Voyage of the Star Killer

Chapter 16

Section 1. The Captain, The Lady, and the Dame

Liam made daily treks to the infirmary, checking on his wife and keeping in touch with the survivors. 

As they neared the space station, he was once again pulled from Serena's side."Captain, your docking authorization code has been requested."

Gireau sat at his console and cleared his throat, relaying the appropriate codes. Docking approved, they began the long wait and queued up for their slot. Liam wanted to be the first off with Serena but impatiently assigned a team to escort the survivors off the ship. His frustration grew as he went through the process of turning over his prisoners then dealt with all the transfers from the ship to the station. He felt great relief as he accompanied his wife to the station's medical department. 

They met Dame Meniere there, where Galena handed over her patient's care. "Come, Captain. I believe we have some things to discuss." 

Gireau blindly followed the Dame, Galena still watching him carefully. She'd been ready to declare him unfit for duty as he was certainly not acting the way she would expect of him.

Dame Meniere turned to the doctor. "No need of that, Doctor. The man merely grieves for his wife. When he returns, he will be whole again."

Galena studied the Dame, shaking her head. "I don't understand but do your best. We couldn't find anything wrong with her."

Dame Meniere lightly laughed "And you won't. The care Lady Serena needs goes beyond your capabilities. Your profession is the physical body, mine is the spiritual."

Galena drew back, greatly offended, sniffed back her retort and decided to explore the space station until the captain needed her.

Liam and Dame Meniere met across Serena's lifeless form. "She won't wake, she doesn't respond to my calls. She's built up some kind of resistance."

Dame Meniere searched his eyes, his mind, his memory. She flinched at what she discovered. Turning away, she probed Serena's mind and met a towering obstacle. "She wants to join us and study, learn her limits. She feels as though she limits you, that she weakens you."

Liam's denial was swift and adamant. "No. I'm stronger because of her. We argued. We fought over her leaving. There's so much I don't understand about what she can do. After she saw the children and tended to the survivors we retrieved from the destroyed ship, I saw how much she suffered. I didn't want her to go through that anymore."

Meniere laughed at him. "Foolish child." She pointed a finger at him and bore her long nail into his chest. "She is one of the strongest empaths I've ever met. Without training, she will continue to suffer until she goes mad or slinks off somewhere to die."

Liam dropped to his knees beside Serena's bed. "She wanted to know more about my suggestion to pursue a degree in psychology. I shot her down. Then I encouraged her to pursue it so she wouldn't leave me."

Meniere considered him for a moment, deciding to ask her question. "When did you become one?"

Liam frowned, not sure that was any of the woman's business.

Meniere chuckled heartily. "I don't need details of your sex life, man! I just need to know when the mental link was established."

Liam tapped his fingers on Serena's bed. "Just over a week ago. When we con-consummated our marriage." He never blushed, but he could swear his cheeks heated. 

Meniere nodded her head. "Lady Serena is still but a child herself. She absorbs the feelings and thoughts of others. What they feel is amplified in her and becomes her own. One of the things we can teach her is to control that and bleed it off safely."