The Artemis Trilogy by James Robert C

Author:James, Robert C.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-04-29T00:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-SEVEN

Novikova pressed at her battered face and rubbed the sleep crust from around her eyelids. She yawned and pulled herself up, discovering she was no longer lying on the sickbay’s uncomfortable pillow or feeling as if she’d gone twelve rounds with a battlemech. Though much of her pain had subsided, she was still quite groggy from all the drugs.

A set of footsteps approached from behind, and Logan appeared with a coffee mug in each hand.

That’s when it hit her.

“I’m back my quarters,” she said.

Logan nodded.

“And I’m on my bed.”

Logan knitted his brow together.

“Oh god!” Novikova yelled, chucking her covers off and attempting to launch herself out of the bed.

Logan placed the mugs down and put a calming hand on her shoulder. “You’ve got stitches that need to heal. It’s best you don’t move too much.”

“But Speer, he was—”

“Don’t worry, I disinfected this entire room. The bed, the sheets, the pillow—”

“But what about his body?”

“Maybe don’t ask that question.” He sat opposite her and handed her a hot mug.

She breathed in the aroma and took a sip. The heat of it cleansed her as it warmed her insides. But she still couldn’t get her old friend out of her mind. “No amount of cleaning is going to help what happened in here.”

She stood, and Logan relinquished his seat, with the duo swapping positions.

“I’m sorry, Jana,” he said. “I didn’t come back here expecting to see—”

“You’ve got nothing to be sorry for. You saved my life. What he was doing to me…” She took another mouthful of her coffee and let the caffeine flow through her. “I just can’t believe he could’ve been capable of such things.”

“Sometimes the people you think you know most are the ones you don’t know at all.”

“Yes, well, don’t I feel like a right ass about it all.”

“You can’t blame yourself. Not that I can talk. Here I am telling you to get over it, and I still haven’t been able to forget about leading those Arcadian bastards to the Olarus Nebula.” He shook his head. “I apologize. This isn’t helping.”

She reached out and put her hand on his. “If there’s anyone else I’d want to feel crappy with right now, it’s you.”

He smiled and squeezed her hand with equal force. He leaned in, and just as they were about to kiss, he pulled back. “I’m sorry.”

“What for?” she asked.

Logan walked to the kitchen and propped himself against the sill of the viewport. “I—”

“I get it.” Novikova stood, thankful at how well she’d already healed. She joined his side, and they stared out at an ore transport not unlike the Ringwood passing by and maneuvering toward one of the station’s docking arms.

“Do you know what it feels like to see them in your dreams?” Logan rubbed his forehead. “Every night I try to sleep, the horror of that day reappears.”

Novikova rested her head on his shoulder. “The rebellion is still fighting. It still lives on.”

“Yes, but for how much longer? When I was among the Arcadians, they all claimed this’d be over sooner rather than later.

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