Dirge - Alan Dean Foster [101]
“Pitar?” Blinking, Tse reached up and rubbed at her eyes with the unstained sleeve of her uniform. “What Pitar? There are no Pitar here.” Realization penetrated the younger woman’s understanding as Nadurovina heaved a vast sigh of relief. Despite every precaution, despite all the round-the-clock, state-of-the-art security, there was always the possibility, the fear, that if the aliens were guilty of Mallory’s charges or if they had simply taken a severe disliking to him they might somehow manage to get to him. Evidently they had not.
On the other hand, their apparent absence and lack of involvement in whatever had taken place in the hospital room meant they were still, in the eyes of uncommitted justice, as innocent as Dmis had claimed.
Tse was babbling quietly. “He just went crazy. One minute he was finishing the last of his ice cream and passing me the tray, smiling and happy, and then…” The slow shaking of her head was visible evidence of her disbelief. “It was like a bomb went off inside him.”
“Is he…all right?” With her initial concerns allayed, Nadurovina could afford to be more compassionate.
“I guess so. I don’t know.” The younger woman’s expression pleaded for understanding. “I tried to help, tried to calm him down, but it was like he couldn’t hear me. He started throwing things, breaking things.” As if still not believing it was there, she reached up to feel the cut the medtech had just finished bandaging. “I ran, both to protect myself and to get help.” She looked toward the room. “It’s been quiet for a little while, so I guess they got him calmed down. I hope…I hope they didn’t have to hurt him.”
“He’s had the best people the staff of this hospital can boast attending to him on permanent rotating duty.” The psychiatrist tried to sound reassuring. “I am certain he will be all right.”
“What do you think happened, Doctor?”
“I don’t know, either, Irene. But I can hazard a guess. He has experienced a delayed psychological reaction to the Pitar’s visit. You saw how calm he was in the alien’s presence. It was the last thing I would have expected, whether his story is true or not. Somehow he held it all in, kept perfect control of his reactions and emotions. Then I expect he tried to forget all about it. And he managed to do it—until his system could not take any more. When you told me it was like a bomb went off inside him you were probably closer to the truth than you realize.” She shook her head.
“People have this belief that fusionable material contains the most explosive type of energy.” Reaching up, she tapped her forehead. “Myself, I have always believed it was trapped in here.” Her expression somber, she knelt to face the shaken woman and put a comforting hand on the other’s knee. “If you would like to be relieved of this assignment, I will see to it that the order is cut.”
Tse swallowed and wiped at her eyes again. “No. I’ll stay on.”
Silently pleased, an admiring Nadurovina straightened. “Your devotion to your job is commendable. I will make sure that you are properly compensated for your dedication.”
Tse looked up at her. “I’m not staying on because I’m devoted to my job.”
Nadurovina hesitated only briefly. “Oh. So that is how it is.”
The younger woman nodded. “That’s how it is.”
The psychiatrist’s mouth tightened. “I don’t approve. It is not professional.”
Tse responded with an awkward, choking laugh. “You’re telling me. I didn’t plan it, you know. I had no idea anything like this would happen.”
“I am not sure that any of us ever do, dear.” The older woman sighed. “I won’t say anything. As long as it does not appear to be interfering with your professional duties, I will not raise any objections to your staying on.”
Reaching up, Tse took the other woman’s hand in hers and mustered the best smile she could. “Thank you.”
With a last nod, Nadurovina turned and pushed back into the crowd. This time she was held up by a guard, but from within the room Chimbu must have seen her because she heard his voice call out for her to be admitted.
The hospital room did indeed look