The Bond That Heals Us (2 page)

“Well, we don’t want them tossing our favorite Earth doctor out an airlock.”

Sara grinned at Rachael. “I better get at it then. Yell if anything exciting happens.”

Her office was blessedly cool and quiet. Before sliding behind her desk to tackle the data pads stacked there, she made her way over to the food dispenser as she chewed on the mostly bland bar.

“Large glass of water.”

8

Instantly, her request appeared in the small slot in front of her. She would never get tired of that particular piece of Briel technology. Instead of drinking, Sara poured the water over the large Briel plant Kamran had given her as a birthday present a few months ago. He swore she couldn’t kill it, and so far she hadn’t let him down.

But anything could happen.

With nothing left to help her procrastinate, Sara began to work away at the reports.

As she read, her eyelids became heavy and she had to adjust her body in her seat several times to keep from nodding off. When she realized she’d read the same paragraph on the data pad three times, she pushed it aside.

“Just a quick nap.”

Leaning back as far as her chair would allow, Sara tucked her feet under her butt, crossed her arms across her chest and let her mind wander. She couldn’t help but think of Haylie and Kamran and how happy they were. Someday, she wanted that for herself.

All she needed was to find a man who could look past her particular idiosyncrasies and love her.

Not normally much of a dreamer, Sara felt oddly aware of her surroundings as she slipped into sleep.

She was on a beach back on Earth, one she hadn’t been to since she was a kid. The tide was up as the waves crashed on the sandy beach, pulling and pushing seashells with it as it moved. Sara wandered close and enjoyed the feeling of the water on her feet. It had always relaxed both her body and mind.

She heard a person, a man, come up behind her and wrap his arms around her body. Leaning back, she soaked in his warmth and his scent as it mixed with the salt air.

She kept her eyes closed, scared to wake up and lose the comfort of her dream lover.

She’d been so lonely over the past year, it felt wonderful to have someone just for her.

To have that same type of closeness Haylie shared with Kamran.

“I’m so tired,” she whispered.

Her dream lover placed a slow, sensuous kiss on her neck. Sara tilted her head to the side to give him better access. As he nipped and licked the sensitive skin, he moved his hands to reach up and cup her breasts.

“I’ll look after you.” He spoke the words against her damp neck.

“But you’re not real.”

“I’m here with you now. That’s all that matters.”

She sighed as his fingers brushed over her nipples lightly before he gently rolled the swollen tips, stoking her desire. His breath came out in hot pants and she could feel his hard cock pressing against the small of her back.

“I could so fuck you right now,” he whispered.

Sara’s body instantly reacted to his words as she arched her back hard against him.

Her pussy was soaked, ready for him to push inside her, take her as his own.

“Please, I need you.” The words rushed out of her.

9

“Only if you look at me. I want to see your face.”

Her heart began to pound. She knew if she did what he asked, the spell would be broken, everything would fade away.

“Sara, look at me.”

His voice was demanding, needy and very tempting.

“Sara?”

“Yes.”

Slowly, she spun in her dream lover’s arms, but she kept her eyes closed. His chest felt hard against her sensitive breasts. Her heartbeat was loud in her ears as she felt him lean forward and place a kiss on the tip of her nose.

“That’s cheating.”

“Hey, it’s my dream.”

“Open your eyes. I want you to see me.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but nothing came out. Why didn’t she just open her eyes? It
was
only a dream.

As she was about to give him what he wanted, a loud siren blared, instinctively forcing her to open her eyes. Instead of her dream lover, the only thing Sara saw was her office. It took her a few seconds to realize the siren was real. Sara was on her feet and in front of the computer console before she’d even given it thought.

“Eurus control, this is Dr. Fergus in med bay. What’s the emergency?”

The face of a young Briel soldier immediately filled the screen. She’d sized him up instantly as one of Taber’s new recruits. A nervous one from the look of him.

“Doctor, we have a shuttle of unknown origin on an emergency descent to the colony. They contacted us long enough to say they have casualties before their com gave out.”

“Which bay will they be near?” When he didn’t answer her right away, Sara couldn’t hold back her annoyance. “Damn it, which bay!”

“East bay. A security detail will meet you there.”

Not waiting to sign off, Sara bolted from her office into the main med bay. Rachael already had two emergency med kits ready to go and held one out to Sara.

“What’s the scoop?”

“Shuttle about to crash land near the east bay. We’ll have to hurry.”

The two women set out at a jog toward the transport tube that would take them to the lower level. They didn’t speak and the crowds parted to let them pass through unimpeded. They were slowed briefly as they made their way through the bazaar until Rachael yelled for people to clear the way. That gave them enough of an opening to hop into the tube.

“Shuttle level,” Sara barked at the computer.

10

Her body hummed from the adrenaline and unfulfilled desire, sending her into hyper-mode. Her heart pounded harder than it should have and her palms were sweating as she gripped the coated cord of the med kit’s strap. She knew she would crash hard after the emergency was done and probably have a killer headache to show for it. For now, she needed to focus and get through this.

When they came out of the tube, Taber and a small group of security personnel were waiting for them. Sara and Rachael fell into step with the group and they made their way to the east bay.

“Do we know what we’re dealing with?” Sara asked Taber as they reached the outer blast door.

Taber’s normally composed face currently had a deep frown fixed on it. That told her more than his words would ever say.

“I don’t want either of you to come in until we have cleared the area,” he said, shooting a sideways glance at her. “Haylie won’t forgive me if you get hurt.”

