Leopard Dreaming (57 page)

Mira heard several shots, mostly singles, followed by a moment of silence and a cheer from the musician. She still couldn’t see out the door. She could barely move enough to breathe. But closing her eyes, she could imagine them all now in perfect colour.

‘Gotta love a good maze,’ Darkin shouted. ‘There’s always treasure in the middle.’

‘Look around,’ Gabby argued. ‘This is all you get in the real world. Suck it up.’

‘I meant your friend. That’s what the feds dubbed her.’

‘Oh.’

‘Over here,’ Lockman called, taking a little longer than usual to get up. ‘She’s this way.’

‘You okay?’ Tarin asked as her footsteps jogged across to him.

‘Same as always.’

‘And yet you’re still packing a few treats? What were you waiting for, a grand finale?’

‘Some of the walls down here are too thin. I couldn’t use grenades without risking harm to friendlies.’

Mira heard cloth wrenching and tearing open.

‘Holy Mother!’ Tarin swore. ‘What did you do? Wear a target?’

‘Not as bad as it looks,’ he argued. ‘I caught most of these through someone else, so they’re mostly shallow.’

‘Good, because I’m busy with Ben now.’ She jogged across in Ben’s direction, while the others wandered down to the corner.

‘Oh, dear,’ Gabby cried. ‘Over here. This old man and the crippled lady … Please tell me they’re not Mira’s friends?’

‘Hey, I’ve got a pulse here,’ Darkin called from nearer to the pile of bodies with Colonel Kitching.

Lockman staggered away from them, headed for Mira’s doorway. She could hear him favouring his injured leg, and as he paused on the brink between shadows and light, she noticed him bleeding freshly from more wounds torn through his clothes on his arms, legs and face. Mostly bruises and scrapes.

She could only bear to open her eyes for a flicker. Managed to catch enough light to process every detail, even from her darkened corner, but she couldn’t move to shorten the distance for him, no matter how much determination she’d inherited from her grandfather.

Propped with her head and right shoulder against the wall, she’d managed to keep from falling so far. Warm blood trickled down the zipper of her ruined
sundress, soaking across her back and skirt. She’d fractured a rib or two, certainly. The giant splinter jammed between her ribs, making every breath agony.

The taste of a little red foam at the back of her throat also warned her that she’d injured a lung. Just a nick, probably, since the dagger hadn’t gone in too far through her ribs. But she also knew if she moved — or tried to remove the dagger of wood in any way that opened up the wound — that she could drown before she bled out. She’d seen it at Serenity a century ago; last time the great Moreton Bay fig in the courtyard had been used as a hanging tree … when a branch snapped, killing the convicted rapist in a way far crueller than a broken neck.

‘It hurts,’ she whispered, wasting as little breath as possible.

‘Oh, no.’

Lockman lunged to her, catching her as she fell.

‘Gabby! Declan! I need you in here
now
!’

If he groaned in pain himself as he lowered her gently to her side, she never heard it.

‘Stay with me, sweetheart.’ His voice cracked as he cradled her head in his lap. ‘Come on, baby. Open up those beautiful eyes and stay with me.’

Mira tried. She really did, but tears formed in her eyes, causing Lockman to vanish. White pain stung the back of her lenses, piercing deeper to the back of her brain and she saw through the golden threshold of time into the future, where the room fell empty of all but the dust and the broad stain of her life on the floor, underneath her.

A big blotch like an ink blot.

She’d never liked the Rorschach Test, and now she’d become one.

‘I
’ve never known anyone who could sleep with their sunglasses on.’

Mira woke slowly in hospital with Darkin’s face looming close over hers.

‘I think she’s coming around.’ He played with the hue controls, and caused himself to disappear. ‘It’s so hard to see through these. How does she manage?’

‘Not like that.’ Gabby slapped his hand away. Mira flinched, but Gabby adjusted the hues to the blackest setting and they both reappeared. ‘She’s supposed to be blind, rock star. Live with it.’

‘Oh, sure. And your fake accent is the only sexy thing about you.’

‘Oui, now get out of my way, Leo Hero.’

‘That’s Héron. You of all people should know why I changed it, Miss Bitch.’

‘Bad boy.’ She smacked him again. ‘You’ll always be a hero to us. Now go and play with your new toy.’

