CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
The old Parredet doctor came with us, chattering and signing with Jonas. Apparently gender taboos didn’t apply to doctors. Zemor introduced herself to the entire medical staff once aboard the ship, then joined me as they put Remy into an isolation room.
For three days I sat with him, except for the few times they made me leave while they did surgeries to repair internal bleeds. I slept on a cot next to him and talked to him about anything, everything.
Jonas encouraged it, saying the tests proved Remy had no brain injuries and was lucid, even in this coma state. The gel and drug Zemor gave him only blocked the transmission of pain signals from his body to his brain.
She willingly gave Jonas samples of all the medications she was using on Remy. From our quiet cubicle, I watched as Jonas improvised using them on other patients, substituting the porous webbed leaves with medical gauze. Zemor supervised, teaching Parredet medicine to the entire medical staff.
I sat and talked, and waited. This was day three, the day Jonas promised they’d reevaluate Remy’s condition. Zemor had already withheld the drug keeping him in such a deep state, but it would take a while to work out of his system.
The tubes still ran into his lungs, but the brackish bloody fluid had stopped. The fluid was returning almost clear, meaning the LO was being absorbed. That gave me as much hope as his brain waves responding when I spoke.
I kept talking. “Schaef gave me an update. The miners’ information led to the company financing this. The Alliance seized it and arrested all the executives. They got the location where they’ve been taking the ore and are setting up barricades. He says that we’re going to take advantage of what they put into play. If we can make a deal with the Parredet for setting up our own mining process, we’ll be that much further ahead.”
I didn’t expect a reaction, not yet. “Schaef said he’s going to sponsor bringing you aboard. If we start building more ships, we’re going to need more engineers. We can finally work together, if that’s what you want.”
His fingers were warm and I laid my face against them. “Or we can settle in one place and start that family we always talked about.”
A few of the tears I’d been holding at bay since we got here slipped out, but only a few. I hadn’t let myself really cry. I was afraid if I let go of my tears, I’d be letting go of hope. I’d be letting go of him. “I really want a family, Remy. I want it with you.”
More tears threatened to slip out, so I squeezed my eyes tight. “So, you just got to come out of this. I need you.” I clung to his hand, clinging to the image of children. Our children. I’d go anywhere he wanted. I’d wait for as long as it took.
I brushed my cheek across his fingers, until one rose up slightly to brush against my ear. I froze, wondering if I’d imagined it, but a second later his finger moved again. I kept his hand to my face. “Remy, are you waking up? Please wake up, if just for a minute.”
His finger moved and he made a sound, garbled because of the tubes. “Oh my God.” I pressed his hand to my face harder. “I’m right here. Don’t try to move, or talk. They have tubes in your lungs, so you can… breathe. Let me call them in here.” His fingers answered, closing around my hand.
“Medic Jonas, I yelled his name at the computer board over the bed. “Jonas, get in here!” I could see him raise his head from another patient. He spoke to Zemor and they both headed our direction. “They’re coming in, Remy. Just hang on.”
Both burst into the room, other medical staff starting to converge on the cubicle walls. “He’s waking up?” Jonas went to the computer board, looking at the brain scans. “He’s conscious. That’s…” Zemor chattered something, not sounding surprised, only confident. Jonas laughed slightly. “Of course he is.”
He leaned over Remy. “Mr. Batista. Glad to have you back. You can’t talk right now. Tap Shara’s hand, once for yes, twice for no. Understand.”
His finger moved, once. “Yes.” I responded, even though everyone could see.
“Great. Do you know what happened?”
“Yes.”
“You were critically injured when the shuttle crashed.”
“Yes.”
“The Parredet have been treating you with their medicines. You’ve been in a sedated state and we have your body wrapped in an analgesic gel.”
“Yes.” I rested my lips to his hand. I’d told him everything that happened, hoping he’d hear and wouldn’t panic when he woke up. He heard me.
Jonas asked a few more questions, assessing awareness and pain. Satisfied he looked to me. “This part might be a bit difficult for both of you. I’m going to start reducing the LO mixture, replacing it with real oxygen. If your lungs start to spasm, that’s a good sign. don’t fight it. They’ll be wanting to expand on their own.”
“Yes.” He tapped once, then gripped my hand. “He’s ready.”
Zemor came around the bed to my side as Jonas started reducing the liquid oxygen, replacing it with the real thing. Fluid continued to be suctioned from his lungs as one replaced the other.
It took a few minutes, but his hand around mine tightened. “Okay baby, remember what Jonas said. Let it happen.” I looked across to Jonas, seeing him removing the LO tubes completely. Panic ran through me, wondering if it was too soon, if Remy’s lungs were ready. Out came the suction tubes, then the large intubation tube.
Remy gagged, coughed and fought to breathe, his hand clutched at mine. My panic had me squeezing back, but Jonas was pressing a hand to Remy’s chest. “Inhale. Come on. You have to do this part on your own. You want to see your wife’s face? Breathe!”
“Remy, breathe. Come on!”
The gasps
