Vall's Will (9 page)

Chapter Twelve

Insight

It was several
hours later before Killjorn rubbed her burning eyes. It had been a disastrously
long day, and she needed rest. Or else she could make a mistake that could be
fatal for her patients.

She yawned and
walked from her office directly into the medical bay for one last look at the
woman floating in her healing aura. Willis was asleep, which was good. The
Captain had a stubborn streak that made her one of the most successful Nion
captains, but it could also test the most beneficent spirit.

Leaving the
unit, the physician entered the outer room of the bay, when she spotted the
figure sitting still and silent in the far corner. At first, she felt a twinge
of alarm, and her armor briefly flared in the low light. The glow was enough
for her to recognize the young man.

“Vall?”

The figure
lifted his head.

“Were you
asleep over there?”

She crossed the
room and extended a hand down to him. The young man accepted it as he got to
his feet.

“Will.”

Killjorn
instantly understood. “You want to see the Captain one last time before
you retire? I can relate. I did the same thing just a moment ago.”

She re-entered
the inner room and stopped beside Will’s unit. Vall halted beside her and
stared down at the unconscious figure wrapped from head to toe, totally
unrecognizable at first glance. Killjorn watched his reaction, waiting for any
questions he may have. What she heard surprised her.

“My
fault.”

“No. It’s
not your fault,” she softly corrected him. She sat down on the warm plated
floor and patted the spot next to her. Vall obediently joined her, crossing his
long legs in front of him. At this angle, Will’s body floated just above their
heads. When Killjorn propped her elbow on her knee, and her chin in her palm,
she could comfortably watch the Captain sleeping.

“Is
she…hurting?”

“No. Not
now. I have her on meds that are allowing her body to regenerate its skin
without pain.”

Vall never took
his eyes off the figure encased it its blue healing aura. There was no telling
what he might be thinking, but Killjorn figured some of it had to be self-deprecating.

“You know,
she was very lucky it occurred here on the ship.”

Vall bowed his
head. His hands lay still on his lap.

“Did you
know a Nion warship is better equipped to handle stripping than any medical bay
on any Regency-held colony or outpost? Only on Nion, our home planet, could she
find better treatment.”

This time, she
got his attention. He looked at her, as if silently asking her how.

Killjorn smiled
gently. “When we first took to space, we knew the loss of our shields
would be our worst injury, outside of death. So each ship was equipped with
every medical necessity in the event of such an accident.” She waved a
hand around the bay. “I can handle up to four patients at one time, and
take care of them until their skin has regenerated.”

“What if
there are more?” He spoke softly, slowly, as if verbalizing was an effort.

“I can
hospitalize the entire crew, if need be, until more warships arrive to help. Or
until we reach a Regency Base. Of course, if the whole crew, with the exception
of myself, ended up being stripped of their armor, we would be in one fekking
mess.”

“Why?”

“I don’t
know how to drive this ship.”

Incredibly, a
smile tilted the corners of his mouth. The sight of it even made her feel
better.

“Has
this…happened before?” he cautiously asked.

“Do you
mean, has Willis lost her shield before? No. This is the first time. And if she
remains a Nion warrior, there’s a good chance it may not be her last
time.”

He lifted his
face to look at the Captain. “She is my Will.” He sounded dejected.

“She’s a
captain of a Nion warship. In the whole fleet of nearly eighty, she’s only one
of six women capable enough to handle the job. And she’s only one of three
still actively on duty.” Killjorn laid a hand on the young man’s arm. She
was mildly surprised when he didn’t flinch or draw back. “She’s also a
young woman with a need to be loved. But she has to be careful. She can’t take
reckless chances, not if she’s to maintain her captaincy. And that means she
has to deliver you over to someone else, and have them take you to Regency
Base.”

“She is my
Will,” Vall repeated with greater emphasis.

Killjorn nodded.
“If the two of you are meant to be a couple, the stars will find a way to
bring you back together. Until then, you must be strong, and you must be
patient.”

A warm hand was
placed on top of hers. Steadily, she could feel heat rising from his palm,
until it was almost too painful. She tried to pull away, but his grip was
absolute.

And the heat
became incinerating.

The physician
threw up her shield around her hand and arm, but Vall continued to cling to her
as if the aura wasn’t there.

Killjorn felt
her fear rising as she stared into golden eyes that suddenly appeared to flare
like yellow suns. Vall’s expression changed from melancholy to something that
terrified her all the way to her soul.