‘I already did,’ he sulked. ‘The room is clear. They wouldn’t dare put surveillance on her in here anyway with the heart monitors. Or with Lockman so near.’

Mira raised her hand to wave, weakly.

Gabby tugged Darkin aside, swapping places with him to hug and kiss her. ‘Hey, sleepyhead. How are you feeling? That was quite a spear you caught yesterday. If you’re going to play javelins, you’re supposed to throw, not catch them.’

Mira coughed, unable to laugh yet.

‘Hey, none of that, princess.’ Darkin slumped in the sofa adjacent to her bedside table. ‘You’re here to get better.’ He adjusted a pillow to fit the shape of his back, and shifted a familiar pouch from the drawer knob of her table onto his lap. His hand dipped inside, patting the occupant, while beside him on the table she noticed her Braille books amid vases of flowers, tissues and her little bird-shaped toothpaste dispenser.

‘Daisies are from Delaney,’ Gabby explained, following her gaze. ‘Roses from the two feds, lilies from General Garland, and I brought you this wild orchid.’

She revealed it from behind her back; the darkest flower that Mira could ever imagine, with a splash of white in the centre, and the freakiest twist in its stem and leaves, which made it look quite alien.

‘Oh, Gabby, it’s beautiful,’ she said, croakily as her voice returned. ‘Thank you.’

‘As rare as you, darling. We also smuggled in a bowl of fresh fruit salad and mixed nuts.’ She offered them to Mira out of two small sealed containers from her bag and set them aside on her table. ‘Nothing worse than waking up to hospital food, right?’ She passed a bite-sized chunk of apple and a spineless wedge of wild prickly pear to Darkin who fed them into the pouch, which in turn wriggled.

‘How long was I …?’

‘Twenty-nine hours, honey. They gave you a sedative for surgery and it reacted with whatever cocktail you’d had already. What the heck was that, anyway?’

Mira shrugged. ‘Old family recipe. Where are Ben and —’ she almost called him Jayson — ‘Adam.’

‘Oh, oui? His first name, finally. About time, honey.’

‘Where is he? They, I mean, both of them.’ She tried to sit up straighter, but a twinge of pain burst into agony across her chest in stars, stripes and neon lights.

‘Opposite ends of the hall,’ Darkin said, offhandedly. ‘I think they’ve come to a truce finally, but now they’re competing to see who’ll have the most impressive scars after this.’

‘He means they’re both recovering from surgery, but don’t worry.’ Gabby patted her hand. ‘They’re both fine. Close call on the scars, but I think you’ll win.’

‘I need to see them.’

‘Your scars or the guys?’

Mira winced. She tried to sit up again, with slightly more success, thanks only to Gabby and her quick hands on the electric bed device. A wide bandage around her ribs made her feel stiff.

‘Hey, whoa, whoa!’ Darkin cried as Mira detached herself from the monitors and threw back the sheets.

‘Hold it.’ Gabby applied one gentle finger to the centre of Mira’s groggy forehead, stopping her as surely as a brick wall. ‘Don’t make me call in a nurse. Around here they all drive their own tanks.’

‘I’m on an army base?’ Mira shook her head, deciding she wasn’t going to worry about that yet. ‘I need to see them, Gabby. I need to see them right now, please, or I’ll have to cause the biggest ruckus you ever heard.’

‘Well, when you put it that way.’ Gabby clicked her fingers. ‘Hey, sexy pants. Can you skip that cute little butt out the door and go fetch us a wheelchair?’

‘On it.’ Darkin set the wallaby’s pouch aside onto Mira’s lap. ‘But if you start whispering about your next mission, count me in. I’ve never been so inspired.’

He bounded out of the room like a faithful puppy.

‘Wow.’ Mira relaxed a little, and turned the pouch around so she could reach inside. ‘What did you do to him?’

‘Oh, any wild animal is tameable with a little love. He’s actually a nice guy under all that testosterone and creative juice. He was drowning and needed to meet a few girls who weren’t all air, tattoos or plastic.’

Mira grinned. ‘Is it him you like most, or his yacht?’

‘Oh, definitely the yacht.’ Gabby winked. ‘Seriously, keep Adam away from it. I don’t know what it is with him and boats, but he did it again with my
Seaview Play
. Not that I’m complaining, obviously. Much better for the boat to be shot up than him, but sheesh. That boy is like walking C4, isn’t he?’

