Free Endurance by Richard Chizmar Page B

there was a perimeter of bodies shielding me and voices shrieking defiance. I saw the claw-carrying Lieutenant sail through the air as someone flung him away from me. The Major trumpeted his fury, but was so hemmed in by smaller crew members that he couldn’t twitch, much less move in on me himself.
    People, as they always do in these situations, began to brawl.
    Dchêm-os worked her way over to me and snarled at Alunthri, who reluctantly allowed her to come closer. “To protect yourself, can’t you even try? Of all deities, for the love?”
    “It’s that silly oath I took,” I said, then winced as I saw two crew members beating each other senseless a few inches away. “Why are you worried? He’s just finishing the job you started.”
    “Enough of the drug, I must not have given you,” Zella said, her tail thrashing impatiently.
    “Shame, isn’t it?”
    Two more nurses appeared out of the battling masses, both disheveled and panting. “We’re going to get you out of here, Doctor,” Pmohhi said.
    “Unless you can override the door panel controls, that’s unlikely.”
    “No, we have an alternate route—”
    “Attention, prisoners!” a drone voice unexpectedly blared. “Cease and desist all violence at once!”
    No one paid much attention, they were all busy having fun. Which quickly turned into cries of pain as their detainment cuffs started jolting them. Oddly enough, mine didn’t.
    A squad of armed Hsktskt entered the Detainment Area, led by none other than Duncan Reever. I pushed the Chakacat off my lap, ducked around some prisoners attempting to pry their cuffs off, and tried to hide. Reever spotted me within seconds and motioned for the centurons to head my way.
    “Here come the really bad guys,” I told Dchêm-os, who was crouched over, tugging at her own cuff. “Get moving.”
    I tugged the writhing Zel toward the open entrance panel, hoping to get around Reever and his pals before they got to us. A few more feet, and we’d have access to the corridors—
    Cherijo
. Reever’s voice echoed inside my head.
    I made a strangled sound as my body went into complete shutdown. My hands fell to my sides. Dchêm-os dropped to the deck and painfully pushed herself back up.
    “Stand there … Doctor … don’t just …”
    Already too late
, I thought desperately.
Come to beat me up personally, Reever
?
    Reever arrived and motioned to the centurons to restrain the dark nurse. He himself swung me up into his arms, and made sure through the telepathic link that I couldn’t resist.
    The Chakacat sprang at Reever, but was given a severe jolt by one of the Hsktskt centurons, and fell down to sprawl senseless at his feet.
    Alunthri
!
    It is not hurt, Cherijo
.
    This can’t be much fun for you, OverMaster
, I thought acidly.
Where’s the sport in rendering your victims unconscious
?
    “Shut up,” Reever said quite clearly against my hair. To the centurons, he ordered, “Return the nurses to Medical. I will deal with the Terran.”
    Oh, and what are you
? I inquired as he carried me out of the riot and into the hall.
    The only hope you have
, was his calm reply.
Why were you in the Detainment Area
?
    I was helping those three nurses I told you about. You remember, the ones you couldn’t be bothered with
? I pictured OverSeer FurreVa and her cohorts, lying on the snowy deck.
I could have killed them, but I didn’t. I want those nurses left alone and returned to their duty stations in Medical
.
    Reever’s arm tightened briefly.
What do I get if I agree to arrange it
?
    I won’t start another riot
.
    Reever took me to my quarters, and dropped me on the sleeping platform. At the same time, a signal came in over the console. He checked it, then glanced back at me. “I must return to Command. There will be a centuron stationed outside the door panel.”
    “What about my nurses?”
    “If you agree to keep away from the Detainment Area in the future, I will have them returned to Medical.”
    “Okay.”