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Zariah blacks out and falls limp on the medical table. I was so worried about protecting her that I missed how badly she had been harmed. Now, she’s bleeding out internally.

I lug out a drawer and find an intubation kit, tear it open, and tilt her head back. Once I’ve got it in place, opening her airway with oxygen and respiration systems connected, I pull out the surgery racks and frantically sort through them for the vacuum line for this very situation.

It’s been a long time since I had to operate so quickly on another. I grab it from its hooks, reminding myself to separate my emotions from what I need to do if I want to do it right. Then I connect it to the siphon system at the head of her bed, and carefully insert the tube and camera.

“MONA, onscreen, camera switch to Main, medbay.”

The big screen beyond the third bed shows me the inside of Zariah’s chest cavity as I feed the hose in and clear out as much blood as I can. I fear her lung will collapse if I don’t work quickly enough.

“No matter what happens, I’m here for you Zariah.”

I can still taste her blood. My throat heats and my ooligilli gland begins to produce more solution that tastes a little different than before.

She’s bleeding internally. That’s where I need to send the serum.

I get a wild idea, something I’ve not tried. But the idea of possibly losing my mate, even if she doesn’t know it, is destroying me.

I grab a serum tube from the rack and connect it to the port in my neck. I draw out the serum that I can, then connect the tube to the respiration nebulizer. The solution vaporizes into a cloud—like water normally would to prevent dehydration of the respiratory systems of my patients.

“MONA, confirm ship location.”

“We are above Earth, headed out of the solar system, caravan position: fifty-nine of eighty-three. We need to jump soon.”

That’s what I was afraid of. “We can’t until she’s stabilized.”

“Would you like me to contact Abr’s head of security?” MONA asks.

“Not yet. I don’t know who to trust.”

Zariah arches on the table. Her heart rate rockets, and I think I’ve made a terrible mistake.

It was too much, too fast!

I switch on the nebulizer’s humidifier backup and mix the two into a diluted serum.

Zariah’s body relaxes. Her heart stabilizes, and the camera view shows no new blood entering her lung.

Resting on the edge of her bed, I make a mental note that direct injection is too concentrated. I finish siphoning out the blood that I can. Then I remove the camera-vacuum unit and set it in a sterile bin.

My wristband crackles with a call from another.

“MONA, can you tune that?” I ask as I wipe a strand of bloodied hair from her face. I could do it, but I don’t want to leave Zariah’s side.

“She’s the whole reason we’re in this mess!” A woman says. Many voices clutter the background.

“What are you going on about?” I recognize the voice. Teol sounds furious.

“She’s got the males all riled up because of her daddy’s money. I paid too much to be thrown onto a ship and have my entire vacation ruined!”

I take Zariah’s hand in mine. It’s covered in her blood. I wish I could do more. I will when I’ve replenished my serum.

“Look here you little fartin’ princess faerie,” Teol roars. “That girl ain’t taken any of her father’s wealth! She worked hard to have what little she does. So you can take your entitled, fake butt and be useful by shuttin’ the hell up. You signed up for an adventure. Adventure has risks. Deal with it!”

“Please clear the com channel,” the voice of an Abr security officer says. “We’re heading out of space, but we can’t jump until all ships confirm their ready status or we could end up crashing into one another.

“I’m sending coordinates for the start of the tour. When we call your ship, please jump promptly to ensure the efficiency of this tour.”

“MONA, are we prepped for hyperspace?”

“Ready at your command. Destination loading.”

I glance at it to ensure we’re going where I think we are.

“Not a tour. It’s a damned evacuation!” says the woman that Teol called a princess.

“Yes, Ashani. Now shut up,” Teol growls.

“Elix, you are not strapped in,” MONA states.

“I know that. I’m a bit preoccupied.” I check Zariah’s straps and place a brace around her head and neck to prep her for launch.

“I cannot jump the ship if you are violating safety protocols.”

Growling, I rip the doctor’s seat open from under Zariah’s bed. It swivels out beside her and locks into the floor. I drop into it, belt in, and brace Zariah.

“I’m just saying,” Ashani retorts. “Zariah is the reason we’re all here and not having fun on the base.”

I’ve finally had enough and provide my own reply. “Zariah was attacked in the hallway and is barely alive. She is on my medical rescue transport. She left her father’s ways, barely escaping with her life.”

I hear the anger boiling in my voice and take a deep breath to calm myself. “She just wanted to be like any of you for a change, full of hope and the promise of a better life.”

“Yeah, she’ll never have a life like ours,” Ashani mutters.

Teol swears. Then I hear some scuffling and a soft thump. “No matter how much money your family has, you are still mortal, Ashani. Remember that.”

“Oof, watch that falling stuff over there, Ashani,” Keo teases.

Other girls chime in and chat over the short-range com. It sounds like they’re tired of Ashani, too. Teol gets reprimanded, but she doesn’t retort.

Abr officials initiate launch commands over the fleet channel, and I listen as each vessel ahead of us departs Terran space. We have to make it quick with the solar storm right behind us.

After the space bus leaves, the com chatter quiets.

