Page 93 of Ranger's Rise

Chapter Nine

Two days

Freedom

Before I can even sit down, Lorelei asks, “How is Ranger?”

I smile. “He’s good and calm today. No more IVs makes him happy and I got the best way to calm him.”

She laughs. “The Brother is all bandaged up.”

“He isn’tallbandaged. A dance had him taking care of me with his good hand and I took care of him. It worked and he left happy.”

She’s bright red making me want to laugh, but I hold it in. “We had some not so perfect times, but they were perfect to me at the time. Now I laugh about them.”

NowIlaugh. “Everyone heard about your foot in the toilet tank. Tell me the rest.”

She’s shaking her head no when Seren sits. “Do I want to know?”

“No. She’s not talking,” I tell her.

The Prospect comes over and takes our order.

“When does the bandage come off?” Seren asks when he leaves.

“Maybe next week. They’re some kind of second skin thing. It holds the medicine in or something.”

She nods. “It keeps moisture in like the film on his eye. Cort was worried, but he says Ranger can see fine. He’s in Ops today.”

The shit she picks up has me smiling. “Yeah.”

Lorelei is shaking her head. “I don’t want to sound stupid here, but shouldn’t he be in a hospital?”

I nod for Seren. “He isn’t staying in a hospital. They’re all Badass. If it were Raid, he wouldn’t stay either. The new skin is already growing. They got the new shit in with the cells and it’s working.”

Lorelei smiles. “That’s good. I thought he’d be in the hospital for weeks. I read the information from the cell place and thought him leaving would make it take longer to heal. I’m glad I didn’t say anything to Raid about it.”

I shake my head. “No, don’t say anything to any of them that would be negative.”

She smiles, she knows. “I wouldn’t, they’re all nervous and hoping this works. That’s why I didn’t say anything. What’s the new shit? I haven’t seen anything about that one. I should have gotten something for his file.”

I keep quiet. Cort said Raid paid for it. “It’s an herbal thing that showed promise in helping the new cells grow or heal faster and numbs the areas it’s applied to.” I’m glad Seren is here. I didn’t get all that either, just that it helps.

We move for food, but Lorelei doesn’t let up. “Why is everyone worried? They have the cell stuff and the new medicine.”

I look at Seren. She’s not answering and has tears in her eyes.

Fuck. I keep my voice neutral. “He moved in front of Cort and shot the asshole while he was on fire.”

Lorelei turns white. “Oh, my God.”

“Drink, Lorelei. That’s his job. He had the flight suit on so he was covered as good as he could be.” I give a smile, but know it isn’t real. “He’s fine and getting better every day. The shit they got is working.”

“Yeah.”

She puts her glass down but doesn’t pick up her fork. “If you don’t eat, Raid is going to be pissed. This is what they do. It’s less dangerous every day because they are doing everything they can to protect each other. Every Brother here will protect Cort because he’s the guy that can make it all happen. Luckily, that isn’t an everyday thing. The asshole had a flame thrower. There were kids everywhere that could have gotten hurt. Those kids are all walking around fine and so is Ranger.”

She nods. “Yeah. The stuff is working. It has to work.”