The War Doctor - I

Chapter One

Eneh

The air was chilly and caused me to pull my jacket closer around my body. I approached the room with trepidation, and not a small amount of resentment toward my colleagues in the Youth Corps Medical Campus. How else would they have known who had lost the newly delivered herbs, I had to wonder? So much for loyalty. I frowned and shook myself mentally. I would get through this, then…then move on. So, my team wouldn’t protect me, so what? I could learn as much medicine here as anywhere else, and then move off world. I gritted my teeth for what was to come, and then knocked on the door.

“Come in,” a voice from within called. I took another steadying breath before taking the first steps in. The room was bare but for a large, throne-like structure that took up an entire wall. Upon the throne, sat the doctor. He was larger than I expected, with long dark hair falling to his shoulders and a presence that made me pause at the door. He had eyes the colour of lightening and too long eyelashes. His cheeks were high, cut sharply, but softened by a dark beard. His body seemed moulded into a black turtleneck and navy corduroy trousers that fit…well. His skin looked like gold, but I knew it must be the lighting, no one had truly golden skin.

“Good…good evening,” I said, between clearing my throat.

“Hello, Miss—” His voice was deeper than what I could have imagined was natural. I felt a distracting urge to whimper. I was shaken, so my next words were without thought.

“Student Doctor Eneh!” I said sharply, and then bit my tongue. I pulled my eyes from him and let them rove the floor.

“Hello, student doctor Eneh,” he acknowledged, softy.

I felt my cheeks heat up at the feelings this tone engendered, and swallowed, my nerves eating me up.

“I apologize, I only beg that if you must beat me, that it not happen in front of my troop,” I blurted out, getting to one knee quickly, and bowing my head.

“Beat you,” he commented, as though tasting the words for the first time.

“I beg humbly, it is my only request. Otherwise, I accept whatever punishment you deem fit.”

There was silence, pressing at me from all sides.

Finally, “Stand up, come here.”

I chanced a look up at his face and could not read it. Not wanting to appear disobedient, I got to my feet and walked forward. I was just a footstep away from him before I stopped. I started to get to my knees again, but he put out a hand to stop me.

“No, talk to me standing. Why are you making this request?”

“I…I thought…you planned to beat me…” I stammered the words and had not fully stood up straight. I felt the pressure of his arm raising me up, against my descent to my knees.

“There is still time to arrange that,” he commented, dryly, jerking me up with some force. I stood, finally, and took a step out of his hold. If he noticed, the raised brow was the only response I received.

“No, no I mean…for the supplies…the herbs…” I said the last word at barely above a whisper and was possibly trying to bury my chin into my chest.

“What about them? Tell me everything.” His eyes seemed darker.

“I…I was present at the delivery, and I signed for them. Then I logged them on the system, and I found someone to co-sign my entry. Then I put in the lock code for storage into the system, then I signed out, and went to complete my data log from last week.”

He was silent after this speech; he had been staring at me through this short monologue, with those dark lightening eyes.

“You are very thorough, student doctor Eneh,” he said, slowly, and I wished for the tenth time that I could read his eyes.”

Why was I thorough?

“It is all the truth…and—”

“That’s not why you’re here, student doctor Eneh.” It seemed to me that he emphasised a different word each time he repeated my rank.

“I…I don’t understand…”

“Eneh, let’s not draw out this drama, tell me about this…pruritus…of yours.”

In my life, I had never wanted to be swallowed up by the ground as much as I did then. My eyes were saucers and my mouth fell open.

“How…what person…why?” The unfinished questions spilled from my still open mouth. I felt as if my entire body was in a furnace, and the thought of running away leapt about in my mind.

“Are you being coy?” There was humour behind the question.

“I am not.”

His eyes narrowed.

“Do you understand what I am asking you?”

“I…I do, I just…I’m just…”

“Yes, that is why you are here. Your preceptor remarked that you might be distracted by health concerns of a gynaecological nature.”

I stared at him, at the touch of humour that still touched his lips, at the arrogance of his raised brow.

“Yes!” I blurted out hotly. “Yes, I…I probably have an infection! But I’m dealing with it, and it DOES NOT distract me from my work!”

“Easy, Eneh.” He stood up, and I backed away. I was tall, at ten inches over five feet, but I felt dwarfed before him. I felt warm again and a little bit afraid.

