The story:
She saved countless soldiers in the wars … but does she have the weapons to fight an outbreak?
Dr. Emily Shane, veteran of the Sector Wars, is known as “The Angel of Fantalar” for her bravery under fire as a medic. However, the doctor has her own war wounds–severe PTSD and guilt over those she failed to save.
Persuaded to fill a seemingly frivolous berth as ship’s doctor on the huge and luxurious interstellar cruise liner Nebula Zephyr, she finds the job brings unexpected perks–a luxe beach deck with water imported from Tahumaroa II, and Security Officer Jake Dilon, a fellow veteran who heats her up like a tropical sun.
However, Emily soon learns she and Jake didn’t leave all peril behind in the war. A mysterious ailment aboard the Zephyr begins to claim victim after victim … and they must race against time and space to find the cause and a cure! Trapped on a ship no spaceport will allow to dock, their efforts are complicated by a temperamental princess and a terrorist–one who won’t hesitate to take down any being in the way of his target. If anyone’s left when the disease is through with them …
Here's a brief excerpt:
“I have to get to
sickbay.” Conscious of their audience, Emily raised her voice. “A doctor’s
never off duty. Small crisis, nothing to worry about.” She made herself smile
and wave. “Sorry for rushing off. I hope to stay longer next time.”
Then Jake had her out
the door, hastening down the corridor toward the crew-only gravlift. “Small crisis?”
She hesitated.
“I understand about
patient confidentiality, but as chief security officer of this ship, I have a
need to know, Doc.”
“The bodyguard—Arln—he
coded. My staff revived him, but Bevar says there are new symptoms.”
The gravlift carried
them rapidly up the levels. “What kind of new symptoms?”
She put her lips next
to his ear. “Bleeding from various orifices.”
He bit off an oath.
Catching a curious glance from a crew member descending on the other side of
the gravlift, he spoke softly. “Can a virus cause those symptoms?”
“Not anything as simple
as a norovirus, no. We might be dealing with something else in his case. Or,”
she said, barely touching the landing platform before striding through the
corridor, “we might be lucky and this is specific to him.” She gave him a
sidelong glance. “Arln did have some unusual physical challenges not apparent
to the naked eye.”
The reception area of
the sickbay was empty. Emily ran through, on her way to the patient treatment area,
registering in passing that Jake halted to call for reinforcements. Good idea. Whatever
was going on, she didn’t need passengers or crew wandering in until the
situation was under control.
The situation was dangerously
out of control, she realized at a glance. Arln was convulsing in the bed, blood
pouring from his mouth, nose and eyes. Medical alarms were beeping and buzzing.
Bevar and the nurse on duty were attempting to keep the patient’s breathing
unobstructed. Their gowns and masks were blood-spattered. Emily grabbed a
sterile gown for herself, fastened a mask across her face and yanked on gloves
before she joined them at the bedside.
“What have you
administered?”
Bevar named a coagulant
and a level-one sedative. “I talked Maeve into dispensing it without your seal because
he was seizing so badly.”
Emily nodded. She
scanned the monitors. Heart rate was way above the upper boundary. All other
vital signs were sinking or erratic. Even as she watched, the patient simply
collapsed like a leaking balloon, and all the readouts flatlined. She moved to
the bedside, Bevar making room for her, and grabbed the proper probes. Pausing
for a moment as she took in the big purple splotches spread across the man’s
chest, which had not been there earlier, she blinked. No time to examine those now. Activating the tools, she attempted
to resuscitate Arln yet again, with no success. The medical team worked for
half an hour before she shook her head and allowed Bevar and the badly shaken
nurse to stop. “We lost him. You both did the best you could for him. I’ll be
sure to prominently note your outstanding efforts in my report.”
“What do we do now?”
Bevar’s voice shook. His hands were clenched on the side of the bed.
Emily was cautiously
examining the purple blotches on their late patient’s body. “Like Groskin,” she
muttered. “What in the seven hells are we dealing with here?”
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