‘I’ll make Garland buy you a new one.’

‘Oh, no, please don’t.’ Gabby leaned closer. ‘Declan’s loaning me the
Ski Ya Later
. Have you been for a ride in it yet? That thing is sweeeeeeet. And since it doesn’t dock too well with my
Aquadisiac
, I have to stay aboard the
Limo
a night or two longer, if you get my drift. So be a friend, okay? Ix-nay on the new oat-bay.’

Mira peered closer to check if Gabby’s eyes seemed properly dilated. ‘Have you taken any painkillers lately?’

Gabby laughed, then lowered her voice and whispered to Mira behind her hand. ‘Speaking of painkillers. Adam clued us all in about your eyes, and how they work better when your head’s not throbbing.’

‘All, as in
who
specifically?’

‘Ben, Tarin, Mel, me, Delaney, the two feds and sexy pants. He said you’d want us all to know, so if anything ever happens to one of us, there’ll be a whole team who can trample down Garland’s door, or knock politely, depending on whose side she’s on that day.’

Mira nodded, but hoped they’d never see a day like that again.

‘So, these painkillers …?’

‘Forget it, Gabby. Whatever you’re thinking, I’m done with drugs forever.’

‘That’s a pity. Because I have an old argument with Mel about what she did to make Ben break up with me in high school, and I’d love it if you could look back and see what really happened. I’ve also lost my favourite sock aboard the
Aquadisiac
—’

‘Okay, okay.’ Mira grinned, loving her friend’s cheeky attitude. ‘I don’t need painkillers to do what comes naturally, especially now that I’ve learned how to dose myself with adrenaline. I’ll find your sock, but then I’m swearing myself off the water too.’

‘Well, that’s disappointing.’ Gabby frowned, as if personally offended.

‘Please don’t take it like that. You know me and boats. I have worse luck than Adam.’

‘No, I meant I thought I’d need something to bribe you.’

She produced another bag, which had been lying down out of sight, near her feet. ‘Those weren’t my main motives, darling. That hospital gown is repulsive. So I whizzed out and bought you a little something.’

Out came the most beautifully colourful gift that Mira could ever see with her sensitive fingertips. Bland black and white to her eyes. About the size of a folded bath towel, but wrapped in the finest layers of rainbow chiffon and tied with a soft silk ribbon, it came to her with a great bursting explosion of tassels.

‘A present?’ Mira clasped her hand to her face, almost frightened to touch the pretty present.

‘No trees murdered unnecessarily for wrapping paper. Ribbon is for your hair. Shawl is for your shoulders, and inside … Ta-daaaa!’ She peeled open a small corner to reveal the soft crimson cloth at the heart of the matter. ‘A brand new sundress. Sorry, honey, but your last one is pushing up daisies.’

Mira thought about Maddy, and sniffled.

‘Oh, sorry! I didn’t mean to be insensitive. I just thought … you know, it’s red, so if your wound leaks
at least now it won’t be so embarrassing.’ Gabby slapped a hand up to her mouth. ‘Oh, I did it again. I just thought you might like something fresh. The same kind of comfort, but still different. If you prefer, I bought a nice pink one too, so you’ll have a change for tomorrow. And a black one — for later, you know. For the funerals. I just didn’t want to hit you with them all at once, in case they made you feel a bit like … you know. A plastic fashion doll.’

Mira started shaking, giggling now as well as sobbing — desperately trying to stop herself. The combination slapped her with the weirdest, most beautiful, most
excruciating
experience of her life. She had friends who loved her!

‘Oh, honey, they’re only the barest wardrobe basics, I swear.’

Mira nodded, but couldn’t stop giggling. The pain that lit up her lungs and ribs like fire left her head bizarrely unaffected; a treat to feel pain that wasn’t also throbbing from her eyes to her brain.

‘Brilliant, Biche,’ Gabby scolded herself. ‘Really living up to your Aussie pronunciation now.’ She tried to take the gift back, but Mira caught her in time.

‘Love it,’ she managed to say, but needed another minute to get control of herself. ‘Can you help me change into it, please?’

Gabby dashed to the door and slammed it. ‘Red, pink or black? With all the appropriate lacies to match.’ She ducked to retrieve a bigger bag from under the bed, which spilled open to reveal all of her choices.

