"Will she live?"
"We don't know."
A heavy silence fell among them while they started working on the android again. After a while, Conley picked up his story where he'd left off, now including Warren in the conversation along with Mea. The android didn't speak, but laughed or murmured wordlessly in all the right places. Conley paused for a minute at the end of his story before finishing.
"She never did give up a hunt. Not once."
Stone couldn't let that one pass. "She said she gave up on mine."
Warren snorted. "Don't kid yourself. She might have stopped hunting you for the Corp, but that didn't mean she stopped hunting you altogether. It was just a different kind, that's all. You gonna try telling me you didn't feel hunted? You sure looked it, running away all the time—"
Stone purposefully let the tool slip and a shock made Warren jump.
"Okay, point taken," the android mumbled, and Conley chuckled softly.
"He only does that to people he likes, you know."
"Lucky me."
There was enough sarcasm in his low mutter to make the older man chuckle again, before he launched into another story. Stone let the hunter's voice drone on, but barely paid attention, exhaustion catching up with him. His eyes kept blurring, and the next time the tool slipped—this time accidentally—Warren gently took it from him and started fixing himself.
Rubbing the tense muscles at the back of his neck, he stood and drifted back over to Mea's side. She looked the same—maybe a little paler, and he couldn't resist asking, "Status?" He'd kept his voice low, but Conley abruptly stopped speaking to hear Ema's reply.
"Same."
The director sighed, and silence once again fell over the group. Stone looked down at the kid to see her eyes slide closed and head bob before she pulled herself straight. There were dark circles under her eyes, and her face looked skeletal with drawn skin and huge, dark eyes. She was way past exhausted and past caring about it by the looks of it. Her body was demanding sleep, but she wasn't listening.
"Regan, go lie down."
She didn't even blink. Stone crossed the room and activated the other table, pulling out a pillow and two blankets. Shaking one of the blankets out onto the table, he took the other blanket over to her. Wrapping it around her gently, he lifted the kid up and carried her to the table. Laying her carefully down, he turned away, but heard her moving. Looking over his shoulder, he saw her sit up and slide over to the edge, eyes fixed on her mother.
"Damn it, lie down."
She ignored him and slid off the table. He picked her up again and laid her back down, covering her with the blanket. She waited until he stepped away before sitting up.
"Maybe if you stayed with her, she'd fall asleep."
Conley didn't turn around to give this little gem of wisdom, and Stone moved back to Regan's side, muttering irritably under his breath. She immediately slumped against him, head resting on his chest, but face turned toward her mother. She also grasped one of his hands—tightly. With a sigh, he settled himself to wait. It didn't take long.
Five minutes later, her little body had gone heavy with sleep, and her breathing was deep and even. As carefully as if he were handling an eggshell, he cupped the back of her neck and lowered her to a reclined position, but when he tried to pull away, her hand tightened around his.
Stone gave up. Activating a seat, he sank down on it and put his head down on folded arms. He didn't expect to sleep, but he hoped to rest some. In less time than it'd taken Regan, he was out cold.
Chapter 28
When Stone woke up, his eyes were gritty, he had a kink in his neck, and his side throbbed like a rotten tooth. Sitting up with a groan, he rubbed his aching neck and looked around the infirmary. Regan was still asleep, but Conley and the android weren't there. Mea still hung suspended over Ema's table.
"Status," he croaked, pushing to his feet and staggering over.
"Same. You should get some more rest. Or maybe get Warren to bring you something to drink and eat. You look like hell."
He ignored the AI. "How far out are we?"
"Does it matter? We're not there yet. At least drink something. You're dehydrated."
"Where's the director?"
"Control room." When he turned toward the door, she continued in a slightly desperate voice, "Don't leave the child!"
"What?"
She sighed. "I didn't want to say this, because words said in confidence shouldn't be spread around, but when you two were out of the infirmary getting Warren, she told Mea, 'If you die, I die.' She shouldn't be alone."
