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5
The infirmaryonboard the Infinity was bigger than the one on the Moon Station. Unlike the station, this was designed for a few hundred people. I didn't want to think about what might cause it to be at capacity. Space battles had happened in the past. With any luck, they would stay in the past, but ships were still made fully equipped for just about anything.
In one corner, a curtain was closed around a bed, obscuring a patient. I craned my neck and tried to peer through a gap, but before I could, another medic entered.
She saw what I was doing and cleared her throat.
I jumped to attention, my face pink. "I'm sorry, um, Doctor." Her badge read, 'Kalvix'. I groaned to myself. Of course I'd make a fool of myself in front of the senior medic on the ship.
Kalvix was slightly taller than me. Her skin was the soft green of new leaves. Her dark hair was cut short, like a pixie. Her green eyes added to the effect of an ethereal forest creature, as did the line of scales which ran down her neck and disappeared under her IF tunic. Her antennae twitched, one in my direction, the other toward the curtain.
"Mmmm." Her lips pursed disapprovingly, but she didn't appear to be angry. "Nurse Wright, I assume."
"Yes," I said quickly. "It's nice to meet you." I wasn't sure if shaking hands was something done on Agus, so I kept them by my side. "I mean, reporting for duty."
What would she think of my intention to dig into Jones' file? I suspected she wouldn't be pleased if she caught me. I better not let her catch me then.
She nodded. "You've been assigned a supervisor, but they aren't on board currently. I urge you to familiarise yourself with the infirmary as best you can until then. Take extreme care and avoid anything you're not familiar with."
I got her message loud and clear. Look, but don't touch.
"Um, I see we have a patient already, Doctor. Perhaps I could see if they need anything."
For a moment, I thought she might refuse. Instead, she nodded and almost looked approving, and for some reason, relieved.
"Yes, do that," she said hastily. "I need to complete the inventory check."
Before I could offer to help with that, she bustled away, out the door.
"Okay then," I said under my breath. I put on my best smile and approached the cubicle. I drew the curtain aside slowly, just enough to step inside.
On the bed, a figure lay still, covered in a layer of blankets. Only his head was uncovered and that was enough to make me stare. His skin reminded me of Danec's, but with a distinctive purple hue. A Freytaurian, I assumed. A wide bandage was wrapped around his forehead.
As I approached, he turned his face and frowned.
"Have you come to poke and prod at me too?" he asked coolly. His eyes raked me up and down, and my neat blue uniform. It was tight here and there, but it would do until I could find one that fit better.
"No," I replied cheerfully. I had met his kind a hundred times before. The type who hated to be flat on their backs, in hospital or an infirmary. Honestly, that was most people, no matter what planet they're from. Lying in a hospital bed was boring, so I didn't blame him for being grumpy. It was my job to cheer him up, if I could.
"I came to see if there's anything you need." I tugged a corner of the blanket over to straighten it.
He responded with a lazy smirk. "My cock is itchy. Care to scratch it for me?"
I raised my eyebrows at him, as if I was offended. "I'm pretty sure you can scratch it yourself."
"You can see through all of those blankets?" he asked. "I didn't know Earthians had that ability."
Earthians?
I shook my head. "We don't, I just—"
"You assumed." There was that smirk again. "Do you think you should check?"
I wasn't falling for what he wanted. He obviously thought I'd peel back the blankets and look at his—presumably—naked body. As tempting as it might be, it was also unprofessional.
Instead, I clicked on the screen beside his bed.
"It says here you fell off the railing above the engine. Hit your head, broke both… Oh. Both arms."
