Authors Note: Spring Break! Yeah! Now i can really start putting out the Chapters!
Kat took in a deep breath of air and let it out slowly. She slumped her shoulders and cringed as the pain returned in her arm.
"You told me you would be careful!" Dr. Tyler yelled and Kat turned around as the doctor grabbed her arm and observing it closer. Tyler surprisingly, seemed much stronger than before even if she was a little wobbly on her own feet. "Get over there and sit down!" Tyler said, going around Kat and pushing her towards a bench much like the one in the prison.
"I was careful." Kat said with a note of distaste allowing the doctor to push her down to the bench. "Dr. Tyler we really can't waste time. Every second could be vital if I'm going to get you out of here."
"Oh be quite and let us do the work now. We scientists can do more than build Spartans." She said standing up in front of Kat and waving for one of the scientists to come over. Kat suddenly noticed that all the other humans were at different holo panel, tapping away at different shapes.
"Please Dr. Tyler, I don't think we sho-" The Spartan protested but was silenced as Dr. Tyler scrunched up her face in anger and turned on her.
"I don't want to hear it Kat!" Tyler yelled, threatening the Spartan with her index finger. "You've been badly wounded and you haven't eaten in days. And if you try and talk your way out of-"
"Doctor, my main priority is getting everyone of you to safety." Kat said in a forcefully voice as she stood up. "I can not worry about myself when we're inside the enemy's territory. The Covenant could discover us at any moment and send a whole army in here. There is only one try at this Doctor, and I'm not going to waste it."
A heavy silence filled the air as the scientist and Spartan glared at each other. Everyone else stopped their work at the panels to watch the uneasy sight. Minutes passed and still the tension between them didn't let up until without warning, Tyler hit Kat's arm with a fist.
The Spartan couldn't hold back the scream as she recoiled, bumping up against the wall. "What are you trying to do to me woman!" She bellowed, holding her left arm below the wound and tightening her grip.
"Kat, if you don't worry about yourself and get yourself killed protecting us, who will get us to safety then!" Dr. Tyler shouted back with more fierceness than the Spartan. "I don't want you to die Kat!" Tears abruptly appeared in Tyler's eyes and streamed down her cheeks. "Gosh darn it Kat, can't you have a little bit of selfishness." She said quieter, whipping the tears with the back of sleeve.
Kat stood there, stunned. Why is she crying? The Spartan puzzled, blinking in confusion. It's just a stupid wound, nothing to be crying over. All of a sudden, Kat remembered herself crying over the life of a boy. She hadn't been able to save him. Was Dr. Tyler worried she wouldn't be able to save Kat?
The Spartan diverted her eyes and slumped down on the bench without a sound, murmuring a "Sorry."
Tyler paused, as if bewildered herself before a smile streaked across her face and she waved a scientist forward to help Kat. "Alright Kat, I'm going to need you to take off your helmet and lay down." The scientist said, bending down next to Kat and opening a box she had brought with her.
Kat opened her mouth to protest but a glance up at Dr. Tyler with her hands on her hips made the Spartan snap it shut again and comply. The helmet hissed and released, allowing Kat to take it off. Her braid tumbled onto her back and loose, brown hair fell into her face. She raked a hand through her hair to get the loose strands out of her face and caught some of the men glancing at her with a dumb, love-struck look on their face. Kat sighed and looked back at the scientist.
"Is there a reason you wanted me to take off my helmet?" She asked, trying hard to keep her face emotionless.
"Yes, one, you haven't eaten in days and two, I'm going to need to see your reaction to different things." She responded without looking up, putting on plastic gloves and taking out different thing from the box.
Reluctantly, Kat set the helmet on the ground and stretched out on the bench, making sure her left arm faced the scientist. The ceiling showed no welcome when the Spartan looked up at the dull gray but she found no other way to keep her face from scrunching up in disgust. She hated being treated on. Kat felt so weak when medics covered up a wound or cleaned an open gash. In fact, the injury on her stomach did take quite a beating back in the prophet's chambers. Spartan 108 couldn't stop her face from twisting at that thought but it was quickly masked as the scientist's cold fingers touched her arm. For a split second, the touch smothered the burning pain, but it was short lived. Pain shot up her arm and forced Kat to recoil with a grunt. Her teeth had involuntarily clamped together and she could already feel herself starting to grind them.
"I'm going to need you to stay still Kat." The scientist said in a soothing, comforting tone. Kat gave her a fierce, sideways glace but relaxed her left arm anyway. The scientist's fingers touched the wound again but this time Kat kept her left arm relaxed although the rest of her body had grown tense. The Spartan's right hand clasped into a fist and her teeth clamped together tighter. She took in an uneasy breath through her nose as the scientist's fingers tried prying some of the melted armor away from the wound.
"It's bad…" Dr Tyler said in a tone that wasn't really a question.
The scientist nodded. "Plasma burns are particularly painful." She responded with a jerk in her hand that ripped away the melted armor. Kat squeezed her eyes shut and tried her hardest to suppress the scream to a groaned. "But this is one of the worst injuries I've seen, partly because the armor has melted over her skin."
The scientist jerked off another piece of armor and Kat groaned again. Her whole arm felt like it was burning and throbbing all at once. Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead and she kept both her eyes and teeth clamped shut. Every thought in her mind was concentrated on not think about the pain. It did no good and the barrier in Kat's mind was shattered as the scientist yanked off another piece of the dissolved armor. The Spartan's head jerked to the side as her muscles tightened and her teeth grinded together to keep from crying out.
