Ver walked to the clinic with Miles by her side. They needed to ask if Miles could help in the clinic with her. They didn't want to be separated for even a mont, especially if she was going to try to save the five in stasis. She wanted him with her. He was going to let her use so of his energy to try to save her while she did what she needed to do.
As they entered the clinic, all eyes went to them. Ver and Miles passed the watching group and entered the stasis room, where dic Renn was working in the back, trying to find a way to save those in suspended animation.
dic Renn looked up. His gaze swept the pair. "I see you brought Miles," Renn told Ver, then turned to Miles. "How are you this morning, Miles?" he asked, smiling.
Miles smiled. "I'm doing well. I found my mate last night. I was wondering if I could work with Ver here with you. I think I would like to learn also," he told dic Renn.
"I could always use extra help," Renn smiled, then gestured for them to enter. "I'll let Council Leader Vorik know that you will be here with her."
Miles nodded slowly. "Are humans allowed to train to be dics, too?" he asked. "I think I would like to train and not just help out."
dic Renn's smile grew. "You are the first human to show interest. Even my mate, who is Kreq, doesn't wish to learn. It's a difficult job sotis. To answer your question, yes, humans are allowed to train as dics."
Miles smiled. "Then, since I am allowed, I wish to train as a dic."
*** *** ***
Council Leader Vorik stood with Guard Commander Drevick, Gate Commander Seeran, Trei, and Orik.
"We are here to discuss those in stasis. We need to find a cure as quickly as possible. The longer your mates stay in stasis, the more ti you are separated from your mates. It's important you go to them as much as you can, or the mate bond may sever. I don't believe you or any of the girls want that."
"Who is with them now?" Seeran asked. His tone was hard, completely out of character for him.
Council Leader Vorik turned to Seeran. "They are in the stasis room with dic Renn. He has Ver and her mate Miles helping out."
Seeran nodded curtly, continuing to look at Vorik, his eyes narrowed. "And what happens when they co out of stasis? What happens when they are all cured? Will Hope be charged for what she did to Kaul?"
Vorik didn't hesitate. "No. She will not be charged. She may have gone too far, but she won't be charged. He was condemned to die. I may not agree with her thods, but the death of Kaul was promised to Jada. Jada and Hope made a deal. It was their call. Neither of the girls will be charged with anything."
Seeran visibly sighed in relief, his features returning to his normal relaxed state. "Thank you," he said quietly. He had been worried about her coming out of stasis just to go to the cells.
"How much progress has dic Renn made with finding a cure?" Trei asked, worried about his mate, Niki.
"He's still looking. He's going as quickly as he can. He doesn't want to lose them, either. They are good friends," Vorik told him.
Trei nodded. "Then I guess we should stay close to the clinic so we can be with them."
Council Leader Vorik turned to Trei. "I believe you're right. That was one of the reasons why I called you all here. Chairs have been placed by each bed. A food replicator is nearby so you can get food when you need it. It's ready for all of you to stay as long as you need. There is even a back room with four beds if you find you want to sleep near them, along with two cribs for the infants. Their children should co with you; your mates need to stay near their infants as well."
*** *** ***
Miles stood next to dic Renn. "You said it binds to tissue if you try to extract it?" he asked. He wanted to clarify what he had been told about the toxin.
"Yes. It's like it's a reflex. The more you pull, the tighter it holds," dic Renn explained.
Miles nodded slowly. "Like a Chinese finger trap."
Renn turned to Miles, confused. "I don't know what that is," he admitted.
Miles smiled, then sat in the chair at the workstation, preparing to explain. "It's a woven tube that you stick your finger in each end. When you pull, the tube tightens, making it difficult to pull your fingers out. In order to get out of the trap, you have to push your fingers together, releasing the tension on the tube to be able to get your fingers out. Of course, you have to hold the tube with your thumbs so it won't tighten again."
dic Renn thought about it for a mont. "I wonder if it would work with this toxin."
