The Moonwalker

Chapter 15.1

(The medicine in this chapter isn't gruesome, but it is detailed.)

Aula spends most of her time in the airlock leaning against the inner hatch. The left side of her face throbs with blinding intensity. Sweat seeps into the wound and adds a sharp sting to its already varied palette of pain. She keeps her eyes shut and listens to the chatter over comm. In the Gagarin airlock, Kwan and Kalashnikoff make plans to get a suit back out to Harvey. The rest of ILUB-2's crew prepares for their return outside the Armstrong airlock.

"Major Reed."

She opens her eyes. "Mm?"

"Are you ready?"

"Mm."

Bauer squeezes her shoulder. "We're ready, Commander."

The inner hatch shudders. Aula stands up straight and watches it slide upward to reveal Nakamura, Ward, and Kelly crowding the entrance. All three of them briefly glance at her face. They don't react, which is the most telling reaction of all.

Kelly grasps Aula's glove with both hands. "C'mere to me now."

Climbing out of the airlock is always awkward. Aula pushes her right boot forward until she hits the bottom of the bulkhead and lifts her foot over it. Her toe nicks the edge and she nearly falls forward. Nakamura and Ward both reach out to steady her while Bauer hangs on to her PLSS.

Nakamura bends down to guide each foot over like he would a toddler. It's embarrassing, but the situation is too pressing to give that feeling any weight. When she's clear of the airlock, she sinks to her knees and allows them to gently lay her on her side. Ward activates the Z-1's hatch and a rush of air immediately dilutes the smell of blood and two different brands of sweat. Aula starts pushing herself out of the suit when two pairs of hands hook under her arms and around her waist. She's pulled out as carefully as possible and rolled onto her back. A canopy of faces hang overhead.

"Janey Mac," Kelly says. "The Moon took a bite out of you."

Aula exhales a sharp huff of air.

"Dr. Kelly, can you please move this suit to the equipment lock?"

Nakamura doesn't raise his voice, but Kelly flushes red and scrambles to move the Z-1 out of Bauer's way. Both the commander and Ward help Aula sit up. The prospect of standing feels insurmountable.

Ward looks at her knowingly. "Ready?"

She sets her jaw and nods.

"On three," Nakamura says. "One...two...three."

They both stand up with her arms hooked around their shoulders. Aula grunts, but makes no other sound. It's another awkward waltz. The three of them slowly shuffle towards the base's medical facilities where Ward works. They turn a corner and come face to face with the ILUB-1 memorial. No one says anything as they move past it. Several of NASA's psychologists oppose a memorial precisely for this reason, but Aula would rather eat rocks than prove them right. She keeps her eyes fixed on the floor three feet in front of her.

When they step into Ward's office, it looks as sterile as before. Aula sits down on the lightweight examination table and grasps the edges like her life depends on it. Although her LCVG draws sweat away from her body, her face is slick with it. She bows her head and feels the throbbing in her face grow stronger.

"Now let's see what we can do." Ward sits down in her chair and leans down until they're looking at each other. "Are you ready, Reed?"

"Mmhmm."

"Please lie down."

She does so reluctantly and keeps her eyes on the ceiling. Ward leans back and the sounds of ripped packaging can be heard. When she swivels into Aula's field of vision, her hands smell of antiseptic. She snaps on a pair of latex gloves and flexes her fingers. Nakamura makes short lopes around Ward and the bed and comes to stand behind Aula's head. He clears hair sticking to her forehead and braces her neck.