Either they didn't hear her or they weren't inclined to follow any orders at the moment that excluded pounding on one another.
Realizing there was nothing she could do but get out of the way, Danika looked around for a safer place to watch and finally climbed the tree she'd taken cover behind. It occurred to her that firing a shot over their heads might get their attention, but she thought they were already making enough racket to get the attention of any enemies within miles. Beyond that, she had very little ammo left. Wasting it in an attempt to break up the brawl--which might or might not work--didn't seem like a good idea.
Settling on a branch, she waited for them to finish venting. It took them a lot longer than she'd expected it would. They were still fighting when Dane and Niles returned.
Seeing she had reinforcements, Danika called out to them. "Make them stop!"
Dane and Niles looked up at her when she spoke and then shared a look.
"The bastard was right," Dane announced. "We could not get much. Most of the supplies had already been dispersed."
"Well shit!" Danika exclaimed, instantly distracted. "What do we do now?"
Niles shrugged. "We have the supplies that the bastard brought."
"There will be plenty for us for weeks once Seth sends him on his way," Dane agreed, nodding.
Danika gaped at him in outrage. "That's ... that isn't fair at all!Hebrought the stuff!"
Seth and the bastard--Basil--she discovered, had managed to beat each other to a standstill. Both of them were still on their feet, but it seemed obvious to her that they were having trouble finding the strength to continue to swing at each other. She climbed down from the tree. "That settles it. We'll have to take him as part of the squad."
Dane and Niles exchanged another look and Dane started forward. "I will beat the bastard a while. I am not tired."
"Don't you dare!" Danika growled. "You just got well enough to get out of sickbay!"
Dane stopped in his tracks and sent her an indignant look. "I was well enough to fuck!"
Niles sent him a look of outrage. "Youfucked her?" he snarled.
Dane gaped at him. "She said that she would sex me as soon as I was well enough."
Niles punched him in the belly.
"Don't youdarepunch him ... there! Gods damn it! He just recovered from internal injuries, you asshole!"
Rushing to Dane, who'd doubled over, she examined him fearfully as his knees gave out and then turned to glare at Niles furiously. Balling her fist up, she punched him in the gut. Pain exploded in her fist and paralysis went all the way up her arm to her shoulder.
Someone snagged her around the waist and whirled her in a circle. She saw it was Seth when he set her on her feet.
His expression hardened when he noticed that she was unconsciously massaging her arm. He turned back to Niles and punched him on the shoulder. "You have hurt her, you stupid asshole!"
Niles gaped at him. "I did not hit her. She hit me!"
"You should have ducked!" Seth growled angrily, punching his shoulder again. Returning his attention to Danika, he shook his finger in her face. "Do not do that! You will hurt yourself!"
She chomped down on his finger hard enough he snatched it back and gaped at her in disbelief. "I'msquad leader, gods damn it!Isay he deserves a spot in our unit! He was watching our backs! I don't care what motive you think he had for doing it. Hestilldid it!"
Seth, Dane, and Niles all turned to give Basil a malevolent glare, but after glancing at Danika again, they allowed the tension to ease from them.
"Anyway, if we do end up stranded here, it's only going to increase our odds of survival with another man in the group."
None of them really looked convinced by the logic of that comment but at least they seemed less inclined to start another fight.
Deciding the matter was settled, she sent Basil a smile that was a mixture of triumph and welcome.
Basil gave her a roguish look that was only slightly marred by the battering his face had taken from Seth's fists. "Are you in the fucking mood yet?"
Danika was taken aback for a moment. "No!" she snarled at him when she recovered from her surprise, planting her hands on her hips. "I told you I'd let you know, didn't I?"
