Free Seducing Stag (Cyborg Seduction Book 10) by Laurann Dohner

taken me more time to retrieve him otherwise.”
    “How long did he go without oxygen?” She noticed that Stag’s chest rose and fell but that didn’t mean he’d be okay. He could have suffered brain death.
    “It took me three minutes and forty-two seconds to bring him in. Another thirty-two seconds to reinstate life support in the docking bay. Add in at least sixty seconds to clear him of his helmet, open his suit, and revive him.”
    “Did he wake up? Say anything? Was there any air left in the suit?”
    Maze grabbed the scanner, slowly running it over Stag’s head again. “He was down to four percent but he’d stopped breathing by the time I was able to work on him.”
    That information hit Nala hard. No one could survive that long out in space if they weren’t breathing. He’d have suffered brain death. Her knees almost gave out and she bent, grabbing the end of the bed.
    She was so sure she hated Stag…but the pain in her chest said otherwise.
    “I had to turn off all his implants when I ran an electrical current through him to restart his heart rhythm. They will be down for hours, since I had to force the shutoff. I’m not reading any real damage, so we’ll have to wait.”
    “English,” she got out.
    Maze glanced at her. “That was in English.”
    “I don’t know what that means!” She was upset and frustrated. “Is he brain dead? Just tell me.”
    “I’m reading some activity. It would be easier if I could access his chips, but I panicked.”
    She just stared at him, confused.
    “I’m a medic. Every cyborg in my care has allowed me a pathway to hack access to their bodies in emergency situations like this one. I can shut down their implants and chips. Otherwise, sending a current of electricity through them can damage those cybernetics permanently. Stag matters too much to me, and I think I may have drained the power to them completely.”
    She tried to make sense of it. “I get that electrocuting them is bad, but power drain?”
    Maze twisted, grabbed another scanner, and ran this one over Stag’s chest. “Our bodies generate power for our cybernetic components. As a medic, I was designed to be able to drain that power to care for other cyborgs if they give me access to do so. I think I overdid it. I panicked. I wasn’t calm. It means it’s going to take hours for his cybernetics to recharge enough to work again.”
    “What does that matter? I mean, how would they help you figure out what’s wrong with him?”
    “We have three chips implanted inside our brains. They could tell me if there’s any damage around them. They’re off, and not responding to me trying to turn them back on. Recharging.” He grabbed another injector, pressing it against Stag’s side.
    “What was that for? Is something wrong with his heart or lungs?”
    “I’m not reading any damage to his organs. I just gave him a sedative to keep him under.”
    “Don’t we want him to wake up?”
    “He’ll heal faster if he’s immobile.”
    She felt frustrated. “If he survives.”
    Maze finally put his gadgets away and closed the case. He stood. “He’s a cyborg. We’re tough, and we heal faster than you do. It’s how we were designed. I am reading brain function.”
    That calmed her. “So he’s going to be fine?”
    “He was lucky. The drug will keep him down for an hour. I’m going to give you access to direct coms with me. Just press your hand on the panel next to the wall and say my name. I have to go. Another crew member will leave the ship to check Stag’s work on the patch and seek out any other damage. I want to be there in case there’s another medical emergency. Will you watch over Stag and contact me if he’s in distress?”
    “I don’t have much experience with injured people. How will I know?”
    Maze walked over to the door and pressed his hand on the panel. “Just contact me if you become alarmed with anything. Watch him.” He pulled his palm off the sensor. “The computer will now