Chapter 12

The corpsman at the main desk glanced down, slipped a record chip into his ‘puter brick and read off the screen. “Sergeant Farrell’s been evac’ed, sir. The mother ship sent a shuttle down earlier this morning and took Sergeant Farrell and two others up top. They’ve got facilities to regenerate frostbitten tissue and do a lot that we can’t here. If the three men can be saved, it wouldn’t happen here. Oh, we can treat minor things, nothing like that though—internal injuries compounded by frostbite and exhaustion.”

Bard realized the two other gravely injured men they’d carried in had also been evac’ed. At least they’d have a chance. Once he learned none of the others were deemed in imminent danger, he turned to go, stumbling on feet growing steadily number.

The corpsman stepped around his makeshift desk and grabbed Bard by the arm. “Wait a minute, sir. What’s wrong with you? You aren’t walking right.”