Star Bound Liberty (Complete)

Chapter Twenty Nine

'Is Marcy or Yahala out there?' I pointed at the door to my room.

'Yahala is ma'am. Would you like me to bring him in?'

'Yes please. And could someone call for a change of clothes for him, he's going it need it.'

My hands were shaking by the time I pulled on Yahala's jacket and his boots, that were too large. I had to cut up sheeting material to stuff in the toes, just so I could walk in them without tripping up. Yahala got into the bed and the blankets were pulled over him.

'OK. When we're all asked to be removed from the hospital, you all pretend to ignore orders until Burns gets notification to leave. I'm assuming Ortiz is working the alcohol case aboard the Bransky?' Kallers nodded. 'OK, lets make like I'm one of you.'

'Ah, ma'am, that might be a bit difficult, seeing as you're as green as can be, ma'am.'

'Oh, yeah. I forgot.' I looked down at my green hands. Someone snorted. 'Hey, its not like I'm normally this strange looking... Don't say anything, Yahala!' I could hear him chuckling under the blankets. I moved and took Kaller's position just inside the door.

'OK, lets try something new.' I mumbled. 'Ayms, can you change the pigment in my skin to my usual colour tone, please buddy?' I felt the affirmation tickle through my mind and I realized it wont be long before I'd be hearing his thoughts. Affirmation tickled through again at the thought. Over the next ten minutes or so, my skin warmed up and tightened. It felt like I was holding a muscle in one position. Next time I believed I could make the changes myself. I could hold the changes now, but in an hour I might be sweating from the exertion. Burns was standing nearest the bed, almost opposite to me. He nodded when he could see my skin was normal looking, then pulled on his hair. My hair, still green, I tucked under beret and everyone pulled their uniform hats from pockets and put theirs on just as the door to the room was opened.

'As you can see, our patient is well and truly alive, but soundness of mind has become an issue. Thirteen hours without fresh air, the oxygen deprivation alone would cause brain damage even in the strongest person. It is a wonder she is even coherent, let alone not dead.' Mr Head of Buckingham Palace barged into the room with new visitors. I felt the tingle of a strong healthy Mossie simbiot mind brush my own as the new group moved into the room. I could see Ambassador Lockley from behind and she moved a hand behind her back and wiggled her fingers at me. I pushed welcome and exasperation towards her as she addressed the Medical Technician.

'I can see she is resting well. I understand she did indeed have quite the ordeal. I think it best we have everyone removed form the room and give her the clean air and space she needs to recover.' She turned and ushered her guard and hospital staff from the room and paused inside the door to wait for all of my guards to leave as well. Burns made an effort to check his comm unit then nodded and moved to exit the room, as if he'd been given permission to do so.

As I walked through the door with my other guards into the large hospital medical ward, I felt Ayms' humor. He was delighted to see Ambassador Lockley and Flak, her Mossie, join us in our escape plans. I was delighted too. Her authority would add to the ruse. Now I just needed to escape my greater prison, without falling on my arse.

We waited outside the door, all of us at attention, until Burns' wrist unit pinged. He answered it then spoke with exaggerated volume.

'Yes, sir. No, sir, she's resting, sir. No, with us. I can send him back shortly sir, just waiting for a replacement. We need to return to the Bransky, sir? What about Liberty Moss?' He nodded then hung up.

'Moving out, now.' He turned and I followed suit. They walked slowly through the hospital wards and corridors so I could keep up with them. I had to hold up a hand near the entrance, needing a break. I was breathing a little heavily, but I was OK. We made it to an eatery nearby where we hung around a bit so I could rest, yet again. We paused a third time, at the curb until a taxi cart arrived and delivered us to the military sector of the station. Everyone's wrist units pinged all at once as we were moving through the security check point and once we were cleared through the special entrance to the sector, Burns turned to me.