“Aren’t you interested in getting better? Aren’t you interested in knowing what’s wrong?”

I blinked, struck by the gentleness of his tone, and felt the prickle of tears at the back of my eyes.

“Don’t you see what he’s doing?” I asked. Where the words came from, I couldn’t say. A sense of despair, prodded by the empathy in his eyes? I willed him to understand what I was saying. To understand without asking me to clarify, to describe the details of my situation.

“I see. And my questions still stand, student doctor Eneh.”

I stared up at him and then looked away. I sighed.

“I want to know…I just…I’m not…there’s nothing wrong with me!”

“I understand.”

“What do you need to do?” I had mentally adjusted my expectations of the doctor, and now hoped he would give me a secret answer that I could input into this embarrassing problem.

“Well I’d have to do an exam…and hear more about this…situation.”

“You…you would? Don’t you have any women in your group? Why you?”

“I don’t travel with women,” he replied shortly, sitting back down. I suppose he thought I wasn’t imminently running away.

“Why?! You think we’re not good enough?!”

“No. Only, their people have generally discouraged travelling with my group of men.”

“I have no people,” I supplied, unprovoked. He made no remark. His brow rose once more.

“I presumed you would rather not involve more people in your care, but I should have asked first. Do you want the aid of one of my fellows?”

“Must you…must there be an exam?”

“The faintest ink is better than the human memory, and the eyes are better than the ears to help us understand.” There was a chuckle in his voice. I frowned.

“Yes, there must be an exam. You may choose, of course, if it will be by me, or one of my fellows.”

I felt heat slap at my cheeks at the thought of that deepest of deep voices examining me. My breaths came faster than normal.

A decision entered my mind, and not about my care. It was bold.

“May I ask…that you do the exam…but also, take me with you?”

He laughed.

“What?”

“You said you have no bias against women, and I am a doctor in training…not achieving my full potential here, who could learn so much with your group.”

“I don’t believe I said anything similar to that. And what about your team here? What about your family?”

“I told you, I have no family…and…do you have a bias against women?!” It registered, his first statement.

“Only as it relates to me,” he replied cryptically. “And you have not answered for your troop.”

“They don’t want someone like me!” I touched my biscuit coloured skin, even more tan these days, from the summer sun.

“I see.”

“Do you? Will you take me then?”

“I suppose it would be a worthy endeavour; I’ve been told it doesn’t look right, to have no women in the group.”

“I’m also excellent at my studies,” I muttered at this additional benefit of bringing me along.

“Indeed. I look forward to it and, if you please me, I will certainly reward you.”

“And if I displease you?” I asked, foolhardy for some reason.

“If you displease me?” He seemed to savour the question, and a smile entered his eyes. “If you displease me, Eneh, I will punish you.”

I swallowed and wondered if these new hot flashes were a symptom of my condition. I felt a spasm between my legs and felt my eyes drift down past his boots.

“About my troop, I was wondering if…”

“Never mind about them, I’ll speak to your chief myself. In the meantime, why don’t you go into the back room. You’ve done obstetrics, right? Prepare yourself, I’ll be in, in a moment.”

I stared at him, silent for several minutes.

“I suppose this is a demonstration of that excellence for which I had prepared myself? Will you continue to grace me with your presence, or…perhaps you’d prefer I draped you myself?”

He actually seemed to contemplate this question, but I fled. I shut the door with a bang and panted against it, reeling with the knowledge of what I’d done.

Signed on with the war doctor, Lord Physician Archer Cox. The Archer Cox. The War Doctor. The one who travelled all over the galaxy searching for medical anomalies. The one developing cures to rare human ailments with a blend of both old world medicine – what we now called magic – and new world technology. The one with a lady at every port. The one who had as many broken hearts laid at his door as miraculous healing concoctions. And he had said yes. For somewhat self-serving reasons, if he was to be believed. But he had said yes, nonetheless.

Arch

She was slighter than most Hiddissi females and she was clearly attracted to me. It was experience and not arrogance that made me make the assertion, although it didn’t help my arrogance to discover this lustful reaction from women all over the galaxy. Her chief, Forsythe Beaks, had said she was an excellent student, despite the impressive reluctance with which he provided that information. There was something repugnant in the small but athletic middle aged man; it was the combination of that perpetual perspiration and the greedy way his green eyes had darted back and forth at the thought of an exchange of students.

