Haven 4 AVOW - Sandra R Neeley Page 0,29

me with anything you feel can’t wait the few minutes until I return.”

“Yes, General,” several of his higher ranking crew answered at once.

His crew was highly adept at their own particular jobs and ran as a well-oiled machine. He was usually there to oversee them, but they could operate without him for short periods of time. He was always only a com away regardless. He threw another glance at the vid-screen and assured that Re’Vahl had things on the docking bay well in hand, then he left the Command Deck with a reminder to his crew. He held his tablet up as he walked through the doors and spoke over his shoulder without looking back, reaffirming they’d know to com him if he was needed. “I’m on standby if needed!”

~~~

Synclare walked into medical a little more nervous than she’d been the first time she’d come in for her treatment. It was a simple process really; she received several injections, and then she went home and waited for her ovum to be produced. The injection was nothing at all to endure, in fact, it was pretty much painless, just a tiny sting. But the aftereffects were horrible. She suffered with nausea, headaches, cramping, her body shivering and cold. She’d always had Lo'San to take her home and tuck her into bed, but this time, she’d insisted he tend to his duties, she could handle it alone. She wanted to be strong for him, not a constantly needy female.

“Synclare,” Doc said as she entered his domain. “Welcome. Shall we begin?” he asked.

Synclare took a deep breath. “Yes. I’m ready.”

“Do you have more of the medications I prescribed for the aftereffects at home, or need I give you more?” he asked, as he escorted her to one of the examination rooms.

“I have enough for today, but maybe you could send a little more home with me just in case,” she suggested, knowing that each of the last three times the effects had gotten progressively worse.

“Of course,” Doc answered.

He held her hand as she walked up the set of three, small, metallic steps that enabled her to sit on the examination bed. In order to make her more comfortable, he’d lined the examination table with a pad and a sheet to give it a bit more softness as opposed to the simple table the warriors were accustomed to.

“Now, if you’ll lie back, I’ll take the samples we need, and then before you go we’ll administer your next injection.”

Synclare nodded and began to lie back just as someone knocked on the door.

“This room is occupied!” Doc said, raising his voice to convey his irritation.

“Sink Lar?” Lo’San’s voice called.

“In here,” Synclare called back.

The door opened and Lo'San stepped through smiling broadly at his Sink Lar. He loved her so much it hurt sometimes.

“Aren’t you supposed to be on duty?” Synclare asked, secretly thrilled that he’d come to be with her though she’d told him he didn’t need to.

“I am on duty,” he said, holding up his tablet before setting it on the one chair in the room and walking over to her. He took her hand in his and leaned over to kiss her lips.

“I’m happy you’re here,” she confessed as Doc raised the supports that allowed for her legs to be elevated while he took the vaginal swab he used, along with blood samples to check for hormonal levels that indicated she was ovulating.

“Always beside you,” he said, smiling down at her. Lo'San did his best to ignore the fact that the healer was viewing a part of his female that should not ever be viewed by anyone but him. Despite the fact that he understood the male was a male of medicine and was attempting to help them conceive, he couldn’t stop the slight rumble that slipped from his chest.

“I’m merely performing a medical procedure,” Doc said immediately in response to Lo'San’s clear sign of irritation.

“I am aware, Healer. Forgive my natural tendencies,” Lo'San responded, as Doc lowered the supports and returned her legs to the examination table, pulling out the extension of the table to support her legs as they lay relaxed now.

“We need only take a bit of blood for testing, then the injection and you can go,” Doc said, explaining what he was doing. He’d gotten into the habit of doing so even with the warriors he treated for whatever their needs were. He’d started doing so at Sirena Vivian’s request with the females he treated, and found the warriors liked