Objective Consequence (Book Two of the Subjective Justice series)

Chapter Five: Secrets and Traitors

The familiar scent of medicinal herbs wafted from the green, glowing tubs of liquid. Warmth and numbness tingled in opposition as Akio laid her head back on the towel draped over the small tub. Her arms were secured in an upward facing position. One was full of needles connected to I.V.'s, and the other on a table full of tools still left untouched.

Once she was healed, Akio needed to figure out who leaked. It wasn't Eris. It couldn't be. Someone else knew about her activities. Someone close enough to get by undetected. That put her in danger. It put everyone in danger. 

Indra limped past, handing a concoction to a Gebul. Their red and black fur was missing in patches. Glistening blood and burnt skin reflected the blue light.

"Have you taken care of your injuries yet?" Akio asked, her voice hoarse and crackling.

Pausing with a beaker in one hand, Indra snorted. "I've done enough."

Akio yanked the needles out of her arm. A partially empty blood bag was hung among the other liquids above the tub. Had she truly lost that much? When she began to stand up a hand pushed her down and shoved the needles back into her arm less than gently.

"Starshit, Indra!" Akio cried, her arm throbbing.

Setting her wrapped hand on Akio's natural one, Indra moved it back into the position it had been before. "Don't get out of the tub until that bag is empty. You lost a lot of blood from external and internal bleeding."

No scolding? Akio could hear the exhaustion in her girlfriend's tone. "Okay. I'll stay put."

"Don't think this means you're forgiven. When you're healed, I'm taking my cane to your ass," Indra spat, hobbling back to the countertop. "I warned you, Akio. And what did you do? Break. The. Cybernetic. Do you think those grow on trees? Come preassembled?"

"Well no—"

"You're starshitted right! They don't. I have to find the parts, hope that they are compatible, build another, and completely replace it."

The level of anger in Indra's tone was accentuated by the thrashing of her oi'ek. But Akio knew better than to believe it was the destruction of the enhancement that pissed her off.

Akio had been reckless. Stupid. As a leader, her actions put herself and others at unnecessary risk.

Closing her eyes and leaning back, Akio sighed. "I'm sorry."

"That's not good enough," Indra said. "Not this time."

The room became silent, save for Indra's scuffled walk. It remained that way until the last of the injured left the two alone in the infirmary.

Rolling her gaze to the side, Akio watched Indra sink into a chair and lay her head on the countertop. She wanted to reach out, to make things better, to apologize time and time again. But it changed nothing. Two were still dead. The mole had yet to be found. And now, most everyone capable was either injured or traumatized.

As the leader, it was all Akio's fault.

"You're not alone anymore," Indra whispered wearily. "Stop acting like it's you versus the world."

Akio sat up slightly. "I'm the leader, I have to make the calls I—"

"And you need to listen to the wants of those around you. Just because Haim made you a leader doesn't mean you're a good one," Indra hissed, sitting up in her chair. "Get off your elevated, floating chair before you get shoved off and killed."

Akio's oi'ek drooped, brushing her shoulders as they glowed a deep blue, with pulses of purple shame. "I'm sorry."

Shaking her head, Indra limped toward her. "Stop apologizing." She tapped Akio's head with her cane. "Start listening and thinking. This isn't going to get better by rushing in after every report of wrongs."