Hope turned back toward Elizabeth, puzzled by the Lieutenant Commander’s statement.
“You will recover.”
“I know,” Elizabeth sighed. “But do you have to tell her how it happened?”
Still perplexed by the Lieutenant Commander’s persistent questioning, Hope replied with, “It is in the report.”
“All of it?”
Hope studied Elizabeth for a moment, beginning to wonder whether she should perform a more thorough neurological assessment. Her initial scans had shown no injuries to the Lieutenant Commander’s head. Nor, until now, had she demonstrated any unusual behavior since being brought to the infirmary.
Picking up and consulting the tablet, Hope read, “Minor internal damage to anterior—“
“Yeah, I got that part,” Elizabeth interrupted irritably.
“. . . improperly compensated change in equilibirum during competitive recreational athletic acitivity.”
Elizebeth was silent for a moment.
“That’s it?”
“Is information lacking?”
“What?” Elizabeth replied, Stunned surprise was clearly evident in her tone. “No!” She began to laugh, and then checked it. “It’s fine the way it is.”
Elizabeth lifted herself from the diagnostic bed once more, flexing her shoulder experimentally. She still winced slightly, but with much less intensity than she had the last time. Without checking the chronometer, Hope guessed that enough time had passed for the analgesic to have taken effect. Sitting on the edge of the diagnostic bed now, Elizabeth dropped onto her feet, reaching for her tunic from a nearby counter.
“Thanks, Hope,” she said with renewed cheerfulness. “I’ll take it easy on it.”
Before the Aerian physician could respond, the Elizabeth strode away toward the hatchway. She exited without looking back, leaving a confused Hope behind her.
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