Free Leaving Earth by Loribelle Hunt Page A

his feet and barked at the people in the door. "Over here!"
    As they approached, she saw they carried someone on a litter and then she noticed who it was. She swore she felt her heart stop beating as they transferred Daggar from the litter to the bed. His hair was matted with blood, his chest drenched and she experienced a moment of panic when she realized he wasn't in her head anymore. She didn't get any sense of him.
    Cilia rushed over and glared at her for doing nothing. The expression snapped her back to the moment. "Scissors," she muttered, but Cilia already had them, cutting away his long hair so they could see where the bleeding came from. She caught her breath when the area was exposed, seeing a shard of stone protruding from the top of his head.
    "Give me those large tweezers, Daire," she ordered. The nurse had anticipated her and slapped them in her open palm. Cilia caught her wrist before she could proceed.
    "Careful. This is the Warrior Overchief."
    "I know who he is."
    She thought Cilia would argue and take over, but then Barak Trace appeared at the healer's side, leaned over and whispered in her ear. She didn't stop to wonder why the spy was here. Whatever he'd said, Cilia nodded. "You're sure you want to be the one to do this?"
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    Leaving Earth
    by Loribelle Hunt
    Kendall pressed her lips together and leaned over him without answering. The other healer worked well, but Kendall knew her own skill better than anyone else's. She wouldn't trust anyone but herself with this. She couldn't explain it, couldn't explain anything. But she was not going to lose him like this. Not if she could help it.
    He moaned as she slowly pulled the stone free and she found herself chanting his name to herself, as if to hold him to her. Her relief made her knees weak when she saw it removed, saw it hadn't penetrated his skull. She dropped it in a tray Daire held out and went to work on the rest. She and Cilia worked to remove four more fragments from his head, before starting on his chest.
    Kendall alternated between terrified and furious. Just how close had he been to the damned blast? She was cleaning out the final cut when he woke. One minute he was out and then next his eyes were wide open staring at her. He didn't budge as she prepared the needle.
    "Do you want a pain killer now that you're awake?" The question came out testier than she intended. She was pissed and worried and pissed because she was worried. And she didn't even know this man. Her professional reserve had been gone from the moment they'd laid him down.
    "No," he answered, his voice was gruff and she was so damned glad to hear it. There seemed to be a collective sigh of relief from the warriors hovering nearby. He reached for her hand before she could proceed. " Der'lan ," this time the room's sigh was a gasp, "the others?" 76
    Leaving Earth
    by Loribelle Hunt
    "Britt has her," she answered softly, knowing he was really asking about Laney. She would have felt jealous, but she'd been trying not to worry about the same thing as she worked.
    "I'm starting now."
    He nodded and she slipped the needle through his skin. He didn't move an inch and it was quickly finished. She felt his sigh of relief more than heard it. Dropping the needle on the tray and pulling off her gloves to add them, she turned away but Daggar caught her arm.
    "Where are you going?"
    "I have to clean up." She had to get out there, catch her breath and get her head screwed back on right. She looked down. And get out of her clothes. She was covered in everyone else's blood. Cilia intervened.
    "Come on, dear. I have clothes in the back office." Kendall slanted her a look. The woman was wearing a tightly cut short shirt and loose almost see through pants. No way was Kendall putting on something like that. She'd go back to her room to change, but she felt Daggar's disapproval, sensed that he didn't want her out of his sight even for a few minutes. And she didn't have any idea why she was going to comply.