She frowned and blinked. The scene didn't change.
"You're awake," someone said to Nova's left.
She strained to see who was talking. A tall man with greying hair came into view. He looked familiar.
"I wasn't sure you were going to make it," he said.
"What?" Nova said. "Who?"
"You're in my humble hospital. You can call me Doc," he said.
A second man scuttled into view. "Got the bandages you asked for."
He was short and covered in dirt. Feral hair hung in loose strands over his face. He jumped from foot to foot as he held the cloth to Doc.
Nova realised where she'd seen them before. Two men, standing in shadows. Wood had called them Doc and Mouse. What were they doing here? And where was here?
"Thank you, Mouse," Doc said.
The smaller man bowed his head and ran away from Nova's bed until he stood against the far wall.
"I need you to calm down," Doc said as he turned to Nova. "Your bandages need changing. Trust me; in here infection is your biggest enemy."
She pulled away from him, head shaking and scrambling for her knife.
Doc frowned at her. "You stopped bleeding this morning. I had to give you a transfusion but you're okay now."
Nova stopped and stared at him. Her mind seemed to be slogging through mud, chugging along at a quarter of its normal speed. It was almost as if - "You've drugged me!" she said.
"Of course," Doc said. "How could I stitch you up with you writhing and raving like a lunatic?"
Nova's slow mind worked over the new information. Stitched her up. Transfusion. Hospital.
She took a deep breath and lifted the sheet off her body. A piece of cloth wrapped around her stomach. It might have been clean at some point, but was covered in blood now. Her side ached in a dull constant kind of way, unlike the insistent blasts of pain she'd been getting before.
"I have a lot of other patients," Doc said. "Either let me change your bandage or let yourself die. Either way, I can't stay here."
She narrowed her eyes at him. He looked honest enough; his open face and clean hands didn't seem to be hiding anything.
"Okay," she said and pushed the sheet away.
"That's the way," he said.
He knelt by her side and peeled back the layers of soiled bandage. Underneath, a jagged cut slashed through her side, ribbed with thick black wire for stitching. The gouge ran from just above Nova's right hip, almost to her belly-button.
"It's not looking too bad," Doc said.
He took a bottle from a nearby table and dabbed it onto the wound. It burned like hell.
"Yes it stings," Doc said as Nova winced.
He took the new bandages that Mouse had given him, and re-wrapped Nova's stomach.
"Why'd you save me?" Nova said. If she'd learnt anything it was that no one ever did anything for free.
Doc shrugged. "It's what I do."
Nova nodded.
"Try and get some rest," Doc said.
"I need my knife."
"I'm afraid not. Not in my hospital. But don't be concerned. I have an understanding with the prisoners. Nothing happens inside my hospital, and I keep treating them."
He moved away from her bed and out of sight. She could hear him talking to someone on a bed further down.
Nova didn't like being so exposed. She had no idea where her knife was and she had no way of defending herself if someone attacked. On the other hand, she couldn't exactly get up and go anywhere. Fire raced through her side and her head spun. The best she could do was wait here until her body was good enough to look after itself.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Two and a half months until guard change.
Nova swam back to consciousness. She had no idea how long she'd been in the hospital. She had a vague memory of Doc coming to change her bandages a few times but that was all. Someone had given her food but she couldn't say who.
The pain in her side had subsided to a dull tightness, a small ache compared to what it had been. Her drugged haze had become a peripheral buzz and her thoughts flowed clear and free.
She kept her eyes closed as she took stock of each of her limbs and the rest of her body, testing each finger and toe. Muffled voices spoke right on the edge of her hearing. She took a deep breath.
The deep voices got louder and one she recognized; Kirt.
"He didn't even fight," Kirt said.
"But that's not so bad. If I was in charge, I wouldn't have fought either. Look at you, nearly died!"
"That's not the point. He could have stepped in before any of this happened and I wouldn't have got knifed in the first place."
"Should be careful who you say that to. You know you'd be dead if he found out."
"He can get stuffed. I'm telling you man, it's time for change. We should step up. We could be the new head-honchos."
"You're dreaming."
"No. I mean it!" said Kirt. "We take control. All we'd have to do is kill him."
"But we're nobody."
Kirt snorted. "Speak for yourself. But that's just the thing, Carter used to be a nobody. You kill enough of the right people and suddenly, you're somebody. That's all we have to do."
"And how are you going to get to him? I don't see you getting invited to his quarters."
"He'll make an appearance, for a victory speech, he always does. That's when we strike."
"You really think we can do it?"
"Yep. As soon as I'm out of here. Are you in?"
"I'm in."
"Good. Carter won't know what hit him."
Footsteps faded away.
Nova kept her eyes firmly closed. Behind her lids her mind raced. Kirt was planning to overthrow Carter. If they killed Carter, the secret to the border would be lost forever. She would have come to the prison and nearly died for no reason. She had to stop it, had to do something.
They'd never believe her. She would never get an audience with Carter to warn him, and Amon wouldn't take her word over Kirt's. All she could do was watch and be ready. But how could she be ready while she was trapped in bed? She consoled herself with the fact that Kirt was bedridden as well. At least while he was here, she had time.
