“It doesn’t get better than this,” he said, flooded with contentment. “Are we past the outbreak now? All the patients recovering?”
“We lost a few more. The spice-infusion treatment was pretty rough, and some of the patients couldn’t survive it. Harrowing to watch, but necessary. I’d never administer a medicine with such a high mortality rate unless the illness it cures is something as deadly as Groskin’s. I’d get sued for malpractice.” She shook her head. “Had some heart attacks, a few kidney failures, and a stroke or two. I was able to save most of them with immediate intervention, but we still lost too many. Maybe fifteen percent. A couple of people went into comas.”
“What’s going to happen to them?”
“We convinced the Sector medical authorities that the outbreak was understood and under control now. They’ve boarded and taken the comatose patients off, bound for the big teaching hospital on Hub. My understanding is they’ll be receiving the total blood-volume cleanse, and we all hope that’ll work. There were several people with permanent brain damage, where the bug crossed the brain barrier. They all died. Even the spice can’t restore missing brain cells. I’ll be following up on the cases from a distance—they’re still my patients until they get to go home.” She smiled. “Both Mrs. Enzell and her son pulled through, I’m happy to report.”
“Good news for sure. That ’Lite, what was his name—Rupair?”
“He survived, but most of his friends didn’t make it, not even Sessaly. There were a few more victims with his mutated strain of the organism after you went down. They’d done feelgoods with him and shared the experience. Got more than they bargained for. The mutated strain was more efficient at attacking the brain as well.”
“Thank the Lords of Space for the spice.” Jake paused, reconsidering. “Although, if not for Groskin stealing the spice in the first place, none of this ever would have happened.”
“True. We tried a lower dose, but that left a significant Groskin’s count in the blood, so it was handle the one big dose or nothing. The organism hadn’t mutated in anyone other than Rupair, his girlfriend and the other people he infected, so we escaped an even worse disaster. Maeve vented the entire beach level to space before we reached Sector Hub, so there’ll be no more outbreaks on this ship.” Emily laughed. “I made a condition of my employment that Maeve could have a top-of-the-line medical module upgrade. She says she loves absorbing new modules, so she’s happy. I owed her one.”
A personal AI—whether his or hers, he couldn’t tell—chimed for an incoming call. Jake tightened his arm as she tried to rise. “Whoever it is can wait. Stay with me.”
Emily laughed and disentangled herself. “You need to eat, and I am on call.” She kissed his nose. “You can have more hands-on physical therapy after lunch, if you’re up to it.”
“I never figured you for a tease, Dr. Shane.” He took the tray and speared his next bite of the chef’s delicious entree.
“Just offering incentives.” She disappeared into the living area to find the AI.
“It’s Meg,” Emily said, re-emerging a moment later with the device in hand. “She says hi.”
“Tell her hi back. What does she want?”
“She’s asking me whether she should reschedule your birthday celebration. I gather it’s in two weeks?” Emily frowned. “Medically, you could handle it. Of course, no dancing, no volleyball. Minimal feelgood intake allowed, but do you want a big party so soon?”
“Hell yes. I want to introduce the entire ship to the woman I love and let them know she’s mine.” Then a thought struck him, and he lowered the fork. “Unless you’d rather I didn’t throw a blowout? I know you don’t like large gatherings and hate being the center of attention. You know what? Tell Meg thanks but no. We can celebrate together quietly, have some Chocolate Decadence Supreme here in my cabin.”
Emily came to sit on the bed, kissing him across the tray. “Maybe I want to show the entire ship’s crew I’ve got the man I love, and he’s mine. How about that? Hands off, ladies!”
He studied her face for a moment. “Really?”
She cupped his cheek with her palm. “I love your attempt to be so considerate of me—you make me feel cherished, Jake. But if we’re going to be together, there’ll have to be compromises on both sides, and this is one I want to make. Just promise me we can celebrate privately later, in the Tadochi Garden, and I’ll be ready to sign up for Meg’s planned extravaganza. We have a lot to be grateful for.”
He set the annoying tray aside again and pulled her to him, ignoring a twinge or two from his healing gut. “I promise we’ll celebrate in private anywhere you want and as often as you want, Doc. In fact, I think we should start now, work up to the big event. I know, we can’t get too hot and heavy till my wound’s squared away, but I can show you how inventive I can be.” He raised his eyebrows and shifted his hips suggestively under the sheet.
She laughed and met him halfway.
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About the Author
Best Selling Science Fiction & Paranormal Romance author and “SciFi Encounters” columnist for the USA Today Happily Ever After blog, Veronica Scott grew up in a house with a library as its heart. Dad loved science fiction, Mom loved ancient history and Veronica thought there needed to be more romance in everything. When she ran out of books to read, she started writing her own stories.
Married young to her high school sweetheart then widowed, Veronica has two grown daughters, one grandson and cats Keanu and Jake.
Veronica’s life has taken many twists and turns, but she always makes time to keep reading and writing. Everything is good source material for the next novel or the one after that, right? She’s been through earthquakes, tornadoes and near death experiences…Always more stories to tell, new adventures to experience—Veronica’s personal motto is, “Never boring.”
Veronica is a three time winner of the SFR Galaxy Award and a National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award.
She’s the proud recipient of a NASA Exceptional Service Medal but must hasten to add the honor was not for her romantic fiction!
She portrayed starship Enterprise ‘Crew Woman’ in the all star audiobook version of Harlan Ellison’s Star Trek script “City On The Edge of Forever.”
Blog: http://veronicascott.wordpress.com
Email: [email protected]
Veronica’s Other Ttles:
Wreck of the Nebula Dream
Escape from Zulaire
Mission to Mahjundar
Star Cruise: Marooned
Lady of the Star Wind (out May 2016)
Priestess of the Nile
Warrior of the Nile
Dancer of the Nile
Magic of the Nile
Ghost of the Nile
Healer of the Nile
Table of Contents
Copyright
Dedication
Acknowledgment
Star Cruise: Outbreak
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
About the Author
Other Titles by V
eronica Scott
Star Cruise - Outbreak Page 24