“So you’re stuck here?”
“Not all of us. Our shuttle can handle a small crew and the most critical patients, if we put them into stasis. The rest of us have to wait.”
He looked past her, out through the portal into open space. “With some repairs we can route additional life support into undamaged areas of the ship, as long as we leave the wounded in your medical lab.”
Jayda clenched her hands tight. “I do most my work in zero-g. If your people can tolerate a lower gravity, maybe a half-g, they can quarter here.”
“I appreciate the offer. We’ll try to stay out of your way. You won’t even know we’re here.” He winked. “We’ll be quiet as mice.”
“Computer, give Capt. Dolan and his crew access to station facilities.” Jayda remained seated as he stood.
Dolan bowed and left, Jayda took advantage of the moment and made it to her quarters.
She struggled out of her suit and crept into her bed. Her whole body hurt from the stress, not helped by Dolan’s presence stirring up pain she thought was long buried.
She squeezed her eyes shut tight, telling herself she wouldn’t think of that day, of that moment, even though she couldn’t help it.
After a restless sleep, she slipped out of her cabin.
The station was quiet, but not the quiet she knew down into her bones. Under the still was the thrum of energy that didn’t belong here.
She shook it off. She had work to do, but first she needed to check on her unwanted guests.
Walking in this gravity fatigued her. She stopped outside the medical lab to catch her breath. The last thing she wanted was Dolan focused in on her for any reason.
Able to breathe normally again, she slipped around the corner. Jayda counted the beds lining the walls. The critical patients were gone. Those who remained were asleep.
Taylor sat on a stool in the corner, hunched over the lab table. Jayda watched her for a moment, then slipped across the room quietly, so as to not disturb the patients.
“It’s okay. I have them under sedation. It will help them heal better.” She stretched her back. “We shipped out the worst of the crew.” She let out a tired sigh. “Gives me time to work out some problems.”
“What problems?” Jayda saw medications lined up across the table, way more than inventory from the lab.
“This is everything we have between the two of us. We lost some of our supplies along with our…” Taylor choked on the rest of the sentence. “I have to make this stretch until the evac ship arrives. If not for your supplies, we’d already be screwed.”
“Still are, from the sound of things.” Jayda pulled up another stool. “I’m not a doctor, but I know chemicals. What are the immediate problems?”
“Burns…” Taylor looked over her shoulder. “…then smoke and toxic fume inhalation injuries. There aren’t enough bronchials for the patients I have, and certainly not for any new ones. Sometimes it takes a few days before symptoms set in. I have everyone on oxygen treatments, just in case, but I’m… scared.”
“Don’t be. They’ll see it in your eyes.” Jayda reached across the table to take the computer tablet the woman was studying. “Are these the medications you need?”
Taylor nodded. “A list of the principle ingredients. I was trying to cross reference them with these other medications to see if I can substitute them for the less critical patients. Not hitting anything useful.”
Jayda felt a knot in her stomach looking at the amount of burn ointments between their two supplies, and how much Taylor needed over the next two weeks. The bronchials were even worse. “Download this list to my computer. I’ll see what I can do.”
Taylor perked up. “You have another stash?”
“No, but I’m a chemist, remember?” She handed the computer tablet back.
“You’re a perfumist.”
Jayda couldn’t help but cringe at the accusation, standing up hard enough to knock her stool loose of the magnetic footers. “I’m a chemist! My ‘perfumes’ fund my real work.”
She looked down at the table, seeing a recognizable vial and picking it up. “Do a little more research!” She slammed it down in front of Taylor, stomping away from the table. “Send me the list!”
Stomping hurt, but Jayda was too pissed off to stop herself. It was going to be a long two weeks. Two steps into the galley she drew up short with a dozen eyes on her, including Dolan’s.
They gathered around the table studying a holographic image of their ship. Dolan stepped away from the group. “Is there something wrong, Ms. Maldonado?”
She looked around the room, filled with crates. “What’s going on here?”
Dolan turned back to the table, jerking his head. The men around him gathered their helmets and walked past Jayda, giving slight bows.
“I apologize for the inconvenience.” Dolan looked towards the piles of supplies. “This is temporary, I’ll have it cleared out by the end of the day.”
“I hope so. I work here.”
“Absolutely!” Dolan approached her. “But you were already angry when you came in. Did we do something else to disturb you?”
He stood over her and she could feel his breath on her skin. Instinct said to back away, but training said it would show weakness. “Nothing. I’m just not used to having people around.”
She moved past him. “You can use the galley, but…” Stepping around her chair, she stopped short again, gritting her teeth.
A storage crate occupied her space. “I’m not trying to be a bitch about this, but I have everything set up so I can do some of my work from here.” She pointed to the crate. “I work here and not just making god-damned perfume.”
“Oh, sorry.” Dolan jumped to remove the crate, stacking it with the others. He turned around as she settled into her chair.
“Are you all right, Ms. Maldonado? You said you work in zero-g. Is this gravity
