Matt found Emma in the surgery; dealing with one of the visitors. He waited outside until the man left.
“Anything serious?”
“Everything is potentially serious; but no, just a few drugs for nerves; I have had a patient here this morning though that needed a bit more hands on care?” she looked at him accusingly.
Matt felt uncomfortable.
“Whatever were you thinking of?”
Matt tried to think of an excuse. “It was just a bit of personal stuff?”
“Matt he was a mess.”
“I only…” It seemed too pathetic to say ‘hit him a couple of times’
“You were lucky not to have broken his jaw at the very least; he needed three stitches over his eye, and he will have a black one for at least a week, and that’s not counting the bruising, and probable broken ribs: he refuses to have an x-ray?”
“I shouldn’t have.”
“I don’t know what went between you both, and I don’t care, but no, you shouldn’t have…” He chiding eased and she looked at him in doubt. “You’re here for me to look at you?”
“No, I’m fine.”
“So I can see… Where did you learn to fight like that?”
“A long time ago. In the navy; there wasn’t a lot to do at sea most of the time so I joined the boxing group.”
“I didn’t know that?”
“I don’t talk about it, but I found out I had a talent for using my fists.”
“I think everybody knows that now?”
He smiled a guilty smile. “I was runner up in the divisional championships?”
“Matt what’s happened to you; it’s not the kind of thing I ever imagined you would do. You could have killed him?”
“I don’t know; it all happened so fast and I was angry, and… I don’t I just snapped?”
“You above all people know what the consequences are of management picking on staff under their command.” A smile turned up the corners of her mouth. “Did he deserve it?”
Now Matt smiled. “Yes.”
“No matter how much it makes you feel better don’t snap again I have enough to do without patching up people who you want to have a disagreement with.”
“I promise…Emma?’ he began thankful she had given him a partial way to offer his question. “Vladimir… did you do any testing on his cause of death?”
She sighed. “Actually…no. I intended to, but I was busy and it seemed obvious?”
“But what if it wasn’t?”
“What do you mean?”
“There was could be no other reason for his death?”
“I didn’t see any evidence to say it wasn’t, in fact he was a hundred percent perfectly normal.”
“There was nothing at all to make you suspicious?”
“No nothing… except?”
Matt looked at her expectantly.
“Just trivial stuff?”
“Like what?”
“When I removed the ear plugs, I found traces of blood?”
“Is that unusual?”
“How would I know; radiation poisoning is something we are supposed to avoid not diagnose? I’m not an expert on how it displays in a patient, other than the obvious, but it seemed reasonable to put it down to an effect of blood pressure; I don’t know maybe his blood boiled; it was only in the one ear?”
“Nothing else?”
“No.”
Matt was hoping she had found something suspicious. “This probably sounds stupid but could he have been murdered?”
Emma looked at him in an astonished way. “There was no trauma; his wrists showed minor traces of bruising: which if I was suspicious; could indicate he was held down. His stomach turned out partially dissolved sleeping tablets, which would support him falling asleep. Matt as I’ve just said, he was in perfect condition.”
Matt Knew he was asking more than acceptable. “I know it’s a lot to ask with everything else you have to do, but you probably weren’t looking for something else that could have killed him… could you check again?”
Now her attitude was one of exasperation. “His body is in the morgue; even if I had the time I’d need real proof before I could risk opening that place up again. Have you got proof of what you are claiming?”
The smile of hope faded. “And that was it?”
“Matt, take my word for it he cooked from the inside out, and it wasn’t a nice way to die?”
Matt had barely stepped back into the corridor before Leeshia confronted him. “Matt, some of the crew are looking for you?”
“The crew; what for?”
She looked furtively behind her. “Peter wants to talk to you?”
Matt felt a tinge of fear. “Did you know what about?” he probably already knew the answer to that question.
“No, but he wants to talk to me too?”
That didn’t make sense. “Well he can wait; he doesn’t run this station even if he thinks he does?” Matt saw over her shoulder that three of the crew were coming towards them.
Leeshia stepped nervously back as they came up to Matt. He knew them all. There was Peter and Silvio from construction and Ralph one of the technicians.
“Mr. Sands wants to see you.” Said Ralph without any formalities.
He hesitated lost for a moment thinking who Sands was. He saw with some satisfaction that they were unsure of what to do, but none of them got within punching distance. “Does he?” Matt made an effort to appear uninterested. “I’m on duty right now; tell him I’ll try and make time around mid day meal.”
Ralph’s voice became threatening. “He said he wants to see you in his apartment: now.”
Matt glared at him “I don’t take orders from subordinates… or guests; you should remember that.” Matt stepped forward.
For a moment Ralph stood his ground and then he stepped aside.
Matt barged through expecting one or all of them to grab him from behind, but they didn’t and Leeshia fell in beside him; almost running to keep up with his determined stride. Matt slowed when he realized that the three were not following.
“Wow… I’m shaking.” She said.
He smiled. “Me too,” he replied in way that said he wasn’t, but was in fact the truth.
“I heard about Vincent…Smug little prick.”
Matt’s smile faded as he remembered the toned and muscled body. “Actually that’s only half right.”
Matt was walking onto the command deck when he came face to Tracy.
“I though you were with Peter?” she said in surprise.
“No.”
“I was told you would be there?”
“You going to see him as well?”
“Yes… I’ll feel better if we can go together.”
Matt didn’t want it to seem like he was at the man’s beck and call, but now he was curious.
Riot and Disorder - Orbit the Sun – Part 7 Page 5