She shuddered, grateful that she hadn’t had to confront the guard again. “And George attacked him?”
He nodded. “He rushed over and bit him, and apparently he too can be lethal.”
“See, I told you he was smart.”
“I will never question his intelligence again.”
She hugged the little lizard, careful not to disturb his leg. “But what about his leg? Can we help him?”
“I thought we would try the medical bed. I don’t know if it is programmed for animals, but it can’t hurt. If it doesn’t recognize his species, I can try putting a splint on it,” he said doubtfully.
“The bed is a wonderful idea. Let’s take him there right now.”
She started to get up, but Varga stood, still holding her in his arms. He staggered, and she remembered how exhausted he had looked when she had first seen him.
“Put me down,” she demanded.
“I don’t want to,” he said, sounding like a sulky little boy.
“I promise I’ll stay right here at your side, but I feel wonderful and I really want to walk on my own. Please?”
As she suspected, he couldn’t resist the pleading in her eyes and carefully lowered her to her feet. When they entered the next room, Issar grinned at Varga. “That was most satisfying.”
“I admit that I enjoyed it as well.”
Joan looked over and saw Rummel bending over Polly, who seemed to be sleeping on one of the thickly padded couches.
“Poor thing,” she said softly. “Is she exhausted?”
Rummel snorted and glared at Varga. “No, your male knocked her out.”
She came to a dead halt, staring up at him. “You did what?”
“I had to do it,” he said quickly. “She was too exhausted to walk but she panicked when I tried to carry her and I was afraid she would injure herself.”
“So you injured her anyway?”
“It was a single, careful blow,” Issar interjected. “She will probably not even feel it when she wakes. It was the best action under the circumstances.”
She sighed and tried to push aside the disturbing image of Varga hitting the other woman. Polly was definitely not the most stable person, and she knew Varga wouldn’t have done it if he didn’t believe it was justified. But the knowledge still bothered her. Pushing it aside to think about later, she made herself nod.
“We need to get George to the medical bed.”
Varga studied her face for a moment, but he didn’t say anything as he escorted her back to the room where she had awoken. George looked ridiculously small in the center of the medical bed, and she watched anxiously as the canopy came down over him. The machine whirred and hummed and finally displayed a readout in an unrecognizable language.
“What does it say?”
“George has a broken leg,” he said slowly.
“Can it heal him?”
“Yes,” he agreed, but there was something strange in his expression.
“Is something else wrong? What aren’t you telling me?” she demanded anxiously.
He shook his head, then grinned at her. “I should have realized when I saw how fiercely she defended you.”
“She?”
“Yes, little bird. George is a female.”
Her eyes filled with unexpected tears. “She’s been through so much.”
“A most indomitable female,” he agreed, hugging her closer. “Now let’s leave her to heal and see how the rest of our passengers are doing.”
They returned to the lounge to find Polly awake. She frowned at Varga but didn’t seem any more frightened of him than before. Joan decided that he had probably made the right decision. As she looked around the small group, she realized that everyone looked exhausted.
“Maybe you should tell everyone where they can go to rest.”
He nodded and stepped forward. “With regard to the sleeping arrangements, there is only one cabin. Joan and I will occupy that.”
“But—” she began.
“It’s the captain’s cabin and I am the captain. We will stay there,” he said firmly.
She huffed, and Issar looked amused but didn’t comment.
“The other state room was converted into my training room. The floor is padded and should not be uncomfortable.”
“We will take that.” Issar smiled at his female. “I will make sure you sleep well.”
Taliane’s cheeks deepened to a violet hue, but she didn’t object.
“There are also two bunks in the crew cabin on the lower level. Perhaps the other two females?”
Saka snorted. “I’m not sharing a room with Crazy.” She stroked a hand along the luxurious upholstery and purred. “I’ll sleep out here.”
Polly glared at her, then gave Rummel an uncertain smile. “You can have the other bunk if you want. But I don’t think I’m a very quiet sleeper.”
“Considering the number of times your screaming woke me up, that’s an understatement,” Saka muttered.
Rummel ignored Saka and nodded at Polly. “Won’t bother me none. But my snoring might bother you.”
Polly unexpectedly giggled, then clapped a hand to her face when they all looked at her and fled the room.
“Crazy,” Saka repeated.
“Oh, stop it,” Joan said. “Can’t you even try and be understanding?”
“It’s not like I didn’t go through the same thing and I don’t act like a lunatic,” Saka said defensively. “She’s just so weak.”
“If she was weak, she would have stopped fighting,” Joan snapped. “She never did.”
Something that looked almost like shame crossed Saka’s face before she abruptly pushed herself to her feet. “I’m going to take a shower. It’s time to remove every trace of Drahana.”
Joan stared after her in dismay as Saka sauntered out of the room. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“I know,” Taliane said softly. “We all had to find a way to survive and we have to live with that.”
Issar put an arm around Taliane and stroked her head. Her hair wrapped around his fingers as he looked at Varga. “Do you have only