Stone felt a chill work its way down his spine. He'd been right about the kid. Not that he felt any different, but she was blameless and much too young to die. He moved to stand next to the table and watch the kid sleep. "Don't have a clue how to help her."
"Just be there. She fell asleep for you. If Mea should go, I think she'll stay for you." She paused for a second. When she continued, her voice had softened. "I also think the reverse is true."
He thought about that carefully. Would he be able to keep himself straight for the kid? Even if Mea left them? All he really knew was that he couldn't let anything happen to her. It was possible that he needed Regan as much as he needed Mea.
Sinking back down onto the seat, he took her hand again and waited. When she woke up, he held her as she cried to see Mea the same and continued to hold her when she slipped back into unresponsiveness. Warren brought them food and drinks, but Stone ignored his own to coax Regan to eat. She would drink in little sips, but refused all food. When it was clear that she wasn't going to take any more, he ate and drank himself, not paying much attention to what it was that he swallowed.
Time dragged by. Conley came and went, busy communicating with both his hunters and the space station that they were headed for. The station was a research facility that was studying the planet it circled for the huge variety of medicinals it produced. They had a fully equipped med lab and were ready and willing to help. Warren spent his time either talking to Mea or trying to force more sustenance on Stone and Regan.
About a half an hour away from the space station, Mea began to fail. She stopped breathing on her own and Ema had to intubate and breathe for her. She had one seizure—then another.
By the time they docked at the station, Stone was sure that they'd lost her. As a swarm of people in lab jackets came rushing in with a long tube, he held Regan out of the way and watched dully. Once they got Mea into the stasis tube, the group hurried out.
Stone caught Regan's hand and followed, pulling her along with Warren and Conley right behind. The station wasn't that large, so they came to the med lab quickly, but one of the group around Mea's tube barred their way in. The four stood outside and stared at each other. Watching their faces, Stone saw his own dark despair mirrored there, and he felt like a ghost.
The four of them stood without moving outside the med lab until eventually someone came out and led them to a lounge area. Conley bombarded the woman with questions, but she said she couldn't tell him anything yet.
Stone held his peace, hope gone. He sat in a soft chair with Regan pressed up next to him and wondered just what the hell he was going to do with her. He wished he could stay with her, but the truth was he was a criminal of the worst kind. He wasn't good for her. With Mea gone, the likelihood of him staying out of trouble was slim, and if the kid was with him, he'd just drag her down, too. She deserved a good life, but he was pretty sure she wouldn't get that with him.
Several hours hitched painfully by while they waited for word, each of the men taking turns pacing. When a man finally approached them, Stone had to stare at him carefully to make sure that he wasn't a mirage. It seemed his whole life had turned into this lounge and these people and the interminable wait.
The man's first words left him reeling.
"She's going to make it."
They all stared at him, frozen. Stone shook his head, trying to clear a ringing in his ears. He must
have heard wrong. "What?"
"Hunter Brin is going to pull through. It was touch and go for a little while there, but about an hour ago she stabilized nicely. I didn't want to bring the good news until it was a certainty, though, so we waited until we were sure."
"Oh thank god." Conley's voice wavered like a much older man's, and he sagged onto a seat, putting his head in his hands.
Warren was a little more composed. "Thank you doctor. The news is a shock—we didn't think she'd make it—but a good one. Thank you."
Stone slowly climbed to his feet on limbs that felt numb. He staggered a step toward the doctor. "Wait. She's—going to live?"
The man smiled sunnily. "Yes. She's going to live."
"Can I see her?" Regan was suddenly at his side, and her voice sounded so young and quavery that Stone's chest tightened.
The smile faded from the doctor's face. "Well, now's not such a good time, honey. She's in a floater tank, and there's not much to see. She won't know you're there either. Give it a couple more hours, and I think she might be awake for a few minutes, long enough for a quick visit."
