At first glance it was hard to spot any area of Penny's body not black or blue. Yet the woman's first reaction was to pull the sheet over herself to block her pain from view as Kris led the crew into her hospital room.
''Who did this?'' from Kris was overrun by Tom's dash for the bedside and a shout of ''Holy Mother of God.'' He reached out a consoling hand, then yanked it back, afraid any touch would only add to Penny's pain. She let the sheet fall and rested a bandaged hand in Tom's.
''I guess I ran into a bad crowd,'' Penny said through barely moving lips. A cut above her mouth cracked open and began to bleed. Kris took a cotton ball from the bedside table and dabbed at the blood, anger making her hand tremble.
''Hey, Tommy, don't look so pale. I don't feel nearly as bad as I look,'' sounded good, but the wince as she said it robbed the words of consolation.
''Don't talk, honey,'' Tom whispered. ''You don't have to say a word. We're here for you. You just rest.''
As the Lieutenant followed the JG's orders and relaxed against the pillow, her gown fell open, revealing a bruised and stitched breast. Kris pulled the sheet up to cover Penny and turned to face a tight-lipped Jack just as Klaggath entered.
''Who did this?'' she demanded of the cop.
''We can talk better outside,'' the Inspector said.
Kris and Jack left Tom clinging gently to Penny's hand. The door hadn't closed before Kris demanded, ''Talk to us.''
''She was set upon by five or six assailants less than a block from her apartment and dragged into an alley. There were no witnesses other than Penny. She was found unconscious when a man came out to empty his trash. Based on the time lapse between when we dropped her off and her being discovered, I suspect she was unconscious about an hour.''
''How bad is she?'' Jack asked.
''The concussion is the main worry. Her skull is intact, but we don't know how badly scrambled the brain is. She was beat up over most of her body.''
''What did she tell you about her attackers?'' Jack asked.
''They shouted, ‘Wardie scum' and other epithets. It was an attack on her as a representative of her government.''
''Not as a part of our team?''
''Impossible to tell,'' the cop answered the cop.
''She got too close to a Goddamn Longknife,'' Kris whispered.
''Too early to say,'' the Inspector insisted.
''But a safe bet.'' Kris swallowed a dry snicker. ''Inspector, get her out of here. I want her safe in my suite topside.''
''She is safe here,'' he said with firm professionalism.
''You want to bet me tomorrow something won't come up that puts her outside any protection you can arrange?''
Klaggath worried his lower lip. ''This morning I thought I had you all protected.'' He sighed. ''I'll talk to the Doctor.''
''I'll talk to Penny,'' Kris said. In the room, Tom was carefully stroking Penny's hair. ''Penny, you mind if we check you out of here? I want my team close.''
''If it wouldn't be too much trouble, Your Highness, I'd kind of like to be close to Tom.''
''I think that can be arranged,'' Kris said, giving both her friends the encouraging smile they wanted from her and backing out of their space. She found Klaggath down the hall, arguing with two white-coated women.
''We need to keep her under observation,'' one said.
''She's had a very rough night,'' put in the other.
''That's rather obvious,'' Kris said dryly. ''Klaggath, can you arrange for a full-time nurse?''
''Already have one on call. She'll meet us at the elevator.''
Kris turned on the two docs and put on her best royal smile. ''Lieutenant Pasley wants to check out. We have made arrangements for her care out of the Hilton on High Turantic.''
The older Doctor pursed her lips in indecision. ''She needs full-time care.''
''We will provide it.''
''She's been badly beaten,'' the other pointed out.
''The Navy takes care of its own,'' Kris said flatly.
''Didn't do so good this evening,'' the younger said.
''We won't make that mistake twice,'' Kris said, glancing at Klaggath. The Inspector nodded.
''If she wants out, we can't keep her,'' the older doc finally agreed. ''We'll get her a few days' meds from the pharmacy and some instructions on care. She shows any change in her condition, and you get her to a doc immediately.''
''That we will do,'' Kris agreed.
