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The room is cold, and thick curtains are drawn tight around the windows. The blue and gold blankets are pulled all the way up to Alder’s chin. He’s always worn his hair long in the traditional way, but the side of his head is shaved now. I turn back to the nurse.
“They needed to attach the electrodes to the top of his head. When he first came in, the tossing and turning made the electrodes get tangled with the small part they shaved. He looks like an old badass now.”
“He’s always been a badass. He’s my father,” I growl out.
“Forgive me, Commander, I’m speaking out of turn. I’m more used to Holter when he comes.”
“Yes.”
The nurse doesn’t know what to do with yes. Frankly, I don’t know what to do with yes. But he leaves, and that’s what I wanted. I don’t need someone squawking in my ear as I sit and... do what? What am I supposed to do now? I pull a chair from the wall over to where electrodes are flashing on the side of his head. Fuck, that light would bother him. He always hated when the dome left the lights on at night. And here he is, a fucking beacon himself.
“Father.” My voice cracks as if I haven’t used it in a week. As if I’m already on the bottom of the chasm and have lost all the air in my lungs, as if I’m sand and dust.
I’m lost in thought. At some point, I grabbed his hand in mine. The lights have gone dim. It’s brightest on the side of his room that shines in his face. That fucking pisses me off because I know how much he would hate it. I lean over his bed and take a chunk of his long hair, winding it over the top of his head. It won’t get tangled in the device.
It might. Fuck. I push it back and smooth it down.
“Nico?” Father’s voice is like bits of gravel.
“Nurse,” I yell and turn back to my father.
“Nico.”
“I’m here.”
“Damn straight you are.” His voice is strained.
“Can I get you anything?” I grip his hand.
“Someone to take these damn light tubes from my head.” He reaches up and touches the wires with his other hand, but I grab it before he can yank. “Nico.” His brown eyes settle on me. His voice is soft, but he inclines his head to the side. I crouch over him. “That was no normal shark attack.”
“I was wondering.”
“Commander. We need you to wait outside while we examine Alder.”
Fucking hell. But there are five of them standing around the edge of the room, which is barely big enough for the bed. “Copy that.” I squeeze his hand. “Be strong, old male. I’ll be back soon.”
* * *
They’ve got me out in the hall while they work on him. Fucking hell. He’s awake. And now in more danger than before. We can’t leave him alone. I stride down to the nurses’ station.
There’s a nurse who looks barely out of podlet school. “I need to borrow your block.”
“I can’t.” He looks at the hospital tablet.
“Your block.” I put out my hand.
“My personal block?”
My empty hand is still waiting.
He looks from my hand to his block and back again. I wait. And he puts it in my hand.
I hand it back. “Unlock it.” I could break into it, but I don’t want to delay this any longer. The unlocked device in my hand, I let the number ring through.
“Hello?”
“I know you’re following me. Get in here. I need your help.”