With a reassuring smile, the man turned away and was gone before Stone could insist on seeing her. Slowly he turned to look at Warren and Conley. "I can't believe it."
Warren started chuckling softly, features losing their drawn appearance. "Should've known, though. That one, she's always been a miracle."
Conley looked up at that, staring at the android with tears running unashamedly down his face. "A miracle," he agreed in a shaky voice.
"Daddy?"
Stone looked down into Regan's still drawn, but now animated face.
"I'm thirsty."
With a nod like a sleepwalker, he took her hand and left the lounge to look for the cafeteria.
Several hours later, they were all snapping at each other in the lounge, restless and irritable. No one had come back to talk to them, nor could they find anyone. They didn't know what was going on and couldn't get into the med lab to find out. When a woman finally showed up, they all but pounced on her.
"What the hell's going on?"
"Where is she?"
"Where's Mama?"
She held up placating hands, looking from one to the other in entreaty. "Please, please! I'm sorry we haven't been in to see you, but we've been busy with our patient. We thought you'd prefer visiting her when she was in a comfortable bed rather than the floater tank. She's still asleep, but just as soon—"
"I want to see my Mama!"
Regan's voice was shrill, and Stone put an arm around her, glaring at the doctor menacingly. "You heard her."
A light frown passed over the woman's face, but confronted with three determined adults and a child on the verge of hysteria, she caved. "All right, but only for a minute."
Mea wasn't asleep when they stepped into her room. Stone stopped breathing when she turned her green eyes to them, eyes that he'd thought were closed forever. She smiled faintly as Regan broke away from Stone and ran to the bed, sobbing her relief.
"Oh, sugar, what's this?"she whispered in a voice almost too low to hear, but it drew the others towards her like a magnet. "Don't cry, baby. I'm going to be fine."
Regan didn't stop, resting her head on Mea's arm with great, wracking sobs. Sighing, Mea soothed a hand over her hair. "Come up here then, so I can hold you."
When Regan began climbing up on the bed, the doctor surged forward in alarm. "Oh no! No, you'll upset—"
Stone put an arm in her way, effectively barring her from interfering.
"She's the best medicine I could have right now, Doc. Calm down." Mea smiled a little for the fretting woman while Regan carefully arranged herself at her mother's side, head resting on her chest. Mea continued to run a hand over the girl's head. "You're hair grew. Pretty soon we'll have to trim it again."
Regan had stopped sobbing, but tears still poured out of her eyes, and she clung to Mea. The hunter kissed her on the forehead and closed her eyes with a sigh.
"I'd sing you a lullaby, but my voice is shot. Could you sing to me, honey?"
"Okay," Regan whispered and started singing the Little Angel lullaby in a wavery, little girl's voice.
"That's nice," Mea sighed and seemed to sink into sleep.
The kid continued until the song was done, tears drying up as she rested against her mother.
"All right, you all need to leave now. Come on, child, get down. We don't want to disturb—"
"She stays," Stone cut the doctor off, tone hard.
The woman shifted uncomfortably and looked at the other two men, but neither gave her any support. "Fine. But you three need to leave—"
"No."
"Now, look! I can't have you disturbing my patient. She's asleep and the visit is over."
Unexpectedly, Conley backed him up. "We're not leaving her again. We won't keep her awake or get in the way of her healing, but we need to stay, Doctor. Sorry, but we're not going anywhere."
Glaring at them, she put her hands on her hips. "If her vitals waver even the slightest while you are in here, I will have you all bodily removed, is that clear?"
"Yes, ma'am," Conley said, suddenly meek.
Angrily tossing her head, she stomped out. Stone didn't watch her go, his attention on the two in the bed.
Regan yawned and then smiled sleepily. "I can hear her heart," she murmured, eyes sliding closed. In seconds, she was asleep.
There was a long silence, but it wasn't an uncomfortable one. Stone was content just to watch Mea breathe, and he figured the other two were feeling the same way.
