Dawnwind 1: Last Man Standing (5 page)
“Hello.”
Startled, Iseta blinked and half-rose from her chair.
A smooth, pale prayerstone flew from her hand, to rattle against the floor.
“John!
You’re awake!”
“Shouldn’t I be?” he asked, mildly.
Iseta clutched his hand.
“You’ve been unconscious for four days!”
He blinked in surprise.
“Four days?”
He sat up and regretted it.
The room swum around him.
He fell back and swallowed.
“Whoa.”
Iseta touched his face.
“Are you all right?”
“Fine.
Just tried to get up too fast.”
“Let me get the medic.”
Reluctantly, Iseta released his hand.
Turning, she pulled back a privacy curtain.
John caught a glimpse of other beds, saw a Burjan in one and an ancient Archivist in another.
Iseta
waved frantically at someone out of sight, then turned back to John and reclaimed his hand in both of hers.
“Aunt Olu has been beside herself with worry!
She just left to get some rest.
Oh, she’ll be furious when she finds out she wasn’t here for your awakening!”
A young man in a blue medical tunic appeared.
He had long, bright yellow hair and a warm smile.
“Ah! Awake at last, Mr. Epcott.
How do you feel?”
Even as he asked the question, the medic pulled on a medical handscanner and began to run it over John’s torso.
“Woozy.”
“Woozy?”
“A little dizzy,” clarified John.
“And my mouth is dry.”
“It looks like you’re a little dehydrated.” Turning to Iseta, the medic smiled. “Miss Teneso, would you mind fetching a bottle of water?
There’s a dispenser just down the hall.”
Iseta nodded and rushed off.
The young medic watched her go with a smile, and then turned back to John.
“I must say, Mr. Epcott, you had us all very worried.”
“What happened?
The last thing I remember is a medic, injecting me with something.”
“A full dose of tranquilizers.
By the time they brought you to us, you were comatose.”
“I did try to tell them I wasn’t Junian,” said John.
“But she took one look at my hair and. . . .”
He had raised his hand to touch his hair and gasped as he felt smooth bandages wrapped around his skull.
“What . . .?”
“It’s all right.
You were attracting a bit of attention on the ward, so we did a little camouflaging.
Miss Teneso’s aunt said you would be okay with it.”
John chuckled, dropped his hand.
“It’s fine.
The bandages just caught me off guard.”
The medic nodded and continued his scans.
Iseta returned with a bottle of cold water. Slowly, she and the medic helped John sit up.
Iseta opened the bottle and helped John hold it as he sipped the contents. His fingers felt leaden.
“Medic Imisu has been so wonderful, John,” gushed Iseta, casting shy glances at the man.
“Just doing my duty, miss,” said Imisu.
John noted, though, that the tips of Imisu’s fingers went rosy.
“I’m surprised they didn’t haul old Sufo down here,” he said.
“He got pulled in the last time something happened to me.”
Medic Imisu grinned.
“If he wasn’t offworld, he probably would be, Mr. Epcott.”
John arched his eyebrows.
“Sufo’s gone?
Where to?”
“A hospital ship, heading to the Colonies.”
“I had no idea,” said John.
“How long will he be gone?”
“A year,” said Imisu.
He smiled at John.
“But don’t worry.
He left us very detailed files on you.”
“I commed Aunt Olu while I was getting the water, John,” said Iseta.
She moved the chair and settled into it, watching the medic run the handscanner over John’s torso.
“She’ll be back in just a few minutes.”
“That was very kind of you, Iseta.
How long have you been here?”
She lowered her head and murmured, “Not long.
Just a few hours.”
“Just a few hours?
You must be hungry.”
“A little.”
“When Olu gets here, you should go get something to eat.
Perhaps Medic Imisu could take you down to the cafeteria?”
Iseta’s fingertips turned scarlet, and she curled her fingers against her palms.
Imisu smiled broadly.
“It would be my pleasure.”
“Well,” said the young woman, shyly, “if I wouldn’t be any trouble....”
“None,” said the young man.
“My relief is due any minute now.”
Damn, thought John, watching the smiling couple.
Olu, you’re rubbing off on me.
* * * * *
Moments later, Olu arrived wearing a sheer blue robe decorated with thousands of tiny golden flowers. She looked tired, but happy.
The moment she arrived, she took both of John’s hands and bent over the bed to kiss his forehead.
Behind her aunt, Iseta’s eyes widened at this shocking display.
Medic Imisu turned away, fiddling with the collar of his tunic.
