Page 26 of Hope Forged
“The med-E.D. requires inactivity,” Coll said, not glancing up. “Even should you promise to be still, a slight twitch of a toe would alter the results.”
Illan crowded her until she bumped against the bed. “I have done all I said I would.” He held out his hand for the med-gun. “And without knowing what we are walking into when we search for your father, it is wiser to be well, unhindered. You are not without intelligence, Ziamee. I could have stunned you with my blaster, ported you to a cell at any moment, killed you from your swinging trap. I did not.” He drew in a ragged breath, for once at a loss. Everything within him demanded she be well, with no pain, and happy. Happiness hadn’t mattered to him or Iddan. Until his brother had found his truemate. Why Illan cared when he barely knew her was beyond him. “Please trust me as one Durn to another.”
A pulse ticked at the base of her jaw, tempting him to run his thumb along that fluttering just below her skin. She glanced at Seba—his purring stating she’d get no support from her pet. Squaring her shoulders as she gathered her courage, she slapped the med-gun onto his palm and sprawled on the bed.
“I will remain by your side,” he said, his voice hoarser than he would have liked. Her hard-won trust…rattled his composure.
“You better,” she warned as the dome formed, sealing her in.
“It will lift you. Do not be alarmed,” Coll said.
She paled when the device did so. Her narrowed eyes promised retribution until she, at last, succumbed to the anesthetic.
Illan studied her now-serene features. He couldn’t recall gazing upon a more beautiful female. The few he called friends came close, though.
“Mm, nano-meds will be needed. The bones must be rebroken at the weak points. The muscles, sinews, and tendons of her right leg are an easy heal.” Coll withdrew a vial from a cold-closet.
“Will she be in pain?” Illan pressed his temple to the dome, mesmerized by the lighting flickering over her skin.
“No, although I am told she may bounce on her feet as if lighter than air.” Coll grinned. He touched the console, forming a circular entry through which he thrust his hand.
Illan took up position in front of the console’s display vids; the nano-meds entered her body through her nose. The dome sealed when Coll withdrew.
“How long?” Illan asked, tracking the nano-meds’ path as they repaired her throat, an ulcer forming in her stomach, killed a few parasites she must have ingested at some point, then settled in four places on her femur. A small batch had veered off to mend the damage Seba’s mother had inflicted.
“They break down the bone and rebuild it using the same material, drawing from her calcium reserves for added strength.” Coll selected a graph and zoomed in. “She is in remarkable condition after having survived on the unknown for such an extensive time.”
“Indeed,” Illan mumbled.
There was so much he wanted to introduce her to, but he had to take it slow. To do otherwise might overwhelm her. Perhaps he could start with Durn foods? An unbidden smile teased his lips. He couldn’t remember when last he’d had a kandyru tisane. Not since meeting Quin, if he was honest with himself.
Coll nudged his chin at Brac. “He is planning the expedition to the east side of the lake where the heat signal pinged. The fly-over has revealed nothing definitive.”
Illan hesitated, not wanting to ‘abandon’ Ziamee when he’d promised to remain at her side.
“Go. I will comm you before I wake her.”
Illan bowed his head, and with one last glance at her, he strolled to the rehydrator, a cup of hot cocoa in his future.
Chapter Eight
Ziameecouldn’trememberatime when she’d been this comfortable. Her eyelids were heavy, but that didn’t bother her, not with the warmth engulfing her and a sense of well-being that was worthy of her gratitude.
“Oz,” she mumbled, throwing up her arms for a languid stretch. “Is it dawn yet?” She yawned while rubbing her stomach. And froze. The softest fabric met her fingers with not an inch of her stomach bare. An unusual weight was on her feet.
In an instant, she forced her eyes open.
Meeting Illan’s gaze head-on.
Elorach, the male’s beautiful.He had no right to be prettier than anything she’d seen, including her reflection. A glance behind him showed Seba sprawled on the floor, fast asleep with his legs akimbo. A contented snore escaped him, summoning her smile. Only good food and a soft pallet made him this happy.
“How do you feel?” Medic Coll asked from behind a screen.
“Um, well,” she whispered, unable to break eye contact with Illan once she locked gazes with him again.
He inched closer, bringing his spiciness with him, and cupped her elbow to urge her to sit. She did so, registering his touch like the heat of sunbaked rock.
“And?” she asked. “What did the device say?”
