NOVEL NEXT Chapter 35 - One Gray
Danny's fingers trembled as he checked the wall-mounted Geiger counter for the fifth time in as many minutes. Luca pressed his shoulder against the cool metal bulkhead, trying to slow his breathing while maintaining the calm expression his crew needed to see. Inside, his heart hammered against his ribs with each tick of the counter. Captain cool under pressure. Right. If only they could hear the screaming in my head.
"Still high," Danny confirmed, his voice cracking slightly. "No sign of decreasing."
Luca nodded, swallowing the fear that threatened to choke him. Thank God we'd all made it inside. Those last few seconds had been too close with Ryan and Chris sprinting down the corridor, the warning system counting down, the shelter door sealing with barely a moment to spare. If they'd been caught outside... He shut down that train of thought. No use torturing himself with what-ifs.
"How's Chris?" he asked, turning his attention to Joey, who knelt beside him.
Joey's fingers pressed against Chris's neck, counting silently before he answered. "Pulse is steadying. Breathing's normal." He lifted one of Chris's eyelids, shining a penlight into it. "Pupillary response improving."
"So it's not radiation sickness?" Emily asked, the gauze still pressed to her bleeding nose.
"Doesn't seem like radiation poisoning," Joey confirmed, though his frown hadn't eased. "At least not classic acute radiation syndrome."
Ryan shifted, Chris's head still resting in his lap. "He was in the gym when the alarm sounded. Sprinted all the way to engineering to help me shut down the secondaries." He ran a hand through his hair, leaving it standing at odd angles. "He seemed fine, just winded, maybe, but we were both running full-tilt."
"He mentioned feeling hot, like he was having trouble breathing," Zoe added from her corner of the shelter.
Joey nodded slowly, reaching for his med kit. "Classic signs of heat exhaustion, maybe exacerbated by dehydration." He pulled out a fluid pouch with an attached IV line. "He was probably already dehydrated from working out, then pushed himself too hard racing through the ship."
Luca watched as Joey inserted the IV needle into Chris's arm. It made sense. Chris trained harder than any of them, often pushing himself past his limits. Add a sprint through the ship during an emergency, and collapse seemed almost inevitable.
"So he's going to be okay?" Danny asked, momentarily distracted from his vigil at the Geiger counter.
"Should be," Joey confirmed, adjusting the flow rate on the IV. "Just needs fluids and rest."
The emergency lights flickered again. The shelter felt smaller in that moment of semi-darkness, the walls pressing in, the air growing thicker. Beside him, Emily sat tense and silent, her hands still clenched around the gauze. Luca turned his head just slightly, catching the fear in her eyes. He wanted to say something. To promise her it would all be okay.
For a moment, the only sounds were Chris's breathing and the soft hum of the life support systems. Then a high-pitched beeping cut through the quiet, making him jump.
All around the shelter, their wrist-mounted bio-monitors were activating simultaneously, the displays on their bodysuits flashing red and orange warnings. Luca stared down at his own wrist, his blood running cold at the numbers flashing there: 0.95 Gy.
"What the hell?" Ryan hissed, staring at his own display. "How are we registering radiation if we're inside the shelter?"
"We're not," Danny replied. "The suits are showing our exposure levels from before we reached the shelter. The wave caught us while we were running."
Luca's throat went dry. A gray level of almost 1 was significant, not immediately lethal, but definitely enough to cause radiation sickness if left untreated. His eyes darted around the shelter, taking in each of his crew members' faces. They'd all been exposed.
"Joey," he said, his voice remarkably stable despite the terror coursing through him. "What does this mean for us?"
Joey was already moving, going through the shelf above them with newfound urgency. "It means we start anti-radiation protocols now. Potassium iodide for everyone, along with Prussian blue and DTPA." He pulled out blister packs of pills. "And we monitor for symptoms. Nausea, vomiting, fever, skin redness."
"Like nosebleeds?" Emily asked quietly, the gauze at her nose now soaked through.
Joey didn't answer immediately. "Could be coincidental," he said finally. "But yes, bleeding can be a symptom."
The shelter fell silent except for the soft beeping of their monitors and the hum of the emergency systems. They were safe inside the radiation shelter but the damage had already been done. The radiation wave had caught them all unaware, flooding their bodies with invisible particles that could be destroying cells even now.
Joey turned his attention to Emily, who sat slumped against the wall, fresh blood seeping around the edges of the gauze pressed to her nose. Luca turned closer, jaw clenched so tight he could feel the ache spreading into his temples. Something cold and primal uncurled in his chest as he watched her struggle upright, her movements slower than they should be. His Emily. No, not his. His executive officer. His friend. The distinction felt meaningless now, with her blood painting red trails down her pale skin.
"Let me see," Joey said gently, kneeling beside her. He carefully pulled the soaked gauze away from her face, replacing it with a fresh one.
Emily's eyes flashed with anger and frustration. "What the fuck?" she snapped, swiping at the blood with the back of her hand, leaving a stark red streak across her cheek. "Why am I the only one bleeding? We all got the same dose, right?"
Her voice wavered on the last word, a tiny crack that sent splinters through Luca's heart. He crouched beside her, close enough to offer support without crowding Joey's examination.
