I watched as Nyko’s hands curled into tight fists. “Your head?”
“A Hive neural implant taken from a high-ranking Hive Soldier we believed would be able to summon a Nexus Unit.”
“Bait,” he said.
I nodded and was thrilled my head didn’t hurt from the small movement. “Technically, yes. They sensed the implant and followed me into that cave.”
“Kill you.”
I sighed. He’d saved my ass, and we both knew it. “You saved my life, Nyko. No question.”
“No more. No next time.”
I agreed. One hundred and fifty percent. “No more.” With a small groan, I reached up to rub the back of my head where I could still feel the lump and scar from the surgery. Soon, I’d have a new scar, but no lump. And the deadly Hive technology inside me would be gone. “I have to transport back to the I.C.’s headquarters and have the Hive tech removed.”
“Now.”
Doctor Mersan crossed his arms and sat in a chair close to mine, antagonizing Nyko. It worked, if the rumbling that shook my shoulders was any indication of Nyko’s reaction. “I spoke to Doctor Helion. He believes your condition will remain stable as long as you stay away from any Hive activity or broadcasts.” He looked at me then. “I’m clearing you for transport as soon as Doctor Helion sends word that he’s ready for you, which could be any time in the next few days. You need to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice. No more combat patrols. No fighting. You aren’t to leave this ship until he sends for you.”
“Fine.” I hated doctors. Sure, Doctor Moor was nice, but in the end, all they did was hold you up, tell you everything you weren’t allowed to do, and keep you out of the fight while friends went out and got themselves killed.
He stood and opened the door, motioning Doctor Moor to return before looking back at me. “I look forward to your report.”
I smiled, kind of, and I knew it didn’t reach my eyes. Didn’t matter. He was gone, and a much friendlier face waltzed back in. Doctor Moor looked absolutely blissful. Glowing.
“Well, Megan, your time as a Coalition fighter is over. Your two years are complete,” Doctor Moor was talking in a strange, sing-song voice I’d never heard from her before. “And you are now officially retired.”
Wow. That was fast. But I still had to go see Doctor Helion and get this Hive implant out of my head. They would want the tech I’d taken from the dead body as well. “I have one more delivery to make, Doctor.”
Shit. Where was it? My heart raced and I shoved up out of the chair to stand. “Where’s my pack?” It was usually on me like a backpack, but someone must have removed it when they put me in the ReGen pod.
“Relax, Megan. We’ve got it.” The doctor walked a short distance into the other room and I watched as she grabbed it from a shelf built into the wall behind the pod. Once she had my pack, she walked straight back to me. “Here.”
I felt the shape of the helmet within, knew it was exactly what my sacrifice had been about. I could breathe again. “I will deliver this and then I’m done.”
She grabbed my helmet from a shelf and handed it to me. The heavy weight of it was comforting, even though it was only in my hands, and not on my head.
“Did you remove your helmet at the way station?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Don’t do that again. Whatever is inside your head—” I opened my mouth to protest or argue, but she held up her hand to stop me, “—and I don’t need to know exactly what it is.” Her gaze locked on mine and held. “However, if it had anything to do with the Hive, I wouldn’t recommend you take the helmet off again unless you are certain you are well outside their active transmission range.”
I grinned. Medical scans and good instincts. I had to give Doctor Moor credit. She was one smart lady. “Noted.”
All pretense of fun faded and she grabbed my arm. “Megan, listen to me. Whatever was happening to you when you landed on my table, it was an active process. It wasn’t just making you bleed, soldier. It was attacking cells, devouring them, reforming them. You need to get that thing out of your head, and the sooner the better.”
The Hive implant was eating away at my brain? I’d thought it could do something like that, but it had been a joke I’d told myself. What she was saying made it no longer funny. God, I wanted it out of me. Like, yesterday. And suddenly Doctor Helion’s delay felt like a month.
“Thank you, Doctor.” I sighed, looked up at Nyko. “Thank you, Warlord. I…um, wish you luck on your match. I hope that your fever is gone quickly.”