The Valiant - Michael Jan Friedman [76]
None of the Magnians said a word. However, they all seemed to know what to do with the equipment they had brought with them.
Ensign Montenegro, an engineer, was standing in the corner of the room, his arms folded across his chest. Like Joseph, Montenegro was just a spectator. Their guests were the ones applying all the elbow grease.
The security officer felt uncomfortable being in the same room as Santana. If it had been up to him, he would have left. But he was under orders, so he stayed and kept an eye on the woman.
After a few minutes, she seemed to sense his scrutiny and looked back over her shoulder at him. He didnt look away, but he didnt acknowledge her either. He just stood there and did his job.
Santana worked for another ten minutes or so. Then she got up, stretched her muscles and walked over to Joseph. He felt his jaw clench.
Long time no see, said the colonist.
The security officer didnt utter a word in response. He just stood there, returning her scrutiny.
Im sorry for pulling the wool over your eyes, she said.
Joseph didnt give her the satisfaction of an answer.
I mean it, Santana added. Ive already told Commander Pi-card, but I want to tell you as well.
Still, he remained silent.
Youve got to want to say something to me, the woman told him.
He did. But he didnt say it.
Santana looked at him a moment longer, her dark eyes full of what appeared to be pain. Then she returned to her work.
Joseph didnt like the idea of hurting her. However, as he had said to himself often enough, he was determined not to give the colonist an opportunity to fool him again.
Carter Greyhorse had been busy over the last few days, to say the leastbusy with Santana and Leach and the less severely injured survivors of their encounter with the Nuyyad.
And with the exception of a few helpless moments, he hadnt spent any of that time thinking about Gerda Asmund.
But when the medical officer returned from Magnia, he hadnt had the option of burying himself in patient care any longer and his preoccupation with the navigator had threatened to paralyze him in a duranium straitjacket of despair.
Despair, because he had no chance with her. He had come to accept that, at least on an intellectual level. They were too different. She was vibrant, vigorous, full of Me. And he was not .
So, in the absence of an urgent need for his medical skills, Greyhorse had come up with another project in which to immerse himselfa project he had begun even before he saw Gerda in the gym. He had renewed his interest in the creation of synthetic psilosynine.
The doctor had even gone so far as to replicate a batch of the neurotransmitter himself, following the guidelines of the Betazoid scientist who had pioneered the process. And now, having brought the stuff back to sickbay, he was testing its integrity at his office computer.
It was turning out to be a success, too. Not just the psilosynine itself, but its ability to take his mind off Gerda.
Just as Greyhorse acknowledged that, he caught a glimpse of someone walking into sickbay.
Turning away from his screen, he saw that it was Joseph from security. Under normal circumstances, the doctor would have completed his tests, then gone to see what Joseph wanted from him. However, their circumstances were anything but normal these days.
Getting up from his computer terminal, Greyhorse exited his office and emerged into the central triage area. Something I can do for you? he asked the security officer.
I hope so, said Joseph. He looked around. And I hope youll keep this conversation confidentialas a matter of ships security.
Ships security? All right, Greyhorse responded, wondering what the problem might be.
You treated Serenity Santana while she was comatose?
I did, Greyhorse confirmed.
And you told Commander Picard that