“Thank you,” I whisper to his retreating back as he practically runs out the door. “Am I in the way here?”
LeX glances down at me, “Not until we start to cut off his clothes. His burns are so intense we need to get him into a hydrating bath as soon as possible.”
“They’re all he has.”
“What?”
“These clothes … they’re all he has to his name.”
“Well, I can guarantee after what he just did, that will no longer be the case, but we will try to save anything we can.” A slight tremor shakes a few bottles on a shelf beside us, and we all stop and look around. I jump when EvO’s voice comes over the speakers.
“Attention all, it is now safe to resume previous activities. Please take the time to log any and all damage to your work areas before you start cleanup procedures. For injuries, please notify and report to the med bay. We will be lengthening our trip by one rising before we rendezvous with ANDI. Then we will make a return trip to Darverius and Falcor for repairs. There may be some slight disturbances as we pass by the anomaly causing havoc throughout our galaxy, but rest assured, we are now at a safe distance, and it should be a smooth flight from here on out.”
The entire time EvO has been talking, LeX has not stopped working on Falon. Long metal arms have lowered out of the ceiling, lifting him off the stretcher so that he is practically hovering in the air.
“Rylie, what’s going on?”
“These extra arms help with the lifting, and they will take the strain off his muscles as we move him around. If you would like to start unbuckling his boots, I’m going to start cutting this vestoff him. His skin has practically fused with it in places, and I need to do this slowly so that I don’t cause him any more harm.”
Standing up, I scoot the chair back and begin unlacing and unbuckling his massive boots, practically cussing by the time I have them loose enough to slide off. LeX must have noticed me struggling because he suddenly appears by my side.
“Step aside, Edie, I will get these off.”
Two tugs later, the boots are gone, and I move out of the way as another metal arm starts cutting his pants and all the weapon straps. Before I even realize he’s naked, a small blanket-like cover lowers out of the ceiling, instantly turning red when it touches several parts of him.
“What does that mean?”
“Extreme damage.”
Biting my lip, I start pacing the room. LeX and Rylie are both so focused on Falon that they don’t even realize I’m still here. Long strips of material are being wrapped around his arms, and I notice they both take their time wrapping his fingers. A blue laser beam moves back and forth from his feet up, stopping in some places longer than others.
Tracy sticks her head in the doorway, motioning for me to come out, and I’ve no sooner stepped into the hallway than one of the monitors over his bed begins beeping frantically. “Edie, can you come back in here, please?” LeX yells out.
I rush back to the end of the bed, and within seconds the beeping stops, and his vitals stabilize. I see Rylie looking over at LeX.
“What?”
“Let’s just try that one more time before we say anything. I want you to walk toward the door but be ready to run back if you hear the monitor beep,” Rylie tells me.
Confused, I walk backward, my eyes never leaving them, and just as I get to the door, the monitor starts beeping like crazy.
“This might be an issue,” LeX says to Rylie as they seem to be having a conversation in their heads without me.
“Hey, what the hell is going on?”
“Falon only stays stable as long as you are close; the moment you step away, it is like he loses his tether on life, and immediately he starts to fade. The few marks that were not damaged shine brightly if you do not move away from him.”
“The other day we met by accident in the viewing area, and he showed me something like that. When he was close, they got bright, but as he moved away from me, they dimmed. I thought he was full of it at the time and was just making up any excuse to talk to me.”
“I do not know enough about their race to confirm it one way or the other Edie, but his vitals are not lying. We have him stable right now, but that may not remain the case if you leave the room, and honestly, I do not want to put that type of responsibility or pressure on you for a mate you do not want.”
“So, what LeX? I’m just supposed to walk out and lethim die?! After all he’s done? He wouldn’t be in here at all if he hadn’t just saved all of our asses.” My voice rises as I start mocking them. “Thanks for playing the hero Falon, but sitting with you until you got better was too big of an inconvenience, so we just let you die. What kind of person do you think I am?”
“I do not want you to feel forced, Edie. You have made it plain that you did not want Falon as a mate.”
“Yeah, well, things change when you see your life flash before your eyes, and then the guy who suddenly pulls you out of that darkness willingly lays down his life for yours. So yes, I didn’t want him, and I’m still on the fence about my final decision, but I owe it to him and to myself to see if his god is right.”
“It would be easier to let him go now, Edie. He currently has about a thirty percent chance of pulling out of this. It would be cruel to allow him to heal only for you to walk away from him. Because I can guarantee you are what is holding his spirit. His physical body is pretty much fried; the damage to his internal organs alone may not be reversible, and right now, that machine is all that is keeping him alive. Decide now if you are going to walk away at some point, because if you leave halfway through his healing process, you are simply making him suffer for no reason, and I believe we all owe him more respect than that.”
