The Shadows In The Dark

Chapter Ten

As soon as Etain stepped into the training room she knew she'd be busy for the next few months. Victor was leaning against a wall tenderly rubbing at his arm while Vex ran laps around the large room. When the door hissed open, her gun-toting companion turned to face the doctor with his usual smile.

"Etain! It's been so long, I missed you! How're you?"

"Theo, not now."

Throwing a pout her way, he spun, aiming his pistol at the panting Sangheili across the room. He unloaded three shots, each sending a pellet spinning into Vex's side. He roared in pain, and seeing the woman standing next to Theo, started to make his way towards them. Victor raised himself to his feet and stepped closer to the doctor.

"Theo! No wonder they need medical attention, you keep shooting them!"

"Etain, please, calm down. They're just little pellets. They don't cause any real harm."

The doctor held out her hand, palm up towards the ceiling. "Give."

Again pouting, Theo handed his weapon over to Etain, who promptly tossed it over her shoulder.

"I think that's enough for today." She sent a scowl towards Theo before smiling at the two bruised men standing besides her. "Victor, Vex, would you like a few hours of rest?"

"I'd like a few hours of privacy with our instructor."

"Nobody wants that. Why don't you follow me to the medical deck and we'll get you two cleaned up. Then you can head to your rooms and spend the next few hours however you like."

Victor nodded his head. "Yes, please."

Smiling at his polite response, she motioned to their arms and addressed Theo. "Can you remove their bracelets?"

Mumbling under his breath, Theo set about releasing their restraints. Throwing them into the nearby bin, he waved goodbye to his trainees as they walked away.

"Bye! I'll see you two tomorrow! And Etain: stop by my place sometimes!"

Etain didn't acknowledge his request and simply guided Victor and Vex out of the room and to the medical deck.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Why are you here?"

Only a few minutes into their walk, the doctor and her patients were joined by probably the last person they wanted to see.

"Because it's my job."

"Your job is to annoy us?"

"No, my job is to make sure they don't cause trouble. Annoying you is more of a hobby."

Freya had set in on them as soon as she laid eyes on the group. She'd fallen into step besides Vex for a few minutes before moving up to walk aside the doctor.

"If you're as good at doing your job as you are at running your mouth, no wonder the captain keeps you around."

"And with your pretty little face, it's no wonder the captain keeps you around."

Breathing heavily through her nose, the doctor turned the corner and lead the group to a set of elevators. Stepping inside the nearest one, the four of them sat in a hostile silence before arriving on the medical deck. Smiling and waving to the various medical staff they passed by, Etain wound them past several offices before arriving at a small room with two beds packed into it.

Turning and waving the two men in, she barred the door with her arm when Freya tried to enter behind them. 

"I'm sorry, Ms. Juul. But I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to wait out here."