Ghost-Walker by Barbara Hambly

Author:Barbara Hambly
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 2000-08-29T04:00:00+00:00

"Nothing." Helen's voice sounded a little better, though it would be weeks before the internal scar tissue disappeared—her entire respiratory system, Spock knew from McCoy, was similarly damaged. She still looked haggard, weak, and depleted, her body not responding well to either regenerative enzymes nor to the sonic rest treatments that usually accelerated natural healing. Spock wondered obliquely how a case like this one might respond to the Midgwin Consciousness Web McCoy had spoken about, then discarded the thought. According to Shorak's reports, the Consciousness Web itself was largely illusory and its effects in all probability psychosomatic. Even Vulcan holistic techniques did not excise disruptive organisms—merely tapped into the deep strengths of the patient's own immune systems and the regenerative properties of the mortal flesh. And it could well be, he thought, looking down at the woman's drawn face and bruise-circled eyes, that her lack of response to any kind of treatment did indeed stem from some private inner grief or confusion.

She cleared her throat a little, and as she concentrated on thinking back, on re-creating the events on the planet's surface, some of the pain lessened in her face. "Thetas and the captain were never alone together that I know about. Dr. McCoy talked to Thetas for some time by the campfire, but the captain and I were … walking. Seeing some of the planet."

A faint flush stained her cheekbones in the cool dimness of the convalescent ward, a reflex that Spock, standing with folded hands at the foot of her bed, knew to be connected in the human species with embarrassment. A little puzzled, he said, "If, as I assume, you were at that time attempting to make the decision whether to remain on the planet or to enter Starfleet and join the Enterprise as a permanent crew member, such an investigation would have been only logical, as would the desire to discuss the matter privately with the ship's captain." From the tail of his eye he saw Nurse Chapel, who had moved a portable work station into a corner of the room so that there would never be a time when Helen would be completely alone, pause in her analysis of experimental results. She half averted her face and brought up one hand to cover whatever expression tugged at her mouth, she and Helen carefully avoiding one another's glance. A little stiffly, Spock went on, "And during this time, neither you nor the captain saw any … untoward manifestations of a life-form that might have been similar to the one with which we are presumably dealing now?"

Helen pulled straight the sudden quirk at the corner of her mouth—a quirk that had abruptly lightened the weariness and strain on her face—and said, "No. But it was fairly dark, and the thing we're dealing with seems to be invisible, or at least very good at hiding."

"Indeed," Spock averred. He thought for a moment more, while Chapel made another data entry, fingers flicking over the small keyboard with barely a whisper of sound.

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