Legacy of War: Enemy Lines by Joshua James & Daniel Young

Author:Joshua James & Daniel Young [James, Joshua & Young, Daniel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-08-30T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

“Doc,” Shepherd heard. The word pierced through the fog in her head. “I’m fine.”

“Says every Marine, everywhere. Rough and tough, all of you. Then you get dragged into my sickbay, looking to get patched up. “

“I walked in under my own power.”

Ah, that would be Foster. What’s he doing here? Shepherd wondered.

“Barely,” Dr. Shu answered.

“And it’s just a slight case of radiation sickness. Just give me the pills, I’ll piss blue for two weeks and then be okay.”

“It’s not that simple. Twenty years of space work isn’t good for your health. There are cumulative effects.”

“I’ve heard this song and dance before, Doc.”

Shepherd recognized Foster’s voice, and pieced together that she lay in sickbay. She wasn’t sure why, but the protective dome around her body told her it must be serious. The last time she’d seen one of these domes was when she’d visited Svetsky before he died.

Would she die? Every part of her ached, especially her shoulders, elbows, and knees. Something about those symptoms tickled a memory, but Shepherd couldn’t quite reach it. Exhaustion grabbed every inch of her, and she wanted to sleep.

“Increased risk for cancer, osteoporosis, infertility—”

“You want to look at my swimmers, Doc? I can oblige if you want.”

“Do you want me to check your fertility, Foster?” said Dr. Shu. Her voice carried a challenge.

“It doesn’t make much difference to me, Doc, either way.”

Shu huffed. “I suppose for a career man like you, it wouldn’t.”

“Hey,” croaked Shepherd, “can you keep the noise down? How can a gal get some sleep with all that yakking?”

At once, two faces beamed at her from above her medbed.

“Hey, Shepherd,” said Foster with a big smile. “How do you feel?”

“Like crap. What the hell happened?”

Foster glanced at Shu, who examined her with a thoughtful expression on her face.

“What do you remember?” asked the doctor.

Shepherd shook her head. “Not a damned thing.”

“You sustained a concussion when you ejected from your fighter.”

“I what?” Shepherd couldn’t imagine ejecting from her ship. In space, that was almost a certain death.

“You had to,” said Foster. “A fighter from the Endurance fired directly on you. Your ablative armor had taken all that it could, and you had to eject or get blown up with your ship.”

“The captain must be angry I ruined another fighter.”

“The captain,” said a voice at the room’s door, “is extremely glad his wing leader survived a fierce battle and ejection from her ship.”

All eyes turned to Devlin Carter.

“Besides, it’s not you that ruined a fighter. It’s McWarren wrecking a fighter I have an issue with. But seeing as the Kaxek captured her, there’s not much I can say about that. Doctor, how are these two doing?”

“Foster can go back to duty. He’s on meds for radiation exposure, but it shouldn’t affect his work.”

“Good,” Carter said.

“Shepherd, though, I need here for another day or two. While her decompression sickness wasn’t severe, I should monitor her isotope levels as her body clears the radiation.”

“I’m fine,” protested Shepherd. “Just a little tired.”

“And you need your rest,” Shu said.

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