“She…is…my…Will.”

There was more
pain, more intense fire, and two suns that scorched her retinas, all the way up
into her brain.

The dim light
inside the medical bay washed through her like a soothing balm. Gasping,
Killjorn glanced at her damaged hand, but the skin was smooth, unblemished.
There was no damage that she could see. She also knew that if she placed her
hand underneath the scanners, she wouldn’t find any sort of injury within, either.

She turned to
Vall. The young man remained sitting and staring up at the figure hovering
overhead.

“She…is…my…Will.”

She hadn’t
imagined the pain. Neither had she hallucinated about the man’s eyes drilling
into her skull.

Stark fear, the
kind she had never felt before in her life, began to grow in the pit of her
stomach. Icy cold, hard, and poisonous, it threatened to take over every organ
in her body, leaving her unable to breathe, or even think.

“She…is…my…Will.”

She had
misinterpreted what he’d meant. All this time, she hadn’t fully realized what
he was saying. What he meant by that remark.

Not until now.
And it was almost scaring the life out of her.

Chapter Thirteen

Warmth

“Ready?”

“As much as
I’ll ever be.”

“All right.
Just watch your balance.”

The sterile glow
faded, and Will felt the bed start to tilt, feet first.

“Let me
know if you sense any pain,” Killjorn instructed.

The bed
continued to tilt, until the soles of her feet touched the cool floor.

“Stand.”

The bed halted
its descent, allowing her to lean forward until she was clear of it. Next thing
she knew, she was erect.

Killjorn stepped
in front of her after scrutinizing every inch of the Captain’s body.

“Talk to
me, Willis.”

Will
straightened. “No pain, although I feel like I’m still wrapped up.”
She glanced down at herself and giggled softly. “I’m as pink as a Protean
amoebae.”

“Your skin
will lose that tint the longer it’s in contact with the oxygen in the air.
You’re certain you don’t feel any pain?”

Nodding her
head, Will answered. “Certain.”

The physician
sighed loudly and backed away. “All right. Take a few steps.”

Will walked slowly
to the door and turned around. Holding out her arms, she smiled. “Do I get
a clean bill of health?”

Killjorn grinned
widely. “I’ll give you half a bill. Will that do? I won’t give you a full
release until you can erect your shields.”

“About how
much longer before I can attempt it?”

“Two days.
No, make it three. I don’t want you to push it. Remember, I did my internship
at a skin retrieval medi-lab. Too many times I saw warriors sent right back
into the isolation sheets because they tried to erect their auras too soon, and
sheared their fresh layers of skin. It nearly tripled their recuperation
time.”

Will stared at
her arm. She tapped it to check the new skin’s resilience. Tiny vibrations
quivered over her muscles and nerves, like rings of water rippling away from
the center of impact. It tickled to the point where she involuntarily shivered.
Will looked up at the doctor. Killjorn nodded.

“Your
nerves are still adapting to your new membrane. Your sense of touch will remain
heightened for another couple of days.”

“What if I
bump against something and bruise it? Or tear it?”

“That’s
something you’re going to have to be very careful about. Small wounds we can
deal with. But anything that makes you bleed outright could be fatal.”
Killjorn went over to her console. “I’m sending in a prescription for a
pain med to your room. It’ll be available when you need it.” She gave Will
a motherly look, although she was only two years older. “Don’t hesitate to
take it, Willis. Any time you feel distressed, the medicant will dull your
nerve endings and also speed up the healing process as much as your body is
able to tolerate. Understand me?”

Will rolled her
eyes as she grinned. “Yes, Mother.”

Killjorn
responded by sticking her tongue out at her. “For your insolence, I’m also
kicking you out of the medical bay. You are ordered to return to your own cabin
and rest.”

“More rest?
Why? I’ve been resting for what seems like days.”

“Just hush
and do as I say. You’re not as strong or as sturdy as you think you are at the
moment. By the time you reach your room, you’ll be washed out. Go to bed. Then,
when you wake up, if you want to spend a little time on the bridge, go ahead.
But as soon as you start to flag, go back to your cabin. Remember, the more
rested you are—”

“The sooner
I’ll heal,” Will said in sync with the doctor.

“Oh, and
set your in-cabin computer to make your uniforms about two sizes larger than
usual. You want to prevent the fabric from irritating that new epidermis.”