I had almost felt loathe to send Seo to such a man, but he’d been pissing me off the last month, and it might serve him well to experience medicine under such a one as Beaks. Jealous of his students’ accomplishments, greedy for unearned praise, spiteful in discipline, stingy with praise. I would come back and fetch Seo in a month, the lad need not suffer longer than that.

As for Eneh…I had no intention of sending her back. I’d made that decision sometime between seeing her in tactical gear running through mass casualty drills and hearing her indignantly challenge an examination by me. It had been convenient that she’d asked to join my team, and I’d found myself probing her interest, and then feigning reluctance. Even had Beaks been reluctant himself, to lose a student, I’d planned to abscond with the tall Hiddissian student.

Yes, of course, it was terribly immoral and it would likely have been a black mark against my reputation heretofore bathed in altruism. But the aura of this young lady had been impossible to ignore. And there was the added benefit of training a brilliant new doctor who would certainly take up the mantle of War Doctor when I retired.

Oh yes, there was no doubt of the brilliance in those amethyst eyes, and the wasted potential beneath those thin tanned bronze hands. Beaks was a stupid man, but there were plenty of those. I almost laughed out loud at the sight of him when he saw Eneh presenting at the next World Medicine Symposium. I had no doubt at all that it would happen if I were coaching her. But first, an exam.

I smiled again, recalling her expression when I’d told her to prepare herself. The thought of giving that command to a different tune, to a different, more intimate response, made me hard. I sighed, adjusting my trousers and forcing my mind to readjust to the professional setting I was supposed to be entering. Easier said than done, especially walking to her in the room, on my table.

What was remarkable, at least to me, was my immediate physical reaction, despite the incredible professionalism of the draping. Her legs bent, her toes peeking up from the foot rests, the sheet covering her hips, shielding the crux of her thighs. I had to assume it was the way her face was screwed up in what I could only assume was embarrassment. The way her fingers gripped the sheet with excessive strength. And the thought of her body resting at the edge of the table, as promised by the hills of her knees, so close to the end of the table.

I cleared my throat and approached the table. I saw her knees move inward, and had to smile at the minimal difference it made in how spread she was, with her feet laying in those stirrups. Well, this should be interesting.

“Thank you, student doctor Eneh,” I said finally, as I walked passed her supine form, to wash my hands.

If she made a response, I didn’t hear it. I focused on the coolness of the water as I rinsed off the lather from my hands. I had to simply be Doctor Cox in this instance. Arch Cox with his limitless libido would have to wait. I donned a set of unsterile gloves and began to prepare my work area.

“I understand you are here, right now, in a patient capacity, but I run a teaching vessel and will often discuss my thought process and methods with students. However, if you prefer I do no teaching at this time, I am happy to refrain.”

“Tea-teaching is okay, it would make it…easier, I think.”

It was on the tip of my tongue to say that it had not been my explicit intention to make this easier, but I kept the words to myself. She was adorable enough without making her afraid so early.

“Very well,” I murmured, and didn’t miss a sigh from the table. Was she completely unaware of these cues she was sending? It was either a penchant for coyness or a truly blissful ignorance of her effect on the male – and probably female – sex. Beaks had revealed a sliver of resentment toward what he had described as Eneh’s coldness. Perhaps she was simply not attracted to the small man? She wouldn’t have deliberately enticed him to pay him back for his shockingly poor teaching skills. Of course, if she had, who could blame her?

“I’m preparing a 4-0 speculum, with 60-watt attached bulb, using t-grade medical lubricant. An 18-inch curette and three 10 ml vials are available for culture and KOH prep. My equipment is sealed in a disinfectant polymer and can be opened onto the sterile field – the navy borders – before I replace my current gloves for sterile ones.”

“Does the procedure require sterility?” I had to admit surprise at the question, because I’d thought she was too embarrassed to speak, much less ask questions, and because I’d assumed Beaks would have taken advantage of the presence of female students for gynaecological patient exams.

“Excellent question, student doctor Eneh. There was previously thought that gynaecological exams did not require sterility, however there has been some new research describing the limited barrier between the vaginal os and the vascular system. Out of an abundance of caution, I transitioned all such exams to a sterile field status A, while we await the further data from this study.”

“Oh okay, yes, that makes sense.”

