Pandora: Liminal Space Book 2

Chapter Forty-Four

Once Claudia was gone, Garrett turned to Therese. He could see a marked resemblance between the two women: both slender and fine boned, both dark haired and pretty. Probably distantly related, like everyone on the tiny moon of Kalmia was. The original settlers had been insular but very prolific. "I have no intention of waking her, just so you know."

"Good," Therese replied bluntly. "I'm glad I won't have to lock her door to keep you out, then."

"Ouch," Garrett said, but he was smiling. "Feeling a little protective, are we?"

"Claudia has been through a lot. I was a little worried that you coming here would sap her resources further, but I'm pleasantly surprised to find you reasonable." She motioned towards the door. "The infirmary is this way."

They left the family wing and headed towards the barracks. "How did you pull guard detail?"

"It was left in Governor Caractacus' instructions to staff in case of emergency," Therese said, opening another door. "He wanted to make sure Claudia was looked after. He left instructions about you as well, but they were a moot point after you left."

"You sound almost accusatory," Garrett noted as they entered the infirmary.

"I don't mean to be accusatory, sir." Her tone was perfectly even and formal.

"It's all right if you do, I don't mind." Honestly, Garrett didn't mind; it was actually kind of funny to him. He couldn't seem to do the right thing whether he chose to go or stay, on either Paradise or Pandora. Story of his life, and right now he was too wired to feel either affronted by the marine's presumption or self-pitying over her insight.

They walked in silence through the infirmary, pausing only so that Therese could point out Wyl's Regen chamber. His was the third in four rows of fourteen, almost all of them occupied. "Mr. Leyton is enclosed right over there."

"Good to know."

At the end of the main hall was a small, securely sealed door marked PRIVATE. To the right of the handle was a medical gauntlet. "Just let that take your reading and you'll be let in."

"Thank you." Garrett watched Therese walk briskly away, then put his hand into the gauntlet. A tiny prick and a few seconds of whirring, and then the security system acknowledged him and let him in. Garrett shut the door behind him and walked slowly into his father's private room.

It was cold in there, the faint light emanating from the walls and ceiling hardly enough to illuminate the chair beside the Regen chamber. Garrett walked over to the cylindrical healing unit and inspected the top. There was no window to look in at the patient, but there was a readout showing the current state of regeneration. Fuck, Claudia hadn't been kidding when she'd said Miles had lost a lot of skin...he was only at sixty percent across his legs, eighty percent on his chest and back.

The chair next to the chamber was hard. It felt quite fitting, considering the mausoleum-like atmosphere in this damn place. Garrett sighed, then flicked the microphone on.

"So." He felt like his voice should be echoing in such an empty place, but the room was too small for that. "Here I am. And there you are. You know, I really prefer being the one in the box. It's a lot less work, none of the emotional baggage that comes with waiting for the other person to wake up. You could drown in the sentiment floating around here, and I've only spoken with two women and a baby so far. Not that Renee had much to say, but I'm sure she'll be a stunning conversationalist given time.

"Claudia's holding it together. This is probably more difficult than anything she's ever gone through before, and she's been doing pretty well from what I can see, but the cracks are there, and they're getting wider and wider. I'm going to do my best for her, but my best isn't you. She needs you, Dad, as fast as possible. If you could come back with your memory completely intact so we don't have to go through any awkward explanations and additional emotional anguish, that would be infinitely preferable.

"Speaking of angsty subjects, thought, I'm perfectly fine with appealing to the lesser parts of your nature to get you to wake the hell up," Garrett continued, letting a little of the anger and worry he felt creep into his voice. "You are an incredibly lucky son of a bitch, you know that? You have a gorgeous wife and a beautiful baby girl and, last but not least, me. You're loved and respected by everyone on this planet who isn't a terrorist. You're in a position of power on a world in chaos. These aren't the kind of responsibilities that benefit from time away from you while you mosey your way back to health. You're fucking all kinds of shit up by taking your goddamn time in this fucking chamber, so get your mojo going and speed up your goddamn engine already!"

Garrett rubbed a hand through his hair tiredly. "I have to get some sleep, I've been up for a few days...maybe a week. I've lost track. I'll be back later, though. Don't think you're getting out of this by ignoring me." After a moment's hesitation, Garrett laid one hand on the chamber, let the feel of its quiet thrumming soothe him. "I love you, Dad." He couldn't remember the last time he'd actually said those words out loud to his father. It made him a little uncomfortable, even though he was sure that Miles couldn't actually hear him. "Wake up soon."

It was somehow both a relief and wrenching for Garrett to leave Miles, but that was characteristic for them. There were other people who needed his attention right now, though. With that in mind, Garrett went to look for Robbie.