Page 48 of A Cyborg for the Alien Mercenary

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She’d been shot. His mate had been shot.

In the head.

Covak’s heart raced as he all but herded Jesh into the medbay, his eyes fixed on the angry red gash at her temple. The image of the bullet striking her head replayed in his mind, over and over. His own personal nightmare. And it was on loop.

Frexx.

Head shot… even for a cyborg that had to be bad, yet here she was, walking and talking like nothing had happened. It didn’t make sense.

The medbay doors hissed shut behind them, and his nostrils flared at the sharp scent of antiseptic. Normally the familiar scent would be enough to calm him, but not today. The image of her head snapping back filled his mind again and he shuddered. Heneverwanted to see anything like that again as long as he lived.

“This way, sweetheart.” He motioned her toward the second examination bed in the room… the one that wouldn’t trigger her power core and blow them all to space dust.

“We need to get that checked,” he growled, his deep voice tight with worry as he turned her toward him, his hands feeling huge on her delicate shoulders.

She smiled as she hopped onto the table. “Easy there, big guy. I’m tougher than I look.”

He grunted, unconvinced as he grabbed the medical scanner. And nearly dropped it. Frexx, he was shaking so much he almost made an idiot of himself. So much for the experienced mercenary medic, cool calm and collected. Trying to look professional, he flicked the switch on the side to activate it and the device hummed to life.

Her hand shot out, a frown of concern on her face, and he paused.

“Don’t worry, I learned from last time. It’s a passive scanner,” he said. “Surface level only.”

As the readout appeared, he shook his head. Metal beneath skin. Just like at the clinic. But seeing it here, in the familiar surroundings of the medbay, made it all the more real.

“I still can’t believe it,” he muttered. “Your skull… it really isn’t bone. It’s metal.”

She tapped her forehead with a finger. “Solid duerineium,” she said, grinning. “Comes in handy in situations like this.”

He looked down at her. Gone was the confused female looking for answers. In her place sat this confident, deadly soldier who spoke of metal skulls like it was nothing out of the ordinary.

“Metal or not, I need to close this,” he said, reaching for a nearby trolley with medical supplies. He might not know anything about the cybernetic technology that laced her body, but thanks to years patching up his crewmates, he knew all about stitching torn flesh back together.

“I should give you something for the pain,” he said, reaching for an analgesic.

Shaking her head, she put her hand on his to stop him. His skin warmed at her touch. “No need,” she said in a soft voice. “My pain responses are offline.”

“Huh?” He looked at her in confusion. “Offline. What do you mean offline?”

“We can decide whether or not to feel pain. Helps in a battle.” She took a deep breath, her eyes meeting his with an intensity that made his heart skip. “The shot knocked something back into place. My onboard systems, my memories… they’re all back now.”

The air in the medbay thickened as he realized what she was saying. “Your memories? You remember everything… you know who you are?”

Frexx. Was he about to lose her already?

She nodded, relief and something he couldn’t name crossing her features. “Everything. And I have a lot to tell you, Covak. All of you.”

Her words caught the attention of the others. Davis looked up from tending to Mira, his eyes narrowing with interest.

“Hold on, let me open a channel,” Covak said. “So Ryke and Rann can listen in.”

She nodded as he did so and then took another deep breath, her hands clasped tightly in her lap.

“I guess I should start at the beginning,” she said, her voice steady. “There are three of us in this universe. Me, Dael… you call him Zero, and a third onboard from a cyborg called Jex.”

The silence in the room lengthened.

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