Defending Hippotigris

by Smith, T. L.

  “No offense taken.” I clung to Lizzy’s hand, since she wasn’t needed for translating at the moment. “I know the alternative. Is he ready to move?”

  “Another minute. We just have to finish flushing out his other lung and hook up a pacemaker, just in case.” Jonas got up, walking around Kev to pick up a smaller box. “I’m going to take a sample of muscle tissues. I suspect Mr. Batista will need some tissue transplants where the burns went too deep.”

  He moved to Remy’s hip. “Going to take a little bone too, just in case. We can grow matching tissues he’ll be less likely to reject.”

  He looked up at me. “Even if all this works, he’s going to have a long hard recovery ahead of him.” He cleaned off a patch of unburned skin between his hip and thigh. “You might not want to watch.”

  I couldn’t imagine anything worse than how Remy looked right now. Burns covered most of his body and broken bones were visible where flesh was completely burned away. “Do it.”

  Remy might not have felt the extraction, but I jerked as Jonas bored into hip bone to get his samples.

  Kev finished injected LO into Remy’s lungs, the backflow coming out clearer. He was already feeding wires into Remy’s chest, the computer guiding his positioning of them against heart muscle.

  Jonas moved out of the way, coming to stand with me while Kev stayed with the LO unit. The Parredet converged on Remy, listening to the old woman, paying close attention to the fractures.

  With their hands wrapped in leaves, they lifted Remy from the bloody surgical blanket. Supporting his broken limbs, they carried him to the bed of leaves and gel, laying him down gently.

  Kev kept pace with them, keeping the breathing tubes from pulling loose.

  They positioned him and the old woman waved Jonas to join her. He turned to me. “I know you think you have to be brave and all, but this is where we try to put his bones back where they belong. Please, step away for a moment. Please.”

  “Come on, Shara. Check in with Schaeffer.” She pulled and I followed. Yinet came with us too, but didn’t try to talk.

  We looked around the clearing packed by patients with a variety of burns and wounds, from the shuttle crash or the shootout.

  To the side of the clearing were four shapes, covered with emergency blankets. I knew they were bodies of soldiers. To another side of the clearing were wounded miners, our soldiers guarding them.

  “What are we going to do with them?” It was a strange questions to come out of my mouth, Kazan not sharing anything with me right now.

  The soldier nearest us shifted to look at me. He looked a bit confused by my question, that it came from me when I’d ordered them to fire at will. “They’ll be transferred into our cargo hold, set up as a temporary brig. We’ll bag the dead and send notifications to whatever family we identify. See what they want to done with them.”

  “Like send them the bodies?” Lizzy sounded somewhat appalled. “They’re criminals.”

  “The ashes, unless it violates religious practices.”

  “Pretty damn sure they wouldn’t return the courtesy if it was us.” Lizzy snipped at him, looking at the bodies on our side of the clearing. “No one would know what happened to us.”

  “True, ma’am, but that difference makes us the good guys”

  Lizzy bit at her lip, looking back to where Remy lay in the care of aliens. “Guess so.”

  Right now I didn’t care what side we were on. I wanted to be with Remy.

  When we finally got to return to Remy the men were wrapping his body. Kev and Jonas helped, their hands in multiple layers of gloves. They smoothed gel-drenched leaves around Remy’s limbs, looking a lot like the Egyptian mummy process. The old woman worked on his face, being careful of the tubes.

  “What happens when this part is done?”

  Jonas got up, leaving Kev to learn this bizarre medicine. “We’ll further stabilize his breaks, then move him up to the ship. As I understand the process, we have to keep the wraps saturated.”

  He looked back at the old woman. “She agrees to come up with us to manage his care. If we can get him through the next few days and his stats come up, he stands a chance.”

  “I have to go with him.” I looked between Lizzy and Yinet, suddenly feeling defensive, waiting for Kazan to pop up and say I couldn’t go. “I have to go.”

  “Yes, Shara, you do.” Lizzy signed to Yinet, then wrapped her arms around me. “Schaef can deal with the rest of this. You go with Remy.”

