Myrum was used to waking up quickly. The only time he’d struggled was right after he was rescued. He’d been so weak and scared the medics were forced to drug him to keep him from hurting himself. Waking up then was a long and painful process, and more often than not, the medics or healers would simply drug him again.
That had almost been as bad as nearly dying.
Fear made him work hard on opening his eyes. It was an effort, but when he finally got them open and saw the ceiling of his cabin, some of the fear ebbed away.
He recalled walking in the ship's bay. Circuit after circuit until he was finally exhausted enough to sleep. He’d fallen into bed and passed out. He must’ve slept hard to be this disoriented.
He tried to sit up but found there was a strap across his chest holding him down. A new kind of fear swept through him.
What had he done to end up secured to his bunk?
A quick test of his limbs revealed his arms were also secured at his sides, but his legs weren’t restrained.
He could get out of this with only a little effort. They had put some of the restraints close to his hands, and it would be easy enough to claw through them, but he didn’t. Instead he lifted his head and looked around. To his utter shock he found Amina was in a chair next to the bunk!
She was fast asleep, with her legs resting on the bunk and her head relaxed against the back of the chair. What was she doing here?
Figments of images filtered through his mind. The Ugarian crew all gathered together watching him. Amina talking to him.
What had happened?
He hated how broken his brain was. He’d done something dire, and he couldn’t even remember what it was. What if he’d hurt an innocent bystander?
He’d told Holian he wasn’t fit for duty. He’d begged the commandant to find someone else.
Not for the first time, Myrum wished he hadn’t survived.
As he watched Amina, peacefully sleeping, his head full of dark thoughts, a little head popped out from inside the collar of Amina’s jacket.
Ruby!
Had he scared the jeweled lizard so badly she’d taken refuge with Amina? That was probably for the best. He was so unstable he might not even get her back to Kalor. He was a failure in every way.
Dropping his head back down, he debated about freeing himself and finding the nearest airlock to walk into. It wouldn't be a quick or painless death, but it would save everyone else around him.
“Oh, hey, you’re awake!” Amina’s cheerful voice made him turn his head to see her dropping her feet to the floor and sitting up. “Can you talk?”
“I wasn’t talking?”
She shook her head. “You said my name and Ruby’s, but not much else.”
“Did I hurt anyone?”
Amina patted his shoulder. “No. You made a lot of noise and were intimidating as a black hole, but that’s it. Desur’s ears might never be the same; he’s got the most sensitive hearing out of all of us.”
He could tell she was trying to amuse him, but he couldn’t find any humor in the situation.
“You should get rid of me,” he said. “I only ask that you care for Ruby for me.”
“I’m going to ignore that first statement,” she said with a little shake of her head. “Do you know where Ruby is? I searched the room but couldn’t find her.”
It was his turn to be confused. “She’s tucked against your neck.”
Amina startled and reached up with both hands to tug open the top of her coat and pull out a sleepy jeweled lizard.
“How did you get in there?” she asked the creature with a chuckle. “Sneaky little lizard! Where were you hiding while I was looking everywhere for you?”
It filled him with so much satisfaction to see the two of them safe and together.
