Our Last Echo

10

Singleforth City

Hanna was hurt.

The thought burned in Sutton's mind all the way back to The Suttoncave. He saw blood on her skin as she dropped into the co-pilot's seat, before she covered it with her cape. While they were in the air he had no way to tell how serious it was or whether the blood he saw was her only injury.

Lights beneath the lake guided him to the cave entrance and he held his breath involuntarily as the plane plunged through the curtain of water. He had done that manoeuvre a hundred times or more but it was always risky and he just couldn't breathe until they were safely inside.

He landed quickly on the pad and opened the cockpit. Thomas waited on the platform above. Sutton wanted to demand answers from him at once. He was angry that Alfred's warning had come so late. What was the point of having all his surveillance technology if the man watching it fell asleep on the job? Hanna was hurt because of that late warning.

He pulled his mask off as Hanna reached his side. "You're hurt," he said.

"I'm fine," Hanna insisted.

James pulled the cape away from her arm, revealing the blood. "You're hurt, Hanna. Let's take care of it."

She shook off the cape and looked at the injury, probing around the gash with her fingers. "It's nothing. I heal quickly. I just need to clean it."

"Then let us take care of you," James said patiently. He led her to the corner of the cave they kept sterile for medical procedures. He pulled his gloves off and detached his cape as they walked.

Hanna permitted him to examine the wound on her arm while Thomas prepared an antiseptic wash. It was a bullet graze, deep enough to scar, but not bad enough to cause permanent damage.

"When you said you heal quickly..." James picked up a swab and dipped it in the antiseptic, "...do you mean human fast, or better than that?"

Hanna winced when the antiseptic stung her raw flesh. "I don't get hurt easily. My body heals damage only a little faster than normal for a human, when it happens. But I'm immune to most toxins and I don't get infections."

"That's good to know. This isn't serious, but a couple of stitches would help it heal." He changed to a fresh swab and began cleaning the blood from where it dripped down her arm.

"Stitches aren't necessary," Hanna said mildly.

"Your call," he shrugged, then as he continued to work, spoke to Alfred. "What happened out there?"

"The sensors did not detect anyone inside the house, but they were there. I couldn't see them until they were visible on the cameras."

"How is that possible? We've got sensors all through the house."

"I have a guess, Master Sutton. Someone may have located your sensors and interfered with the transmission, much as you did with the cameras."

"That's - " James began, but stopped himself before he said impossible. It wasn't impossible. It wasn't even unlikely. He hadn't been watching the sensor feeds closely since Centron died. Someone might have found his devices, but why screw with the feeds instead of just removing them? Unless...

"We were expected," Hanna said, exactly as James reached the same conclusion.

"I think you're right," James agreed. "Is this your only injury, Hanna?" The bullet graze was no longer bleeding, but he covered it with a wound dressing and reached for a bandage.

"I don't need that," Hanna objected.

"Will you stop arguing with me on this?" James handed her the foil the dressing had been wrapped in. "It's something my R and D came up with for battlefield surgery. The dressing is impregnated with a gel that will help the skin heal and minimise scarring. You can remove it in a couple of hours if you must."