The silver blue Mran had barely touched down when Hankura opened its hatch and bounded down the small ramp to program the waiting droid tram. Chelle brushed past him and ran to meet Luran at the entrance of the 'H' shaped Quonset building. It was a temporary prefab structure shuttled down in crates to serve as housing for about three hundred people in Casir's construction crew while they were building Medrin Starport.
"Chelle, he's dying," Luran murmured tearfully. "I can feel him slipping away. Casir's doing his best, but it's not enough.
I know, Hon. Where's the dee-chamber? Chelle returned quickly, not unkindly. Cran's tough, he'll make it. Chelle assured her and picked out directions to the decontamination chamber as Luran thought them.
She set off running down the corridor and paused for a second in front of the chamber door before she pressed to open it. "What I wouldn't give for a plain shower!" she muttered to herself as the door slid open. She never liked the sonic decontamination chambers, and they were used as a primary means of personal cleansing on most space ships where showers were luxuries. They always left her feeling crawly all over for an hour afterward however thorough they were. She still preferred good old soap and water.
Stripping off her metallic coverall and undergarments, she sent her clothes down the cleaning chute and stepped into the tiny cubicle. About thirty seconds later, she put on the surgical garb she had brought and donned a surgical cap. Pulling a filter mask over her mouth and nose, she stepped out into a short hallway through a double door and into the makeshift operating room.
Chelle's deep blue eyes reflected her friendly smile as she met Casir's pale amber ones when he looked up from Cran's still form. I always wanted to meet you in person, but this wasn't exactly what I had in mind. How's Cran?
"Shit, he's pumping out blood as fast as I can pump it in. Spleen's ruptured, and I don't know what else is bleeding in there. I've only got a 'C' scanner, and as a healer, I'm a great engineer," he said tightly. "If we had a damned life support, we could save the blood. As it is, we've wasted several liters through the drain tube. We've only got ten left."
Chelle half heard what Casir said as she stood staring down at Cran's pale face and still form. A cold shiver ran up her spine; she felt his life slipping away just a Kaara's had done, and she felt Luran's anguish reaching out to grip her. With a singular purpose in mind, she slowly reached out her slender hand to touch his brow.
She started with a gasp when Hankura's strong fingers clamped around her wrist. Chelle, no! It's not too late. We can save him ... I can't let you risk it.
They both knew he would never forget; Kaara could have taken her life force if she had wanted. Even a Normal could kill her in an instinctive struggle for life---especially a novice like Chelle.
It'll be enough blood. Set the neural block and let's get going. Hankura nodded to Casir.
In a matter of seconds, Casir set two electrode patches on Cran's scalp at specific points. Hankura took readings on a more sophisticated 'A' scanner to isolate the source of the bleeding. This gave Chelle enough time to snap out of her daze. She was ready with a precision laser scalpel when Hankura reached for it.
He made a deep, bloodless incision yet blood filled the opening. He suctioned off the blood then repaired the bleeding spleen. As he began working to fuse the broken segments of ribs together, Chelle worked on setting and fusing the bone in Cran's left leg that was broken in three places.
The operation went along smoothly more than partly due to the close psi rapport among them. Their anticipation of each other’s moves saved a lot of precious time that Cran needed. After the internal injuries had been repaired, Hankura closed the incision by grafting the severed tissues together so that there was only a slight discoloration in the skin to mark the incision. There would be no scar. Next, Hankura closed the deep cuts and scratches in Cran's face with some synthetic skin grafts. Chelle closed the cut on Cran's arm in the same manner Hankura had closed the incision.
Without the severe internal injuries, Cran could have walked on his newly set leg in a matter of hours with only a slight limp. As it was, he'd need a couple of days to regain enough strength for limited activity. He could probably return to his job in about a week and a half.
Chelle injected a pain killer very shortly after Casir relieved the neural block, and Cran regained consciousness very quickly.
"Hankura?" Cran's whisper was weak and gravelly. "Friend, you're about the last person I expected to see in this hole."
Hankura grinned at him behind his surgical mask. "Save your breath and give the grafts a chance to take hold. Chelle is getting ready to push the healant now." I am a mind reader, you know.
All right, all right. Cran mused silently. I just never expected you two would ever come back to this sector of the Galaxy let alone to Zevus Mar after what happened.
Well, I'd say the same for you. Marn and Tira were pretty persuasive in letting us know that we were needed here. They asked us to come back and help put their home back together. Hankura responded and glanced over to watch Chelle push the healant that would speed Cran's recovery.
Marn's friend Dajel convinced us after you left. Then Casir offered us jobs after you and Chelle had already left Kena for Aledus. Cran raised his eyebrows as if to shrug. What can I say? Luran is a soft touch for a hard luck story.
"Ha!" Hankura chuckled ruefully. "Aren't we all? Why else would we come back to this godforsaken rock?"
He took one last scanner reading and added, "You settle down, and Casir and I will take you back to your quarters and let Luran sit with you for a while. She's been pacing up and down the corridor since we started. I'd have been in a helluva fix if you had up and died on me."
No such luck! Cran smiled wanly.
