When Major Reed opened his eyes, he was in the infirmary. Doctor Priors stood over him.

"We meet again, Major. Oh, don't try and speak; you're sedated, in a manner of speaking."

She took hold of his shoulder with both hands, squeezing it with some enthusiasm. The pain might have been unbearable, but he didn't have much choice; he couldn't move even far enough for his expression to change and consciousness seemed only too solid for him. Immobility was a mercy in a way: he felt inclined to scream in a way that would have been most unbecoming.

"Does that hurt? Oh, why of course it does. I bet you're wondering about the beautiful cocktail of drugs I gave you to get you like this, yes?" She paused as though waiting for him to respond, even though she knew full well that he could not. "Well, there's a pretty hefty muscle relaxant in there, but I took care to avoid anything that might provide any pain relief. The adrenaline might have been overkill, but hey, so is shooting a man in the heart when you only needed to wing him to make your point. Right?"

She reached for a large syringe, filling it from a bottle then expelling the air with a couple of gentle taps and a slight press of the plunger.

"As it happens, it's time for a new dose of part of it. Do you have any phobias, Major? Trypanophobia? Perhaps iatrophobia? I find that in this age of jet injectors an awful lot of people who might fear needles never really need to confront the fact."

She noticed him staring at the syringe.

"Good that you've got eye movement back. It was a bit of a shame not to be able to get any reaction from you at all. Don't worry about the big syringe: that's mainly just for effect. Besides, it's big needles you have to worry about." She smiled disarmingly. "I'm kidding. Big needles really aren't a big deal. They're just what I need to deliver this medication, because after some of the stuff I added it's a solution with really big particles. It'll hurt a lot, but it's all part of the healing process."

She allowed him a moment not to react, feigning surprise at the response she'd decided he should have.

"Oh yes, Major, I am going to heal you. Because as much as I hate you and whatever you think you stand for, I'm still a doctor and I've still dedicated my life to keeping people alive and well. But I'm prepared to bend a sacred oath here and there, for a bit of justice, you could say. So don't expect to get out of here pain-free."


As Boss approached, Chief opened the hatch and let him fall through it. Bouncing all over the docking area for a fight was good fun, but neither of them was young any more. He dropped down into the shaft in pursuit, letting the hatch close above him. The confined space would be all the more appropriate for a good old-fashioned punch-up.



Next Chapter: Chapter 39