on.
The doctor pulled out a small data pad and seemed to read from it. Then he looked up. “There was no severe damage to your body picked up on the scans we took, but the handhelds aren’t as reliable as full med beds. We’ll run a more thorough one and set up a pelvic examination to collect evidence once we dock with Defcon Red. An emotional trauma councilor will be in attendance. The one assigned to you will also serve as your legal advocate to begin criminal filings against the Veslor. Justice will be served. Rest assured of that.”
Darla replayed what he said a few times, attempting to make sense of it. Some of his words concerned her. “What criminal filings? Justice? What are you talking about?”
He shifted his stance. “We will provide all evidence of your attack by the Veslor to your advocate. The fleet will of course compensate you for the trauma you’ve endured, your job is secure, and the perpetrator will pay for what he’s done.”
She knew her mouth hung open. But Darla had become so mad, it was hard to form words. Until they burst out of her in a rush. “Gnaw didn’t attack me. There will be no criminal anything!”
He frowned so hard, deep lines appeared around his mouth, eyes, and forehead. “There is no shame associated with sexual assault. None of this was your fault. The emotional trauma councilor will reinforce that for you, once you’ve talked to him or her. Please remain calm, Miss Mitt.”
“Do you have dirt in your ears? Listen to me. There was no sexual assault. Gnaw didn’t make me do anything. You can just get it right out of your head that he’s any kind of criminal.”
“Miss Mitt, please stop hissing at me. I apologize for broaching the subject. I’m not a trauma councilor. I thought my assurances would be comforting at this time. Obviously, you’re not ready to discuss what happened to you.”
She lifted her legs, flinched over the pain caused by her injured thigh, and twisted enough to sit on the side of the mobile bed. “Shake out the dirt to clear your ears,” she ordered. “You still aren’t listening! Gnaw didn’t hurt me. There will be no talk of criminal charges. The only ones you should arrest are the Elth!”
Her fellow shuttle abductee, the woman with black and blue hair and mismatched eye colors, rushed toward them from the back of the shuttle. Darla remembered Dr. Brick well. She was the one who’d told the Elth how Veslors couldn’t have babies unless it was with a mate.
“Marcus,” she stated, grabbing him by his arm and turning him toward her. “Walk away.”
“You’re a patient,” he spat. “Go sit back down, Jessa.”
“Your job isn’t to upset her more. And that’s what you seem to be doing. Walk away. I’m making her my patient as of this second. You’re relieved of duty for her.”
“You can’t do that.”
“I’m the A.R.S. This involves a Veslor. I’m pulling rank.”
“That’s bullshit!”
“It’s fact. Walk away, damn it, or I’ll file a report.”
He looked furious but stalked away, going to tend to another patient.
Darla stared at Dr. Brick, once again amazed that her bright blue hair streaks were the identical color of one of her eyes. “What’s an A.R.S.?”
Dr. Brick stepped closer and lowered her voice. “You’ve heard of specialists, right? Like cardiologists? Heart doctors? Well, in space, while dealing with foreign plants, animals and sentient lifeforms, shit can happen. I’m a fully licensed medical physician who specializes in alien matters. It’s my job to figure out how to treat a human if they catch some virus, disease, or have an allergic reaction to things that aren’t Earth based. A.R.S. stands for Alien Research Specialist. They aren’t kidding about the research part. I’m always having to learn new things every time we encounter something or someone that isn’t already in our medical database.”
“That sounds like a hard job. Thank you for making him leave me alone. That doctor wasn’t listening to me.”
Dr. Brick glanced around, before looking at her again. She kept her voice low. “Some people are always going to hold prejudices against aliens. I don’t. A lot of the women we were locked up with assumed you were taken away to be raped by the Veslor. It’s what they’ve reported to the tactical teams. Obviously, Marcus believes that as well, considering you’re only wearing a shirt.
“Now, anything you say to me is confidential, as your doctor. I will not repeat anything without your