“I’m going to move my table and chair close to the patient, and undrape up to the knees, before scrubbing, again, and donning sterile gloves.” I put action to words and had to temper my reaction to her gasp at being undraped. It would be a supreme pleasure to teach her to discipline those responses. But that was a job for another day.

She stiffened under my fingers when I moved her legs further apart. I resisted the urge to feel her femoral pulse to confirm my suspicion of tachycardia. Again, a task for other days. Between her lower lips, I drew a line of lubricant, and watched the hood of her clitoris lift. I felt her tense at the speculum and I forced my mind toward my patient.

“Some patients have shared that the process is easier with relaxed lower limbs,” I announced, disabusing myself of the notion that massaging the velvety thighs before me was anything but assault.

I had never blurred the lines when it came to my patients, but there was something different about facing a woman I had mentally staked a claim on. And she was a virgin. I would bet my career on it. I moved in the chair to relieve the now growing ache of my manhood. It didn’t help that she audibly swallowed as I manually spread her labia before inserting the head of the speculum into the narrow, now glistening, opening.

The moan made me pause, an immediate concern that I had hurt her in some way made me want to ask if she was okay. However, the thought was followed by the almost violent rider my conscience hurled at me for asking such a question.

“Let me know if you feel any discomfort at any point, I will endeavour to make it less uncomfortable,” I said, instead.

“Mhmm,” came quickly, and I had to force myself to ignore the evident tachypnea. There was always the likelihood that she was simply overwhelmed with embarrassment at the exam, it may have absolutely nothing to do with a healthy but heretofore unexplored sexuality. Well unexplored with anyone with a cock.

I finished the rest of the exam, forcing clinical focus into the forefront of mind, ignoring the occasional whimpers, the curled toes, the silent gush of liquid that spilled over my gloved hand during my bimanual exam. I mean, I would have to have her, there was no way I would resist seducing her as soon as she was off my table.

“You noticed the discharge after a course of antibiotics?”

“I…how did you know? I mean, yes.”

“I have a KOH prep available here on the table,” I replied shortly, but only because I was becoming uncomfortable with her open responses to my manipulations and I was having to resist indulging myself.

“We can review some table tests in the future, there are a few I keep standard on my sterile fields for GYN exams.” I added the latter, to soften the edge of my first response.

“Thank you,” she murmured.

I pulled a few sheets of pH balanced cleanser and wiped away my lubricant. Her body jerked beneath my hand and I looked up, meeting her eyes for the first time during the exam. Her whole body flushed, and she turned away, biting her bottom lip guiltily. I pulled out a few more sheets and will confess I took more time than usual and gained an illicit degree of enjoyment from her delicious squirm. Blood fucking damnit. I stood up abruptly.

“You may get dressed; I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

I left the room and made my way swiftly to my personal call room. I scanned the room, my eyes falling on the bed and on the bathroom door, several times before I made for the bathroom.

The shower was icy cold and I recited the bacterial susceptibility profile of the Milky Way before walking out of the bathroom, drying off with a warm towel. Was I a teen? I’d never before been unable to control my reaction to a woman or tried so hard to do so.

I donned my clothes, thinking sterile, uncomplicated thoughts about antimicrobials, my favourite pharmaceuticals. By the time I knocked on the door to the exam room, I had some degree of control over my emotions. And I was able to feel some amusement at the way she had covered every inch of her body and seemed to place herself at the farthest corner of the room.

“Well, I’ve got good news, it’s a simple case of BV, and we can solve that with a course of oral Flagyl, or one IM dose.” I sat at the computer chair watching her process this information.

“How long of a course for the oral course?” She asked. I could practically see the calculations play across her forehead as she decided on the best step for her.

“Seven days, with a higher dose. It would mean no alcohol during that time,” I felt the need to add.

“Does the IM dose…um…feel…is it better maybe?”

“Better? Not particularly, but just as effective, faster however. It does involve needle pain, if that’s a factor.”

“I’ll do that, the IM…it’s…um faster, which is good.”

I found myself staring at her for a few moments, my instincts telling me this would not be easy and there was a definite chance of tears and the rearing head of my protective tendencies.

“Sounds good, I’ll get the shot ready and then we can plan for your transfer to our crew.”

“Right! That’s perfect!”

“Indeed.”

I typed up a brief summary for my records and put in the order for an IM dose of Metronidazole. It was uncomfortable, but I did have the selfish thought that expediently dispensing with her patient status would be beneficial for my state of mind.

