| |
FLUPPIT SAT WITH SARI while the leaders huddled. Many ideas were thrashed out, but the strongest theme from the discussions was the same—they needed to plod on and get to the other side. Any alternative route would take spans of detour from where they’d reached, time that OneLove could not afford. One other possibility was mooted and as quickly dismissed. They could have a stripped down, rapid task group to rush to the Sanctuary, but with the likelihood of walking straight into open conflict on the other side of the bubble, Ash-ka was in no way keen to consider that as an option. In the end, because so many of the Sanctuary party were non-combatants, it was decided that pressing on and soon, was the only realistic option.
The challenge that Fluppit and Sha-cha had was they needed to go across twice. There was no way their sedated scout was going back into the bubble conscious. Of the uncomfortable conversations already that span, this was just the next one.
“Look making him unconscious isn’t the issue,” said Sha-cha in prickly tones to Ash-ka. “The issue is that we now need two bearer teams, one to get Sari over there and one to get your scout over and a medic to stay with each. We’re not awash with medics.”
“I can go back,” said Fluppit.
“You are only a ff-uf,” said Ash-ka.
Fluppit presumed he meant pup. “I can do this. Sha-cha and I are the only real medics here and she needs to stay with Sari. If we don’t keep her safe and well, this mission is over anyway. I can go back and get the scout and bring him over.”
“Vhat iff he vakess up haff-way ov-er?”
Fluppit, for all her feeling capable, did not have an answer for that.
Sha-cha sighed, “I can sedate him some more, but once he’s unconscious, it’s dangerous to give him any more of this stuff,” she shook the bottle for emphasis. Fluppit growled with frustration. “I know you want to help but—”
“I can take the bottle.”
“You don’t know how much to give,” Sha-cha sounded hesitant.
“Find me a smaller bottle and pour me out a maximum dose.”
They all stopped at that. “That’s not a bad plan,” said Sha-cha. She turned to get some confirmation from Ash-ka, but his ear had been taken by another scout reporting in.
“Our ti-ne is u-ff,” he said. “Thh-ere iss ffighting in the corridor ahead. We all go. Now. I need to go in ff-ront, co-ordinate our defenssess the othher side.” He raised his voice, “All offf you, “Nos-se to tthhe ground, ff-ollow your nos-se.”“
And that was the end of the discussion. There wasn’t even time to decant sedative from one bottle to another. When Fluppit asked, Sha-cha said, “Worry about that later we’ve got to move. We need to leave guards with him for now, he’s out. Let’s get Sari across while we can.”
Ahead of them the chamber waited in pregnant silence. There were two soldiers doing the bearing, it being deemed that the job of transporting Sari was too important to be left to one of the mass of porters with their column. Behind them they could hear muttering from the next team of bearers. One of them was talking in low tones to the sedated scout on the stretcher.
“Go,” said the scout holding the door.
Fluppit concentrated on chattering to Sari, who despite all the chaos, remained asleep. The stretcher and its retinue were squeezed through the deep doorway. The guard closed it behind them with a faint hiss. That seemed final. The space was massive above them and it was everything Fluppit could do to keep focus on holding Sari’s hand instead of tilting her head up. She heard a squeak from the guard behind her, which prompted the guard in front to bark, “Nose to the ground, soldier!” She felt him grip the stretcher more firmly. “Let’s go,” insisted the more senior guard in front, and they picked the pace up to as fast a walk as was possible with the extra weight.
“Not too fast, you’ll shake the patient,” said Sha-cha.
“Let us in!” shouted the senior guard. They felt the pressure drop in the chamber as the door ahead of them opened.
Fluppit could Air-sense their destination door was twenty longstrides ahead. The problem was that every time she focused her mind away from Sari’s hand in hers, the temptation to find out what was above her became almost overwhelming. “Hey, Fluppit, stay with us!” Sha-cha said.
“Yea-hh,” she replied.
“Fluppit? Fluppit!” shouted Sha-cha. “Shreds.”
But it was too late. Fluppit’s head was craned back and her mouth was open. The universe had entered her mind.