  I squeezed Lizzy in my arms and almost broke down completely when I felt Yinet’s cheek against mine. I fought off the tears, but didn’t let go of my two friends until the medics started to carry Remy to the waiting shuttle.

  I traded their embraces for Remy’s fingers, the only part of him I could cling to.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  The old Parredet doctor came with us, chattering and signing with Jonas. Apparently gender taboos didn’t apply to doctors. Zemor introduced herself to the entire medical staff once aboard the ship, then joined me as they put Remy into an isolation room.

  For three days I sat with him, except for the few times they made me leave while they did surgeries to repair internal bleeds. I slept on a cot next to him and talked to him about anything, everything.

  Jonas encouraged it, saying the tests proved Remy had no brain injuries and was lucid, even in this coma state. The gel and drug Zemor gave him only blocked the transmission of pain signals from his body to his brain.

  She willingly gave Jonas samples of all the medications she was using on Remy. From our quiet cubicle, I watched as Jonas improvised using them on other patients, substituting the porous webbed leaves with medical gauze. Zemor supervised, teaching Parredet medicine to the entire medical staff.

  I sat and talked, and waited. This was day three, the day Jonas promised they’d reevaluate Remy’s condition. Zemor had already withheld the drug keeping him in such a deep state, but it would take a while to work out of his system.

  The tubes still ran into his lungs, but the brackish bloody fluid had stopped. The fluid was returning almost clear, meaning the LO was being absorbed. That gave me as much hope as his brain waves responding when I spoke.

  I kept talking. “Schaef gave me an update. The miners’ information led to the company financing this. The Alliance seized it and arrested all the executives. They got the location where they’ve been taking the ore and are setting up barricades. He says that we’re going to take advantage of what they put into play. If we can make a deal with the Parredet for setting up our own mining process, we’ll be that much further ahead.”

  I didn’t expect a reaction, not yet. “Schaef said he’s going to sponsor bringing you aboard. If we start building more ships, we’re going to need more engineers. We can finally work together, if that’s what you want.”

  His fingers were warm and I laid my face against them. “Or we can settle in one place and start that family we always talked about.”

  A few of the tears I’d been holding at bay since we got here slipped out, but only a few. I hadn’t let myself really cry. I was afraid if I let go of my tears, I’d be letting go of hope. I’d be letting go of him. “I really want a family, Remy. I want it with you.”

  More tears threatened to slip out, so I squeezed my eyes tight. “So, you just got to come out of this. I need you.” I clung to his hand, clinging to the image of children. Our children. I’d go anywhere he wanted. I’d wait for as long as it took.

  I brushed my cheek across his fingers, until one rose up slightly to brush against my ear. I froze, wondering if I’d imagined it, but a second later his finger moved again. I kept his hand to my face. “Remy, are you waking up? Please wake up, if just for a minute.”

  His finger moved and he made a sound, garbled because of the tubes. “Oh my God.” I pressed his hand to my face harder. “I’m right here. Don’t try to move, or talk. They have tubes in your lungs, so you can… breathe. Let me call them in here.” His fingers answere
d, closing around my hand.

  “Medic Jonas, I yelled his name at the computer board over the bed. “Jonas, get in here!” I could see him raise his head from another patient. He spoke to Zemor and they both headed our direction. “They’re coming in, Remy. Just hang on.”

  Both burst into the room, other medical staff starting to converge on the cubicle walls. “He’s waking up?” Jonas went to the computer board, looking at the brain scans. “He’s conscious. That’s…” Zemor chattered something, not sounding surprised, only confident. Jonas laughed slightly. “Of course he is.”

  He leaned over Remy. “Mr. Batista. Glad to have you back. You can’t talk right now. Tap Shara’s hand, once for yes, twice for no. Understand.”

  His finger moved, once. “Yes.” I responded, even though everyone could see.

  “Great. Do you know what happened?”

  “Yes.”

  “You were critically injured when the shuttle crashed.”

  “Yes.”