“Great…great,” she said, almost to herself.

I got up, and went to the tube station waiting for the med. I really needed to rub one out before managing Eneh; there was little chance of seduction without actual penetration if I didn’t satisfy my needs first. Bloody hell!

“Stand up, turn around,” I instructed, when I walked into the room again. She blinked a few times before obeying, with several apprehensive glances at the instruments in my hands. I approached, knowing I would need to decide if I was okay with restraining her, and what effect that would have…on both of us.

“I need your trousers down about two inches, exposing the upper thigh.” The instructions were as clinical as I could make them, but her hands still shook as she moved her clothing out of the way and I still had to force down a reaction to her buttery smooth skin. I prepared the injection before applying an antiseptic to the skin. She shrank away, and I took hold of her hands, locking them at her back.

“Hush, this will be quick.” I knew there was nothing clinical about that assurance, or about the pressure I applied on her lower back, keeping her hands out of the way. I placed the injection in one quick motion, delivering the medicine, before withdrawing it quickly. I had felt her breath quicken when I held her hands, and now she was hyperventilating.

“Here, sit,” I instructed, pulling up her trousers and allowing her to sit on one corner of the cushion.

She smiled weakly, sinking into the chair.

“Welcome aboard, intern Eneh,” I said, after a moment.

Her smile broadened, and I tamped down my guilt at the indulgence I had taken while giving the shot. There was just something about her…

Eneh

It was surprisingly easy to transfer off base unto Lord Physician Cox’s ship. And if there were any snide comments from the village people about my going off world on a ship full of men, I, for one, didn’t hear them, and two, could not have heard censure that was worse than my internal scold at my reaction to Lord Physician Archer Cox. I had convinced myself that there could have been no way for him to miss the way I had responded to his exam, and I debated venturing to say something, although I literally could not think of anything to say. He, for his part, remained professional throughout. Which was somewhat frustrating when I was busy experiencing extremely unprofessional thoughts. When he had taken hold of my hands before the injection, I may have felt ready to swoon, but I pulled myself together in time to hear that I would be quickly joining his team.

It was the distraction I needed, and in the next few days all the paperwork was completed, and all my belongings – not much – were transferred to the large navy vessel. For some reason, Lord Archer, or Arch as I’d heard him called more frequently these days, had insisted I spend the rest of my days on the ship, and not go off, even to say goodbye to my troop. At first, I hadn’t minded the instruction, enjoying joining the group of thirty-five other trainees, twelve in each class, including myself as the newest intern. It occurred to me that there was an opening ready for Arch to take me on, and I had been grateful at this coincidence. It was in the mess hall, laughing at a joke from Colin, one of the juniors – second years – that I suspected more than coincidence. I’d said it was moments like this that kept me on the ship twenty-four/seven.

“Are you sure you’re not staying because you don’t want to run into Seo?” He laughed, but then got quiet at my confusion and also a look from one of the seniors – third years – that told me I wasn’t supposed to hear that.

“Who is Seo?”

“A soon to be rehabilitated medical student,” Lee, the senior who had given Colin the look, answered shortly. “And shouldn’t you all be studying for your in-training exam?”

“Wait, do I have to take that too?” I was momentarily distracted by the test they’d all been talking about, that was occurring in six days.

“Eneh, are you a member of this school?”

“Ye…yes,” I said, quickly.

“Then you have to take it too,” he said, with a sober look. Then he laid a hand on my shoulder, giving me a squeeze. “Don’t worry, Arch doesn’t expect interns to do that well.” I was not reassured by this comment.

I left the mess hall and headed for my call room where I’d dumped all my books, when I’d imagined studying on my night calls. Apparently, I should have been studying all along. After bragging about what an “excellent,” student I was, it would be uncomfortable to demonstrate anything less on a written exam. I fell asleep in my chair, and woke up with a jerk, realising it was a quarter to nine. Ugh, I’d missed dinner? I grabbed my phone, which had been on silent – to facilitate studying – to see fifteen missed calls and dozens of texts from Pax and Rosen, two interns I’d grown close to in the last four days. Apparently, they had taken dinner down, off the ship; there was some kind of celebration to send the War Doctor’s ship on its way. Should I go down? Archer himself had told me I was to stay on the ship until we left. But did that include celebrations sending us off? That seemed like the perfect occasion to show my face one last time, right?

