Rok didn’t even flinch. Though only his first finger and thumb were now functional, the other three limp and unmoving, that was enough for him to keep hold of the shinuk’s pistol.
She thought Rok would shove him away. The shinuk must have thought so as well. Maybe that’s why it was so easy for Rok to jerk him closer instead. Their skulls struck together with a horribly dull crack. More blood, dark black, dripped to the ground as the guy collapsed with a dull thud.
Rok’s injured hand dangled as the other three grabbed Garnet, scooping her into his arms. He turned and hit the exit button. As the door slid open, Garnet could see the shinuk groaning, moving sluggishly on the floor. Bleeding profusely from what was, undoubtedly, a broken nose. But still alive.
Because Rok was obeying Tanin’s other rule. He hadn’t gotten permission to kill this guy yet.
Rok came to a halt in front of the first glass door and looked up. Cheerfully, he addressed the camera in the corner.
“Open it, or I break it.”
Nothing. The people in the lab weren’t going to help them.
“Alright,” Rok laughed, bringing back one of his non-injured hands.
Garnet, still being held in his arms, felt the force of the blow he landed on the glass vibrate through his entire body. He grunted with the force of it. The glass door remained intact, but when he pulled his fist back, she saw a very obvious crack.
He pulled his fist back again, aiming for that same spot.
Then, before he could hit it again, the metal door behind them beeped and slid shut. A second later, the one in front of them came up.
“Thank you!” Rok called to them happily, still dripping blood, as he walked forward. The glass door shut behind him and the next one opened.
There was no decontamination process. Whoever was on the other end of the cameras clearly didn’t want those doors to be broken. They opened even smoother and faster than when they had come inside.
From where Garnet was held cradled in Rok’s arms, she could see the trail of dark brown blood being left behind from his hand. A maimed, probably now useless hand.
“Why did you do that?” She asked, tears welling up in her eyes as she stared at his mutilated palm, the fingers now dangling limp and unmoving. “You’re hurt.”
“I’ll be alright,” Rok promised her, still beaming. “I’m tough. I’ve had worse. Besides, we can’t use our mediring, but we can still use one on a station if we stop! Will be expensive, but I haven’t spent any of my gem money! So that works out just fine.”
The gem money that was his portion from her kidnapping in the first place. Knowing he’d be using that money to fix an injury that was her fault only made her feel worse.
She shouldn’t have come off the ship. What was that guy even doing here anyway? How did he catch up to them so fast?
Well, actually, that was easy. She already knew that their subspace generator was shit. Other people’s generators could re-charge in half a day. It wasn’t a matter of them catching up, it was a matter of them just slowing down and waiting.
But how did he know where they were?
Tanin was still there in the hall. Standing at the other end. He wasn’t yelling anymore, but he was waiting in front of the last glass door that had multiple shatter points punched into it. Proof of his efforts to try to get through.
No wonder the people on the other end of the cameras had been so willing to let Rok pass quickly.
The last door, broken as it was, didn’t open all the way, but that wasn’t a deterrent. Rok, ever so gently, set Garnet down and allowed her through before he squeezed his way into the crack, making the glass crack and the metal frame groan as he did so. And Garnet didn’t think that was regular, run of the mill glass either.
“Good work,” Tanin said when Rok came through, putting a hand to Garnet’s back and pushing her through the open door of the Humility and back into main stowage before the two of them followed after.
The door shut and sealed behind Rok. Garnet heard the now familiar thudding and groaning as the starship disconnected from the station. Alred was already getting them away.
“Report,” Tanin said, looking Garnet over carefully. Examining her still broken fingers and the bruising she still carried from her last interaction with that guy. They were well healing at this point, but her fingers still hurt sometimes.
“Tanin, please,” she grabbed his hands, stopping him. “Rok’s been hurt. He needs help. He needs-”
“I’m alright,” Rok promised again, laughing as he held up his largely useless hand. “Could use some bandages though first, captain.”
“Fine.” Tanin nodded his head once. “Goldie should still be in medbay. The mediring can seal the hole at least until we get to a station. Get fixed up then find me to give your report.”
“Aye, captain!” He laughed, strolling merrily away like he wasn’t still bleeding onto the floor.
