::And if he goes into medical crisis,:: Steve’s comment continued, ::he’s right next door. He’ll be cared for until medics arrive.::
A low hooting sound filled the area. An alarm? The sound of running footsteps advanced. He and Steve encountered a clear door that had an undeniable look of security about it. The lock appeared equal parts menacing and foreboding. The guy at the desk on the other side of the door got to his feet.
Steve waved him away.
Confusion roiled through the area.
::If you open that door, Sergeant, I’ll have your ass for breakfast.::
Yeah, Doctor David. It had to be.
::Enjoy the meal:: was Steve’s reply. He pressed his hand against the lock. Lights blipped and battled. The guy on the other side bit his bottom lip and worked the control on his side. Steve hissed.
“We can’t get through?” Liam asked.
Well, it had been a brave effort. He’d have to wait to tear Mike a new asshole once the doctor cleared him for duty. That is, unless the doctor didn’t kick his ass off the base for this stunt.
“Stand by,” said Steve. He went to work on his data pad. “I’m overriding his override of my override.”
The comical statement brought a wholly ill-timed and inappropriate chuckle.
“Listen.” Steve paused in his work to give Liam an intense glance. “I know my pod-kin…er, my brother. He’s competitive, yes, but no man, Urilqii or human, can fight well when he’s off balance. You know?”
Well, Liam did know, but wasn’t sure how—
“Mike’s been off balance since you took his mouth and coaxed his scent. You claimed him, according to our people.”
Whoa. “I didn’t mean to…it was just a kiss.”
Steve plowed on with his point. “He’s off balance and unsure of his footing. Use that.”
He laid his data unit onto the door lock. A storm of lights danced across both units. Personnel wearing medical orange bodysuits and draped in white lab coats appeared around a corner to their rear and advanced on the run.
The lock clicked. Steve pushed open the door.
The guy on the other side looked confused, anxious.
Steve waved him away and took hold of Liam’s arm, which he used to haul him with him through the entranceway. A snarl followed them. ::He’s not medically cleared!::
“Do me a favor?” Steve asked. He shoved Liam through the main doors. “Don’t die.”
“I’ll do my best.” Liam blinked in the sudden darkness of night.
Steve pointed at the building beside the infirmary complex, then he disappeared back inside. Was it his imagination or did Steve’s bulk provide a deliberate obstacle for any pursuit?
::Go. ::
He was going before he realized he’d taken the first step.
While he crossed the empty ground between the two buildings, he considered the situation. His kilt fluttered in the same slight evening breeze that caressed his unbound junk. Mike was in the base bar? Why didn’t that surprise him? The Urilqii he encountered gave way, offering no impediment to his passage as well as—he could say it—giving silent encouragement.
That, however, did surprise him. Very supportive people, these Urilqii.
::Get back here,:: a voice commanded.
Doctor David wasn’t about to give up. His call was impressive.
So impressive, in fact, Liam almost obeyed. Almost. He brushed off the urge to return like it was an annoying fly and continued his path between the two buildings. A wave of frustration arrived with an intensity that nearly split open his brain.
He shook it off. There was an asshole to deal with.
With that in mind, he stormed up to the front doors of the base’s bar and slammed his palms into the transparent plastic.
They gave way with satisfying speed and rebounded into his hands. Liam had the satisfaction of slamming them open again before he moved between.
The doors slid closed with a series of hiccups, blocking out the artificial lights that had lit his path. He blinked into the sudden dimness. When his vision cleared, he saw a room full of Urilqii and his people—no, just Urilqii actually. Every one of them watched him, each seated in a chair and holding one arm extended, an index finger pointed at a specific private alcove on the far wall.
Although he didn’t need the help, he appreciated it all the same. Behind the alcove’s swinging doors was Mike. He could have just as easily followed the wall of white noise and found his target.
Liam marched forward. ::Tighten up, asshole.::
CHAPTER 12
The beer on base wasn’t good for getting shit-faced drunk, but that didn’t stop Mike from trying. He was on his fifteenth can but, to his disappointment, he wasn’t feeling anything more than a slight buzz. Apparently, “light” beer was just that. Weak. He couldn’t shake the image of his fallen adnama from his mind. Live for me, he’d mouthed. Exhausted from blood loss, battle fatigue, and trauma, all he could manage was a whisper.
A whisper that made no sound in the silence of space.
A whisper that imprinted itself on Mike’s psyche.
He doubted he’d ever be free of it. Maybe he didn’t want to be free of it. That was the last image of his fallen love, after all. Not the best memory. He had others, ones more intimate and perfect, but the final moments between them, the last message from Arvidnan, was a precious gift.
Live for me…
He was, but shit-fuck it hurt.
Mike grabbed for the beer can. It was slick with condensation, so it slipped from his fingers. He grabbed, caught it, but liquid still managed to splash over the edge onto his T-shirt and fatigues. He jerked, startled by the cold contact on his crotch, and groped for a napkin.
The sliding door rattled open, then banged closed behind Liam as he stomped into the room. Mike blinked, because of the entrance as well as what Liam wore. He shook his head to clear it from the haze atop his mind and squinted at the sight. No change.
Liam stood there,
