Chapter 58

There was a long wait in the Gardener's sick bay; with only two doctors available most of the returning wounded had to wait their turn. The most obviously injured were taken first—Toshimura with his fractured femur, Mantegna and Komosaki with broken arms.

Igwanda was vaguely surprised to see Meiersdottir consult quietly with one of the physicians and then be admitted next, but by that time he had knocked back two stiff whiskeys to dull his own aches—very much AMA (against medical advice) to doctors reluctant to dispense even minor pain medication without an examination, but he was experienced enough in bodily injuries to ignore them—and he gave it little thought.

When she emerged she seemed in good spirits, which relieved him inasmuch as her stay had been an extended one. She walked directly to him and leaned down to talk in his ear. "Carlos, I need to go lie down now. When you're done, don't go to your quarters; my cabin's big enough for us both. Everybody knows anyway, and who cares now? Come to me."

He nodded and she walked on. Two minutes later he registered that he had no idea of her cabin number. Never mind, he would manage.

Igwanda insisted on going last, so it was another two hours before he was done. His diagnosis, after extensive body scans, was simple: "Well, Colonel, you've got pretty much a sprain of your whole body. And what isn't sprained is bruised. But nothing that's not going to fix itself. Now, how much booze did you take?" He admitted to the four that, by then, he had consumed. "All right, you're healthy, you can stand a shot of painkiller. It's going to knock you out, though, I'll have someone walk you to your quarters."

He nodded again, and then remembered.

"No," he said, slurring slightly. "Amanda."

"Dr. Meiersdottir's compartment?" asked the physician, clearly somewhat taken aback.

"Yes," he said. "There. Do not know number."

"I can find out," said the doctor. "I'll take you myself." Lucky bastard, he thought; he had yearned for Meiersdottir himself, had even made a few moves that he'd considered clever to initiate something, but received no encouragement. Still, he took the colonel where he'd asked and even held the invitingly unlocked door for him.

Barely conscious, Igwanda stripped off his tunic and trousers—he still had no boots—and all but fell into the bed. Beside him a half-sleeping Meiersdottir shifted to give him room, and then reached out to hold him. He returned her embrace, kissed her forehead, and almost before the kiss ended he was asleep.