“Got it.
Meds, rest, saggy uniform. Anything else?”

Killjorn sighed.
“I know you’re trying to be mentally positive about your healing, but you
must also realize I’m not being over-protective. What you suffered has killed
many Nions.”

Giving the
doctor a wan smile, Will shuffled over to lay a hand on the woman’s shoulder.
“I know, Killy. I know what a struggle it was to take care of me, and I am
deeply grateful to you.” She looked at where her hand rested, and added,
“I can’t believe how cold I feel. You’re as hot as a blue sun!”

“Until your
capillaries finish seeding your outer layer, you’ll remain chilled. Don’t
change the temperature in your cabin. Your skin has to thicken a bit more, and
your body has to learn to adjust to it. Just pile on the clothing, or change
the heat setting on your bed and chairs.”

For good
measure, the physician retrieved a robe and slippers from one of the storage
cabinets, and draped the thin coat over Will’s shoulders. She raised the hood
to cover the Captain’s bare head.

“There.
That should help some.”

Will shoved her
feet into the oversized scuffs. “I look like an escaped patient.”

Killjorn
laughed. “It’s the third shift. I’ll be surprised if you run into anyone
at this time of night between here and your cabin.”

“You’re not
going to escort me?”

“Great
heavens, woman! Want me to tuck you in, too?” Killjorn snapped, then
winked. “No, really, you don’t need anyone to hang on to. You need to
stretch your legs. Get your muscles back into shape. Build up your energy
again. Just don’t go bouncing off the walls. Oh, and I left a dispensary disk
in your quarters. If you need a little boost, don’t hesitate to use it, but
don’t abuse it.”

Will turned
around to give the doctor a gentle hug. The woman still put out heat like a
furnace, making the Captain wish she could just snuggle against her and doze
off. Instead, she accepted Killjorn’s return embrace without pain, and left the
medical bay.

As the doctor
predicted, she didn’t encounter anyone while on her way to her room. Once
inside her cabin, she ordered the door locked. It was difficult to resist the
urge to turn up the heat in the room, but she trusted the doctor explicitly to
know what she was doing.

“Guess I’ll
just have to huddle under the bedcovers until I acclimate.”

Killjorn had
been correct about another thing. Her stamina was shot. After traveling the
short distance from the medical bay to her cabin, she was exhausted, almost to
the point of collapse. She gasped for breath, and her muscles trembled from the
exertion. Gratefully, she slid into bed, robe and slippers included, and realized
how wonderful it felt to be back in familiar, comforting surroundings.

She was asleep
almost immediately after resting her head on her pillow. There was no way for
her to know how long she slept, when she was awakened by the sound of someone
patting at the door.

Will frowned.
Patting? Not a knock?
Who would pat the door?

Maybe someone
who hadn’t been taught to knock?
a little voice in the back of her head
answered.

Who wouldn’t
know how to knock?

The answer came
to her before she could finish the thought.

The patting
sound came again, with a rubbing sound following close behind. Someone was
running his hand over the panel, as if seeking a way to open it.

“Door
open.”

The portal
smoothly disappeared into the side recess, and she could see the young man
standing in the dimly lit hallway. For a moment, the look of surprise remained
on his face, until he glanced over to see her sitting up in the bed.

Will smiled.
“Lights, fifty percent.”

The room brightened
slightly. Vall flinched and squinted, but didn’t enter.

“Don’t just
stand out there. Come in.”

When Vall
continued to stare at her without moving, she realized she couldn’t translate
what she was saying. And the room wasn’t equipped to do the task, either.
Guess
we’re reduced to hand signals,
she decided, and waved for him to enter.
“Come on!”

Waving seemed to
do the trick. Once he crossed inside, the door closed behind him.

“All right.
I know you can’t understand me, but it’s good to see you. I thought you were
going to come back and visit me when I was still in medic.”

He remained by
the door, watching her. There was no way to tell how long he had been wandering
the ship, or if he had come to the cabin before, looking for her. How had he
known this was her room? Or was he checking every room on every floor in an
attempt to find her? The crew knew who he was. If they had seen him outside of
his cabin, chances were they wouldn’t have challenged him.

“This is
ridiculous. I have to find a way to get you to understand me.”
Maybe I
can pull up a translator on my monitor.

She carefully
swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood. As she moved away from the
bedcovers, her robe got tangled in them. As she got to her feet, the coat was
pulled back, slipping off one shoulder far enough to reveal her breast. Will
quickly pulled the robe back together, but not before Vall had caught a
glimpse.

