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T hinking about how close we’d come to losing our friends and the others to a carnivorous starcraft shook me. Frank and I walked hand in hand back to my place. It wasn’t until we’d arrived that it really hit me how much danger Zanya and the others had been in.

She could have ended up dead. Sten was badly hurt. At least one of the others was as well.

I sniffed, unable to keep the tears from falling as I pressed my hand to the printlock.

“Hey,” Frank said softly. “You okay?”

I nodded. We went in, and the door closed. “It’s all just kind of becoming real, you know?”

He pulled me into his arms. I leaned on him, my face buried against his neck. I let myself get a few more tears out. Finally, I straightened, took a breath, and smiled a tiny bit. “I guess the adrenaline of the moment wore off.”

Harry ran over. “Mum, you okay? Mum?”

That got a bigger smile out of me. I bent down and picked him up. “I’m fine. Just a little worn out. How are you?”

“Grand, Mum.” He rubbed his cheek along my jaw.

I kissed the top of his head. “Glad to hear it.” I put him down. We’d shed our Tyvek jumpsuits in the docking bay, but I still felt like I could use a shower. I swear I could smell the weird, musky funk of the Ohuli ship on me. I stretched my back and sighed.

“I know exactly how you feel,” Frank said. “I should go. Let you rest.”

I snagged his hand before he could move. “All I really need is a shower. After that, I was thinking about going to visit Zanya. I haven’t talked to Vashti since that day in sick bay, either. I’d really like to know that she’s okay, too.”

“I wouldn’t mind seeing how Sten’s doing. We could hit the dining hall after. Get something to eat. Even if it’s just chocolate cake. You up for that?”

I laughed softly. “Yeah, that sounds good. I’m going to need at least forty-five minutes.”

“Take your time, whatever you need. Text me when you’re leaving, and I’ll meet you at sick bay.”

Impulsively, I hugged him tight, closing my eyes and breathing in his cologne, letting myself absorb his solid presence. Finally, I let him go. “See you in a few.”

He nodded and left. I went into the bedroom, stripped off my clothes, and dropped them into the hamper. I stood in the vapor shower for a long time, washing my hair and scrubbing my body until there was no way any trace of the Ohuli ship remained.

I dried off and dressed in comfortable clothing: drawstring pants, a T-shirt, and a long cardigan. I went with flats instead of sneakers for the simple reason that I couldn’t be bothered with the effort of lacing anything up.

I twisted up my hair in a clip, applied a little makeup, and was about to text Frank when I received a message.

It was from Hazel. You okay?

It was sweet of her to check on me. I’m all right. A bit worn out. How are you?

All good. I informed FAN of what happened, and they asked for immediate DNA testing to determine if our guests really are Ohuli.

My brows lifted. It hadn’t actually occurred to me that they might not be. Good thinking, I responded. They’re in the brig?

They are.

How did that go?

Not well. For them.

I snorted. I could imagine. For all his pious attitude, there was something about Nostromo that creeped me out.

Frank and I are going to sick bay shortly to visit Zanya and Sten. I’m around if you need me.

Give them my regards. I’ll need you and Frank to give statements. FAN will want them along with my report.

Just tell us when. Have a good night.

You too. There was a brief pause, then, I love you.

That almost brought me to tears again. I sniffed. I love you too.

I texted Frank before I started bawling. On my way.

Meet you there , his quick response came.

I kissed Harry and left.

Sick bay was understandably busy. Word had undoubtedly spread about what had happened. People were there to see their friends and family, thrilled they were safe but obviously worried about them, too.

I hung back until Frank arrived, then we approached the reception desk together. A woman a few years younger than me greeted us. “Hi, folks. Are you sick, injured, or visiting someone?”

I let him do the talking. “We’re here to see Zanya Bashar and Sten Ollanson.”

“Are you friends or family?”

I had a sinking feeling we weren’t going to get in.

“Friends,” Frank answered. “We were also part of the group that rescued them off the Ohuli ship.”

It wasn’t like him to mention a thing like that, but inwardly I smiled, especially when the woman’s eyes rounded.

She leaned forward. “Were you really?”

