?”
“Some morphine would be nice.”
“How about something a little more reasonable to start? You walked out on your own two feet. I think something a little less potent would be enough.”
“Ok, Connor. At this point, anything to take the edge off would be welcome.”
Connor disappeared through the door and around the corner, returning a few minutes later with a needle filled with clear liquid. He injected it into her IV slowly.
“That should start working really quick. I’ll get the CT scan and the x-ray ordered immediately. With any luck, your friend can come pick you up in the morning.”
Annique groaned. She was hoping this would be an in-and-out kind of thing, but who was she kidding? She’d hit the ground hard, even bouncing a little before she stopped moving. She wasn’t surprised that she was stuck here for the next few hours. She’d just rather be anywhere else.
At least I get to hang out with the sexy doctor, she thought.
As if on cue, a paramedic shouted down the hall and all hell broke loose. It looked like Connor’s “slow night” was about to get intense.
It was almost an hour before the orderly showed up to wheel her into another room for her CT scan. The machine was an open CT scanner, which made it easier on her. She sat in the chair, holding perfectly still so the machine could do its job. The orderly thanked her for being an easy patient and helped her back into the wheelchair.
“So is my head ok?”
“I don’t read the scans, Ma’am. I just bring the patients to the machine and log the scan number on your chart.”
He wheeled her down the hall to a room marked “x-ray” and reversed, opening the door and pulling her through. She told him more than once that she could walk, but he refused to let her try.
“Doctor’s order, in the chair to each destination.”
The orderly helped her out of her chair and onto the table.
“This is going to be pretty bad, but if you hold still, they only have to do it once.”
Annique swallowed and nodded her head. He pushed the wheelchair out into the hall while the x-ray tech moved quickly around the table. She put a heavy vest on Annique’s torso.
“I’m going to ask you to hold your arm as some pretty awkward angles. And it’s goi
ng to hurt. But if you can hold your arm still in each pose until I say ‘ok’, we can get through this quickly and it will hurt you less.”
“Got it.”
The tech walked into the tiny room behind the protective glass. She spoke into a microphone, giving Annique directions on how to hold her arm. The first few poses were fine, but then she asked her to hold it out and above her shoulder. Annique moved slowly, the pain almost overwhelming. She took deep breaths, trying to quell the pain as her body screamed at her to put her arm down. She shook with effort. A single droplet of sweat dripped down her face as she squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lip. The pain was almost unbearable, but she held the position as the tech’s soothing voice directed her over the speaker.
“That’s perfect. Hold it right there in five, four, three, two, one. Okay, you can put it down.”
Gasping and finally able to breathing, she slowly lowered her arm. The orderly reappeared and helped her back into the chair. Her arm throbbed in time with the fiercely beating pulse in her temple. She was drenched in sweat from the effort it took to hold still through the pain. But it was over now, and with any luck she’d be allowed to sleep.
*****
A few hours later, Connor walked into her room to discuss the findings. He sifted through the papers slowly, repeating a lot of the information and explaining things a little too thoroughly. Annique was starting to feel like he was stalling, and she was antsy to get out of the hospital.
“As I thought, you have a mild concussion. You’ll need to relax for a few days. No jumping around. Let Leah take care of Sampson. You just rest. Your shoulder looks good, but you’ll have to keep it immobilized for a few weeks to let it heal. You should be good as new in six weeks. The good news is, I can discharge you and you can finish up your healing at home.”
“Six weeks? I can’t be off for six weeks!”
“Isn’t Sampson going to be off at least that long? And with all the money you won last night, I’m sure you’ll be fine.”
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