  “The Parredet have been treating you with their medicines. You’ve been in a sedated state and we have your body wrapped in an analgesic gel.”

  “Yes.” I rested my lips to his hand. I’d told him everything that happened, hoping he’d hear and wouldn’t panic when he woke up. He heard me.

  Jonas asked a few more questions, assessing awareness and pain. Satisfied he looked to me. “This part might be a bit difficult for both of you. I’m going to start reducing the LO mixture, replacing it with real oxygen. If your lungs start to spasm, that’s a good sign. don’t fight it. They’ll be wanting to expand on their own.”

  “Yes.” He tapped once, then gripped my hand. “He’s ready.”

  Zemor came around the bed to my side as Jonas started reducing the liquid oxygen, replacing it with the real thing. Fluid continued to be suctioned from his lungs as one replaced the other.

  It took a few minutes, but his hand around mine tightened. “Okay baby, remember what Jonas said. Let it happen.” I looked across to Jonas, seeing him removing the LO tubes completely. Panic ran through me, wondering if it was too soon, if Remy’s lungs were ready. Out came the suction tubes, then the large intubation tube.

  Remy gagged, coughed and fought to breathe, his hand clutched at mine. My panic had me squeezing back, but Jonas was pressing a hand to Remy’s chest. “Inhale. Come on. You have to do this part on your own. You want to see your wife’s face? Breathe!”

  “Remy, breathe. Come on!”

  The gasps coming from him sounded agonizing, but his chest rose and fell, then rose again, and again, each time with less panic.

  Zemor sounded pleased, waving her hand at Remy’s body, but then flicked her hand when she reached Remy’s head.

  “Yes. Let’s let him see Mrs. Batista.” Jonas looked at me, still clinging to Remy. “Keep in mind his condition. Don’t expect too many miracles. From here out we’re facing a whole new set of challenges.”

  “I understand.” Remy squeezed my hand. “So does he.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  “How’s it working?” I watched Remy pace across the room, slowly turn and walk back.

  He looked up, smiling. “Much better. Told you it would only take a few tweeks.” He stopped, raising his leg and flexing the knee. “A lot more stable.”

  “Well, once the bone grafts are set you won’t need those braces anymore, though I’ll take you any way I can.”

  Remy took the last few steps to reach where I sat on the edge of my desk. He leaned over me, pulling my hips to his. “How about right here?”

  I laughed, wrapping my arms around his neck. Scars still zigged and zagged on his cheek and down one side of his neck, disappearing into his shirt. New patches of skin still settling in. I really didn’t care. He was alive and we were back, if only for a visit. “Yinet and Gerret will be howling for us to join them any minute. We’ve been gone forever.”

  “Well, they’ll just have to wait a little longer.” He kissed me, leaning me backwards over the desk as his hands fumbled with my jeans.

  “Remy!” I laughed, trying to push his hands away. “You’re being crazy. We have to go.”

  “Not yet.” His hands grabbed mine, pinning them down on the desk. “A deal’s a deal. We’re going to start that family we’re always talking about.”

  “Right this second?” I squirmed, which didn’t help. Neither did his teeth behind my ear.

  “Right this second…” He let go of one hand, reaching for the zipper of my jeans again.

  He was winning this argument, until the door opened. “Oh, geez. Remy, put your pants on!” Lizzy giggled, slamming the hut door and yelling through it. “Learn to use the lock.”

  “Killjoy.” He turned his back and reached for his jeans as she opened the door again.

  “It’s not dead, just deflated a bit.” She grinned at me.

  I scurried to tuck my shirt back in, glaring back at Lizzy. “You could learn to knock.”

  “Yeah, I could.” She smirked. “Glad to see you still have all the working parts, Remy.”

  “Another minute you’d have gotten the full show.” He had his pants on and turned back around. “We heard congratulations are in order. Schaeffer tamed you.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far.” Lizzy rolled her eyes away from both of us. “I just thought that I could pitch a more permanent tent here.”

