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Imminent Destruction
37. Supply Issues

37. Supply Issues

Fade awoke naked on a cold infirmary floor, a blanket extended from his outstretched hand and his pulsing forehead damp and beading with sweat. He shivered. The pulling within the pit of his stomach worsened because of the unceasing groans. For a moment, he sat in silence while staring at the floor splattered with differing shades of blood.

Meanwhile, Corporal Jackson trudged on with his work. Only the empty beds were better kept. Fresh dressings kept them sanitary looking.

Neglected enemy dead dripped red, yellow, and brown over four beds at the back of the infirmary. Fade wiped his forehead with his hand and caught his breath, then he forced himself to stand.

“Is this the Neimun?” he asked Corporal Jackson.

“It certainly is Captain Defacto. Glad to see you awake. I’m sorry about your clothing. It melded into your expired suit. Those things almost tore your skin off. Did you know that a few more minutes out there the insulation on those defective models would have failed completely, and you all would have had no skin.”

“We would have died from asphyxiation first. Anyway, I have a red overcoat in my storage pod. Do you know where it is?”

“All your possession’s are in the bin by the magazine generator. Your gun has been disarmed though. The lieutenant doesn’t see the need for you to carry a loaded weapon.”

Fade found three blue uniforms folded inside the box. He put on a uniform without bothering to ask for undergarments. Then he put on his red overcoat, tucking his gun within the interior holster. He put on a pair of white socks before slipping into his good crimson boots and worn cowboy hat.

“How come the girls didn’t get their uniforms?” he asked.

“The civilians are in their quarters,” Corporal Jackson said, “Nobody knew those uniforms were for them.”

“Where’s my lieutenant?”

“Check the fourth bed to the right of the door.”

Bert snoozed soundly on his back; a light pillow tucked under his neck. His covers bunched together on the floor and his arm hung over the side. He sloppily wore one of the provided uniforms. Fade rubbed his head while deciding to leave him be.

Corporal Jackson engaged himself in clamping the arms of the former enemy combatant with no hands; clear stubs were fit over the end of each wound. Fade took the opportunity to investigate the infirmary. He found an immersion chamber and rolled back the blanket to peek inside. He recognized the face of the private who saved Destiny twice, and the one who distracted Adritah. Fade wondered what required such advanced healing, so he pulled the cover back completely.

“Interesting. He’s a woman.”

Corporal Jackson interrupted his work and rushed to the chamber to replace the covers.

“Can’t you keep your hands to yourself! I’ll have you know you’re a guest here. I don’t care if you were critical to this operation.”

“What in the world are you trying to hide?”

“This young man has suffered a collapsed lung and several broken ribs,” Jackson said while sweating, “Immersion therapy is the only way possible he could survive. His cell restoration is coming along, he’ll be out of there by this time tomorrow without any evidence of extensive injuries. If you disturb the process, he will be left with lifelong scaring, and possibly deformities.”

“It’s not like I’m going to open it up.”

“You could if you don’t know what you’re doing.”

“You’re a doctor?” Fade asked, “Do you know what the hell you’re doing?”

“Of course I do!”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Fade pulled the cover away with a quick grasp of his index finger, “Then how come you don’t know the difference between male and female!? Or would you care to explain how I can’t tell the difference?”

Nick’s chest knit together, though blood still intermingled with healing liquid along the incision. Injection tubes penetrated her sides. A few removed themselves automatically, a sign that the computer judged an area to be completely restored. In some places along the fissure line, the skin was already smooth, taut, and free of scarring.

Ray threw the covers back over the machine, “You’re the idiot. That’s a man in this chamber.”

“Not quite what I learned about male anatomy, but you’re the doctor. Anyhow, those wounds must have been nasty.”

Corporal Jackson whispered, “They were. I’m begging you to have some civility, and possibly tact. That young man could be in great trouble if someone has a big mouth. You do understand, right?”

“Is Lieutenant Soel a womanizer?”

“The worst kind,” whispered the corporal, “He pays to torture prostitutes.”

“He does what now!? Is that supposed to make me feel comfortable about the rest of my crew.”