“Elix, Halicylith of Abr Fleet, Commander Rutlind. Please jump.” Abr flashes the coordinates again, how far we will be behind the next ship, and how long we will be in hyperspace.

“I know,” the commander says. “Five hours in hyperspace isn’t ideal. But we’re doing the tour in reverse to give the storm more time to pass. It’s a whole night of travel, usually. This will make it extra fast. But that’s what the board decided last minute.”

“Understood.” I’m not leaving Zariah, but I track our location on a medbay screen. “MONA, make it happen.”

The ship powers up in a whirling whine of engines. I feel the tug on my body, but I refuse to let go of Zariah to brace myself.

When we’re up to speed several minutes later, I relax and check the ship’s stats on the screen beside me with one hand, while I hold Zariah’s in my other. The moment my serum starts heating my body, trying to heal me, I know I’m ready for another session, healing Zariah, or another vial drain.

Leaning over Zariah to assess what she needs most I find, even in her condition, my core stirs with desires I can’t push out of my mind. Stats show her blood oxygen level slowly rises. But she’s still got a hole in her chest.

I fight a powerful pain, one born from the fear that I may never see her look at me with recognition again. This might be all I get to have of her: motionless, dead to the world, a bloodied wreck. And still, I am grateful for this moment she is in my care, her hand in mine. I am finally able to fight for her like she deserves.

Fresh serum makes the back of my tongue tingle. My gland is fully replenished. Not wanting to waste it, I rest my mouth on her worst wound, trying to focus on her healing and not the taste of her blood that rattles my core.

Her skin begins to heal beneath my tongue.

When my serum runs out again, I check the wound to find it has turned pink and mostly filled in. She shifts, and her eyes flutter. With her bio stats stabilized and her showing signs of waking up, I extubate her. She gags, and her eyes roll skyward.

“I know,” I say, trying to comfort her as I set the equipment in another metal bin. “Not my favorite part either.”

I set her up with a nasal cannula oxygen feed and then clean up around her bed. She’s still with me, but she’ll be extra fragile for the next twenty-four hours. When the bins of equipment are in the ship’s autoclave and sanitizing systems, I sit beside her, looking down at her dirty uniform and face.

Needing a distraction from my brewing lust, I clean her face with saline solution and some sterile towels. Then I work my way down her neck to her hands and every finger, looking for more wounds to lick-heal. Every scratch and red mark reminds me that I didn’t protect her well enough. She doesn’t deserve any of them. I take each, one at a time, and heal it with a lick or a simple kiss.

She might reject me when she finds out the truth.

If she wakes up.

I take my time, knowing it might be my only chance. When I’m finished, I cover her with a blanket and take my seat again.

Zariah sleeps for the next three hours. Her chest heals a little more with each session, but I’m taxing my serum. At some point, I will have to heal myself or I won’t be able to continue to care for her.

I check our drop zone, monitor the other ships, and try not to fall asleep myself. But I am still injured, covered in Soulstealer blood and Zariah’s. With some exhaustive effort, I connect another recirculating IV to the tank in the wall and clip it into my port. It brings instant relief and energy.

A private com call registers on my wristband. I accept. “Who is this?”

“Keo, personal guard to Teol. Elix, is that you?”

I lick my lips, the taste of Zariah’s skin lingering on them. It seems like Keo has made the connection. “Confirm secure status.”

“Isolated.”

“Yes, this is Elix.”

“I knew that was you who tackled the Ginarigon!” Keo says.

“Keep that quiet, please.”

“Of course. How is she? Teol is worried but didn’t want to call. Except she won’t stop talking about her.”

“She is healing. I have extubated her, and she is on a nasal oxygen supply.”

“Must have a good set-up to have all that equipment.”

“In my past life, I was mainly a deep space medical rescue officer. I carry what I can. How are the others?”

“Spacebus from Hell.” Keo laughs. “Ever seen a catfight?”

“No.”

“If you ever do, you’ll know. There are a few alien males with us. But most are on their private ships with their chosen ones. Couldn’t get to Gashnaar’s ship before they locked down the hangars. So we got the bus.

“Anyway, holler if you need extra hands. I think we’re just five ships ahead of you. I’m sure they’d stop for a medical emergency.”

“Thanks.” But I don’t want to stop. Our best cover is our group and the security teams with us. “Elix out.”

I end the call and attend to Zariah, who mumbles something in her sleep. I lean closer but can’t decipher it. She shivers, so I run my fingers over her forehead. She feels cold, and I wager it’s from blood loss.

I don’t have fresh blood supplies on hand, just serum and nutrient feeds. When I’ve given her everything I can until my gland is taxed, I cover her with a blanket, and confirm the nutrient tube is feeding her optimally.

My core urges me to climb onto her bed to keep her warm. She is mine. She has to be. It begs me to warm her with my body heat, but it’s an archaic practice, and I don’t have permission. So Instead, I switch on the bed heater, take her hand in mine, and rest my head on the side of her bed.

“I’m here, Zariah. I’ll always be here.”

I hope what I did was enough.