Adam Brodie and the monster from the dark planet

Chapter Forty Six

Chapter Forty-Six

Adam found himself lying face down on a cold, hard surface. He could smell a harsh burning scent and pungent acrid smells and the stench of a huge animal, like in an elephant house at a zoo. Adam recognised all these odours. He was in Lung's chamber.

"Brigitte!"

"Here."

"Bug?"

"Here."

Raising his head Adam found himself staring at the toes of a pair of red boots. Adam looked up and saw Captain Trinity staring down at him, Trinity's cloak whipped about by the exhalations of the dragon Lung.

"Well, well, well," said Trinity. "Let me guess. You all walked into a trap and escaped by the skin of your teeth?"

"Yes," said Adam sheepishly.

"Get up," said Trinity.

The children clambered to their feet. Then Adam noticed a body lying a little way from them.

"Malcolm!"

Adam rushed to his fallen comrade. Malcolm was barely recognizable. He was covered in dirt and snow and ice, and though his eyes were open, they barely registered life. Malcolm tried to speak but foam spurted from his lips. He closed his eyes.

"What happened to you?"

"He got off a lot worse than the rest of you by the look of him."

"He never teleported with us. Where he went to I have no idea."

The great doors opened and two androids bearing a stretcher entered the chamber and picked up Malcolm and put him on the stretcher then rapidly took him out of the chamber. Adam saw George standing nearby.

"What happened to you?"

"As you know I am two dee so I was not able to make proper contact with you to allow teleportation. I thought it prudent to inform Lung and Captain Trinity."

"You snitched."

"Yes."

"But we had no idea where you had gone," said Trinity. "So we were helpless until you returned. Any way you are all getting two thousand lines."

"Captain Trinity," said Adam. "We didn't kill anyone."

"You almost got yourselves killed."

Trinity looked at George.

"Me sir?" said George plaintively.

Captain Trinity thrust his face at George.

"Yes 'me sir'! You were willing to follow Adam on his stupid adventure so you get two thousand lines. I will have no more unauthorised teleportation within the Nexus." Then a smile appeared beneath the cowl. "Still I never thought I'd see anyone of you again. Good job in getting back."

Trinity pointed to the doors.

"Go and see Matron and get yourselves cleaned up."

The stars danced once more before Adam and he passed out. When he came to he smelt the sharp odour of anti-sceptic. He sat up and saw Matron.

"My word young man, you have been in the wars. That's a nasty bump on your noodle and your body is covered in bruises and cuts."

She put the nozzle of a hand held silver coloured device to his neck. He felt a slight burning on the skin of his neck then it passed.

"You suffered a mild concussion, Adam. It's nothing to worry about and I have injected you with medical nano-bots, microscopic robots, which will go around your body and repair all damaged tissue, and then will be passed out of your body through your stool."

Reaching up Adam felt the side of his head. There was a lump there the size of a melon. It hurt. He saw Brigitte sitting on a chair. Matron injected her with the same bots.

"You'll both be right as rain tomorrow. Stop touching the bump Adam. That won't do it any good. It'll soon be gone."

"Where's the Bug?"

"At his lessons. He was fully armoured so had no injuries."

"And Malcolm?"

"He's in my surgery. I have androids cleaning the dirt from his body. He has pneumonia but I injected him with a medicine which kills pathogenic bacteria. He's also got a knife wound and arrow wounds in his side and back. He's lost blood."

"Will he live?"

"Of course, he's very strong and now in my care."

"Can we see him?"

"Later, he's sedated now. He must rest to recover, and stop touching that bump."

As Matron was close Adam made an attempt to secretly snag a feather from one her wings. She swatted away his hand.

"That's not going to happen," she said.

As they were leaving the surgery Brigitte said. "Why do you want one of Matron's feathers?"

"Souvenir," said Adam.