An hour later, with Penny in a wheelchair and Tom pushing her and reacting to any sudden intake of breath as if it hurt him twice as much, they made their escape. Klaggath had not only the regular detail but uniformed cops as well checking every avenue.
They made it back to the Hilton with only one distraction. Ambassador Middenmite called to decry missing Kris on the presidential yacht that morning and to ask her to make up for all the connections she had missed, hands she'd failed to shake, and pecks on the cheek she'd dodged by showing up at a ball tomorrow. The guy was completely clueless. ''Yes, I'll be there,'' Kris snapped to end the call.
In the suite, the nurse took over caring for Penny, though Abby seemed just as able and better supplied from her trunks than the nurse was from her traveling bag. They settled Penny in Tom's room with him and the nurse doing a full vigil. Tom's eyes never left Penny; she kept a hand on him. And Kris knew she was giving them what they longed for, the closeness that would form a bond with forever written all over it. Looks like another bridesmaid dress in my future. Kris sighed. I should have told Tom. What? That I love him? Do I? Did I? Does it matter now?
Kris slipped away to her bedroom like a good friend and turned out the light. Kris left a wake-up call with Nelly for five a. m., lay on her back, and tried to ignore the day.
Chapter 14
Kris was late for something: class or a rally or duty. She raced down a long hallway trying every door she came to. Some were locked. Others opened. There was Eddy or Mother or Father or Grampa Trouble, each mad at her for interrupting them, not doing what she was supposed to do. She ran, trying more doors. She had to find Nelly. Nelly was important. Nelly and…
ITS FIVE, DO YOU WANT TO WAKE UP? Nelly asked quietly.
Kris lay in bed, sweating as her heart slowed to merely pounding. NELLY, DID YOU DO THAT?
D0 WHAT?
MAKE ME DREAM LIKE THAT?
i DO NOT THINK SO.
Kris heard the reply and the ambiguity in it. NELLY, HAVE YOU BEEN MESSING… NO, DOING ANY TESTING ON THE CHIP AUNTIE TRU ADDED TO YOU?
YES.
i TOLD YOU NOT TO.
YOU TOLD ME THAT YOU COULD NOT RISK ME FAILING YOU NOW. I UNDERSTAND THAT AND HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY CAREFUL WITH MY TESTING.
I HAVE HAD BAD DREAMS, NELLY, WHENEVER I SLEEP PLUGGED IN TO YOU. I AM GETTING SOME KIND OF FEEDBACK FROM THE CHIP.
THAT IS IMPOSSIBLE, KRIS. I HAVE ONLY LOOKED AT DATA IN THE FIRST BUFFER SAM DESIGNED. I HAVE ALLOWED NOTHING IN THE SECOND OR THIRD BUFFER. THERE COULD BE NO LEAKAGE.
MY DREAMING TELLS ME THERE IS SOME KIND OF LEAKAGE.
KRIS, THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE. YOU ARE WRONG.
INTERESTING WORDING FOR A COMPUTER, Kris thought for the far-too-manyith time. Nelly had been acting… interesting. Kris had thought it was the most recent upgrade. Now she had to consider the chip. But Nelly refused to consider the chip.
NELLY, I AM HAVING STRANGE DREAMS JUST LIKE GRAMPA RAY TALKED ABOUT WHEN HE WAS HAVING PROBLEMS ON SANTA MARIA. I DON'T KNOW HOW THE CHIP MIGHT BE DOING IT. IT IS AN ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY. I REALLY NEED TO BE ABLE TO DEPEND ON YOU RIGHT NOW. WE ARE IN REAL TROUBLE. WOULD YOU PLEASE NOT TEST THE CHIP?
KRIS, THE CHIP IS FULLY BUFFERED.
I KNOW, NELLY. BUT HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN MY DREAMS?
I HAVE NEVER UNDERSTOOD DREAMS, OR SLEEP FOR THAT MATTER.
NELLY, TRUST ME. THE TESTING IS MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO SLEEP.