She shuddered, her eyes opening to slits. She gasped for air, finding it difficult and agonizing. Her hand clenched involuntarily, and she heard something go crunch. A shout of surprise, and she briefly saw someone moving around her... hands touching... she fell into unconsciousness.

  "-an sh-... cryo sleep?"

  "N-... urgury. We-...l injuries of-... y"

  "... Xerxes al-... Slips-... Reach."

  "Ay capt-..."

  She fell into unconsciousness.

  Her world was pain and terror. Not quite dead, not quite alive. She fell into delirious consciousness then into agonizing sleep. Finally, after a bout of agonized hissing, as she couldn't yell, she felt a prick in her neck, and she fell into blissful sleep.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  Reach 2548, Naval hospital 010

  The surgeon in charge of the oncoming major surgical operation involving one Nivka Feirbon reread the details of her injuries and the treatments preformed and still needed.

  The skin on the head was best described as cooked, gone in some places entirely, leaving dead bone and the like in areas. Brain damage occurred, but is treatable. Damage to the lungs is... severe. Second degree with sparse areas of third...

  She will need skull replacements, titanium of course... damage to the lungs is severe but with surgery and light regen, treatable... but permanent damage to the lungs is inevitable. Skin grafts, iron deficiencies... The list continued, listing some temporary and permanent effects.

  He sighed. Shot in the head, suffered internal injuries to abdominal and cranial areas... It was a genuine miracle the ship borne doctors managed to keep her alive...

  He sighed again. And her family was here too.they insisted on knowing what had happened to their daughter. How they found out... was not his problem. But they insisted they be permitted admittance to observe the surgery.

  They were allowed, but he knew it would be ugly. But that wasn't his problem. He looked down on the list of severe injuries, and threw it to the side angrily.

  It was a miracle she was alive, and it wasn't a given she would live anyway. He had seen it before, experienced less injured patients giving out on him... But he swore, as he always did.

  This one wouldn't slip away.