I scrambled off my chair and showered quickly, changing into a new set of fitted scrubs that had recently arrived. It occurred to me that there was an immense network of people living and working in the ship aside from doctors. My scrubs, the set of ten, were all hand sewn, if the careful stitches were any evidence. Grabbing my fleece, that now read Wartime Medical Campus, Resident-I, I pocketed my phone and made my way out.

It was easy to see that something was wrong as soon as I left the ship. There was no one around the ship when I left, and aside from the quiet hum behind me, there was silence. I imagined they were in the main theatre, so I headed over there. I was right. The seats were almost all occupied, with Wartime residents crowded on one side, and my former troop filling the opposite side. Archer Cox sat on a throne on a raised dais, next to Doctor Beaks, my former chief. I couldn’t tell from so far away what was going on, but it looked like someone was kneeling before him.

I walked behind the seats moving to where my new co-residents were sitting. The closer I got, the more I could hear what was happening on the stage. I tripped when I heard the cry.

“I will die first, sir!”

I immediately felt every eye on me, as I scrabbled up from my knees to a seat, looking down and trying to become invisible. I had not missed the frank irritation in Archer’s eyes when they had alighted on me.

“Seo Song, I’m growing bored with this display. It does neither of us credit.” His deep voice carried across the theatre and there was something cold and frightening in the tone of this announcement.

“Shit, Seo better get up.” I turned to Tomin, who I’d sat beside.

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, I keep forgetting you’re new! The Lord’ll give him a permanent transfer if he’s not careful; he hates things that make him look bad. And this looks pretty bad. Like, we know it sucks to be sent to another ship, but you’re supposed to put on a brave front and wait for the Lord to come back for you. That’s what the seniors tell us anyway, that he doesn’t leave any students off ship for long. Seo probably thinks it’s different ‘cause he punished him last week, but he’s insulting the new chief by begging to stay.”

“What’s a permanent transfer?” I asked, staring at the young man who now had his head bowed, hands reaching for the hem of Lord Archer’s greatcoat. I’d also not realised before now that so many of the residents called Archer, simply Lord.

“Expulsion, he can’t ever come back if that happens.”

“Wait, but does he know?! Someone should get him, right?”

“You mean, run up there? Are you crazy?”

“But he would—”

“If Archer doesn’t beat whoever went down there to a pulp, I’d bet money they’d end up on scut work for a month.”

I looked down at Lord Physician Archer, who was looking coldly at the student at his feet. He could have someone remove Seo, but he was waiting for him to get up on his own and redeem the dignity of the troop. It was so clear to me, that even though he suspected that his former student wouldn’t meet that expectation, his pride wouldn’t let him give Seo a way out. I didn’t know I had gotten up until I heard the murmurs around me.

I raced down to the stage in the middle before anyone could stop me. To the credit of my new co-residents, I heard more than one call of my name to come away. But I was doing it, and in my mind, I already envisioned pleading ignorance of the rules. The painful and terrifying thought that Lord Archer would consider I was too much trouble to bring aboard his crew, flashed through my mind, but I was already beside Seo.

“Get up! He’ll transfer you if you don’t!” I whispered the words harshly in his ear, hoping they would register.

He certainly paused and looked up at me. His mahogany eyes shone with unshed tears and he shook his head in confusion.

“He means to come back for you,” I whispered hurriedly in his ear, in a low enough volume that I hoped it didn’t carry across the theatre. Seo blinked in confusion, then rose with my assistance. He looked at me with a frown, that seemed to be trying to believe what I had said. Then he turned to the two medical chiefs.

“I apologise, my lords,” he said in a quiet voice, giving a low bow. I joined him in a bow, and muttered something, although I couldn’t have said what.

We both moved off the stage, and hurriedly left the theatre, going under to the lower chambers. Knowing from experience how volumes travelled up from those lower halls, I led Seo further into the inner rooms of the theatre, finding an empty practice room. A model skeleton was our only occupant. I shut the door.

He collapsed in a hard backed chair and buried his face in his hands.

“What have I done?”

“Hopefully, not too much?” I ventured the question, unsure how best to proceed.

“Who are you?”

“I think…I think I’m your exchange,” I said finally, bracing myself for the anger. It didn’t come.

“Oh, so he wanted you on board!”

