Page 26 of Commander’s Mate
Degatu made a sound suspiciously like a cough.
I ignored him.
A medical officer arrived with two assistants and began directing people back toward the reopened rooms.
Harper started moving with them.
“Harper.”
She stopped.
Her body tightened before she turned.
I hated that I noticed.
“Are you injured?”
“No.”
“Tired?”
“Yes.”
“Hungry?”
“I ate.”
“Headache?”
“A little.”
Degatu spoke behind me. “Zared.”
I looked at him.
His eyebrows rose.
I realized I had begun conducting a medical intake personally.
Harper realized it too.
Her mouth twitched.
“I’m okay, Commander.”
The title created distance.
Perhaps she needed it.
“Good.”
A maintenance alarm sounded farther down the passage. I touched my comm.
“Report.”
“Tactical lift three remains offline. Cargo overflow access is being rerouted.”
“How long?”
