Page 57 of Starfighter’s Salvation

“It was effective.” A young Velerion medic entered as Corvan spoke. She looked at me, looked at the IV controls, and sighed. “Starfighter Reyes, if you touch that again, I will remove the display.”

“The line is slow.”

“It is calibrated for your species and current blood volume.” Her smile was kind but stern and I recognized that look. I'd seen it in the mirror often enough. There would be no arguing with her. "As a trained medic, I know you have extensive knowledge of our standard procedures. However, I checked with our top surgeon, and he suggested that your training did not include injuries to humans because, when the training simulation was designed, we had never treated anyone from Earth. Your physiology is slightly different. Hence, the adjustments."

Oh. That made so much sense. “I totally knew that.”

The medic chuckled and looked at Corvan. “Keep holding her hands. I don't trust her yet.”

“Gladly.”

The medic left and I enjoyed the feel of Corvan's hands over mine. “I don’t like her." That wasn't true. I liked her just fine, but I wanted out of this bed, out of this room, and I was in pain.

“She kept you alive.”

“Fine. I like her a little.” Gray eyes found mine and I wrapped my fingers around his. "Get me out of here."

“They say you need another day to heal. The fragment nicked an artery. You lost too much blood.”

I knew the part about losing too much blood. My boots were full of it. “How are our patients?”

“Alive. Tavar is in regeneration and responding. Everyone made it."

I let out a breath. “Good.”

“You hid the extent of your injury from me.”

“I packed it.”

“You nearly died.”

“That’s dramatic.”

“The medic confirmed it.”

“Alien medics are dramatic.”

“Georgina. Renee. Reyes. Never again.”

“I’m okay.” I looked at him. I’d watched this man hold himself together by sheer force of will. He'd saved us all. "Thanks to you."

“Gina.”

“Corvan. There was nothing you could do. I needed you to fly the ship. We all did."

“I sat in the cockpit and listened to your breathing. I knew it was wrong. I knew you were injured, and I could do nothing.”

“You got us out of there. That’s what I needed.”

“If I had known how badly you were hurt, I would have⁠—”

“What? You would've what?” My gaze roamed over his haggard face, and I reached out to cup his cheek in my hand. "You did everything right. You saved us all."

"Your friends ignored a direct order from General Jennix and came after you on their own. They saved us. They saved you. Not me." His gaze moved over my face like he was memorizing it.

"We made it. Without you flying, we'd be dead. Without their help, we'd be dead. But we're not dead. We're alive."

“Never lie to me again.”