“I…um I asked…”

“No, no, he’s been wanting a girl for a long time,” he dismissed my answer, and I felt my whole body heat up.

“Not, not like that,” he hurriedly asserted, probably judging my embarrassment accurately. “He’s just been saying the Stars are reading a great female physician, and he was determined to be the one to find them. We all thought it was nonsense; no girls ever wanted to join us. But now…that must have been why! He doesn’t hate me, then!”

I knew my brow was raised, but I decided there was no point trying to dissuade him from this line of thinking, since it seemed to be helping him. In any case, I certainly didn’t have any proof against what he said, so I wasn’t prepared to challenge him. My only concern now was that we hadn’t been too late in getting off the stage, and that Archer would really come back for Seo.

“Didn’t you know about the risk of expulsion?” I asked, finally.

“I did…I just…I didn’t know why he was sending me off, and I thought…if he really meant to leave me, I’d rather have a clean break, rather than stay here and wonder. We all know about Beaks. He’s an ass. And a xenophobe.”

I blinked, surprised to learn that my former chief was apparently widely recognised in this negative light. Although I held my opinions about him, I had never voiced them, for fear of being a complainer.

“Do you think he’ll come back soon?”

“I…yeah, that’s what our seniors said,” I answered with confidence I didn’t feel.

“Thanks for coming down…I guess one of the seniors sent you? The new kid always gets picked for that stuff. Sorry…”

“Yeah…” I didn’t share the reluctance I’d witnessed to save him. It made me wonder about joining the group, but I was already committed. If Archer Cox would still have me. I swallowed and shook off my apprehension.

“I should probably go back to the ship…scut work, you know,” I said, vaguely. He nodded as if he understood and I left the room.

I knew a shortcut to the ship, from the back of the theatre to the back of the ship, a path for the environmental staff. I’d planned on making myself scarce for a bit. At least until we were safely off the planet and away from RRD (reasonable returnable distance). Yes, I certainly believed I’d done the right thing with Seo. I still felt uncomfortable recalling that look in Lord Archer’s eyes.

I was just crossing the threshold of the ship, when a large arm grabbed me from behind. Another hand simultaneously came up to cut off my scream. I struggled in vain against the arms, feeling futility blanketing my mind.

“Are you sneaking back unto my ship, intern Eneh?” There was no mistaking that deliciously dark voice, or the way his fingers curled around my neck. I must have been hyperventilating.

“I…I…” I couldn’t get the words out, so close to him, the hardness of his body touching me in so many places.

“Shhh, that was a rhetorical question. Come,” he started leading me further into the ship, until we reached a door. His foot moved forward, pushing his thighs closer to mine and I felt my eyes widen at the hard length between his legs that now rubbed against my butt. His foot touched something on the floor and the door slid open. He propelled me in, and I heard the swish and click as we were shut in the room. It was some kind of study, but I barely had time to register the details of the room before he pulled me around and thrust me against the wall.

He gently kicked at my legs and I instinctively widened my stance, realising with panic that my bottom was pushed out, while my upper body rested against the wall. He took my hands, restraining them the same way he had while giving me that shot days ago.

“Don’t move, I’m going to punish you,” he said in, incredibly, a deeper growl than his usual.

“Wait! Why?” I was trying to stall.

He leaned so close to me; I could feel his cheek by head.

“You’ve displeased me.” And then a resounding smack landed across my bottom. I was too stunned to scream. But I found my voice soon enough as his hand fell again and again with unrelenting force against my cheeks. Holy fuck it hurt! I hadn’t ever been spanked as an adult and now not only did I realise it was actually painful, I was humiliated to realise I was also turned on. That I was still standing in position was not due to any fortitude on my part, but the way he held my arms bent behind me, kept me from pulling my lower body away without my arms hurting. It was the feeling of being trapped, the progressively worsening blaze across my bottom and his silence, that made me start crying.

Whether he stopped immediately, or soon after, I couldn’t tell. But now I was sobbing and couldn’t stop. I squirmed in his hold, willing him to let me go or at least turn me around. He did the latter, again in silence. I made the mistake of meeting his eyes and then couldn’t look away, feeling my whole person smouldering in the heat of his lightening gaze. And so, I was staring up at him, ugly crying. I knew what message I was sending with my eyes, and I was desperately willing him to read it. And he did.

Pulling me close to his chest, he enclosed me in his arms. With my hands free, I brought them up and touched him myself.

