Assisting Vardy was the nurse, Carrie. She was relatively new to the team, having been recruited during the outbreak of the deadly virus. As far as Jake could tell she was sterilising instruments in preparation for emergency surgery.
On one side of the room, standing shocked, were two people Jake didn’t recognise. One look told him they must be Dan and Vicky Mitchell; the young lady was very obviously pregnant.
“I can see the bullet,” Vardy announced. “He’s lucky. It didn’t go deep. Can’t be sure it hasn’t severed a blood vessel though.” The doctor looked up at last, and caught sight of Jake. “You’re all going to have to leave. You too,” he said, looking at the Mitchells. “No time to get this place properly sterile, but I’m not taking unnecessary risks. I need to remove this bullet.”
Jake nodded, and ushered Dan and Vicky towards the door.
“Wait!” Vardy’s cry stopped all three in their tracks. “He needs blood. Jake, get his blood, from the sub.”
“I don’t think we can get to the sub, Russell. The walkway was removed, and there’s a gun fight going on out there.”
“Jake, listen to me. If I can’t get blood into him soon, he’s dead, got it? You’re the captain. Order the walkway to be put back, get over there, and get his blood.”
“Excuse me?” Carrie held her hand in mid-air, as if wishing to ask a question in school. “Didn’t you use his blood when you were testing vaccines? I remember Mandy telling me about it.”
Vardy stamped a foot and yelled at the wall. “Sorry. Yes, you’re right. But there’s more blood on the Ambush, not just Coote’s. He’s type A positive. There’s no shortage of that on board.”
“Russell, I can try, but I don’t think I’m going to be able to get over there and back in time.”
Then Dan piped up. “If it helps, my blood type is O negative. I think that means I can donate to anyone?”
Vardy eyed the young man suspiciously. “Have you given blood before?”
“No.”
“So how do you know your blood type?”
“I worked in the kitchens at Buckingham Palace. A blood test is part of the security check. And as a category one terrorist target, all personnel must know their blood group in case there is an incident that necessitates medical intervention.” Dan repeated the words mechanically, as if they had been drilled into him.
Vardy nodded, satisfied by the explanation. “Do you suffer from any heart condition? Any history of heart conditions in your immediate family?”
“No.”
“Have you had any illness or infection in the last three weeks?”
“No.”
“Have you taken any antibiotics in the last month?”
“Nope.”
“Had any piercings or tattoos in the two months before coming aboard?”
“None.”
“Hepatitis in the last year?”
“No.”
“Ever had a sexually transmitted disease?”
He glanced at Vicky. “Never.”
“Hmm. Two more. Sorry, I have to ask. Have you had sex with a man in the last twelve months? And have you taken any illegal drugs in the last year?”
“No. I’ve never done either of those things.”
“Come on, Russell,” Jake urged. “He has to be a better option that trying to get to the sub.”
Vardy hesitated another second. “Okay, fine. Carrie, can you get him ready? Jake, there’s a transfusion kit in the stores outside. Bring it to me. You.” He pointed at Vicky. “You’ll have to wait outside.”
Jake led her through the door and found her a chair in the outer room of the suite, before charging off to the medical stores and returning with the box Vardy had asked for. He delivered it to the doctor, then at his request, returned to the outer room while emergency surgery was performed.
He found the telephone and called the bridge. While it rang, he punched the speaker button and dropped into a chair.
“Bridge.”
“Lucya.”
“Jake! Shit! Are you okay? We saw the fight. I saw you on the walkway. Are you okay?”
“Yes, yes, I’m fine, honestly. Coote, less so. Vardy’s about to operate now. What’s happening out there?”
“They stopped firing. The Lance just took off. I think one of our guys shot the helmsman and he fell onto the controls. Dave was watching through the binoculars. They’ve slowed down, but they’re keeping their distance.”
“What about Eric? He was shot.”
“They all went back into the submarine and it dived. He looked okay.”
“I hope so. They’ve got no medic on board now.”
“They’re all trained in emergency aid, Jake. He’ll be okay. I’ll call them to check though.”
“Thank you. I’m going to wait here in medical. I want to see that Coote pulls through. Call me here if anything happens. We have to convene the committee as soon as possible too.”
“I’ll arrange it.”
He hung up the call, then moved to a seat closer to Vicky. “That was brave of your husband, volunteering like that. Especially as he’s never given blood before.”
“He’ll be okay, won’t he? It’s not dangerous, is it?”
“No. Not at all. And Vardy is an excellent doctor. They don’t come much more highly trained than him.”
“I think he wanted to give something because he feels guilty. About what we did. About what I did.” Vicky looked uneasily at Jake, and caressed her bump.
“Listen, I don’t blame you for what you did. It was a tough time for everyone. It’s been hard since that day. We all act differently under intense pressure. The important thing is that you’re looked after properly now.”
“It’s going to stretch us even more though, isn’t it? Another mouth to feed. Two more mouths to feed, now I’m out of hiding.”
“We’ll manage. And if you’re keeping score and counting mouths, we’ve lost quite a few to the virus. Your baby won’t stretch us. Actually, your baby is probably the best thing that could happen to this ship. To the community.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because your baby will show everyone that life goes on. New life. A brand new generation.”
“She’ll be born into a strange world. If she’s a she. I think she is, but Dan think’s it’s a boy.” She sighed. “I feel sorry for her and she’s not even here yet.”
“You know what? I don’t feel sorry for her. I don’t want to sound mean, but it’s the rest of us I feel sorry for. Your baby can’t miss what she never knew. This will be her world, her normality.”
Vicky shifted her weight in her chair. “She’ll learn about the world as it was before though, won’t she?”
“Yes. Didn’t you learn about the world before, in history lessons? Do you wish you lived in the past?”
“Sometimes. Mostly not though, I guess. It’s just, I worry she’ll never run through a cornfield on a summer’s day, or watch autumn leaves turn gold, or taste fresh strawberries, or see the ruins of ancient Rome, or splash through puddles on her way to school. There’s a million normal things she’ll never do.”
Jake put his arm around her as she wiped a tear from her eye. “Rome might be difficult, I’ll grant you. But I know a rather splendid man called Joseph, and I’ll be amazed if he doesn’t have fresh strawberries growing on some corner of this ship before the end of the year. Puddles can be arranged too. And as for cornfields? I think your baby will see them. The planet will repair itself. It’ll take time, but she’ll have a long life, and I think she’ll have a happy life.”
The door to the inner room opened and Dan stepped out, looking ghostly white. He slumped into the nearest chair. Vicky got up and moved next to him.
“Dan? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, just a bit…weak.”
“I’ll find you something to eat. You should have tea and a biscuit after giving blood,” Jake said. He went back to the medical stores, where he remembered having seen some high-energy glucose bars.
“Here, eat this,” he said, returning to the waiting couple. “That should get you back on your feet. And thank you, for helping Coote.”