There was a moment’s silence, then the empath said, “I wider-stand, friend
Conway. But have you considered the fact that your suggestion will mean three
members of the medical team being on Rhabwar for a lengthy period and only one,
yourself, on the surface where medical assistance is most urgently needed? I
.am sure that, with the aid of the Casualty Deck’s handling devices and the
assistance of friends Haslam and Chen, I can cope with these patients.”
It was possible that Prilicla could cope with the patients provided they
remained unconscious. But if they came to suddenly and reacted instinctively to
their strange and, to them, perhaps frightening surroundings, and to the giant
but incredibly fragile insect medic hovering over them, Conway shuddered to
think of what might happen to the empath’s eggshell body and pipestem limbs.
Before he could reply, Prilicla was speaking again. .
“I am beyond the range of your emotional radiation, of course,” the empath said,
“but from long contact with the both of you I know of the strength of the
emotional bond between friend Murchison and yourself. This, taking into account
the strong possibility that there is a very dangerous life-form loose down
there, is undoubtedly a factor in your decision to send her to the safety of the
ship. But perhaps friend Murchison would suffer less emotional discomfort if she
remained with you.”
Murchison looked up from the casualty she was attending. “Is that what you were
thinking?”
“No,” Conway lied.
She laughed and said, “You heard that, Prilicla? He is a Person utterly lacking
in consideration and sensitivity. I should have married someone like you.”
“I am highly complimented, friend Murchison,” the empath Said. “But you have too
few legs.”
There was the sound of Fletcher clearing his throat disapprovingly at this
sudden and unseemly levity, but the Captain
did
not speak. He could no doubt appreciate as well as any of the need to relieve
fear tensions.
“Very well,” Con way said. “Pathologist Murchison will remain with her feet, and
too few legs, on Trugdil. Doctor Prilicla, you will keep Charge Nurse Naydrad
with you, since it will obviously be of greater assistance in preparing and
presenting the casualties for examination and treatment than would the Engineer
and Communications officer. Haslam or Dodds can return with the litter and
medical supplies which we will specify later. Questions?”
“No questions, friend Conway,” Prilicla said. “The lander is docking now.”
Murchison and Conway returned their full attention to the casualties. The
Captain was examining the hull of the wreck. They could hear him tapping at the
outer skin and making the metallic scraping noises characteristic of magnetic
sound sensors being moved across the surfaces. The wind kept changing direction
so that the casualties in the shadow of the outcropping were sheltered only from
the sun and not the wind-driven sand.
From Rhabwar Haslam reported that the area was being affected by a small, local
sandstorm which should clear before the lander returned in half an hour. He
added reassuringly that nothing was moving in the area except themselves and
several patches of ambulating thorn bushes, which would lose -a race against a
debilitated tortoise.
All but three of the casualties had been moved to the outcropping, and while
Conway was bringing them in the pathologist was protecting the others from the
wind and sand by loosely wrapping them in transparent plastic sheets after first
attaching a small oxygen cylinder to each survivor. The tanks released a metered
quantity of gas calculated to satisfy the metabolic requirements of the entity
concerned. They had decided that encasing the casualties in makeshift oxygen
tents could do no harm since the pure oxygen would assist the weak respiration
and aid in the healing of the wounds, but with a completely new life-form one
could never be sure of anything. Certainly the treatment showed no sign of
returning any of the casualties to consciousness.
“The uniformly deep level of unconsciousness bothers me,” Murchison said as
Conway returned carrying, with difficulty, one of the large aliens they had
classified as DCOJ. “The level
does not bear any relation to the number or severity of the wounds. Could they
be in a state of hibernation?”