The women from Calyx were so small compared to the women from the other planets where his people had initiated Grab schemes. On the Valiant, they had run into problems with medical care because of pharmaceutical formulations. As far as he knew, those issues had been resolved.
But their differences in size made him a little nervous. Vicious had been frank and honest when Venom had worked up the courage to inquire about how things worked behind closed doors. The general had assured him that with a little patience and a hell of a lot of foreplay things went beautifully.
Venom glanced at Dizzy again. She deserved a tender introduction to the pleasures to be found in his bed. Though he preferred to be in total control in the bedroom, he would be willing to hand her the reins for their first few weeks together. That meant keeping the door to the playroom locked. One look at the ropes and cuffs and she would probably have a panic attack. He wanted a happy wife, not one who fled every time he walked through the front door.
Her nervous gaze jumped around the ship’s interior. Wanting to ease her anxiety, he reached for her hand. He had taken off his gloves and tucked them into his jacket while she was being checked by the medics. Feeling her silky skin beneath his rough fingertips made the simple action of grasping her hand feel so intimate.
“The display mounted up there tells us how long we have until liftoff.” He pointed to the screen in question. “Since this is your first time flying and going into space, you’ll probably want to stop drinking that water now.” He eyed the half-empty bottle. “Your stomach is likely to rebel.”
Her eyebrows arched. “Is ascending that rough?”
He shook his head. “Not in these transport ships but your body isn’t used to the extreme forces. There will be a few minutes of discomfort as we climb higher and higher. When we bust through the upper atmosphere you’ll experience ten or twenty seconds of weightlessness before the gravity boosters kick online. If you get sick grab one of these.” He gestured to the puke bags tucked into the overhead compartments. “Once we’re in flight our pilot Zephyr will probably open the observation window. You might like the view.”
Instead of fright on her face, he saw only curiosity. “It must be amazing to see the things you’ve seen and to experience the things you’ve experienced.”
He started to tell her that she wouldn’t like to relive most of the awful things he had seen during his career but he stopped himself. She had probably never traveled farther than the woods where she had been Grabbed. He’d crossed the galaxy and visited dozens of different worlds, some beautifully lush and tropical and others frighteningly cold and harsh. He had seen alien life forms with his two human eyes that she likely had never even seen in books.
“Now that you’re mine, you’re going to experience all sorts of amazing and wild things.”
A coy smile played upon her mouth. “Is that a come-on or a promise?”
He chuckled at her teasing. “Both.”
The screen blinked with a one-minute warning. A member of the flight crew walked up and down the aisles checking seat belts and ensuring that anything that might go flying during weightlessness had been secured. The crewman tapped a button to alert the pilots things were a-okay and took his seat.
Beside him Dizzy gripped the arm of her chair and his hand. She put on a brave face but he sensed the prospect of rocketing off her planet’s surface into the great unknown with a stranger might have finally hit her. The sounds of sniffling and muffled sobs met his ears as other women began to cry. Whether it was from the fear of flying or the stress of their new situations he couldn’t say. Either way his heart ached for them.
Sure, he looked like a mean bastard but like most men of his race, he had a serious soft spot when it came to women. Harcos men tended to breed sons more than daughters, even when mixing with other human races from around the galaxy. Females were few enough that they were considered precious. From birth Harcos men were taught to respect and honor and protect them.
The screen blinked yellow and then red before turning bright green. Dizzy’s fingers tightened around his. He caught her gaze and shot her a reassuring smile as the transport ship rose slowly and vertically. As it gained speed it tilted until the front of the vehicle pointed toward the sky. The ship rattled harder and harder as the vibrations from their fast ascent shuddered through it.
With her head firmly against the seatback, Dizzy clamped her eyes shut. He watched her face for any signs of trouble. When she grimaced his gut clenched with worry. She lifted a hand to her left ear and began to rub the spot.
“Swallow,” he urged. “It will help your ears pop.”