“He won’t try anything with them. Karen Howards is reputable reporter, the daughter of Senator Hal Howards the II, no less. He’ll want to a keep a good reputation, so he’ll treat her with respect. Though I’d hate to think how he might try to humiliate that other girl if she wasn’t part of your crew.”

“She is part of my crew, she’s a Sergeant on my cruiser. I’m going to check on her and the reporter, and take them their uniforms.”

“You don’t have permission to do that.”

“Did I ask for permission? No, I don’t believe I did.”

“Don’t be foolish!”

“Don’t tell me what to be,” Fade took the folded uniforms and left via the stairs, even though he had no idea where to go.

Bert woke up and retrieved one of his cigarettes, puffing nervously. He twisted a filter. Smoke filled his lungs before he blew a long stream from his nostrils in front of the ‘No Smoking’ sign.

“Sounds like he’s serious, doesn’t he?”

-----

The dressing room was an ellipse of gray lockers. Red and yellow panels that hung inside the walls provided dingy lighting. Destiny and Karen stepped cautiously from the cleansing chambers that worked with a combination of forced air and lasers.

“Funny, I feel clean, but not at all relaxed. I’m too exposed in there," Destiny said, “They better not have any hidden cameras.”

“Those chambers clean the skin, but they can’t cleanse the soul like warm soapy water. I was hoping for regular showers, but this is a military ship after all.”

They found a bench and sat down.

“I don’t even see robes,” Karen said, “What if someone walks in on us?”

Destiny turned a deep red, “I’ll kill him with my own bare hands!”

-----

“How long do I have to wait?” Fade asked.

“We don’t have any clothing for them, but Private Somsa should be here with some blankets within the next ten minutes.”

“I have their spare uniforms, let me throw them in.”

Private Somsa approached the men with a cardboard box. He pulled out a few tiny plastic bikinis, an undershirt cut excessively short, and a tiny pair of legless shorts.

“Hey Keith, look at the clothing I found under one of the mattresses. There’s a bunch of great stuff in here. I hear those two are well put together, so I think I’ll give them this and tell ‘em it’s all we have.”

Fade clenched his fist. Another guard tried to warn Somsa to shut up with hand motions, but the warning was too late. Without even looking at the approaching soldier, Fade sent him to the floor with one punch. A small puddle of blood issued from the man’s nose as he lay prone.

“Sergeant Payson, Karen Howards. You two in there?” Fade yelled inside the locker room.

“Don’t you dare come back here!” Destiny yelled, curling her body on the bench, “I’ll never forgive you, and I mean it.”

“I have clean uniforms.”

“Throw them to us,” Karen said, “Do you have any underwear?”

Fade put the uniforms in Private Somsa’s box and slid them through the door.

“No, but there’s a few gifts from your guards in that box.”

He found a comfortable spot to lean until the girls emerged from the locker room. Destiny peered outside first, leaning inquiringly as she peeked around the corner. Once she spotted Fade, she charged forward to slap him.

“You total jerk! I’ve been almost naked for the past two hours! They kept telling us they had no clothes. What a total load of crap!”

Her arms wrapped around his chest and arms tightly, restricting him in an embrace. The top of her head almost met his lips. Her soft brown hair smelled clean. She pulled herself away quickly, holding his arms.

“I’m glad you’re not hurt.”

“Hey, you’re pretty clean!” Fade said.

“We were told to go to the cleaning chambers. Then when we were done, we had to sit in the locker room for almost an hour,” Destiny tugged Fade’s sleeves. “And it’s a men’s locker room. Apparently the Buldethians don’t let women crew vessels. Do you realize anything could’ve happened in there!? Why didn’t you get here sooner? Not for me, or anything, I could have handled the situation on my own, but what about Karen? She’s the fragile type.”

“Hey! What is that even supposed to mean?”

“Now, I’m sure your guard wasn’t keeping watch for nothing,” Fade said.

Karen frowned, “They could have given us a uniform, at least.”

“They said it was a supply shortage, and I overslept, sorry,” Fade was glad he threw that punch, “Let’s get back to the infirmary and take a rest.”