“Yes, she must be chomping at the bit wanting to come down here.” She couldn’t help but smile. “I bet Kamran has his hands full right now.”

“I haven’t heard her use such…
interesting
human expressions before.”

They looked at each other and she saw Taber’s lips threaten to twitch into a smile.

“So I’m assuming they told you?”

Taber nodded. “I’d wondered about her behavior changes. I’m very pleased for them.”

“Commander,” Taber’s communicator cut in. “The ship is on final approach. It looks like the captain has enough control left to land in the bay. But they are coming in hard.”

“Damn good pilot,” Taber muttered. “Stand back everyone,” Taber said and physically took Sara by the arm and moved her several paces away from the door firmly behind him.

“Excuse me!”

“Your friend’s wrath is far greater than yours,” he said over his shoulder.

“Yes, but I can make your next physical a living hell.”

For a second, Sara actually thought she heard Taber chuckle.

All her rebuttals and smart remarks were pushed aside when she heard the rumble and creaking metal of the outer blast doors being raised. Unable to see, she relied on her ears to give her an idea as to what was going on. The wind began to howl as it whipped into the open shuttle bay. Very faint in the distance, like a high-pitched buzz coming in above the wind, Sara could make out the howl of a damaged stardrive.

“Rachael, get ready for plasma burns and radiation poisoning.”

“On it.”

11

The group grew silent, waiting for the inevitable crash that was due to come any second. The screeching of the stardrive grew louder and louder until it was punctuated with a deafening bang and screeching of metal on metal. She couldn’t help but jump at the noise and she felt Taber reach out to give her arm a quick squeeze.

“Wait here until I give you the all clear,” he said again.

“Not moving.”
So not moving.

Taber motioned for the security personnel to follow and cautiously approached the inner blast door.

“Computer, status of the east shuttle bay?” His calm voice filled the corridor.

The system paused before the too-pleasant-sounding voice finally answered.

“External doors secured. Atmosphere purged of contaminants.”

“Computer, release security lock on inner east bay door. Authorize Taber zero-delta-five.”

“Access granted.”

The stench of burning wire mixed with the heavy sulfur from the planet’s surface turned Sara’s stomach. Rachael began to cough and had to cover her face with a bio mask. Sara inched her way closer to the open door, trying to see what they were in for.

She gasped at the sight in front of her. The damaged ship, larger than a short-range shuttle but not as large as a passenger ship, was resting half on its side with the nose jammed hard against a bulkhead. The metal had peeled back, exposing conduits and cables as gases vented into the bay. How it hadn’t exploded she wasn’t sure.

Taber and the security force were quickly putting out the few flames that had erupted with a suppression gas. It took a few seconds, but everything was eventually extinguished.

“Looks like a cruiser,” Sara said over her shoulder. “Maybe five to ten for a crew.

We should call for two more medics.”

Rachael was looking a little pale. Sara knew she was timid of unknown alien visitors since the Ecada attack. But she thought Rachael had gotten over it through a few months of talking with a psychologist from Earth. Rachael swallowed hard, her eyes glued to the ship, panic clear on her face.

“I’ll get them,” Rachael offered a bit too quickly and took off down the corridor without a backward glance.

“Nice,” Sara muttered, turning back to wait for Taber’s signal. She’d have to see about getting Rachael a bit more help.

In the shuttle bay, she watched Taber and the security guards edge cautiously toward the shuttle door, their weapons drawn and pointed at the cockpit, which was showing no sign of life.

“Occupants of the shuttle. You’ve crash landed on Eurus colony.” Taber’s commanding voice echoed loud and clear. “Open your door so we may offer assistance.”

12

Sara rolled her eyes. “You’re supposed to say
please
, Taber. And don’t point your weapons at them,” she muttered to herself.

When a loud hiss of atmosphere vented from the shuttle door, every security guard in the bay raised their weapons a fraction higher, fixing them on the spot. Sara gasped when the most unusually handsome man she’d ever laid eyes gripped the now open entrance and leaned out of the ship to stare directly at Taber. His shoulder-length brown hair fell forward, partially covering his face.

“I have wounded in here. I need a doctor,” he snapped.

Before she had time to blink, he retreated inside the shuttle. Kicking her body into overdrive, Sara was through the door and halfway across the shuttle bay before Taber could turn around.

“Sara!”

“Come with me if you want, but I’m not stopping. You heard him—they need help.”

Somehow she managed to skirt past Taber and throw her med kit up into the open door. The entrance, which would normally be only a foot from the ground, was a full five feet in the air. For not the first time in her life, Sara cursed her five feet five inches and tried to pull herself in.

“Let me help,” a voice said from above.

Sara looked up and into the most amazing golden eyes she’d ever seen. His irises were reptilian shaped and Sara found herself unable to look away.

“You’re the doctor, I assume?” His voice was deep with an unusual accent. His English was surprisingly good for a race she’d never seen before. And he sounded more than a little amused, despite the circumstances he was currently in.

She had the distinct impression he was laughing at her. She
hated
it when people laughed at her.

“Are you going to help me up or not?”

“Sara, let me,” Taber said from behind.

She found herself being pushed and pulled up—directly into the waiting arms of her unusual alien. The air in her lungs whooshed out, leaving her shaking and very much aware of the large, firm, male chest she was currently pressed against. He wasn’t as tall as Taber or any of the other Briel on the planet, but he was more than big enough for Sara. A full head taller, she was forced to tilt her head back to look into his golden eyes.

“Under better circumstance, I’d take great pleasure in our current position.” He practically purred as he spoke and then he winked. “But I have people in need of help.”