anyway.”
The beer had definitely put him in a better mood, Noa thought. Hopefully he’d remember the offer when he sobered up. Loki had seemed different during the /ALLIANCE/ missions. Saner, for sure. Listening to him prattle on about doomsday scenarios, she got the feeling he’d only let them in because a huge government conspiracy was too intriguing to resist. “So when do you guys want to take off?”
“Soon,” Teo said. “Like, tomorrow.”
Noa tried not to let her dismay show. Deep down, she couldn’t blame them for wanting to leave. She hadn’t been much of a leader lately, and there was no army left to speak of. Even though they hadn’t discussed it, the rest of her team was probably long gone. Besides, Pike really only wanted her. Anyone in her vicinity could end up as collateral damage.
She drew a deep breath and looked at Peter. “So, tomorrow?”
“Yeah, sure,” Peter said ruefully. With feigned nonchalance, he added, “How bad could it be?”
Peter swallowed hard. He was lying facedown on the same table they’d eaten on last night. Loki had moved it into the computer room and covered it with torn-open trash bags, although Peter got the distinct sense that was more out of concern for the table’s well-being. Daisy and Teo had opted to stay in the bunkroom. He suspected they didn’t want to witness a medical procedure that had the potential to go horribly awry.
He gritted his teeth. Loki had scrounged up some Advil, and he’d swallowed three; the chalky taste still lingered in the back of his throat. He didn’t hold out much hope that they’d ease the pain, however.
“You’re sure that’s sterilized?” Peter asked, eyeing the scalpel Loki was brandishing with way too much enthusiasm.
“Yup,” Loki chortled. “Man, I’m so glad I ordered these. Wasn’t sure I’d ever need a full medical kit, but it just goes to show—you’re never done prepping.”
“Don’t suppose you have any type A positive blood laying around,” Peter tried to joke. Now that he was lying here, this seemed like a spectacularly bad idea. He should back out now, while there was still time. Hell, he could turn himself into a living Faraday cage, just tape a bunch of aluminum and cardboard around his torso. Cody could have fixed this , he thought with a pang. He would’ve given anything to see his friend walk through that door.
“Shouldn’t bleed much. There aren’t many blood vessels down there,” Loki said authoritatively.
“How do you know that?” Peter demanded.
“I looked it up online.” Loki grinned. “They didn’t have anything specific about removing a bug, but there was a YouTube video about cutting off a mole that came pretty close.”
“All right, that’s it,” Peter said, pushing his chest off the table. “It can stay in my back. We’ll figure out something else.”
“Easy, Peter.” Noa pressed down on his shoulders with both hands.
“I’m not letting him cut me,” Peter insisted. “He’s way too excited about it.”
“I’m not excited,” Loki said, but his eyes were gleaming.
“He’s probably still ticked off that I tracked him here,” Peter argued. “I don’t want him taking that out on my spine.”
Noa bent so that her face was level with his. Quietly, she said, “How about if I do it?”
Peter stared back at her. Noa’s green eyes were totally calm. Looking into them, he felt inexplicably reassured. She didn’t have experience with this sort of thing either, but at least she’d try not to hurt him. “Okay,” he said, sinking back down. “But only you. And have something nearby to stop the bleeding.”
Noa tugged on a pair of latex gloves, then silently held out a hand for the knife. Loki reluctantly handed it over. Pulling off his own gloves, he muttered, “Christ, Vallas. You didn’t have to be such a baby about it.”
“Okay, Peter,” Noa said in a soothing voice. “I’ll be as quick as I can. Just . . . try to think of something
The beer had definitely put him in a better mood, Noa thought. Hopefully he’d remember the offer when he sobered up. Loki had seemed different during the /ALLIANCE/ missions. Saner, for sure. Listening to him prattle on about doomsday scenarios, she got the feeling he’d only let them in because a huge government conspiracy was too intriguing to resist. “So when do you guys want to take off?”
“Soon,” Teo said. “Like, tomorrow.”
Noa tried not to let her dismay show. Deep down, she couldn’t blame them for wanting to leave. She hadn’t been much of a leader lately, and there was no army left to speak of. Even though they hadn’t discussed it, the rest of her team was probably long gone. Besides, Pike really only wanted her. Anyone in her vicinity could end up as collateral damage.
She drew a deep breath and looked at Peter. “So, tomorrow?”
“Yeah, sure,” Peter said ruefully. With feigned nonchalance, he added, “How bad could it be?”
Peter swallowed hard. He was lying facedown on the same table they’d eaten on last night. Loki had moved it into the computer room and covered it with torn-open trash bags, although Peter got the distinct sense that was more out of concern for the table’s well-being. Daisy and Teo had opted to stay in the bunkroom. He suspected they didn’t want to witness a medical procedure that had the potential to go horribly awry.
He gritted his teeth. Loki had scrounged up some Advil, and he’d swallowed three; the chalky taste still lingered in the back of his throat. He didn’t hold out much hope that they’d ease the pain, however.
“You’re sure that’s sterilized?” Peter asked, eyeing the scalpel Loki was brandishing with way too much enthusiasm.
“Yup,” Loki chortled. “Man, I’m so glad I ordered these. Wasn’t sure I’d ever need a full medical kit, but it just goes to show—you’re never done prepping.”
“Don’t suppose you have any type A positive blood laying around,” Peter tried to joke. Now that he was lying here, this seemed like a spectacularly bad idea. He should back out now, while there was still time. Hell, he could turn himself into a living Faraday cage, just tape a bunch of aluminum and cardboard around his torso. Cody could have fixed this , he thought with a pang. He would’ve given anything to see his friend walk through that door.
“Shouldn’t bleed much. There aren’t many blood vessels down there,” Loki said authoritatively.
“How do you know that?” Peter demanded.
“I looked it up online.” Loki grinned. “They didn’t have anything specific about removing a bug, but there was a YouTube video about cutting off a mole that came pretty close.”
“All right, that’s it,” Peter said, pushing his chest off the table. “It can stay in my back. We’ll figure out something else.”
“Easy, Peter.” Noa pressed down on his shoulders with both hands.
“I’m not letting him cut me,” Peter insisted. “He’s way too excited about it.”
“I’m not excited,” Loki said, but his eyes were gleaming.
“He’s probably still ticked off that I tracked him here,” Peter argued. “I don’t want him taking that out on my spine.”
Noa bent so that her face was level with his. Quietly, she said, “How about if I do it?”
Peter stared back at her. Noa’s green eyes were totally calm. Looking into them, he felt inexplicably reassured. She didn’t have experience with this sort of thing either, but at least she’d try not to hurt him. “Okay,” he said, sinking back down. “But only you. And have something nearby to stop the bleeding.”
Noa tugged on a pair of latex gloves, then silently held out a hand for the knife. Loki reluctantly handed it over. Pulling off his own gloves, he muttered, “Christ, Vallas. You didn’t have to be such a baby about it.”
“Okay, Peter,” Noa said in a soothing voice. “I’ll be as quick as I can. Just . . . try to think of something
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