Dark Matters_ Shadow of Heaven (Book 3) - Christie Golden [24]
Jekri first made sure that the recording devices she had discovered were still broken. It had become almost a daily ritual. Jekri would break all recording devices and, while she was gone, someone would come in and repair them. But at least she had a few hours of true privacy.
Confident that she was not being watched, she sat down on the pile of rags, closed her eyes, and began to consciously calm her mind. She addressed the agony in her wrist, and acknowledged the message it delivered. Feeling a bit foolish at first, she intoned, "I have heard the pain. I know what it is telling me. I dismiss the pain, for it is no longer of use to me." She repeated the ritual phrases several times, then opened her eyes.
She stared levelly, dispassionately, at the inflamed area. She concentrated on turning down the volume of the message the pain screamed to her, until to her surprise it was merely a throbbing ache.
Now.
One of the pieces of metal which her outside assistant had transported was long and, if not sharp, then at least sharper than her stubby fingernails. She felt for the piece in the rags, extracted it, and poised it over her wrist
There is no pain.
With a cold focus, she began to cut at the inflamed skin.
The pain exploded along her nerves, right.down to her toes, and she gasped. No, she would not be defeated by her own weakness! There was no pain, not for Vulcans, and for this moment she was no Romulan, but a Vulcan, born and bred on the red, hot planet, where there was no pain, no pain-
She placed the sharp tool against the hardness of whatever had been inserted into her body and dug around. Jekri hissed between clenched teeth, and clung to her mantra of "there is no pain" like a lifeline. Blood and pus trickled down her pale skin, and she smelled the scent of rot.
The metal tool found the base of the implant, and carefully levered it upward. Rotting flesh parted and a small circle popped up and out, to land in the rags.
There is no pain.
Except her inflamed nerve endings shrieked loudly to the contrary. There was a bloody hole in her wrist now. Gingerly, Jekri flexed her fingers. Everything moved properly, though for a moment the world went gray and she feared she was about to lose consciousness. Grimly, she bound the injured limb with filthy cloths, applying pressure to stop the bleeding. Green liquid seeped through the cloth, but eventually slowed and finally stopped. The white-hot agony subsided to a sharp, angry ache.
Sweat dotted Jekri's face. She turned her attention to the small implant that had been embedded in her wrist It was covered with blood and other fluids. She poured water on it, wiped it off-and joy shot through her.
Her salvation had been in her body all along. One of the doctors was part of this outside plot Jekri held in her hands the energy cell that would operate the weapon that had been transported to her in bits and pieces. The female doctor, who had done such dreadfully painful things to her, was also apparently an ally.
Quickly she gathered up the pieces and began to assemble them. Her body was still reeling from the incredible pain she had just subjected it to, and she was growing weaker by the day for lack of sufficient nutrition. Her fingers were clumsy and her brain was not as alert, as sharp, as it ought to be, but she managed. Within a half-hour she had before her a laser scalpel. It was not the ideal weapon, but at this point, Jekri was willing to use a rusty spoon as a weapon, if it would mean getting out
She had three escape routes. The first was the way she normally entered and exited the cell.