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e glamour； but she had never counted on having to be so passive。 Still； it was worth it； she guessed…wasn't it？
〃My dad was right；〃 Vance Hasslewood steamed。 〃I shoulda been a CPA！〃
In the Veritech hangar bays； the maintenance crews were getting to work on the parked aircraft。 There had been plenty of damage in the dustup with the Quadronos； nobody on the crews was going to be sleeping very much for the next few days。
Two enlisted ratings had deployed the boarding ladder of Skull Leader's ship； ready to climb up to the cockpit。 〃Whew！ This time he really got himself clobbered；〃 one said。 〃I don't believe he could taxi this thing； let alone fly it。〃
He followed his sectionmate up the ladder； bumping into him when the other stopped short。 〃Hey； what…〃
He swung around and came up the side of the ladder with angled feet； a mon practice。 And he； too； stopped short when he got a look at the cockpit。
There were bulges in the pilot seat's chickenplate armor and several holes in the back of it。 And the seat was red with blood that was now seeping through； running to the floor。
Roy Fokker sat in triage with the others who had been injured。 The boys who were really bad had been taken to the ERs first。
Roy had lost a lot of blood； making him light…headed； but the wounds had been closed easily enough； and he was hooked up to a plasma bottle。
〃Hey；〃 he asked a passing nurse； 〃is all this really necessary？〃 He held up his shunted arm； the plasma tube dangling from it。
〃Just shut up and sit there or I'll get Big Bruno the odorly orderly to e sit on that pretty blond head；〃 she said sweetly。 She was the same nurse who had looked after Rick； having been mobilized as soon as the alert sounded as part of the special shock…trauma…burn military medical team。
〃Doctor Hassan wants a few pictures of your gorgeous insides； dreamboat； to make sure there's no internal hemorrhaging。〃
Beside being a top…notch RN； she was handsome and leggy and had a way of getting men； even headstrong fighter jocks； to do what she told them。 She was an esteemed member of the MM team。
Roy smiled and relaxed； leaning back。 She blew him a kiss and went on her way。 He felt a little floaty from blood loss； but he'd refused a shot for the pain； so he was lucid。
Then he remembered Kramer。 He reached out almost blindly for the nearest institutional…green uniform。 〃Hey； nurse…〃
But he'd grabbed the trouser leg of Dr。 Hassan； the stocky heart and soul of the MM unit。 Hassan； a surgical mask around his neck； stopped and looked Roy over。
The doctor and the Skull Team leader knew each other somewhat； Roy had had plenty of his men racked up； had been in that same room quite a few times before。
〃Kramer？〃 Roy asked hopefully。
Hassan had almost been out of the medical profession； maintaining a limited practice； doing some consulting and a bit of teaching； for years up until the SDF…1 spacefolded。 Time and events had thrust him back into the center of things； and there was no more dedicated individual on the ship。 He had originally started easing out of medicine because of moments like this； and these days such moments were all too mon。
〃I'm sorry； Roy。 He was dead before the rescue people even got to him。〃
Roy squeezed his eyes shut tightly； tears finding their way out the sides； nodding。 He forced his fingers to open； to release the leg of the doctor's trousers。 But how do you let go of the pain of a close friend's death？
Hassan patted his shoulder。 〃Take it easy； I want to take a better look at you。 Be back in a minute。〃
Hassan hadn't gone ten feet when an orderly came rushing up to drag him away for an emergency。 The nurse was busy with a stat case that had just e in； another downed flier； this one brought in alive by air…sea rescue。
Unnoticed； Roy disconnected the plasma tube； closing the shunt。 His flying suit had been mostly cut off him by the medics； but his robe would do until he could get a uniform。 All he wanted now was to be with Claudia…to hold her and tell her he loved her and hear that she loved him。
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
These mecha that they're always talking about…those are a perfect symbol of the warmakers。 Our lives and the life of our planet are too precious to be entrusted to the military machines！
All they care about are their battles； their glory； their victories。 The only thing they love is their endless killing。 They want to control us all to make sure that their war goes on and on until they've destroyed the universe。
And I say； we're not going to let them run our lives anymore。 Peace； no matter what the price！ Peace now！
From Lynn…Kyle's pamphlet； Let the People Make the Peace！
Claudia adored Roy with all her heart； but honestly； sometimes she had difficulty dealing with their love affair…dealing with him。
Like now。 There he sat on her couch； silent and lost in thought； strumming her guitar softly； his long fingers sure and gentle on the strings； As if he were mute。 She made final preparations； the pineapple salad looking magazine…cover perfect。
〃All right；〃 she said。 〃I blew up at Lisa for not telling me you were leading the Vermilions today； but that's squared away between her and me。 But what about you and me； Roy？ It's just not fair to blame me for worrying about you！〃
Roy didn't say anything； sitting and strumming。 He looked pale and a bit dazed。 She made up her mind that he was having breakfast with her； and dinner again tomorrow night。 She was going to get him to rest even if she had to strong…arm the flight surgeons into taking him off the duty roster！
She turned to look at him from the tiny kitchenette。 〃I don't think you realize how terrified I get every time you fly off on a bat mission。 It's almost as if you pilots think it's all some kind of wonderful game that you're playing when you go up in those Veritechs！〃
The music stopped。 〃It has never been a game； Claudia；〃 he said quietly。 〃You know that。〃 He wanted to resume his song； to feel connected to the music and to feel connected to Claudia and to feel connected to life。
But his vision was going dim； and he couldn't recall what he'd been playing。 He felt cold； unutterably cold。
〃Anyway； I said what I had on my mind； and I promise that I'll keep my mouth shut about it in the future；〃 she said； putting a few final flourishes on the halved pineapple。
Claudia told herself to let it drop。 They were together； and they would be together that night。 She thought of his touch； how tender and caring he could be； how he had always been there whenever she really needed him。 And all the other problems vanished； their love had a way of making that happen。
Claudia turned； holding up the salad plate triumphantly。 〃Well！ Don't tell me I put you to sleep！〃
His head lay bent back at an awkward angle； the blond hair hanging from it。 His hands had fallen from the guitar； and his eyes were closed。 He moaned very faintly。
Something about it filled her with a fear worse than anything she'd ever felt on the SDF…1's bridge。 〃Roy？〃
He moaned again； louder； tried to stand up but instead fell； to stretch out facedown on her carpet。 The back of his uniform jacket was sodden with blood。
Roy heard Claudia； far