Far from being empty, the room contained more Tuann then Kira had expected. The healer worked briskly; her movements efficient as she tended to the Tuann sitting in the bed. The man was tall, his shoulders broad, his arms and torso corded with muscle. He had rough looking features and an unrefined air.
Next to him stood a woman clad in training leathers, frowning. Her arms were folded over her chest as she watched the healer clean a cut the length of the Tuann’s bicep.
Both seemed younger than Graydon's oshota, but with the Tuann, it was hard to tell. For all she knew, they could be several centuries old.
Kira and Finn's entrance drew the trio's attention. The warriors glanced up, not bothering to hide their interest.
The healer remained focused on the man's wound, a five-inch cut, the edges raw and bloody. The instrument in her hands glowed as she moved it slowly over the wound, the jagged edges sealing themselves shut.
"I'll be with you in a minute," the healer called over her shoulder.
The words were said in Tuann, but even with her less than perfect grasp of the language, Kira understood.
Instead of answering, Kira stuck her hands in her pocket as she drifted around the room, taking careful stock.
It didn't resemble a human med bay, lacking the fancy monitors or equipment she normally associated with them. There was none of the sickly-sweet smell of antiseptic, nor was there a general air of desperation.
Only the healer working on the Tuann's wound and the faint coppery smell of blood suggested this was a working med bay. Well, that and the row of beds, which weren't nearly enough for a fortress of this size.
She studied the room with interest. If Kira had to guess, she'd say there were several tens of thousands of people living behind the fortress's sturdy walls. This small room couldn't possibly be big enough to act as their hospital.
Even judging by Kira's boosted immune system, there would need to be much more than this for a structure of this size.
Kira kept her questions to herself, conscious of the two warriors who were aware of her presence. They weren't being obvious about their attention, but she knew they were as conscious of her as she was of them.
The two traded glances but said nothing.
Kira clasped her hands behind her and settled in to wait, something she had grown used to. In the military, everything was a rush until it wasn't. Sometimes you spent hours waiting for action of any sort.
TheWandererhad been different. There, they could move at their own pace. She found she didn't miss the whole hurry up and wait mentality.
The woman sat back, throwing an irritated glance her way. Several lyrical words flowed from her.
Kira stared blankly.
The woman's voice turned sharp and cutting. A small smile crept across Kira's face. That was quite the dressing down. She was sure it would have been epic had Kira understood more than every other word.
The healer scowled, Kira's amusement not sitting well. Her voice rose.
Kira remained silent. How long would it be before the woman realized Kira didn't understand?
The two warriors traded a glance again before the one standing said something quick, her words precise and fluid.
Finn finally moved at Kira's back. His voice was rough as he spoke.
All three stared at Kira.
Quillon walked into the room right then, moving quickly. "Sorry I'm late, Kira. I had to finish briefing some of our people about what happened on Ta Da’an."
Kira inclined her head. "It's fine."
It really wasn't. Not when she would have very much preferred being anywhere else.
Quillon glanced at the other three, quirking an eyebrow as he took them in. He kept to human standard as he asked, "Did you have another accident during training?”
The big man's face was sheepish as he withdrew his arm from the healer's hold, answering in the same language. "Nothing so interesting."
"He was practicing one of those tricks he saw on the human holovids." The woman beside him scowled. "Only they don't work quite so well with our technology. He lost his balance. This is the result."
