Page 41 of The Alien's Major Dilemma

"Humans call me Cooper," he said.

"What was the name of the marine you came here with."

"Major Marissa Ozark," he answered. The ease with which he was able to slip into the human's mind interested him in the vague part of his brain that wasn't focused on the pain and getting out of the cell.

"How many toes are you supposed to have?"

He snorted a laugh. "Eight, I watched them take three. Pretty sure I felt them take more than that."

"I'm guessing you can't walk."

"Not like this," Cooper admitted. "You should be able to use a knife on the straps. Worst case you can cut my feet off at my ankles and I'll recover but I'd rather not lose that much blood."

The marine standing guard swallowed hard and shook his head.

"Marissa would shoot me," the marine working on his ankle restraints said. "She's not going to be happy about what I have to do to transport you, anyway."

Cooper shook his head. "Unless you're going outside of procedure, she'll understand. We talked about it."

The marine pulled the chair restraints off of him and put the restraints they used on before trying to lift him over their shoulders. Cooper could tell it was a struggle but he didn't have the energy to offer to walk.

"You're going to want to pay the insurance on that one," he said, as they exited the cell. "You didn't hit the brain."

After a brief hesitation, they sent another bullet into the body to make sure it didn't get up and the pressure at the edge of his consciousness of another mind faded away.

The rush through the cave city was longer than he'd hoped and uncomfortable. Not just because he was being carried in a way that was meant more for speed than comfort, though that didn't help. When they left the city through the holes that had been blown in the walls rather than any of the tunnels he knew existed, he knew they had to have help planning this rescue.

The tunnels went from dimly lit, mostly by the bouncing lights they were carrying, to pitch black and Cooper could smell the change in the air from the space ship. It didn't match anything he'd encountered before and the sudden flash of light knocked his senses out before he could get a good look at the outside.

"Is that the guy?" someone asked as they got to the top of the ramp.

"Yes, sir," the marine carrying him said. "They weren't exactly treating him like a guest."

"Does he need the Doc?"

"I can survive until we get to the base," Cooper said. "Not much you can do for me that can't wait until then."

"Can you walk?" The officer stepped into his line of sight and bent down to look him in the face. Cooper nodded.

"I can shuffle," he said. "I just couldn't run and you needed to be out of there in a hurry."

"Alright," the officer said, straightening. "Take him to the hold. Doc, get the blood cleaned off him, at least."

Cooper winced as they put him on his feet. The marine who had been carrying him held his arm until he'd gotten his balance enough to move.

"Make sure Marissa's okay before you deal with me," he said. "I'm a bit sturdier than you humans."

"She got here first," Doc said. "I've already got her squared away so let's get you where we can keep you from dripping on the floor."

"You sure you want to?" Cooper asked as they started down the corridor to wherever the hold was. "I'll be easier to find if I can leave a trail behind me."

"Bio-hazard," Doc said. "Can't leave something like that for the driver to clean up. He might not give us another ride."

Focused on putting one foot in front of the other, Cooper could feel Marissa trying to reach him but he couldn't respond until they got him to where they were going to hold him.

He was a prisoner, technically, but the cell was much more pleasant than the one in the cave and the marines dealing with him seemed inclined to be friendly. They offered him a bed when the chair proved too much for him but he asked to stay on the floor where he could lay against the cool metal instead. When they were gone and the only person left was the guard on his door, he relaxed into the connection with his mate.

I'm aboard. I'm safe. I don't think they're likely to execute me in the next day or two, he told her.

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