But as she leaned over me to give me the injection, she grabbed a boxcutter.
I grabbed the injector and nearly crushed the metal blade in my grip. “What are you doing?”
Her pulse quickened, but she held onto the knuckles of my hand and slowly pried it loose. “The machine will stitch you up, but we need to reduce the infection. These are the strongest antibiotics we have. They’ll work fast,” she said, carefully sliding the shiv into her back pocket.
“And the blade?” I asked.
“I need my weapons. I will not harm you,” she said.
I looked at her and huffed loudly, slowly letting her hands fall. Whether I liked it or not, I gave in. I suppose I was waiting to see if the reward outdid the risk.
The surgical saws, old mechanics, and computers were like nothing I had ever seen before. Most of the planets I had visited had a similar evolution of technology, but I was beginning to think I was right about Earth. They were still so primitive.
Letting go of the device, I let her do her job. The stitching was easy. The mechanical arms, for how simple they were, worked efficiently. Mia gave me the shot, and I remained still until I felt my health come back. She was right. It happened within the hour.
Sitting up, I squeezed my hands, observing as my blood brought color back to my skin. I arched my neck and cracked both sides before standing up and feeling my natural aggression kick in.
With her hand on my chest, she eased me back down. “You must stay calm. Give your body time to heal,” she said.
The antibiotics worked faster on my system than expected, and the cut that sliced down my ribcage was now a minor scratch. I should have been more thankful, but, truthfully, it made me feel guilty seeing myself back in my normal state.
I survived the death sentence nobody else did. Everyone sacrificed when I took the last path out. Even if I was alive, I wasn’t sure there was a single bone in my body that truly wanted to be.
Getting the fuel cells from this ship was one thing. But I never thought I’d get too far. I was a wanted man. I was injured. I had wanted to go back there, to see my galaxy one last time—everything we had made there, and I don’t mean the buildings or technology, but the essence we created. I needed to feel it all one more time. I needed the ability to truly say goodbye.
As my mind went to the dark depths of my memories, Mia tenderly kneaded two pressure points within my shoulder. I moaned and looked into her eyes. “Two for two. You have saved my life.”
“I can’t promise it’ll kill the infection. Your body is sort of an anomaly to me,” she said, eyes fixated on
my lower half.
I spread my legs and smirked. “How so?”
She gulped and traced each finger down to my pelvis. “Well, for one thing, your muscles are highly”—she swallowed— “developed.”
Above us, the sound of footsteps quickly rushed by. In a quick moment of panic, she fell against me, her breasts, tracing across my chest. Her mouth was as close to mine as it had ever been. She closed her eyes, breathing hurriedly through her nostrils, so tight and scared, but she wanted it.
I took her wrists and squeezed. “You’ve been out too long. It’s time to go back into the cage.”
Her eyes widened with protest and even more alarm. “Please.”
I flipped her over, feeling her body bend under my strength. “You’re on my side?” I asked.
“I am,” she said, obeying me. “Of course, I am.”
She wasn’t. Not yet. But it wouldn’t take long for her to see I was her only escape.
I grabbed her ass and squeezed with my palm. My cock was rock solid, but I had to tell her the truth about what I knew.
“Mia. The program is not what you think,” I said.
“This mission. It’s all I’ve got,” she said.
“The universe is a desolate wasteland. Everyone knows what happens in the end.” I gestured around the shitty room and sighed. “All of this will go away someday. All of it. Do you understand?”
“Then there is truly nothing worth fighting for,” she said.
I smacked her cheek and squeezed, pulling her closer to me. I held my lips close to hers, and she slowly brought her forehead against mine. “You are a bad listener,” I said. “It’s all worth fighting for. That’s the point. You don’t get to decide what you fight for. You get to live.”