She pretended to wake up and pushed herself higher on the bed. Her stomach hurt with the move but at least she could do it. She made it into a sitting position, panting with her back against the wall.
She slid her eyes to the left and let out a sigh. A piece of cloth hung between her and Kirt's bed. He couldn't see her. He might not even know she was there.
"Feeling better are we?" said Doc as he came over.
"A little," she said, careful to keep her voice low and hoping that Kirt wasn't listening. "When do you think I can get out of here?"
"Of course you can leave whenever you want," Doc said. "I'd recommend you wait another couple of days. Without the pain-killers you'll be in a world of hurt."
Nova nodded and smiled a little.
Doc handed her a bowl of gruel and turned away. "At least I think you're ready to feed yourself."
Nova grinned as she took the bowl. Her stomach rumbled like she hadn't eaten in weeks. A blunt piece of metal stuck out of the gruel, bent and curved into a crude spoon. She used it to scoop mountains of food into her mouth. Hunger made the gruel taste better than she remembered.
"If it isn't my two war heroes!" Amon's booming voice echoed through the cement room as he sauntered through the door towards Nova's bed.
Nova groaned as he tossed back the curtain between her and Kirt.
Kirt grunted. "I thought she died."
"Nearly did from what Doc was saying. Managed to take down Duke before she did though."
Kirt scowled.
"Yes I know, Kirt. You killed about five of them before you even had a scratch," Amon said, rolling his eyes. He grinned from ear to ear as he looked between the two beds.
"You seemed to do quite well," Nova said, non-committal.
"Experience," Amon said with a shrug.
"When will you two be coming back to the yard? We've managed to subdue the freaks for the moment but I'd feel better if the two of you were there."
"Doc said I can leave this afternoon," Kirt said. He glared at Nova, his fingers tangled like claws in his bed sheet.
She kept all emotion from her face. "Doc said I can leave whenever I want. I'm getting sick of this place anyway."
"Excellent!" Amon said. "Then I'll see you both tonight."
Amon left the hospital still smiling.
"How did you manage to survive?" Kirt said. "I thought for sure Sigma would finish you off."
"Perhaps I'm tougher than you think," Nova said.
"We'll see about that."
Nova ignored him, lowering her body back to the pillow and closing her eyes. She kept the tiniest slit open at the bottom so that she could still see Kirt. He watched her for some time after she lay down. His fists opened and closed at his sides and his whole body seemed tensed, ready to pounce.
A white bandage covered his right leg. It looked clean enough but she wouldn't know how bad the wound was until she saw him walking.
She waited until he'd turned away and lain down himself before she let her body relax. Only then did she allow herself to drift into half-sleep, still ready for an attack.
Kirt didn't try anything that afternoon. She suspected he was waiting until he was in charge of the prison. Then he'd be able to do whatever he wanted.
She shivered at the possibilities.
As darkness closed in, Kirt shifted his legs over the side of his bed and stood.
"Leaving us, Kirt?" said Doc from across the room.
"Yep," Kirt said. He shuffled to the door, limping. The wound in his leg had to be pretty bad for him to let it show.
As soon as he left, Nova sat up. She winced at the pain in her side but didn't stop. She threw her blood-stained shirt over her bandages and stood.
"What do you think you're doing?" Doc said.
She met his gaze. He looked concerned but not scared.
"I have to go," she said.
"I'm not going to stop you," he replied. "But you will be in a lot of pain. I don't hand out drugs to people who aren't staying at my hospital."
"I understand," said Nova. "But there are some things I've got to do."
Doc grunted and looked hard at her. "You're not like a lot of those brutes you've been hanging out with. Don't become one."
"That's not my plan," Nova said. "Thank you for everything."
Doc shrugged. "It's what I do."
Nova nodded and hobbled out of the hospital. The door led into a cement hallway with narrow windows. She glanced down at the central compound where dried pools of blood stained the grey floor.
A cool breeze floated through the window and brushed over Nova's skin, leaving a chill while cold seeped through from the floor into her toes and made her shiver.
She wrapped her arms over her chest and hurried forward, wanting to get as far away from the battle as she could. Pain bit her side with every footstep but she kept going. Through a maze of corridors, she wandered for what felt like hours before finally spilling out of a door to the courtyard.
Amon sat at a table, surrounded by people, including Kirt who stood right at his side.
"Here she is!" bellowed Amon, holding his hands wide.
Nova nodded but didn't smile. She sauntered up to the group and leaned against the table, keeping her mouth shut and allowing the conversation to continue. She listened hard until she recognised the voice of the man who'd spoken to Kirt. Brett was his name, a big man with a bad temper. He and Kirt exchanged meaningful glances across the table.
"Have you seen my knife?" Nova said when the conversation lulled.
"Brett was looking after it," said Amon, gesturing to the big man. The muscled brute frowned and glared at Nova.
She held her hand out and stared right back.
"Hand it over, Brett. She fought well and it's hers."
"I thought it was finder’s keepers here," said Kirt. He folded his arms across his chest. Brett still hadn't reached for the knife.
