The sprays in the box were clearly marked for precedence, color-coded as well. Calibrations on the cylinders listed dosages according to body weight. Instructions on the first cylinder advised Kai to wait until the sleeper had shown definite signs of revival before stimulants were injected.
Kai carefully released the appropriate dose into Varian’s arm and waited, trying to remember his own progress from cold sleep to consciousness. Her sleeping face exhibited no reassuring change.
Maybe he hadn’t administered enough. He checked the dose and wondered if he’d been mistaken about her body weight. He was hesitating over a second small spray when he saw her eyelids flutter. Only then did he realize that she was respiring at a normal rate.
“Varian?” He leaned over, touching her shoulder and smiling at the effort she made to unglue her eyes. An old tale popped into his head and, so prompted, he kissed her cool lips gently.
“Kkkkaaaaaiiiiii?” Her eyes opened fully and then the lids drooped back but the left corner of her mouth lifted in appreciation.
“Just relax, Varian. You’ll be in working order shortly.”
“Hhhhooooowww?” The word trembled out as an aspirated whisper.
“Tor came. Don’t ask more questions, dear heart. Give the reviver a chance to penetrate. I’m right here. Everything is unchanged!”
“Nnughhh!” The groan came from her belly and made Kai laugh at the disgust vibrant in her protest.
“Well, a Thek bestirred itself on our behalf. It’s got a full report. I taped it,” he explained quickly as he saw Varian’s astonishment. “It is apparently thinking my words over.” Kai gestured to the silent rock. “Don’t move yet,” he cautioned Varian as he saw her neck tendons strain against the long immobility. “I guess I can give you the stimulants now, but don’t bounce. Oh, and your shoulder’s healed,” he added as he gave her the second set of shots. Paskutti had shattered Varian’s left shoulder just before Tardma had snapped his wrist.
Varian’s fully functional eyebrows registered pleased amazement, immediately followed by a frown of thoughtful concern.
“No, I haven’t a clue how long we’ve slept, Varian.” Paskutti damaged the shuttle’s chronometer.
It’s just above the comunit, remember.”
Varian rolled her eyes in frustration and began to clear her throat.
6
Anne McCaffrey – Dinosaur Planet II – The Survivors
“Make haste slowly,” he cautioned her, hand on her shoulder. “Or should I revive Lunzie? …”
Varian shook her head, working her tongue around her mouth as the tissues began to moisten.
“Leaders first … and last …” Her voice sounded as disused as his had, and he repressed a smile.
“If your fingers and toes are beginning to tingle, try the small-muscle exercises of Discipline.
They’ll help circulation and toning.”
Varian took a deep breath and closed her eyes to concentrate.
“I don’t know what Tor’s contemplating, Varian,” Kai went on, “but it can’t repair the comunit.
It doesn’t indicate whether it received our message or realized we weren’t communicating on schedule. The ARCT-10 hasn’t been in touch but Tor doesn’t appear concerned. I can’t tell whether that’s due to normal Thek indifference or not.” Then Kai laughed. “There’s been no contact with the Ryxi.”
Varian’s chuckle sounded completely normal and he grinned down at her. Her eyes were twinkling with laughter.
“In old tapes,” she said, chewing her words out of her mouth slowly, on my planet, sleeping beauty is wakened by a noble’s kiss after a hundred years. Sweet way to wake up.
She raised her hand and touched his mouth with her fingers.
“And I’d give anything to know if it was a hundred years!” Kai replied, taking her fingers in his hand and kissing them in what he considered an appropriate fashion. He continued to hold onto her hand as a thought came to him. “We might have one quick way of finding out. Step out of this cave and let the golden fliers have a good look at us. If the giffs react, we can’t have slept that long.”
“Don’t know the life span of giffs.”
Kai shot a glance at the quiescent Thek. “I experience an earnest desire to be recognized by something that remembers me,” and he prodded his chest with a fist, “besides that rock!”