Page 119 of Star-Crossed Captive
“It’s the virus, sir,” the one woman said, voice shaking. “It’s doesn’t have anything to do with which systems we’ve unlocked.”
“Then figure out a way to remove it,” Cache said, her words clipped.
Nia looked up at Spiro who remained close by. “I need him on his side for a moment.”
The warrior crouched and helped her roll him. With quick movements, she cut away his top with a laser scalpel and attached the cardiovascular nodes to his chest. They laid him flat once more, then she inserted the blood and fluid transfuser portals into his arm. Each hummed as they worked.
She took a length of regeneration gauze and wadded it to stop the bleeding where the laser weapon had failed to cauterize. Her gaze flicked upward.
15:01
14:59
14:58
Spinal damage.Nia took out the fine detail regenerator, willing her hands to steady. Her hands hovered over the worst of the damage near the base of his neck.Focus!
She turned on the fine detail regenerator. It buzzed as she addressed the most sensitive area of the injury. She stopped listening to the voice in her head that told her if she'd seen this injury onElara Five, she would have sent him straight to palliative.
Minutes counted down. An oppressive silence hung over everyone in the command center with only the small noises from her machine and the beeping of the techs working to cut through the tension. While she worked, she tried not to look at those numbers counting down above the table. Her gaze flicked upward anyway.
8:23
8:22
8:21
Her stomach clenching, she kept healing Mace. If they exploded, at least they would explode together.
“I think I’ve found a back door,” one tech said, voice soft. “Give me a couple of minutes.”
“We don’t have a couple minutes,” the commodore responded over top of her, her tone incredulous.
Nia healed the spinal cords and the tissue around them, trying not to think of what would happen if she did it wrong or rushed the process. Seconds ticked by, seconds she knew they didn’t have.
“Got it!” the same tech shouted.
Nia flicked her eyes to the holotable. The numbers above continued to decrease.
5:37
5:36
5:35
She refocused on Mace’s injury but couldn’t help looking at the countdown ever other minute.
“Callista…” The commodore said, the one word a warning.
A collective breath swelled around them.
Nia paused in her task and grabbed Mace’s hand.
1:26
1:25
0:00
