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White, James – Sector General 07 – Code Blue Emergency

said, “I know how you feel, friend Chiang. And we are not wasting our time.

Would you refuse us, a Melfan and a Cinrusskin who are both keen to enlarge our

other-species experience, the opportunity of tinkering with an Earth-human, even

a perfectly healthy one?”

“I suppose not,” Chiang said. It made another soft, barking sound and added,

“But you would have found it more interesting if you’d seen me after the crash.”

The empath returned to the ceiling. To the Melfan it said, “What is your

assessment, friend Edanelt?”

“The work is not as I would have performed it,” the Melfan replied, “but it is

adequate.”

“Friend Edanelt,” the empath said gently, with a briefglance in the direction of

the gallery, “we are all aware, with the exception of the newest member of our

staff, that you consider as merely adequate the kind of surgery which Conway

himself would describe as exemplary. It would be interesting to discuss the pre-

and postoperative history.”

“That was my thought as well,” the Melfan said. There was a rapid, irregular

tapping of its six boney feet, and it turned to face the observation gallery.

“Will you join us, please.”

Quickly Cha Thrat disentangled herself from the alien chair and followed Danalta

into the ward and across to the group at the table, aware that it was now her

turn to undergo an even more searching examination, one that would establish her

professional rather than her physical fitness to practice in Sector General.

The prospect must have worried her more than she realized because the empath was

beginning to tremble again. And it was disconcerting, even frightening, to be so

close to the Cinrusskin. On Sommaradva, large insects were to be avoided because

they invariably possessed lethal stings. Her instincts told her to swat or run

away from this one. She had hated insects and always avoided looking closely at

them. Now she had no choice.

But there was a subtle visual attraction in the intricate symmetry of the

extraordinarily fragile body and trembling limbs, whose dark sheen seemed to be

reflecting colors that were not present in the room. The head was an alien,

convoluted eggshell, so finely structured that the sensory and manipulatory

organs that it supported seemed ready to fall off at the first sudden movement.

But it was the complex structure and coloration of the partially folded wings,

seemingly made of iridescent gossamer stretched across a framework of impossibly

thin twigs, that made her realize that, alien or not, this insectwas one of the

most beautiful creatures she had ever-seen—and she couid see it very clearly

because its limbs] were no longer trembling.

“Thank you again, Cha Thrat,” the empath said. “Youi learn quickly. And don’t

worry. We are your friends and| are wishing for your success.”

,_Edaneit’s feet were making irregular clicking noises

against the floor, a sound that might possibly be indicating impatience. It

said, “Please present your patient,1 Doctor.”

For a moment she looked down at the Earth-human,: at the pink, oddly formed

alien body that, as a result of the accident, had become so familiar to her. She

remembered how it had looked when she first saw it: the bleeding, open wounds

and the fractured, protruding bones; the general condition that strongly

indicated the immediate use of comforting medication until casualty termination.

Even now she could not find the words to explain why she had not ended this

Earth-human’s life. She looked up again at the Cinrusskin.

Prilicla did not speak, but she felt as if waves of reassurance and

encouragement were emanating from the little empath. That was a ridiculous idea,

of course, and probably the result of wishful and not very lucid thinking, but

she felt comforted nonetheless.

“This patient,” Cha Thrat said calmly, “was one of three occupants of an

aircraft that crashed into a mountain lake. A Sommaradvan pilot and another

Earth-human were taken from the wreck before it sank, but they were already

dead. The patient was taken ashore and looked at by a healer who was

insufficiently qualified, and, knowing that I was spending a recreation period

in the area, he sent for me.

“The patient had sustained many incised and lacerated wounds to the limbs and

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Categories: White, James
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