"Now I'm going to thank you, Stone, and you'll accept my thanks or I'll take you outside and kick your ass." Conley was smiling when he said it, though.
"Well, if you're gonna kick my ass—you're welcome."
They grinned at each other.
"How cute. You've bonded," Mea whispered with soft sarcasm.
Stone felt a chill grip the back of his neck as her eyes, hard and cold as green ice, came to rest on him.
"Stone, I want you to leave."
"What!"
"You rescued us both. I give you my thanks, but that's all. I can forgive you for what you did to me, leaving on Xerxes. I'm an adult—I can handle it. But I'll never forgive you for what you did to Regan. Because you saved her from the slavers, I won't hunt you down and kick the living shit out of you for how much you hurt her, but you should leave now before you hurt her even more." Her voice was low and even, not a hint of anger in it, but her eyes glittered dangerously.
Stone felt like someone had just sucker-punched him in the gut. "Mea -"
"Leave." She turned her head away uncompromisingly.
With a worried frown, Conley stepped forward. "Mea girl, I don't think—"
Her eyes impaled him. "You have something to say, Director Conley?"
In her tone and words was a reminder of who had put them down on the slaver planet in the first place and Conley paled. She continued in a softer tone, but her expression didn't gentle, "I don't blame you, Uncle Mike. Her being there was entirely my fault. I should never have adopted her and put her in that kind of situation." She looked at Stone again, and he felt acid burn at the back of his throat. "You were right about that at least, Stone. Now, you need to go."
Over a pain radiating like slivery spikes from his chest, he folded his arms and refused. "No."
"Leave or I'll have you forcibly removed," she murmured with a dismaying lack of emotion, but her eyes had narrowed.
Before he could refuse again, Conley appeared at his elbow, expression sympathetic. "Come on, son. I'll buy you a cup of coffee. She needs to sleep, and we aren't helping her do that."
Torn, he didn't move for a moment, facing Mea. But she turned her face away, resting her chin on the top of Regan's sleeping head and closed her eyes.
Conley gripped his elbow and gently pulled him away. When they were out of the room, the older man let his elbow go and patted him sympathetically on the shoulder. "Just give her s
ome time, son. She's got a lot to work through. Don't worry, her punishments don't last forever."
He smiled feebly, and Stone supposed that had been meant as a joke. He wanted to shout at the man, tell him he wasn't his damned son and nothing about this situation was at all funny, but his throat was closed. He went with Conley to the cafeteria like a lamb to slaughter.
Chapter 29
Several days passed like molasses. After getting Ema to heal his side, Stone spent most of his time in the lounge, hoping Mea would change her mind. Regan would come to visit him there, and every day the kid looked better and better, although she flatly refused to have the tattoos removed from her hands. Warren was busy getting fixed, but Conley would also keep Stone company from time to time. From him, Stone found out that Maulkin had been planning on starting a war—and that might still happen down the road, since the other slaver planets were now in an uproar, seeing Maulkin as some kind of martyr.
Conley also told him more about what had happened to Mea. She had been a spectacle for the slavers, entertainment for Maulkin's court. Maulkin would send fighters into the cage with her, promising them that they could have her if they could subdue her. She killed three of his men before he smartened up and switched to slaves fighting in proxy for their owners.
"She said not one of them—touched her."
"You mean raped her."
"Yeah. She kept killing 'em off."
Stone's relief at hearing this was tempered by the memory of what she'd looked like as a result of it. He was grateful for the director's company, but his conversations with the older man tended to be stilted and uncomfortable. Eventually Stone would ask if she'd changed her mind, and Conley would say no. That would be the end of the conversation.
A steady stream of Mea's colleagues came through the starbase, most of them stopping in to speak to the director before they saw Mea. They were polite to Stone, but didn't pay him much attention. He gave most of them the same in return, but when one certain hunter stepped into the lounge, his reaction was very different.
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