him.”
“That’s not why,” Dodge speaks up.
“Then why? ” Barek looks to him.
“She di dn’t want to hurt her hand. She can’t give you treatments with a bruised hand.”
“That’s stupid… ” Lucas pales. “That’s…”
“Victoria, she took the hit , then hit him in a soft spot and used her knee,” Dodge explains.
Barek nods . “I can work that. Good call Dodge.”
“Not that hard, especially when it involves Lucas.”
“True.” Both men look at Lucas.
“I don’t need protected! Fuck!”
“I don’t think you have a choice in the matter . The Chamberlain women protect those they love, whether they want it or not. You should consider yourself lucky,” Barek tells him softly.
Victoria changes into her workout clothes. She needs to get rid of this anger. In the maintenance room, she looks to the bag, than turns away. In the mood she’s in, she’d damage her hands. The tread is what she needs and forty-five minutes later, she’s done. Breathing hard, she wipes the sweat off her face. She needed that, needed to get the rage and embarrassment out of her system. She’d just told three men she was a virgin, men that had become important in her life. On record! Fuck!
She needs to get over it. She has a job to do. Lucas still needs a rehab treatment then she can go hide in her quarters.
At Lucas’ hatch, she takes a deep breath and knocks. She’s a doctor, damn it! She needs to start acting like one.
Dodge opens the door.
“Hey.”
“Hi Dodge. ” Walking in, she finds Lucas sitting on the couch, plates in front of him, a pissed off expression on his face.
“Good , it looks like you ate.”
“You’re late.”
“Am I? I had to pick up a few things.”
“Where’d you go? ” Lucas demands.
“Not relevant . So let’s get started on some rehab.”
“I’ll get out of your way. ” Dodge heads to the hatch.
“ No Dodge, stay, it’ll help keep him occupied.” Clearing the plates, she unrolls a long pad.
“What the hell is this? ” Lucas stares in horror at portable keyboard.
“You know exactly what it is.”
“Lucas, you play?” Dodge snickers.
“No.”
“Really?” Victoria raises an eyebrow. “Lessons twice a week for five cycles isn’t playing?”
“How do you know that?” Lucas looks at her slightly embarrassed. “I’ll kill Kyle.”
“You should be thanking him . This is the perfect exercise for your fingers and wrists, especially your left. It will keep them limber with the least amount of strain. So play.”
“No.”
“If you want back in a Blade, you’ll play.” Dodge watches the silent war of wills between the two, not sure who’ll win. “Song or scales?”
“Shit , I haven’t played in cycles.” His eyes shoot to Dodge. “If I hear about this anywhere, you’re dead!”
“Left hand. ” For the next thirty minutes, Lucas plays the scales his mother drilled into him, fumbling and cursing the entire time.
“You really are a nasty patient , Lucas. Tori deserved a medal.”
“That’s enough . Let me see.” Holding out her hand, she waits, her eyes carefully blank. Turning his hand over, she sees a slight swelling. “You need a treatment.”
“Fucking great! ” Ignoring him, she goes to prepare the bathroom.
“Look , if you want me out of here, I’m gone,” Dodge tells him.
“Victoria obviously wants you here, so stay but this isn’t going to be pretty.”
“I’ve seen it before.”
“I’m ready.” Victoria steps back into the room, carrying the pressure syringe.
“I don’t want that . I’ve gone all day without needing one.”
“Good , but you’ll have one now.” Without waiting, she gives him the injection. “You staying Dodge?”
“If that’s alright.”
“It is. It’ll give the Major someone to talk too. I want the left hand first.”
Dodge watches as Lucas sits down at the sink, Victoria standing in front, his legs straddling her. Giving Victoria his left hand, he stiffens and
“That’s not why,” Dodge speaks up.
“Then why? ” Barek looks to him.
“She di dn’t want to hurt her hand. She can’t give you treatments with a bruised hand.”
“That’s stupid… ” Lucas pales. “That’s…”
“Victoria, she took the hit , then hit him in a soft spot and used her knee,” Dodge explains.
Barek nods . “I can work that. Good call Dodge.”
“Not that hard, especially when it involves Lucas.”
“True.” Both men look at Lucas.
“I don’t need protected! Fuck!”
“I don’t think you have a choice in the matter . The Chamberlain women protect those they love, whether they want it or not. You should consider yourself lucky,” Barek tells him softly.
Victoria changes into her workout clothes. She needs to get rid of this anger. In the maintenance room, she looks to the bag, than turns away. In the mood she’s in, she’d damage her hands. The tread is what she needs and forty-five minutes later, she’s done. Breathing hard, she wipes the sweat off her face. She needed that, needed to get the rage and embarrassment out of her system. She’d just told three men she was a virgin, men that had become important in her life. On record! Fuck!
She needs to get over it. She has a job to do. Lucas still needs a rehab treatment then she can go hide in her quarters.
At Lucas’ hatch, she takes a deep breath and knocks. She’s a doctor, damn it! She needs to start acting like one.
Dodge opens the door.
“Hey.”
“Hi Dodge. ” Walking in, she finds Lucas sitting on the couch, plates in front of him, a pissed off expression on his face.
“Good , it looks like you ate.”
“You’re late.”
“Am I? I had to pick up a few things.”
“Where’d you go? ” Lucas demands.
“Not relevant . So let’s get started on some rehab.”
“I’ll get out of your way. ” Dodge heads to the hatch.
“ No Dodge, stay, it’ll help keep him occupied.” Clearing the plates, she unrolls a long pad.
“What the hell is this? ” Lucas stares in horror at portable keyboard.
“You know exactly what it is.”
“Lucas, you play?” Dodge snickers.
“No.”
“Really?” Victoria raises an eyebrow. “Lessons twice a week for five cycles isn’t playing?”
“How do you know that?” Lucas looks at her slightly embarrassed. “I’ll kill Kyle.”
“You should be thanking him . This is the perfect exercise for your fingers and wrists, especially your left. It will keep them limber with the least amount of strain. So play.”
“No.”
“If you want back in a Blade, you’ll play.” Dodge watches the silent war of wills between the two, not sure who’ll win. “Song or scales?”
“Shit , I haven’t played in cycles.” His eyes shoot to Dodge. “If I hear about this anywhere, you’re dead!”
“Left hand. ” For the next thirty minutes, Lucas plays the scales his mother drilled into him, fumbling and cursing the entire time.
“You really are a nasty patient , Lucas. Tori deserved a medal.”
“That’s enough . Let me see.” Holding out her hand, she waits, her eyes carefully blank. Turning his hand over, she sees a slight swelling. “You need a treatment.”
“Fucking great! ” Ignoring him, she goes to prepare the bathroom.
“Look , if you want me out of here, I’m gone,” Dodge tells him.
“Victoria obviously wants you here, so stay but this isn’t going to be pretty.”
“I’ve seen it before.”
“I’m ready.” Victoria steps back into the room, carrying the pressure syringe.
“I don’t want that . I’ve gone all day without needing one.”
“Good , but you’ll have one now.” Without waiting, she gives him the injection. “You staying Dodge?”
“If that’s alright.”
“It is. It’ll give the Major someone to talk too. I want the left hand first.”
Dodge watches as Lucas sits down at the sink, Victoria standing in front, his legs straddling her. Giving Victoria his left hand, he stiffens and
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