Editing Examinations
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Nika was still unconscious when Mike pulled the car up to the ''Gift'' and we wasted no time getting her to our makeshift med bay. Arden was pretty wobbly on his feet, as was Christian. Mike and I were the most able-bodied, so we did all the heavy lifting. Mike carried Nika aboard and I lent my shoulder to Christian and somehow we got everybody settled. Arden didn’t bother with changing the sheets on the bed, but went right to work the moment Mike laid Nika down. Mike assisted, following Arden’s orders on this or that, while I propped Christian up in a chair and kept him awake. A washcloth wrung out in cold water helped, and after a moment’s brisk application to his face, Christian irritably snatched it from me. I made sure he wouldn’t fall over and left him cleaning up while I went back outside to park the car in its container. Mike had run down two armored policemen getting us off the roof and I had no doubt their brothers in blue wanted a piece of us in revenge. The less visible the car, the better.<br> | Nika was still unconscious when Mike pulled the car up to the ''Gift'' and we wasted no time getting her to our makeshift med bay. Arden was pretty wobbly on his feet, as was Christian. Mike and I were the most able-bodied, so we did all the heavy lifting. Mike carried Nika aboard and I lent my shoulder to Christian and somehow we got everybody settled. Arden didn’t bother with changing the sheets on the bed, but went right to work the moment Mike laid Nika down. Mike assisted, following Arden’s orders on this or that, while I propped Christian up in a chair and kept him awake. A washcloth wrung out in cold water helped, and after a moment’s brisk application to his face, Christian irritably snatched it from me. I made sure he wouldn’t fall over and left him cleaning up while I went back outside to park the car in its container. Mike had run down two armored policemen getting us off the roof and I had no doubt their brothers in blue wanted a piece of us in revenge. The less visible the car, the better.<br> | ||
Stowing it was the work of a minute. I shut her down and pocketed the keys and ran my hand over the dent in her body work with a twinge of regret. She was a good car and we’d used her hard. She deserved better. I locked down the container hatches and turned off the lights. I’d have to work on her later. Right now I had bigger fish to fry.<br> | Stowing it was the work of a minute. I shut her down and pocketed the keys and ran my hand over the dent in her body work with a twinge of regret. She was a good car and we’d used her hard. She deserved better. I locked down the container hatches and turned off the lights. I’d have to work on her later. Right now I had bigger fish to fry.<br> | ||
| − | Christian’s voice drifted to me from the bridge as I gained the passenger lounge and, eavesdropping, I realized he was calling his parents and telling them all was well. An understatement and a lie, but necessary. Mike’s admonition from the night before still applied: we needed to reassure Christian’s parents their son was safe with us and had they seen us dragging in, any goodwill they possessed would have gone up in smoke. The Edges may be retired but they | + | Christian’s voice drifted to me from the bridge as I gained the passenger lounge and, eavesdropping, I realized he was calling his parents and telling them all was well. An understatement and a lie, but necessary. Mike’s admonition from the night before still applied: we needed to reassure Christian’s parents their son was safe with us and had they seen us dragging in, any goodwill they possessed would have gone up in smoke. The Edges may be retired but they had connections aplenty, and we wanted to remain in their good graces. I changed course and entered the bridge proper, and helped Christian to his quarters when he ended his call. He didn’t argue with me but rolled right over to sleep when I got him on his bunk and threw a blanket over him, and turned out the lights.<br> |
Mike was in the corridor when I closed Christian’s door.<br> | Mike was in the corridor when I closed Christian’s door.<br> | ||
“Your turn,” he said, hooking a thumb forward. Dried blood crusted his nails, trailed down his neck from his ears, smeared under his nose where he’d wiped it. His trousers didn’t even bear thinking about. Looking down at myself, I saw I was in a similar state. Mike knew me inside-out and being seen by him like this didn’t bother me. Being seen by Arden, however…<br> | “Your turn,” he said, hooking a thumb forward. Dried blood crusted his nails, trailed down his neck from his ears, smeared under his nose where he’d wiped it. His trousers didn’t even bear thinking about. Looking down at myself, I saw I was in a similar state. Mike knew me inside-out and being seen by him like this didn’t bother me. Being seen by Arden, however…<br> | ||
