I felt like he’d just revealed something important, though I wasn’t entirely sure what. “So, you think this whole mission was pointless from the beginning?”
“I don’t question the point of missions,” he replied. “I do as the lord of my Sola asks.”
“You have high levels of duty and honor,” I said carefully, tapping my chin in thought. “And an equal balance of skepticism and practicality. You thought this mission was superfluous, but why didn’t you voice that opinion? Is it because you don’t question your leaders, or do you think your viewpoint would be disregarded?”
Red streaks flashed through the dark gray tones of his skin, and I realized I’d gotten a little too close to the bone on that one. Before he could respond with what was probably going to be a cutting remark, I held up my hands.
“Sorry. Occupational hazard. I ask too many questions for a living.”
The red in his skin faded slightly, replaced by something closer to his normal bronze tones. “What about you?” he asked. “What made you decide to spend your life studying atmospheric compositions on alien planets?”
“Honestly? I like puzzles. And atmospheric systems are some of the most complex puzzles in the universe. Every planet is different; every system has its own variables and patterns. You can study a place for years and still discover something completely unexpected.”
“Like today’s storm.”
“Like today’s storm,” I agreed. “Though I have to admit, being that dramatically wrong about something is a new experience for me.”
“You weren’t wrong. You just didn’t have all the data.”
“That’s very generous of you to say.”
“It’s not generous. It’s accurate.” He finished his ration and set the empty container aside. “You want to know what I think of scientists?”
I looked at him warily. “Do I?”
“I think most of them are too caught up in theory to pay attention to practical realities. They’re annoying and have an inflated sense of self, but when they need to do something useful, they fall apart. But you…” He paused, and I saw his skin shift through several different colors before settling on a warm amber. “You kept your head during the storm. You gave me solid information when I needed it. And you didn’t panic when everything took a bad turn.”
“High praise from someone who doesn’t like scientists.”
“Maybe I don’t mind them as much when they actually know what they’re talking about.”
We looked at each other across the small space, and I felt a weird little shift. Something was changing between us, something that went beyond the practical necessity of survival cooperation.
“Your hands,” he said suddenly, nodding toward my bandaged palms. “I should take a proper look at them.”
I’d actually forgotten about the injuries in all the excitement of getting the power restored. Now that he mentioned it, I could feel a dull throbbing where the antiseptic patches were pulling at the torn skin.
“They’re fine,” I said automatically.
“No, they're not.” He was already reaching for the medical kit. “Those patches are meant for temporary field treatment. If we don’t clean the wound properly, you could get an infection.”
I held out my hands reluctantly, suddenly very aware that this was going to involve him touching me in a much more intimate way than our earlier hurried first aid.
He moved closer, close enough that I could see flecks of gold in his green eyes. His fingers were gentle as he carefully peeled away the antiseptic patch, but I still winced when it pulled at the torn skin.
“Sorry,” he murmured, his attention focused entirely on my palm. “It’s deeper than I thought.”
The cut wasn’t serious, but it was messy, with bits of debris still embedded in the torn skin. Torven cleaned it with methodical care, using wound cleanser from our medical supplies and antiseptic from the medical kit. His touch was surprisingly gentle for someone with such large, capable hands.
“You’re good at this,” I said, watching him work.
“I’ve had practice.”
“Medical training?”
“Some. You learn basic field medicine when you’re flying in dangerous areas.” His skin darkened again, and I sensed there was more to the story than he was telling me.
“All done,” he said, applying a fresh bandage and securing it with medical tape. “Try not to use that hand more than necessary for the next few days.”