“What if I told you, I wasn’t done?” I stiffened, and immediately, futilely, tried to put space between us. Then he laughed. “I’m joking.” He was rubbing my back, but I felt a petulant frown crease my brow.

“You took that well,” he said, finally. “I just wasn’t expecting you to cry. It’s probably for the best, I don’t think I could have continued without crossing another line.”

“Huh?” I felt soothed by the rumble of his voice and the intoxicating warmth of his hold around my body, and my words sounded far away to me.

“Shhh, never mind.” Then, “Are you feeling better?”

I nodded after a few moments, and he very slowly separated our bodies. I was reluctant to let go, but I didn’t have a choice. I looked down and could see the bulge of his manhood pressing against his trousers. I swallowed. His fingers took my chin and drew my eyes upward. His eyes were smiling, and his lips were crooked up on one side.

“No, Eneh, we’re going to talk.”

“Talk?”

“Yes, talk. Here, sit.” He gestured to one of two armchairs and led me to it. I sank down, but almost immediately got up at the ache in my bottom.

“Sit.” The inflexibility in his tone, made me meet his eyes. They were harder now, that playful smile gone. He sat while I wavered.

“If you’d like to find out what I do to disobedient interns, after their first warning, this would certainly be a good way.”

I swallowed, wanting to complain that it hurt, knowing that that was the point, and also mildly terrified at whatever was a step after the ‘first warning.’

Carefully, I placed my body on the chair, trying to sit on the edge.

“You should know, Eneh, I don’t expect to repeat myself. In the future, I will assume you are choosing disobedience if you hesitate to carry out a clear instruction.”

I nodded because I thought he was expecting some kind of response. This was satisfactory, I suppose, as he continued.

“I usually do this part first; I ask you what happened, you explain your side of the story and I decide on a sentence. Although we finished early, know that it can always get worse.” Worse?

“But…you didn’t hear my side…”

“Oh, I know why you left the ship, when I told you not to, but you can explain it to me yourself.”

His hand gestured encouragement to go on.

I opened my mouth, but immediately felt flustered. The logic of earlier in the night, thinking of seeing my old troop one last time, seemed pretty silly in this setting.

“I know we’re just getting to know one another, Eneh,” he said, with some amusement after a long silence on my part. “But I was expecting a response.”

“Sorry, I…it sounds silly…” His left brow rose.

“I just thought it would be a good time to say goodbye to them…since it would be last time…”

“It doesn’t have to be the last time,” he commented, dryly.

“No! Please, I want to go with you!” I heard the panic in my voice.

“I’m aware.”

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have gone off the ship, but…but…if it helped Seo…” This was obviously the wrong direction to take. His eyes darkened like thunderclouds and I shrank back.

“Do you think it helped Seo, your being there?” The quiet question made me shiver.

“I don’t know,” I answered honestly.

“Your interference, while entertaining, was not necessary, by the way. Not that I need to explain such things to you, but I don’t expel students on a whim.” I nodded, wishing his eyes wouldn’t look so dark.

“I don’t know Beaks’ method of discipline, but it is out of my hands,” he added, almost carefully, as though convincing us both that he was no longer responsible for what happened to his student. Former student. For now.

“The cane…and solitary,” I said, quietly in response to the unasked question. I looked away from his eyes and stared at a whorl in the wooden floor. Was it real wood? Why wood on a space vessel?

“I’ve been known to use the cane myself,” he commented, almost pensively.

He was watching me, with what seemed like concern. I looked up and noted that his eyes didn’t look so stormy now. I considered the image of Lord Archer Cox with a cane, and I almost wet myself.

“You should know that the sadist in me has no qualms delivering pain. Just because you cry, in the future, doesn’t mean I’ll stop. So, let’s not do this again, too soon, hmm?”

I nodded quickly, feeling my body flush and my breaths coming too fast for me to talk. I was trying to process the admission of his being a sadist, as well as the promise of worse punishment in the future.

“Can you find your way back to the main hall?”

I nodded again.

“Go ahead, then.” He gestured me out, and I got up quickly, practically scrambling out of the room. The door opened as soon as I stood in front of it and I raced up the hallway. I didn’t stop running until I got to our dorm. I threw myself into what I now realised must have been Seo’s old room and locked the door.

I sank to the floor and cried again. With relief, fear, frustration and with whatever else was in my body.