Dark Space by Jasper T. Scott

Author:Jasper T. Scott [Scott, Jasper T.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction
Publisher: Anthem Press
Published: 2013-12-14T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Ethan walked through the double doors and into the med center, past the handful of cadets, fleet engineers, and ranking officers in the waiting room, and straight up to the reception desk. The woman standing behind the desk eyed him as he approached.

“I need to see a medic,” Ethan said.

“You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t,” she replied. “Hold out your hand.” Ethan gave her his right hand and turned it over to bare his wrist. The receptionist promptly scanned him with a wand, and pointed to the rows of seating in the waiting room. “Wait your turn.”

Ethan found the nearest seat and settled in to wait. He felt his throat begin tickling again, and he let loose a hacking series of coughs. A few of the nearby officers glanced his way and scowled. Ethan tried to ignore them. He shifted his attention elsewhere and found his eyes settle on a shifting light sculpture in the center of the waiting room. It was casting dancing patterns of rainbow-colored light on the ceiling. Ethan focused on the fiery depths of the sculpture. He found that those shifting patterns of iridescent light soon calmed and mesmerized him. After a while, he even forgot to cough. In days gone by such sculptures had been used to manipulate a person’s mental and physiological states, but he hadn’t seen one properly employed since his exile to Dark Space.

There weren’t many people in the waiting room ahead of him, and between his exhaustion and the strangely soothing sculpture, Ethan barely noticed them going ahead of him.

Before long Ethan heard, “Lieutenant Adan Reese,” and he rose dreamily from his chair and turned to see a young male nurse waiting at the beginning of a long, white hallway. Ethan followed the nurse down the hallway to a small examination room. Inside the room, there was a tiny viewport just above the bed where the nurse directed him to lie down. The nurse promptly hooked him up to diagnostic unit and began studying the results.

Ethan’s throat began tickling again now that he was lying down. He tried to fight it, but before long his body convulsed with another fit of coughing. When it was over, he shook his head and groaned.

The nurse eyed him curiously. “Well, I don’t suppose I have to tell you this, but it would appear that you have a relatively bad case of the common cold. Ordinarily I would prescribe you with anti-virals and bed rest, but since you are a nova pilot and the fleet can’t afford to do without you for a few days, I’m going to recommend we rather put you in a stasis tube and treat you more aggressively.”

Ethan groaned again. “Whatever you think’s best, Doc.”

“Yes,” the nurse nodded to himself, his eyes still locked on the diagnostic unit’s screens. “That way you’ll be back in the cockpit again in no time,” he said, and flashed Ethan a quick smile. “I’ll be right back with the doctor. Meanwhile, get some rest.

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