"And I thought I was in charge!" Amon's voice dropped and his face darkened. "Give her the damned knife!"
Kirt glared but said nothing more. Brett reluctantly reached into his belt and pulled out the jagged knife. It was lined with blood.
"And maybe when one of you useless morons manages to kill someone like Duke, you can have a pretty knife too," Amon said, nostrils flaring.
Nova took the knife from Brett's meaty hand and tucked it into her belt. She then went back to staring out of the compound as if nothing had happened.
"Good," Amon said. He spared another glare for Brett and Kirt before returning to the prior conversation.
"I'm turning in early," Kirt said. He whirled from the group and marched for the closest cement building.
"Me too," said Brett, stalking off.
Amon shook his head. "They're like a couple of pissy brats."
Nova nodded. Bone deep exhaustion filled every part of her body and she would have liked nothing more than to go to sleep, but she couldn't. For one, her little crate was too far from the main compound; she'd collapse before she got half-way. Secondly, if Carter made an appearance, she had to be ready. That left one option; she'd have to stay in the courtyard, awake, until Kirt made his move.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Two and a half months until guard change.
As the night went on, more of Nova's companions disappeared into the cement buildings. Eventually she was left alone in the night. She swallowed, hoping that Carter would be safe inside his own rooms; the one place she couldn't follow.
She rested her head on her arms. A cool breeze brushed over her and she shivered. She clutched her knife in her right hand, partially hidden from view by her arm.
The night air smelled fresh, promising, without the stench of sweat and unwashed prisoners. Calm stillness settled over the courtyard and for a moment Nova could almost pretend she was alone.
Despite the cool night air, stiff pain twisted through Nova's side, worsening with every hour. Each individual stitch tugged at the flesh to either side of her wound, burning hotter as the last of the pain medication faded away.
She closed her eyes and tried to block it out but it hammered back, stretching up from her stomach, through her chest, into her head.
Doc had been right; without his medication the pain was torture. But she didn't have a choice. She had to fight through it long enough to save Carter. After that it wouldn't matter. She bit her lip and sat through the pain.
The night stretched on for what felt like days. She managed to get a few hours of interrupted sleep by resting her head on the rough table, but most of the time she sat awake and in agony. Sharp jabs in her side kept jolting her awake, as if she were being stabbed. In her dreams she saw Sigma coming for her, heard the woman's ragged laughter. When Nova woke, she wondered where Sigma was now. Probably dead.
When finally the red light of dawn filtered over the horizon, Nova let out a sigh of relief and pushed herself to her feet. Tingles rushed up her stiff legs and she massaged her thighs to get feeling back. When she straightened, her back clicked into place.
She sauntered to the food generators and pulled out a bowl of gruel. The grey congealed mess looked more appealing every day; better than eating nothing, or eating human flesh.
Nova sat at a table that had a full view of the courtyard. Prisoners filtered in from the cement buildings, rubbing their eyes. A few nodded to Nova but most of them ignored her. She may have done her part in the prison riot but that didn't mean she was accepted.
She kept eating.
At mid-morning a commotion erupted at the entrance to the biggest building. A crowd of muscled people gathered together, carrying weapons; mostly knives and sharpened pieces of metal. They walked in battle formation into the eating area.
Everyone in front of them ran to get out of their way. They surrounded four tables and set up in a wide circ
le facing outwards. In the middle of their protection strode a much smaller man, his muscles like pebbles compared to the soldiers around him. A cigar hung out of the corner of his mouth. Carter Mason.
Nova gasped, shoulders tensed and eyes fixed.
Kirt sauntered out of a far building, right leg limping, and Nova's eyes locked on him. A fake smile tugged the corners of his mouth as he sauntered towards Carter's group, a suspicious bump jutting underneath his shirt.
Carter climbed up onto the cement table so that he towered above the rest of the prisoners.
The courtyard fell silent, everybody staring up at him.
"Today is a day for celebration. You overcame those unnatural bastards and proved once and for all that natural is best."
Carter grinned at the crowd.
Nova rose from her seat, clutching the knife sprouting from her belt.
Kirt inched sideways through the crowd, partially blocking Carter from some of the soldiers.
Brett strode out of a darkened doorway towards Carter, weaving past the distracted guards. Others in the inner sanctum glanced at him but turned their attention back to Carter's speech, enthralled.
A knife bulged in Brett's sleeve but he kept it mostly hidden. Nova wouldn't have seen it if she hadn't known to look for it.
Brett flicked his wrist and the hilt fell into his palm, still concealed, as he reached the edge of Carter's table. Metal glinted in the sunlight at Nova.
Her heart leapt into her throat.
With no time to think, she sprung forward and sprinted at the circle. Carter's guards turned, drawing their weapons. Cold metal glimmered.
Carter's smile faltered and he locked his gaze on Nova, but didn't move from the table.
Nova hurtled across the courtyard, hair flying back behind her. She yanked her knife from her belt, eyes pinned on Brett.
He grinned at her from behind Carter's shoulder. No one could see him except her and Kirt. Murder flashed in his eyes as he lifted the knife above Carter's back.
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