The Colonel's Man Read Online Free PDF Page B

Officer Bates at the Nurse’s station, though please kindly try not to terrorize him this time?”
    “I’ll do my best doc.” Jason headed for the door, then winked at her as he passed. “ See you later gorgeous.”
    Hurst shook his head and approached Arita, laying down the datapad on her bed. “Your companion’s quite the character.”
    She turned her attention back to the tall doctor. Grey-haired, with attractive crinkles at the corners of his eyes he looked older than she did by at least a decade. But he wasn’t, he was forty-seven, the same age as her and they’d gone through the academy together.
    “He is. I can’t work out whether to laugh or slap him half the time.”
    “Something tells me he’s used to both.” Hurst chuckled as he gestured for her to lean to her right side. “I’m just going to check on my handiwork if you don’t mind.”
    She wrinkled her nose and leaned over the bed. Hurst’s hands were firm but gentle as he lifted her top to get at the wound on her side. She watched dispassionately as he peeled the dressing away a little. The sight of her own blood didn’t bother her; she’d spilled enough of it in the past.
    “Who did I attack this time?”
    Her voice was quiet, just between the two of them as she asked the question that always bothered her after she woke up in sickbay. The place didn’t look too badly busted up so perhaps there was hope. “Or did you manage to dope me quick enough?”
    Hurst was silent for a moment as he took a closer look at her rapidly healing wound. “Actually it wasn’t so bad this time, apart from my bruised ego.” He smiled at her then turned his attention back to her injury. “The Gunny was able to calm you down quite well to be honest. We were all surprised to say the least. I haven’t seen you react like that before.”
    He made a quick notation in the datapad and extracted a fresh dressing from his lab coat pocket as she watched him. He always did like making her wait but they’d shared history long enough that she knew she’d get the honest truth. He didn’t bother sugar coating the facts when he dealt with her.
    “Had it not been for him, it would have gotten much worse. You were bleeding profusely and none of us could get close enough to administer a sedative.”
    “Huh?”
    She couldn’t help the instinctive sound of surprise. It was warranted. If they didn’t shoot her up quick enough, she was apt to cause havoc to escape. It wasn’t something she could control; once she slipped into shock her Tralaxian blood kicked in and put her on automatic pilot in a bid for safety. Since the species had developed on a planet where the sunrise could roast the flesh clean off bones, bleeding out en-route was a secondary consideration.
    “Spirits, I’m surprised you didn’t have him in intensive care.”
    Hurst shrugged as he replaced the dressing. “I really don’t know what to say except it seems that the Gunny was either lucky or he just managed to get through to you.”
    He smiled as he wrote another notation in the datapad. “Once again your unique physiology astounds me. You’re healing as fast as expected and you should be fully mobile by this evening. However as per usual, kindly avoid any strenuous physical activity until…”
    He caught a look in her eye and shook his head. “Yes of course. I warn you every time but you don’t listen.”
    “You know me so well. Am I good to go? I’ve got a couple of recruits to pick up, and by that I mean scare the crap out of, and at least three mission briefs to sort out for the powers-that-be. Drinks later?”
    “You’re on.” He slipped the pen in his pocket and picked up the datapad. The other part of her physiology, the Fenarian side, meant she healed a lot faster than humans and often Hurst had watched her walk out of a recovery room within hours after a surgery. This time was no different and he seemed confident in her full recovery. “Seven. The usual place, and the first