She stared into
his face. At his emotionless face. On the man whose eyes and expressions spoke
more profoundly than any speech, his countenance was utterly blank. His lack of
reaction unnerved her.

Will forced
herself to smile. “Sorry about that, Vall.” She continued toward the
monitor, pretending as if nothing had happened. “I’m hoping I can pull up
a translation device through the ship. I lost the one I had embedded in my
shield. And I’ll have to wait until we return to a Regency Base before I can
have another one implanted.”

“Uli.”

She paused.
“Uli to you, too. I wish I knew what you were saying.”

“Will.”

She felt her jaw
drop. Two meters away, Vall stood, stoic and unmoving, like a statue.

“Will.”

Will snorted.
“You finally know my name. At least it’s a start.”

He began walking
toward her. As he moved closer… Will gasped softly, her eyes widening. By all
the stars, she would swear he changed. No, not just changed. Altered. Grew.
Hardened. Matured.

His outward
appearance remained the same, but now he projected strength and assurance as
strong and as powerful as any Nion warrior. The persona approaching her was no
longer the weak, defeated young man whom they’d rescued. The beaten and
brutalized prisoner was gone, replaced by someone she didn’t know.

Yet she didn’t
feel any fear. Exactly the opposite. The closer he got, the more the air around
her tingled, until she felt as though she was being surrounded by an electrical
field.

Vall stopped in
front of her and reached for the robe. A slight tug, and it fell to the floor,
puddling around her feet. She watched as he glanced down her body, bare, pink,
and unmarked by rank affiliation. Even the scars of past battles were gone.

Fingertips
touched the side of her neck. Their gentle caress sent shivers through her. A
thumb stroked the underside of her jaw, and Will tilted her head in response.
His gaze rested on her bare pate, and with a questioning look, the old Vall was
suddenly back. Will reached up and took his hand.

“Yes, I
lost my hair, but it’ll grow back eventually. My insignia is gone, too, but it
can be easily replaced. My birthmark, moles, scars, anything that marked my
skin are gone. I’m a fresh canvas.”

It almost hurt
to move away from him and resume her scan on the monitor. Vall waited. After a
short while, Will shook her head.

“There’s a
translator on the ship,” she informed him, “but the program has no
speech interpreter. It’s made for visual identification, not vocal. I could try
to enter whatever you say, but how would I know what cryllics to use? How would
I know I spelled your words correctly?” She shrugged. “Doesn’t
matter, since you don’t say much anyway.”

“Will.”

She smiled
warmly at him. “Willis. My first name is Willis.”

Vall smiled
back. “Willis.”

“Yes.”

“My
Willis.”

Now she stood in
shock. Vall smiled at her obvious surprise and repeated the words. “My
Willis.”

He closed the distance
between them and drew his arms around her chilled skin. She became aware of his
face dipping toward the curve of her neck, and her arms went involuntarily
around his shoulders. His body was a small sun, sending warmth into every pore,
every molecule. Will lifted her face until she found his throat and kissed it.
Immediately, she realized what she had done.

She had kissed
him. An act that was so personal, Nion tradition kept it solely between lovers.
It was never spoken about, and never demonstrated in public. The meeting of the
lips to any part of another person was deemed sacrosanct among Nions. To have
touched his skin in such a way was the last barrier she’d had to cross, and
rather than feel regretful, she silently rejoiced.

She realized now
why she felt empty and bereft whenever he was gone. It was both a shocking as
well as a wonderful understanding. He was meant to be with her, as much as she
was meant to be his.

She felt him
lift her slightly off the floor. At the same time, his cheek touched hers, and
his mouth slid down the side of her neck where her insignia used to be. Little
waves of joy lapped over her nerve endings, and she shivered.

“Cold,”
he murmured, his mouth nearly muffled against her skin. Will smiled.

No. Not this
time. I’m all right. But don’t stop, Vall. Don’t stop what you’re doing. Or
what I pray you’re wanting to do.

He gathered her
against him, lifting her further up against his chest until her feet no longer
touched the floor, and strode over to the bed, to lay her gently across the
bedclothes. She stared up at him as he watched her momentarily, then reached
behind his back and pulled off the gray robes, tossing them to the side.

Want you.

I want you,
too, Vall.

Uli. My
Willis.