Mission: Planet Biter (Veslor Mates #4)(15)

“What does that mean, exactly?” Roth stroked the outside of Vera’s leg through what felt like a sheet as he spoke. “I’m not a medic.”

“We’re going to monitor her closely as we let her body naturally work the drug out of her system. I’m going to agree with Doctor Josie Hazel, and hope she’ll fully recover once that’s happened. You saw how well flushing her with fluids and giving her a sedative worked. She almost coded. That means it nearly stopped her heart. She’s no longer being exposed. I scanned her for a medical implant, but there wasn’t one. I’m having our coroner check all the victims for implants, too, once their bodies have been transferred here. I’m thinking that might be something Doctor Hazel dismissed as harmless. New Worlds is a privately owned company. They probably required all their employees to have them.”

“Implants?” Vera’s alien sounded confused.

“Yes. Think small capsules inserted inside their bodies. Some humans require medications that are time-released to prevent them from missing doses.”

“Birth control,” Vera muttered, inserting herself into their conversation. “I don’t have one. New Worlds asks all employees to have them so no one gets pregnant by accident, but it’s not required if you sign a waiver. I knew I wouldn’t be sleeping with anyone.”

The hand rubbing her leg stilled.

She nuzzled her cheek against his chest. “I’m not stupid. Work romances usually fail, or the guys tend to have someone waiting at home for them that they lie about. Nope. I wanted no part of that. I’ve had friends who did. Saw their heartbreak. I don’t need that shit-show. Life is hard enough.”

Long seconds of silence passed.

“As I was saying,” Dr. Kane cleared her throat, “The tactical teams sent down to the New Worlds facility are still investigating. The water tanks scanned as clean and the air recyclers showed no traces. They’re testing their food stores now. That’s going to take hours. They’ll test―”

“It can’t be the food,” Vera cut in. “I stopped eating everything except what I personally brought with me. I had some chocolate bars and snacks in my locker. No one had access to it. It’s got a bio lock, and I always kept it sealed. People will steal food if they know someone brought really good stuff. I was afraid everything in the company kitchen might be contaminated. I stopped showering and drinking water, too, in case that’s how the drug was getting inside me.”

She paused, trying to think and be helpful. “I had some sodas I brought with me, and rationed them by only taking a sip every once in a while, to make them last. It didn’t help. Nothing did.”

Roth resumed stroking her thigh.

“I feel confident that they’ll discover the source of contamination,” Dr Kane replied. “We’ll figure out what happened down there. Now, I’m going to my office and sending some requests to Brilon for more details on this drug that somehow was illegally produced and set loose.”

“Thank you,” Roth rasped. “I will stay with Vera.”

“Yell out if she needs something. The bed will monitor her vitals. Keep her on it.”

“I will,” Roth agreed.

Vera heard the doctor leave. She wore loud shoes. They faded until she couldn’t detect them anymore.

Roth moved his head, putting his mouth closer to her ear. “How are you, Vera?”

She snuggled into Roth. “Don’t let me go.”

“May we lie down? I will hold you.”

She had to think about that.

“I will hold you,” he repeated softly. “I will not leave you. You need rest.”

“Kay,” she got out.

Her alien was strong. He lifted her and then turned her on her side, away from him. Panic started to hit until he pressed his body along her back, pulling her tight against him.

He bent his legs, molding them against the back of her thighs and calves. She pointed her toes, pressing the heels of her feet against whatever material he wore. Her toes couldn’t find his foot. It meant he must actually be as tall as she’d imagined while hugging him during that decontamination shower. She didn’t really trust her senses to be accurate though.

He rested what she guessed was his chin on the top of her head. “Are you comfortable?”

“Yes. I’d like to turn over and hold on to you though.”

“The bed is narrow. It’s better if I hold you this way to prevent one of us from falling over the edge.”

“You won’t let me go?”

“I will not, Vera. Veslors always keep their promises.”

She’d heard that word before. “Veslors?”

“I’m a Veslor. It’s my race.”

“Right. Didn’t some of them come to the aid of a fleet ship in distress? I saw something about that on the newsfeeds.”

“Yes.”

“Is this the same ship? Did you stay on?”

“No. Those Veslors are traders. I’m a fighter. My grouping is working on Defcon Red right now because our king asked us to assist your fleet. My people and yours have opened trading agreements and made alliances together.”

She closed her eyes, feeling exhausted. “Did New Worlds send you? I work for them.”

“No. The fleet commander diverted Defcon Red to your planet when a distress hail was picked up. We were on our way somewhere else.”