“Good. What the hell happened to you?” he demanded, reaching out to touch the darkening bruise on her cheek.
Taly quickly pulled back. “I wasn’t strapped in when the shockwave hit.”
“What?” His hand fisted as he lowered it. “Fuck! I tried to tell Ranvir he needed to warn you. But everything happened so fast. Are you hurt anywhere else?”
Just her hip and back, but she wouldn’t tell him that. “I’m fine, but some of the colonists got banged up. I want to take them to medical.”
“Medical? The Troubadour has one?” The look Talyani sent his way had him huffing softly. “Of course it does.”
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
Vujcec came to an abrupt halt when he entered the room Talyani had led him and the colonists claiming to be injured. It wasn’t a small room with the standard auto repair bed like he’d assumed. It was a complete medical suite with multiple high-tech beds and what looked like a full lab.
“You know how to use all of this?” He gestured around the room.
“Umm, well, actually no.” She gave him a hopeful look. “Do you?”
“No, and you’re not going to find any medical personnel among these colonists,” he claimed.
“Why do you say that?” Taly’s brows drew together.
“Because the last ship in a convoy carries those who pay the lowest fares,” Vujcec explained. “It’s why none of the other ships turned around to assist them. They’re considered expendable. Medical personnel aren’t.”
Taly couldn’t believe it. “That’swhy they didn’t turn around?”
“Yes,” Ree answered, having helped one of the colonists to medical. “It’s also why the pirates targeted our ship. They knew we were the most vulnerable.”
“That’s not right,” she argued.
“Life rarely is,” Ree told her.
“How did you ever expect this to get used?” Vujcec asked, pulling Taly’s attention back to the subject at hand.
“I have… had a medic who traveled with me. He knew how to use everything. Na…” she caught herself, looking at Ree. She wasn’t going to reveal to him she’d planned on turning the Troubadour over to her half-brother. “It’s my understanding cyborgs know how to operate it.”
Vujcec went to the comm on the wall and touched the icon for the bridge. “Major Somerled, you’re needed in medical.”
It only took a moment for Ranvir to reply. “What’s wrong? Is Taly hurt?”
Taly’s breath caught at his instant question.
“I’m fine,” Taly reassured him. “But several of the colonists need treatment, and neither Vujcec nor I know how to operate a med bed, and I was told you might.”
“I’ll be there momentarily.”
∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
“Where’s medical?” Ranvir demanded, looking to Tane.
“One deck down. Third door on the right.” Tane quickly informed the major.
“Contact me immediately if any ships appear on the screen.”
“Yes, Major,” Tane responded.
Ranvir moved quickly through the ship, his heart pounding faster than it should. He couldn’t get it to slow. With his cybernetics, that should be impossible. Taly had said she was fine, but he wouldn’t regain control until he saw her with his own eyes. Reaching medical, he entered and stopped short. There were at least twenty colonists in the room.
“Taly! Where are you?” he demanded, scanning over the unfamiliar faces.