Chelle gathered up the used instruments and placed them on a tray for the decontamination chamber. Glancing in Casir's direction, she asked, "Have you got any real showers around here? I'm drenched with sweat, and I don't think I can handle going through that chamber again."
"Sure, love." He grinned and pulled off his mask, the need for it was past. "There's one in your quarters, last suite at the far end of this leg of the barracks."
"Thanks." She turned a silent question to her husband to see if they were finished.
"Sure. Go and enjoy yourself---you earned it. Casir and I---"
Chelle nodded. "No hurry. I'll be a while in that shower." She gave him a smile and walked toward the door. "It's been two three---the chamber on the ship is no better than that one."
As she left, Hankura and Casir lifted Cran carefully onto a stretcher and wheeled him to his quarters. There they transferred him to his bed.
"You know, I could stand a shower myself," Hankura said.
"Have you enough water around here?"
"The repurification system makes it enough. Just don't get too fond of showers after this one. We use the chambers most of the time," Casir told him.
Hankura nodded, looking down at Cran. "I'll be back to check on you after I shower and change clothes, and I don't want to find you lying here running your mouth to Luran."
"Yes, sir," Cran breathed wearily.
"Knock it off," Hankura retorted in a bantering tone. "You almost bought it this time. I swear you've got more guts than brains." He turned on the tiny scanner in his hand and noted the bio-readouts. "Well, you lucked out again. The grafts are taking---you'll be okay in a few days."
"Thanks."
"Don't mention it. I'd do the same for any fool." Hankura grinned.
Casir left, and Hankura wasn't far behind him. Luran stopped him in the corridor outside the room she shared with Cran.
"Hankura, will he really be all right?" she looked up at him with worried brown eyes.
"Yeah, we glued him back together. Just keep him out from under collapsing towers," he quipped with a feigned lightness that wouldn't fool anyone but a Normal. It certainly didn't fool Luran, a grade seven psi-path.
"Hankura ...” she faltered and hugged him gratefully.
I'm so glad you came in time. After everything else, I thought I would really lose him this time. It seems you have rescued us again.
He nodded grimly and gently put her away from him, trying to quash the bitter memories she'd sparked.
"Are you and Chelle all right?" she wondered compassionately.
"Hell, I don't know." He jerked his head to one side, averting his eyes from hers. "Sometimes, I wonder if any of us will ever be all right again. I'll let you know when I figure it out."
Hankura spun on his heel and strode down the corridor to get fresh clothes and head for the men's shower room, cursing softly under his breath. For a while, Cran's accident had been almost a blessing in disguise. It hadn't given Chelle or him time to dwell on what had happened to them on Zevus Mar a few weeks ago. But, with the crisis past, there was time to think again.
That's what sent him heading for the men's showers where he knew he'd find Casir.
Slapping his clean clothes on a shelf beside the shower stall, Hankura stripped off his surgical garb. Inside the stall across from one occupied by Casir, he keyed in his favorite temperature, and let the warm water pelt his face and run down his body. Absently, he ran his fingers through his dark hair as the water plastered it to his scalp. Then he pressed for soap he didn't really need and started lathering himself as though he might wash the hurtful memories from his mind.
It had been a long time, but Casir sensed immediately that his friend was deeply troubled. Of course, he knew the source of Hankura's problems, but he also knew enough not to pry. He'd spill it out when he was ready; Casir would know when to ask. He waited calmly for Hankura to open up.
Trying to shake his black mood, Hankura asked, "What was a man doing in such a dangerous place instead of a droid?"
"I knew you'd get to that," Casir returned, unruffled. "The droid got stuck, and we couldn't get it out. Besides---"
"Cran volunteered for the job," Hankura finished. "Of course, he'd do that." He tightened his lips in disapproval. "Isn't there a better way to get down those buildings without risking lives?"
"Sure, we could blow them down---just like the Tregans did the rest of them. But, we haven't got clearance to use those kinds of weapons. I put in a request for a Federation Military team to do it, but the request is tied up in red tape." Casir went on to explain. "They've got my hands tied. I've got three days to lay the primary pad and three more weeks to finish the whole Starport.
"A freighter is due in three days, and other ships are in route with the stuff these people badly need. We're doing the best we can with what we've got."
"And I'm sure it helped a lot for you to blow up that droid." Hankura amiably baited him.
"The little bastard was asking for it." Casir grinned sheepishly. "I wasn't going to get squashed trying to pull the damned thing out of there. I had enough trouble getting to Cran. The thing wasn't much good anyway."
"I see," Hankura chuckled. His mood was mellowing a little. "How'd you get mixed up in this mess, anyway? I'm damned glad to see you, but I was surprised to learn that you were coming."
"I couldn't let you have all the glory," Casir returned jokingly, but he stopped short when he realized he'd really hit a raw nerve. "Hey, I'm sorry. What's eating you, anyway? I've been getting weird vibes from you and Chelle ever since you got here. Cran said you---"
Not now, Casir. Hankura's eyes flashed then smoldered in bitter rage. "A lot," Hankura managed huskily, shaking his head. "If you've got the time and the carava, I'll spill it out later."