  “Well, permanent remains to be seen. No matter what Yinet might like, our staying on here, in any capacity, has to be approved by all the clans.” I grabbed both our coats, while Remy pulled his boots on.

  “Well, that’s why I came here, I think. Yinet wants to take us somewhere. I think it’s a meeting with the clan mothers, though she’s not explaining it as thoroughly as usual. She’s using words our translator program doesn’t know yet.”

  “Well, now you have my attention.” I gave Remy a smile as he grunted. “Sorry, babe. I promise to let you have your way with me later.”

  “Yeah, promises.” He put on his coat and went to the bags, packed in case our first outing ran late and we had to spend the night with the Parredet.

  I started to go help him, but resisted. He insisted on doing everything he could, but agreed to ask for help when he got tired. He gave me a wink as he pulled his own pack on, then handed me my own. “Lead on, Lizzy.”

  “Zip up. It’s full on winter.” She pulled her hood up and threw the door open again. Thankfully it wasn’t a straight blast of cold air. Small windbreak tents had been constructed onto the front of the hard tents, as a buffer for the real cold and to knock off snow.

  I stayed beside Remy as Lizzy led us towards the shuttle landing pad. Our first exposure to the elements had played havoc with his braces. He’d spent our first hour here reinsulating the electronic leads. Now we’d really find out how good a job he did fixing them.

  We reach the shuttle without a breakdown and he made it up the ramp on his own. We squeezed through another buffer screen and into the shuttle. I brought up the rear, stepping through last and into a hug from Yinet. Remy got a similar treatment from Gerret, just not as vigorous. They’d been warned he was still recovering.

  I mumbled through the coat and bear hug, until Yinet put me down again. “Yeah, glad to be back too. Didn’t expect to see you here.”

  “I told you they wanted to take us somewhere.” Lizzy rolled her eyes and went forward to where Schaeffer sat waiting to take off, getting to slide into the co-pilot seat. “We’re ready. Crank up the heat and let’s go.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Schaeffer started closing the hatch. “She’s gotten real bossy around here while you were gone. Worse than you were.”

  “Bite me, Dick. You know how it works.” She leaned over her chair as he extended his cheek, giving him a nuzzle. “You might be sheriff, but I’m substitute Clan Mom around these here parts.”

  “Clan Mom?” Remy asked.

  “Substitute?” I spoke at the same time.

  Lizzy swung her chair around as we got buckled in, Yinet a
nd Gerret settling into a bench with improvised safety straps. “Yeah, someone had to slide into the role when you left. That was the problem before, besides liking you, there wasn’t a female clan leader for them. By their standards and your behavior, you were clan mother, like Yinet. Right?”

  “Yezzz. You arrre Clan Mother.” Yinet responded with her version of a smile.

  “Wow, your standard is really coming along.” I darted glances between her and Lizzy. “Very impressed.”

  “Well, there’s still words our programs can’t identify, but it’s only been a year.” Lizzy stopped as Schaeffer lifted the shuttle off the ground. She waited until he set course and relaxed. “Want to bring up the holo-map, show us where we’re going?”

  “See, bossy.” Schaeffer tapped up the computer’s hologram program and set it to project in the space between our seats. He turned his chair around partway, not totally relinquishing control of the shuttle to the computer. “Gerret identified an area they want us to see, though he didn’t tell me why.” He gave Gerret a half shrug. “All will be revealed soon enough.”

  I leaned forward, studying the coordinates mapped. “This is where we’re going?”

  “No, I just thought it was pretty.” Lizzy rolled her eyes at me again. “Geez, get your head on straight.”

  “Wow, Schaef, did you really propose or she just tell you you’re getting married and you’re too scared to say no?” Remy pointed to his legs when Lizzy looked like she was going to come after him with a kick to the shins.

  Schaeffer laughed. “So, this is where we’re going. Our preliminary scans ruled it out, mostly because we couldn’t get a good reading. The terrain was too rough to set up a camp.”

  “So, what do we know now? We’ve been here for over two years.” I looked over to Yinet. “What’s so important there?”