“Gris’Ip is ship doctor,” Captain Dex’Orr explained. “He will see to your wounds. Then you can retire to your quarters.”
“One at a time, please,” Gris’Ip said. “This is not a...a zoo.”
“Jules, you go first. The rest of us can wait in the hallway,” Nick said.
They stepped back out, and Captain Dex’Orr pointed back down the passageway toward their quarters. Nick couldn’t help but look around in wonder. The alien ship was much larger than the tiny space where they were normally permitted, and curiosity prompted him to look around. He would have liked to explore a bit, but he was suddenly very tired.
“I don’t need a doctor,” Ember said. “Just some food, maybe a hot shower, and sleep.”
“I’m with her,” Ty said. “I need some food I can chew.”
“Why don’t you two go on back?” Nick offered. “There’s no need for all of us to hang out here.”
“Are you sure?” Ember asked.
“Yeah, I got this,” Nick said.
“Are you hurt?” she asked with concern.
“No,” Nick said. “I’m fine. But I want to see that these two get taken care of.”
“Thanks, mom,” Kal said.
“Hey, how did your suit hold vacuum?” Ty asked Kal. “I mean after the crab bit your arm.”
“I thought of that right before I hit the hard vac lever,” Kal said. “I would have been screwed if it didn’t seal, but it spit out some kind of fluid that foamed up and sealed the suit.”
“Damn alien tech,” Ty said with a grin.
“Yeah, ain’t it the worst,” Kal chuckled.
Ember and Ty went back to the quarters they shared with the rest of the team. Jules came out of the medical bay a few minutes later. Her eyes were glassy, and she grinned at Nick in a way that was out of character.
“Is she okay?” Nick asked the physician.
“Her rotator cuff was torn, and there is extensive bruising of the shoulder,” Gris’Ip explained. “I have given her a shot of nanoserum that will repair the injury and disperse the fluid buildup. It is a painful injury, so I felt it best to include a strong narcotic. She will sleep for the next twelve hours. I suggest you help her to bed.”
“I’ll do that,” Nick said. “You want me to come back, Kal?”
“Nah, it’s just a scratch,” Kal replied.
“I’ll be the judge of that,” Gris’Ip said testily.
“He’s not that bright, but he’s got great bedside manners,” Kal joked.
The alien frowned as Nick led Jules away. She stumbled once and couldn’t walk in a straight line, but she didn’t mind. Whatever the physician had given her, it worked almost too well. Jules was a careful person, strong and determined, but with the narcotic she wasn’t just loopy—she was giddy and silly.
“You know Em likes you, right?” she said, leaning so close that Nick felt her breath on his ear.
“No,” he said. “I didn’t know that.”
“She does. She loves you,” Jules said, emphasizing the word love like a six-year-old before giggling uncontrollably. Nick helped her into their quarters just as Ember was stepping out of the shower. She had put on fatigues and had a towel around her neck.
“What’s wrong with her?” Ember asked.
“She’s stoned,” Nick said. “The doctor gave her pain meds.”
“I can’t feel my face,” Jules giggled as Nick helped her into the bed alcove.
“You just need some sleep,” he said.
“Oh, that sounds lovely,” she said, before rolling over onto her side away from him.
Nick pulled the privacy cover that enclosed the bunk. When he turned around, Ember was looking at him curiously.
“What did she say to you?” Ember asked.
“Jules? Nothing,” Nick said, smiling at the lie. “Nothing at all.”
Epilogue
Nick led his friends off the alien ship. To their surprise, Gunny Tveit was waiting for them. She had a glove over the hand that had been bitten by the snake. It was long and black, reaching up her forearm almost to her elbow.
“Well, well, well,” she said. “Looks like my little flock of chickadees are growing up.”
“Good to see you, Gunny,” Nick said.
“How’s the arm, Sergeant?” Ember asked.
“The arm is fine. The hand...well...”
Gunny Sergeant Tveit pulled off the black glove and held up her hand. The flesh was gone and only a skeletal device remained. It was the same shape as a hand, with fingers that articulated just like a human hand, but it was made of shiny metal that reminded Nick of chrome.
“Oh man,” Ty said. “That’s awesome.”
“It’s cold, Private Ormond. But it will crush your skull, so don’t make me angry,” Tveit said.
“No, ma’am,” he said with a grin.
“I’m so sorry,” Ember said. “They had to amputate?”
“It was inevitable. The snake’s poison would have killed me if you hadn’t gotten me out of there so fast,” Tveit said. “Broke the record for fastest completion of survival training, from what I hear.”
“Was there ever a doubt?” Kal replied with a grin.
“It was just the first week of training, Private Phillips,” Tveit said. “Don’t let it go to your head. Good work in the Quazak system. You completed the mission, and more importantly, you all made it back alive.”
“Would’ve been better with you,” Jules said. “I mean, Nick did okay, but he’s kind of a pushover, if you know what I mean.”
“Hey!” Nick said.
They all laughed, including the gunnery sergeant.
“So what now, Sergeant?” Ember asked.
“Now we finish your training,” Tveit said. “You still have a lot to learn.”
“I’ll take training over missions where the bad guys shoot at you any day,” Kal said.
“But you can bet that the Brass is taking notice. Dragon Team Seven is the real deal,” Tveit said. “Enjoy the next two months because odds are they will be the last bit of leisure we get for a while.”
“So there are plans for us to ship out?” Nick asked.
“Just as soon as I’m finished whipping you all into shape,” Tveit said.
“When does the whipping start, exactly?” Kal asked.
“Now, Private Phillips. Right now.”
She turned and led them down the corridor. Nick and Ember fell to the back of the group. Nick wrapped an arm around Ember’s shoulder, and she leaned into him for just a moment. They had survived their first mission, and it felt good. But Nick knew he couldn’t act on his feelings for Ember. And she, after a moment spent lingering close to him, stepped away. They knew that work had to come first, even if they both really wanted the same thing.
“Only four more years,” Nick said. “I bet it goes by in a flash.”
“Four years and who knows how many dangerous missions,” Ember said quietly.
“That’s okay,” Nick said. “We’ll make it.”
“How can you be so sure?” she asked.
“Because we’re all together,” he said. “As long as we’re together, nothing can stop us.”
Author’s Note
Thank you so much for reading Dragon Team Seven. I can’t wait to share more books in this exciting series with you. If you enjoyed reading this book, please consider leaving a review on Amazon, Goodreads, or social media. Reviews are a great way to support your favorite authors.
There are more DT7 books coming soon, but in the meantime you can take a look my other military sci-fi books like my Orion Porter books the Spartan Trilogy. Or my five book series the Wolfpack books.
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Dragon Team Seven Page 27