Amusement touched Auralyn's eyes as she inclined her chin regally.
Kira looked at the other out of the corner of her eye. "You going to be okay?"
It probably wasn't a good thing for Auralyn to have cut her recovery short. Harlow had seemed to think she would need much longer than a couple of weeks to fully recover from losing her arm.
Kira wasn't very familiar with the Tuann methods for treating a lost limb. If this had been Consortium territory, Auralyn's options would have been limited to a mechanical arm or a synthetically grown limb that would then be re-attached.
Either of those would have taken months of recovery and rehabilitation.
Auralyn touched the place where her arm would have been. "I will adapt."
There was calm acceptance in the other woman's features. No sign of the regret that would have plagued most.
Kira glanced around the shuttle, her gaze touching on several people before landing on Devon and the blanket covered figure he held so carefully in his lap.
"Jin," Kira called softly.
Quillon was there before she could push herself fully upright. He planted a hand on her forehead, shoving her back down on the seat none too gently. "There'll be none of that. You're to lay there and recover."
"I'm fine," Kira argued.
The healer leveled a glance on her that had Kira shutting her mouth. "You're not fine. You have obliterated your reserves of ki. If not for that, you'd be dead."
Quillon stabbed a finger at the lenacht resting against Kira's stomach.
Kira touched its head in surprise, only just now aware of its presence. If the lenacht was here, Lathan must be too.
Kira found him not far away. The wanderer had his head resting against the back of the seat, his eyes closed. He didn't open them as he lifted a finger to wave it lazily at Kira.
"You are to lay there and not move," Quillon said fiercely.
"Fine, but under one condition," Kira agreed, knowing that it was useless to argue when he was in a mood. "Examine Jin and tell me he's okay."
"I already have. Physically, the boy is fine."
"When will he wake up?"
Quillon gave a tiny shake of his head. "I don't know."
Kira went very still as her gaze went from him to the boy in Devon's arms. "What does that mean?"
"I can feel him in there, but its faint."
"But you do think he will wake up."
Quillon's hesitation had Kira’s stomach crawling into her throat. "I can't tell you that. We have no experience with returning a soul to a body. The only thing I can say is that the experience is likely to have been traumatic. It could be all he needs is time for his soul to acclimate or—"
"Or he might never wake up," Kira said when it looked like Quillon didn't want to continue that sentence.
His nod held regret. "That is correct."
Kira breathed carefully through her nose, composing herself.
No matter what Quillon said she refused to believe that Jin would be forever comatose. Like he said, moving into a new body was just a little traumatic. That's all. He just needed time.
"What about Finn?" Kira asked when she was sure she wouldn't break.
"He's unconscious but stable." Quillon's scowl was sudden. "The idiot tried to walk out. He collapsed half way and had to be carried by Talon."
