Chapter 35
In Dr. Chen’s office, Brett felt the overwhelming urge to grab the doctor by the collar again and shake her to death. “How could you let her do that? You’re the chief medical officer. You have the authority to keep her in here until she’s old and gray if that’s how long it takes,” he growled.
Over Dr. Chen’s shoulder, he could see Robyn lying on an examination bed, unconscious as she’d been since he left the bridge. Cooper stood beside the bed with tears running down her face. She’d been the one to realize the captain was unconscious and had made a panicked call for a medical team. Because of this she seemed to think herself partially responsible for Robyn’s condition.
But the only people responsible were in the doctor’s office—and hiding out in a mountain fortress on Serpalal Prime. “I know how you feel, Commander. I didn’t want to let her go either, but she insisted.”
“Of course she insisted. Why didn’t you say no? Why didn’t you give her a sedative?”
“We discussed her situation and I told her about the consequences. But she was never in any real danger. The poison was already out of her system and the cut already healed.”
“She could have gotten us killed. All of us. Did you think about that?”
“You were there to keep that from happening.” A thin smile came to the doctor’s lips. “I trusted you to make sure.”
“This isn’t funny.”
Dr. Chen leaned back in her chair. “What is it you want from me? An apology? Maybe I shouldn’t have let her go up there, but she is a grown woman and she made a choice. If you want to be mad at anyone, be mad at her.” The smile on the doctor’s face broadened. “Or keep taking it out on me if you want. It’s probably better for her that way.”
Brett’s fists curled at anger not at Dr. Chen so much as himself. She was right; he was taking out his anger at Robyn on the doctor. More to the point, he didn’t know why he was even angry with Robyn. She hadn’t killed them. If anything, she’d saved their lives with her quick thinking.
Collapsing into the chair across from Dr. Chen, Brett stared through the glass at Robyn. The real reason for his anger he had to admit was far more personal. He wanted Robyn to stay down in sickbay so he wouldn’t have to worry about her ending up like Babs, or her late husband. Of all the people in the galaxy, she was the one he couldn’t bear to see dead, as he had on the shuttlecraft.
He loved her. After all these years he still loved her.
If only Dr. Chen had something in here to make those feelings go away. As Robyn had said, it wouldn’t have worked out when they were ensigns and it definitely wouldn’t work now as captain and commander. He couldn’t afford to let his feelings interfere with things as they had on the bridge. A first officer could be loyal to his captain, could even be a friend, but not a lover.
Not that it would matter in a few days anyway. If they managed to survive the last part of their mission to bring Streng and the Serparnian Liberation Army down, then he would go back to being plain old Brett Boutwell. A freighter captain without a freighter, without a future. Meanwhile, Robyn would go back to doing her duty for Starfleet as always.
Dr. Chen cleared his throat. Brett turned to her, having forgotten she was even in the room. “Commander, I know this is hard on you. I know you two have a history together—”
“How do you know about that?”
“She told me a couple years ago. Long before you showed up here. She said you two dated at the Academy and then you went your separate ways.”
“That’s it?” This seemed like a pretty dry way to summarize their relationship. Perhaps he hadn’t meant as much to Robyn as he’d thought.
“Pretty much. I take it things were pretty serious?”
“Not as serious as I’d have liked.”
“I’m not a counselor, but I’d say you need to have a talk with her. Straighten everything out.”
He nodded. “You’re probably right. But not until this is over. There’s still work to do. Thanks for everything, Doc.”
“That’s what I’m here for. Come back anytime, although I hope you’ll be in a better mood next time.”
“I’ll try.” Brett left the doctor’s office and crossed the room to stand at Robyn’s bedside.
“She’s not going to die, is she?” Cooper asked.
“She’ll be fine. The doctor says she needs to rest is all.” Brett put a hand on the young woman’s shoulder. “None of it is your fault. You did the right thing. And you saved our rears with that little trick of yours.”
Cooper dabbed at her eyes with her uniform sleeve. “Thank you, sir. I did what I could. That’s what she expects of us.”
“It is indeed,” Brett said.
His communicator beeped, Ramirez saying, “We’re approaching Serpalal Prime, sir. There’s a message from the prime minister for you.”
“I’ll take it in the ready room.” He lingered a moment at Robyn’s bedside. Even with the shorter hair and the addition of a few lines and wrinkles over the years, she still looked the same to him as when he used to lie beside her in their bed. Back when she still loved him.
Those days were gone now. Long gone.
He took Cooper’s arm to steer her away from the bed. Cooper seemed to have gotten a hold of herself by the time they reached the turbolift, only the redness around her eyes an indication of her crying jag. “There’s something I think you can help me with,
“What is it, sir?”
Brett explained the second half of his plan and the ruse they would need to penetrate Streng’s lair in the mountains. A ruse he knew would be dangerous, too dangerous to make an order.
When he finished, Cooper stood in shocked silence for a half minute, her fingers kneading the red ponytail hanging over her shoulder. “I’ll do it,” she said at last, her voice quavering with nervousness.
“You don’t have to. I’m sure I can—”
“It’s my duty, sir. I can’t back away from that now.”
Brett nodded. First Robyn and now Cooper so caught up with the notion of duty. From dealing with Robyn, he knew there was nothing he could say to change Cooper’s mind. “I’d suggest you go down there to get ready, then. I’ll be along shortly.”
Then he would settle things with Streng once and for all.
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