‘Red,’ Mira said. ‘I’m feeling brazen.’

‘Oh, really?’ Gabby cheered up instantly too. ‘Because I also brought a fabulous lavender ensemble that’s to die for. Plus a bag of colourful mix ’n’ match skirts and shirts.’

‘Red. I want red.’

With Gabby’s help, she peeled down to naked, aside from the bandage around her ribs — and without nearly as much pain as she’d expected, so long as she moved slowly and carefully.

‘You’re so lucky,’ Gabby said, glancing only briefly at Mira’s breasts. ‘You’d look great in a potato sack
and
you can fit into anything, virtually straight off a rack.’ She smacked the side of her own chest, which set her breasts to wobbling. ‘You should try shopping with these pendulous melons. It’s impossible.’

‘Then you’ll have to let me pay for a private tailor until your wardrobe is full.’

‘Oh, oui? That is so sweet, but then I wouldn’t have this whole bursting-out-of-the-top look that helps to distract guys so well from my ugly face.’

Mira stopped her right there, cupped the shape of Gabby’s beautifully symmetrical cheek bones and laid the gentlest of sweet kisses on each, then another for the porcelain-smooth skin on her forehead.

‘The only problem with you, Gabby, is you’re too perfect.’

Gabby spun her back to Mira, holding her fist to her mouth to stifle the sob that tried to burst out.

‘Oh, now look who’s the terrible friend?’ Mira hugged an arm around the stouter girl’s shoulders, but it only seemed to make things worse for them both. ‘We are really bad at this,’ Mira confessed.

‘We really are.’ Gabby laughed, and cried.

Contagious.

‘Ow, ow, ow,’ Mira laughed and cried too. ‘Is this one of those moments we should try again later with alcohol?’

‘Oh, definitely.’ Gabby wiped her eyes with the back of her fist, and ripped tissues from the bedside table for Mira.

‘Now shoes.’ Gabby clutched up a pair from the trunk that Mira noticed stashed under the bed.

‘When did that get there?’

‘Declan lugged it up for me. Now, red or gold? Red for trouble, gold for fortune. I’m thinking red suits you better. Both slip-ons, sorry, so they suck for style. But if you get a chance to get out of here, you want to leave fast, right?’

‘It’s official,’ Mira declared. ‘I am
never
going shopping without you.’

‘Great, because next week I’m shopping for lingerie.’ Her grin widened cheekily. ‘Back up. Girl talk, naughty thought. Totally whimsical. Cheer us up, maybe. You know those painkillers you don’t like taking?’

‘I’m listening.’

‘Think about it. You could be the first woman in history ever to take one so she
can
spend a night with her lover.’

Mira blushed, turning aside to pat the joey and hide her embarrassment.

‘Probably the last thing on your mind right now, right?’

‘Actually …’ Mira thought about Lockman on a night that would be her first time with any man. She felt so shy about it, but if she couldn’t discuss it with Gabby, then she had nobody. Except maybe Tarin — and then only if the Amazon warrior was unarmed, drunk beyond remembering, and sworn to secrecy from everyone, starting with Ben. Which made the choice quite easy, really. She wagged her finger, inviting Gabby into closer confidence. ‘I’m keen to try with him blindfolded.’

‘Oh, yessss!’ Gabby cheered. ‘
Girl
friend. Now that’s what I call
inspired
.’

‘Inspired for what?’ asked General Garland as she flung open the door without knocking. ‘Nice dress, but should you be up yet? Or playing dress-ups in your condition?’

‘General?’ Gabby stiffened and blushed more than Mira. ‘She woke up all by herself, I swear. I didn’t disturb her — any more than she already is, I mean.’ But Gabby giggled, making Mira giggle too, which also made her wince, trying to hide how much it hurt.

‘Of course.’ Garland smiled wryly. ‘Nobody can make her do anything.’ She strode in and nodded at the pouch. ‘Don’t let the nurses see that.’

‘Oh, yes, sorry.’ Gabby sidestepped to hide it from the doorway. ‘I meant to ask on my way in. I just — animals and sick people, you know? It’s a proven statistic that patients with pets heal faster and more successfully.’

‘At ease, Ms Biche. You’re not in trouble with me. Quite the opposite. If you recall, I’ve still got a rank waiting for you, if ever you get bored with National Parks. How does Captain sound?’