I nodded and decided to do some name-dropping to speed things up. “You can verify that with my daughter, Vice-Admiral Perry, if you like, although I think Dr. Vashti Prasad will vouch for us as well.”

Her mouth opened. “You two wait here. I’ll be right back.” She disappeared through the double doors and came back out again shortly, this time with Vashti following her.

Vashti held out her hands, her gaze liquid with a mix of sympathy and embarrassment. “Ellis. I am so sorry.”

As she embraced me, I hugged her back and shook my head. “You have nothing to be sorry for. Nothing that happened was your fault.”

We separated, and she looked at Frank. “I heard all about what you two did. You saved those people.”

“We had help,” Frank said.

Vashti nodded right way, clasping her hands together in front of her. “Benni and Will! I heard!”

“And Hazel and a man named Captain Stuedecker,” I added. “It was a group effort.”

“I’m so glad you found them and got them out. You want to see them?”

“Very much,” I answered.

“Right this way.”

She led us back through the double doors, through an intake room that had five beds separated by curtains. All were empty but one. Beyond that room we went through another set of double doors and into a corridor with private rooms on both sides.

She stopped and gestured over her shoulder. “Sten’s in Room8, Zanya’s in 3. Sten will most likely be with us a little longer than Zanya, but he’s doing well. I’m sure they’ll be glad to see you.”

I nodded. “Thanks, Vashti.”

She smiled and touched my arm. “I have patients to check on, but if you need anything, you hit the call button.”

“We will,” Frank said.

She went into Room 2.

I looked at Frank. “Why don’t you check on Sten, and I’ll check on Zanya. If they want more company, we can swap.”

“You got it.” Frank nodded and headed for Room8.

I knocked on the door of Room3, then went in. I could only see the foot of the bed because of the private bath that jogged out into the room. “Zanya? It’s Ellis.”

“Els,” I heard her say. “Come in.”

A few more steps and I could see her. She still looked weak but not as pale. An IV ran into one arm. Her other arm, where the tendril had been wrapped around, was bandaged. Her eyes were slightly glassy. Pain meds, I imagined. “How are you?”

She smiled. “Better.”

“You look better. How’s the arm?”

“Feels kind of like the worst sunburn you can imagine. Or it did.” She let out a little laugh. “Vashti gave me the good drugs.”

I laughed, too, so happy that she was herself again. “Helps to know the doctor.”

“Yeah, it does.” She reached out with her other arm, the hand with the IV in it, and took hold of my fingers. “I owe you. You saved me.”

I shook my head. “Wasn’t just me, Zanya. Benni, Will, Frank, Hazel?—”

“I know,” she said. “But you didn’t give up on me, did you?”

I couldn’t deny that. “No, I didn’t. Friends don’t give up on each other.”

She sniffed.

“Hey, no crying or you’ll get me started.” I sat on the edge of her bed. “You need anything?”

She exhaled, a long breath that seemed to take the urge to cry with it. “I’m okay. Although … maybe next time you could sneak Harry in with you. I wish I had a compdroid like him.”

I chuckled. “I’ll see what I can do. Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.” Her lids drooped, and I wondered if she was about to drift off.

“Did you and Sten really go on a date, or was that not real?”

“No, we did. He’s nice,” she said. “But Mhari invited us to come to their suite and have wine with them. We…” She blinked like something had just occurred to her. “We couldn’t say no. Literally.”

I nodded. “That was the nanoids. Not only were they eavesdropping, but they were influencing people to buy into everything the Ohuli were selling. Frank worked out that they released doses of serotonin, artificially making people feel happier when they did what the Ohuli wanted.”

She wrinkled her nose. “I hate them. The Ohuli.”

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, all four of them are in the brig.”

Her eyes opened wider for a second or two. “Really? Good.” Then her lids slipped down again, lower this time.

I gave her hand a quick squeeze before releasing it. “Get some sleep. I’ll come visit again.”

“With Harry,” she mumbled. “I love him.”

“I’ll do my best.” I snuck out and closed the door quietly.

Frank was in the hall. “Talked to Sten a bit, but he was struggling to stay awake. He’s in good spirits, though.”

“Same with Zanya.” I exhaled, feeling better than I had in days despite the tiredness that was about to hit me. “Let’s go eat.”