“It’s not that.” Her voice was barely audible over the rushing burn of the thrusters shoving them higher and higher into the atmosphere.
She ripped her other hand free from his and massaged both ears. He noticed the way she swallowed rapidly, her throat moving in rhythmic bursts as she tried to lessen the pain that was surely stabbing at her brain. Feeling useless, he rubbed her thigh through the heated blanket. “It will only be a few more minutes.”
When her hand moved to her throat and her eyes flew open in a panic, he reacted without hesitation. Grabbing one of the sick bags, he flicked it open and shoved it to her mouth. She wasn’t the only woman making use of one. The terrible sounds of sick women filled the cabin. It wasn’t the most romantic start for the new couples.
As she retched into the bag Venom glanced toward the opposite seats where one of the medics now sat. He caught the man’s eye. The medic nodded and pointed to the sign. Venom read his silent message clearly. As soon as they were in space, he’d come check on Dizzy.
Eventually Dizzy pushed away the bag. He secured the top and tucked it into the refuse slot in the overhead compartment before grabbing a wet wipe. As he dabbed at her mouth she continued to rub her ears and grimace. The expression on her face told him she was in an immense amount of pain.
An uncommon amount of pain, he realized with a thud. Something wasn’t quite right. Glancing at the medic, he noticed the man wore a concerned look. They both checked the screen. Any second now, they would lose gravity. It would be another minute or two before Dizzy could get any medical attention.
But when the moment of weightlessness occurred, Dizzy’s eyes rolled back in her head and she went totally slack. The tight seat belt harness caught her full weight as she slumped forward.
“Dizzy!” Venom slid his arm under her sagging body and lifted her into a sitting position. Totally unconscious, she didn’t respond. Panic seized him. “Dizzy!”
Floating with finesse, the medic had disregarded the sign and swam through the air. He gripped the bar lining the ceiling as the gravity sign began to blink. He caught his full weight and swung his feet for a soft landing.
The moment they regained gravity, Venom was out of his seat belt. “What’s wrong with her?”
“That’s what we’re going to find out, Captain.” Exceedingly calm, the medic called for backup. Still unconscious, Dizzy was carefully taken out of her seat and placed on a stretcher. Venom followed the medics as they carted her to the small exam-and-treatment area off the main cabin. He knew better than to ask stupid questions or get in the way of the medics. Standing back, he chewed his thumb and watched the men assess her.
For a brief moment, she opened her eyes and struggled against the straps holding her onto the exam table. Venom stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder. “Sugar, it’s okay. Be still. Let them help you.”
One of the medics flashed a light in her eyes. That was when Venom noticed her eyes were literally jumping as they tracked the movement of the light beam. He had never seen anything like it.
“Hit her with a sedative and an antiemetic.” The lead medic gave his order and then turned to Venom. “It’s vertigo but I suspect there are other complications we can’t see. She needs a full scan.” He touched the scars under her collar. “Any idea what this is?”
“She said she was in the embassy bombing.”
“Shit.” The medic punched the video communication link. “I need to speak to the captain.”
A moment later Zephyr’s face appeared on the screen. “What’s wrong? They’re telling me one of the brides is sick.”
“Affirmative. How close is the Mercy?”
“Not close enough,” Zeph replied. “They pulled the medical installation out of its lower orbit for repairs and maintenance. The Valiant and her medical bay are closer but it’s going to be two hours at least. I’ll ask for emergency clearance for docking but it could be three hours if we don’t get it. Do I need to radio for a dart?”
Venom’s chest tightened. The darts were small, incredibly fast spacecraft used for immediate evacuations of critically ill patients.
“Negative,” the medic replied. “Her vital signs are good. We’ll keep her sedated. She has a stable airway. I would have preferred a quick transport to the Mercy but it’s not serious enough for a dart crew.”
“Keep me updated.”
“Will do, Captain.” The medic tapped the screen and shot Venom an apologetic look. “Hope you didn’t have big plans for your honeymoon.”