The burning subsided for a moment and Kat relaxed, breathing hard. She hadn't even realized she had held her breath. Suddenly something cold touched her forehead and one of Kat's eyes shot open. Dr. Tyler was knelt near Kat's head with one hand laid across the Spartan's forehead. When she saw Kat open her eye the worried look on her face transformed into a weak smile. For some reason this comforted Kat and when the scientist yanked off another piece of melted armor the fiery pain seemed not as bad.
The scientist sighed, and whipped sweat from her forehead with the back of her arm. "There, the painful part is done." She said more to herself than to Kat. The scientist then picked up a bottle next to her and unscrewed the top. "Alright Kat, this will burn some." She said, smoothing a white cream over the burn. It started out cold as ice but quickly grew hotter. The Spartan didn't even wince at the feeling. It really wasn't anything compared to the first pain and so it was easy for her to rebuild the blockade in her mind again and block the throbbing from her thoughts. Kat opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling with her eyes half shut in a sleepy manner. From the corner of her eye, Kat saw the scientist and Dr. Tyler exchange glances although, she couldn't figure out what they were thinking. The scientist picked up a roll of bandages beside her and started to wrap the Spartan's arm. Dr. Tyler went into the metal box and started to shuffle around with its contents.
"Alright Kat," The scientist said patting the Spartan's shoulder and adding a smile. "I'm done."
Kat sat up and put a hand on her face. "Damn." She murmured. "Do you know how much that hurt?"
The Spartan spoke mostly to herself but Dr. Tyler answered anyway. "Spartan's don't usually show pain," She said, taking something out of the box. "So I'm guess it hurt like hell." Tyler said with a smile as she held the silver wrapped food bar out to Kat.
The Spartan looked down at the food then up at Dr. Tyler before swinging her legs over the side of the bench and taking it from her hand. Kat ripped the wrapper off and stuffed the bar into her mouth.
"Kat!" Dr. Tyler exclaimed and the Spartan looked up at the doctor, tilting her head to the side with half the bar sticking out of her mouth and crumbs lining her lips "Don't you have any manners?" The doctor said, putting her hands on her hips.
Kat broke off the bar with her teeth and held the half with her hand. "I was taught to kill Doctor, the Covenant aren't going to die if I have to waste my time worrying about how the food gets in my mouth."
Dr. Tyler was obviously disgusted with the fact that Kat talked with her mouth full but she said nothing more and turned to walk over to one of the scientists working on a holo panel. Kat sighed and stuffed the rest of bar into her mouth. When she was finished, Kat brushed the crumbs from her face and donned her helmet again.
"There are two loading bays in this ship ma'am." The scientist was saying to the Doctor. "One has two pelicans while the other has one."
"Thank you." Dr. Tyler said with a nod and the scientist went back to his work as the Doctor went to address another scientist.
Kat stood and strolled over to the pile of dead Covenant in the corner. She kicked away some of the bodies until she found a needier and ammo for it. The Spartan reloaded the weapon and made sure it wasn't damaged in any way. She then checked a plasma pistol before hooking it onto her hip and heading towards Dr. Tyler.
"I have seen no other movement ma'am." The scientist was saying when Kat walked up.
"Yes, please continue to keep an eye on that." She said before turning to the Spartan. "Do you want something Kat?"
"We've stayed here too long Doctor." Kat said in a military voice. "We need to move."
To Kat's surprise, Dr. Tyler nodded. "Yes, I agree, but I have come up with no plan." She said crossing her arms.
"I do." Kat said as she watched one of Dr. Tyler's eyebrows raise. "You and everyone else will head towards the docking bay with one pelican while I go to the other one." Dr. Tyler's other eyebrow rose. "The Covenant will chase after me, giving you time to get on board the pelican. And once you're inside, you call me and I'll come right away."
"Kat you're crazy!" Dr. Tyler burst out. "I don't like it at all! What if you get killed or the Covenant goes for us instead?"
"I won't let that happen." The Spartan replied with a firm voice.
Dr. Tyler turned her back on Kat to observe the scientists and marines at work. She didn't say anything for a few minutes but when she did start talking her tone was sad. "I don't like it Kat. But I can't think of any better plan." Tyler bowed her head and was silent again. "Do you know why I care so much for you?"
"No." Kat replied, blinking in confusion and wondering why she was asking that question.
"I had a daughter just like you." Dr. Tyler lifted her head and stared off into space. "Risking her life for her comrades and caring for them above herself." Another minute of silence passed. "That's what killed her." Tyler turned to Kat, her face set in purpose. "And I don't want to loose you that way too."
Kat tilted her head to the side. "How old are you Doctor?" The Spartan asked in an attempt to change the subject.
Dr. Tyler blinked in surprise. "I'm 38." She replied with a note of perplexity.
"Really!" Kat gasped. "I thought you were 25."
"25? You've got to be kidding me Kat. I'm not that young looking." Dr. Tyler said, her face flushing a little.
"Looks really are deceiving." She said with a smirk as she turned to one of the scientists and started giving him orders.
Dr. Tyler gapped. "You changed the subject! Why you little trickster! Kat are you listening to me! I want you to tell me right now you're not going to risk your life! Kat! Kat answer me!" The Doctor yelled but the Spartan ignored her and continued giving orders with a grin still playing on her lips. Kat didn't want to seem rude but she had to lighten the mood somehow. Besides, Kat wasn't even sure she was going to be on the pelican with them. It all mattered on fate and luck. Hopefully both of them hadn't turned against her.
Authors Note: 21 reviews! Whoa baby! I'm doing something right! Oh and just to tell all my fans, I made a forum for the fanfiction since i don't really know what a C2 community is and don't wana know i made one! Yeah! so you can go there and see what's taking me so long and if you become a member you can see a preview of the next chapter!(note: get rid of the spaces) elfpricess. proboards38. com/ index.cgi
