Jethro Goes to War (Wandering Engineer Jethro's tale)

Jethro Goes to War (Wandering Engineer Jethro's tale) by Chris Hechtl

Book: Jethro Goes to War (Wandering Engineer Jethro's tale) by Chris Hechtl Read Free Book Online
Authors: Chris Hechtl
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is offline at the moment. Doc.”
She turned to Doctor Thornby. Doctor Thornby looked up from Hurranna
and nodded. She motioned for the nurse to go to lynx.
    “ How are you
feeling?” she asked, resting a hand on the edge of the bed.
    “ Like crap
ma'am,” Jethro sighed. He wiggled a little. “Light and
sound sensitive, and I've got the nastiest taste in my mouth,”
he grimaced trying not to hack a cough. “What did you make
these sheets out of burlap?”
    “ No... Hmmm...
You’re a panther, let’s see, neo panther. Ah, enhanced
senses, cloaking ability. Interesting. You may have some sensitivity
since your nerve endings were worked on and the surrounding tissue is
swollen. It should fade as you adapt and the swelling abates. We're
giving you some meds to help. Rest now,” she said. Her eyes
scanned the data and then she nodded. She touched a control and he
felt a cool mist then a drifting sensation.
    “ Thanks
doctor,” he mumbled. His tongue came out. He heard her order
more anti inflammatory meds and a fifteen minute check on him and
then drifted back into sleep.
    ...*...*...*...*...
    “ Is he ever
going to wake up?” Hurranna asked, sitting up in the bed. She
was sitting across from Jethro, watching him twitch.
    “ Eventually,”
a familiar voice said from the other side of the curtain. She
stiffened as she recognized the voice.
    “G unny?”
she asked. She clutched her arms to her body. She wasn't sure she was
ready to go back to boot just yet. They had only awakened two days
before.
    “ You were
expecting the tooth fairy?” the gunny said dryly as the curtain
was pulled back. Her eyes went wide as she noted the gunny in a
hospital gown bandaged and in bed.
    “ You’re
ah...”
    “ Finally
getting my replacement parts,” he admitted. His left hand
pointed to his bandaged eye and right arm. “The commander
managed to time it so your squad would be down the same time I am.”
    “ Oh,”
she blinked. “Sir.”
    “ Can that
crap. Sickbay is informal,” Doctor Thornby said coming around
the gunny's bed to stand between them.
    “ Aye aye
commander. It's your command.”
    “ You better
believe it,” Thornby growled. She gave the gunny a quelling
look.
    “ You’re
a commander ma'am?” Hurranna asked surprised.
    “ Naval
reserve. Lieutenant commander actually,” she admitted and then
shrugged as if it didn't mean anything. “It's more of a
headache than it's worth sometimes.”
    “ Ah, yes
ma'am,” Hurranna said and then shook her head.
    “ I heard
you're going for med tech or pilot training?”
    Hurranna glanced at
the gunny. “Well ma'am, usually the corpsman in the squad is a
navy person so that's out. Besides, the pack load is a bit more than
my frame can handle comfortably.”
    “ True,”
Thornby nodded, eying the one meter tall neo. “Lynx and
bobcat?”
    “ Yes ma'am.
We've interbred so much over the centuries only a scientist could
pick out what part is which.”
    “ Odd that it's
like that with you and not with the others,” the doctor mussed.
She waved her hand to the rest of the squad.
    “ I think it's
because the others are genetically dominant. Like the gunny. At least
that's what the Matriarch said. I'm not sure,” Hurranna
grimaced. “Are the others going to be okay?”
    “ We will be if
you keep it down,” Jethro sighed from his bed. His arm went up
to cover his eyes. Thornby went over to check him.
    “ Still
sensitive?”
    “ Yes. Spirit
of space yes,” he groaned, trying to keep a whine out of his
voice. The female's voices grated on his sensitive ears.
    She frowned. “Your
nerve endings must... hmmm...” She pulled a scope up and jacked
into it. “Yes I see, there is still quite a bit of inflammation
despite... hmmm.”
    “ I don't like
the sounds of the hmms,” Jethro growled. “Can I have some
water?”
    “ Ah?”
Thornby nodded looking up to a nearby orderly. The orderly nodded and
went and got a paper cup. She came back with it and gave it to

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