The tips of his fingers were scarlet with embarrassment.
“John, I swear by the pantheon that you are going to turn my hair white before its time,” said Olu, with fond irritation.
She settled herself in the visitor’s chair, and glowered at him.
“What in the world were you doing in the Alien Sector?”
While John began to recount his story, Iseta and Medic Imisu made a discreet exit.
Olu listened to John recount his encounter with the Zerraxi.
After he had finished, she shook her head.
“I should warn you.
The incident is all over the newsfeeds.”
“The incident?” said John.
“That sounds ominous.”
“Apparently this Vezex character has been connected to a number of other attacks in the Sector.
Since his capture a number of other victims have come forward.”
She shook her head.
“It’s all very unpleasant.”
John frowned.
“I can imagine.”
“There is also,” said Olu, “a political dimension.
One of Vezex’s accomplices is the son of the Zerraxi ambassador.”
“Ouch.”
Olu frowned.
“Are you in pain, John?”
“No,” said John.
“I’m fine.
What’s going to happen next?”
“Vezex will be deported to Zerrax.”
John frowned.
“Won’t he have to stand trial for his crimes here?”
“He’s not a Junian citizen.
He’ll be deported to Zerrax and stand trial there.”
“That doesn’t sound fair.
His crimes were committed here.”
“If you’re concerned that he won’t be punished, John, calm yourself.
The Zerraxi legal system is much more ruthless than the Junian.
Vezex will not escape unscathed.”
“That’s something, I suppose.”
“Although,” said Olu, “I’m not sure any Zerraxi judgment, short of execution, could be worse than what you did to him.”
“Oh please,” said John.
“I kicked him in the balls.
Big deal.”
“It is a big deal,” chided Olu.
“The Zerraxi male reproductive system is very sensitive.
It took more than fifty hours of nanoreconstructive surgery to save Vezex’s testicles.”
“He’s a lousy rapist, Olu.
Losing his balls should be the least of his punishments.”
Olu clasped his hand, and smiled sadly.
“Sometimes, John, I forget just how alien you
are.”
* * * * *
The next morning, John was unwinding the bandages from his head when he received unexpected visitors, a man and a woman from the peacekeepers.
They wore the same blue and
pink uniform, but the woman was tall and thin, her dark yellow hair starting to fade to gray.
Her partner was much younger, with shoulder-length dark blue hair and a small build.
“John Epcott?”
The woman asked, standing at the foot of John’s bed.
“Yes?”
John continued to unwind the bandages.
The younger officer watched him with interest.
“I’m Peacekeeper Musin Loj and this is my trainee, Hofi Kesip.
We’ve been asked to escort you to your residence.”
John frowned and paused in removing the bandages.
“Why?”
“News of your imminent release from the hospital has reached the public,” explained Loj.
“There are several hundred people waiting for you outside.”
“Newsmakers?” asked John.
“Some,” said Loj.
“Most are admirers and well-wishers.”
“Oh Lord,” muttered John, lapsing into English.
“It’s deja vu all over again.”
Musin Loj frowned.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t understand that.”
“Sorry,” said John.
“I’ve been in this situation before, when I first arrived on Juni.
I got a very warm reception.”
He shook his head at the memory.
He had been deluged with gifts and even a few marriage proposals.
“People are fascinated by you, Mr. Epcott,” gushed Hofi Kesip.
Loj gave her trainee a disapproving glance.
“There is some concern that the crowd may become too enthusiastic.”
“You think they might try to mob me?”
Loj frowned.
“Perhaps.”
“What will they do if they don’t see me?”
“Hopefully, they’ll disperse once they realize you’ve already left.”
“So, we’re sneaking out the back?”
“We have an aircar waiting for you on the roof,” said Kesip, grinning.
“Some of my friends were coming to meet me,” said John.
“I’ll need to notify them.”
He reached for his comm, but Loj stopped him.
“I wouldn’t do that, sir.
We think your comm may be . . . compromised.”
John blinked.
“Really?”
“Yes, sir.
If you’ll give me your friends’ comm-codes, I’ll notify them for you.”
Nodding, John gave the peacekeeper officer Olu’s comm-code.
While Loj notified Olu of the situation, John went back to removing the bandages.
Kesip watched with ghoulish fascination as John’s black hair came into view.
“You know, I’ve never understood why Junians find my hair so fascinating.
I mean, you’ve seen aliens with black hair before. Right?
Most of the Zerraxi I’ve met have black hair.”