Miles wasn't sure what the dic was thinking, so he stayed quiet and watched.
dic Renn started typing instructions into the control panel; he gave it instructions to find a solution to lessen the tension of the siphon to take out the toxin. He wanted to see if he could get it out without the toxin binding to the tissue. The computer worked for a while before a human form appeared on the screen. It showed the toxin in bright green. A cluster of information showed at the side of the human form as the computer worked. Rows of information with sets of numbers appeared on the screen, which showed the tension of the siphon. The computer kept resetting itself, adjusting the tension as it tried to find the correct tension to release the toxin without it grabbing onto the tissue to stay put.
As dic Renn and Miles watched, each set of numbers decreased. "It appeared to be working," dic Renn stated, watching the readouts as they changed. With each attempt, more of the toxin was released from the human form, less binding with the tissue.
dic Renn smiled. "If this works, it ans your mate won't sneak in here to try and save them," he told Miles, not moving his gaze from the information on the screen in front of him.
Miles flinched. "How did you know?" he asked quietly. Miles couldn't figure out how anyone would know. Nothing was said that indicated she would risk herself like that.
dic Renn turned to Miles. "I could see it when she ca to look at the patients. She asked if I would try to stop anyone if they chose to try. I wouldn't stop it. It is a free choice. It would be their decision. I saw it in her eyes that she wanted to try. I believe she's working in the clinic, so she could. I believe you're here to help her survive. I'm not sure it would work, though. I'd rather find a cure so she doesn't attempt it," dic Renn explained. "The two of you deserve a long, happy life. I'm certain attempting to save these humans would end any possibility for one. I believe both of you will die."
Miles nodded, understanding. "I will help you find a cure. I don't want her to die, either. If she dies, I won't care if I die too."
Renn smiled, then turned to watch the readouts. "Any more ideas?" he asked Miles. "In case this one doesn't work. You seem to have good ideas. Ones I haven't thought of."
Miles shrugged, thinking about it. "I guess either find what neutralizes the toxin or draws it away from the tissue. If I knew what the toxin was, it would be easier to find a neutralizer for it."
dic Renn nodded, impressed. "What did you do before our people ca here?" Renn asked. He was uncomfortable about his own words. Most of his people felt sha for invading. There was nothing they could do about it. They all had to live with the knowledge.
"I worked in a pet store. We used to spray this stuff in the cages to neutralize the ammonia sll of urine. It worked. That's how I thought of neutralizing it. As for drawing It away, our pets have collars with sothing on them that keeps fleas away. That's a little bug that gets in their fur and bites the animal. The stuff on the collar repels the fleas," Miles explained.
dic Renn thought about it for a mont. "I already isolated the toxin. I could run it through the computer to find a repellent and a neutralizer. Maybe it will co up with sothing we can use."
Renn sounded hopeful. He liked Miles's ideas. He might just co up with a way to find a cure.
Miles scratched his ear and then turned to look at the line of beds. "What about extracting the toxin while they are in stasis? Would the toxin be able to grab onto anything under those conditions?"
Miles wanted to find a way to save them before Ver decided to try herself. He knew she would try sooner or later. He couldn't stop her. The only way he could think of stopping her was to find a cure before she tried.
The computer suddenly buzzed, indicating it had finished. Miles and dic Renn looked at the readout.
"It looks like the tension of the siphon couldn't go low enough," Renn said, frowning. "It took out so of it, but not enough to save them."
dic Renn typed the next idea Miles had into the computer about taking it out while the humans were in stasis. He adjusted the settings to run the sa tests as before; only the conditions of the patients had changed. The human form appeared on the screen, showing the toxin in bright green. The information appeared on the screen next to it, adjusting with each test. All Miles and dic Renn could do was wait for the results.
Ver was in the back room, finishing setting up the room for the n and infants who needed to co to spend ti with their mates. She eyed the five humans in stasis. She wanted to help them. She felt like she needed to help them. Her gaze went to her own mate and dic Renn, who were at a computer terminal running tests. If her own mate were in stasis waiting for a cure, she would want them to save him.
"Five days," she whispered to herself as she watched Miles and dic Renn work. "If you don't find a way to save them in five days, I'm going to try myself."
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