"You're not necessarily the only one," Joey replied, his tone measured, professional. "Everyone reacts differently to radiation exposure. Some symptoms present immediately, others take hours or days." He shined his penlight into her eyes, checking pupillary response. "Any dizziness? Nausea?"
"No," Emily muttered, wincing at the bright light. "Just the nosebleed and a headache." She glanced at Luca, her green eyes wide and vulnerable in a way he'd never seen before. "This isn't normal, right? For it to hit me harder?"
Luca's throat tightened, every protective instinct roaring to life. He wanted to gather her in his arms, to shield her from the invisible threat that had already breached their defenses. Instead, he stayed still, letting Joey work.
"Several factors could make you more susceptible," Joey said, checking Emily's pulse. "Low white blood cell count, pre-existing conditions, recent immune stress..." He gently pressed at the lymph nodes along her neck, frowning slightly.
"Hormone fluctuations can affect radiation sensitivity," he added, scanning her vitals again.
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"But it's just a nosebleed," Ryan interjected from across the shelter, trying for optimism. "That could be from anything, right? The pressure changes, dry air in here?"
"Epistaxis, or nosebleeds, can certainly have multiple causes," Joey agreed, though his expression remained serious. "But combined with the radiation exposure, we need to monitor it closely."
Danny didn't look up from the Geiger counter. "Ionizing radiation targets rapidly dividing cells. Bone marrow, gastrointestinal lining, reproductive tissue… anything with high mitotic activity. If her hormone profile is elevated, it could increase vascular fragility, especially in mucosal membranes."
Everyone stared at him.
His eyes widened. "Oh god. Pregnant?" he blurted suddenly, then immediately clamped his mouth shut, mortified.
The shelter went deathly silent.
Luca froze. He saw her expression shift from disbelief to mortified rage… and then, horror of horrors, she looked directly at him.
"I'm not pregnant!" she snapped. "I haven't even—" She cut herself off, cheeks flaming. "I haven't even slept with anyone. Ever."
Zoe raised her eyebrows. "Oh, good. Me neither," she said flatly. She held up a hand toward Emily, a high five? Emily ignored it completely.
Danny made a small, confused sound in his throat. Ryan lunged forward and slapped a hand over his face.
"Em, we're sorry," Ryan said quietly. "He's an idiot, but he's just scared, like the rest of us."
"That's enough," Luca snapped. "Everyone shut up. For the love of God, just stop."
Emily's hands trembled as she held the gauze to her nose. "Great," she muttered. "I'm bleeding all over the place, and now my personal life is part of the emergency checklist. This day just keeps getting better."
"Could be worse," Ryan mumbled. "Could be discussing your bowel movements."
"Don't give them ideas," Emily shot back.
"Hey… no one's judging you, Em," Luca said softly. "And it's nobody's business anyway."
"Except apparently it is," she shot back, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "Since my personal life is suddenly relevant to my nosebleed!"
"I apologize for the insensitive suggestion," Joey said, professional mask firmly back in place. "Danny's right that there are many potential contributing factors, and we'll monitor everyone closely."
Emily gave a stiff nod, eyes fixed on the floor. But Luca could see the cracks forming in her carefully maintained composure. The slight quiver of her chin, the too-rapid blinking, the white-knuckled grip on the bloodied gauze. She was holding on by a thread.
Chris stirred on the floor, momentarily drawing everyone's attention as Joey checked his IV. The distraction gave Emily a moment to compose herself, but when Luca glanced back, he saw it was already too late.
The first tear slipped silently down her cheek, cutting a clean path through the smeared blood. Another followed, then another, until her shoulders began to shake with silent sobs. She turned her face away, trying to hide behind her hair, but in the cramped shelter, there was nowhere to retreat.
"Hey," Luca murmured, shifting closer. "It's okay. We're safe in here."
"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice so soft he barely heard it. "I don't know why I'm—" A hiccupping sob cut off her words. "God, I'm the XO. I should be helping, not falling apart."
Luca slid his arm around her shoulders, drawing her close. "You're human, Em. We all are." He kept his voice low. "And you're bleeding. That's scary."
She turned into him then, burying her face against his shoulder as her body shook with quiet sobs. His uniform quickly grew damp with a mixture of tears and blood, but he couldn't have cared less. He held her firmly, one hand cupping the back of her head, the other rubbing her back.
Across the shelter, he caught Joey's eye. The medical officer gave him a subtle nod before turning to check on the others, giving them space.
"I'm getting blood on your shirt," she mumbled against his chest.
"Good thing we've got laundry facilities," he replied, earning a watery chuckle from her. "Besides, now everyone will think I'm tough and battle-scarred."
She pulled back just enough to look at him, her face tear-streaked and bloody, but a ghost of a smile touching her lips. "You're ridiculous."
"Part of my charm." He reached up, gently wiping a tear and blood from her cheek with his thumb. "We're going to be okay, Em. All of us."
She nodded, taking a shuddering breath. "I know. I'm sorry for—"
"Don't," he interrupted. "Don't apologize. Not for being human."
She leaned into him again, her tears gradually subsiding to occasional snfifles. Luca held her close, his chin resting lightly on her head, his own fear temporarily pushed aside by the fierce need to be her anchor in the storm. God, how fast everything changes.
A few hours ago, they were teasing each other in the hangar, laughing like idiots. She'd shoved him. He'd caught her. They were almost something. Now she was curled against him, bleeding, trembling, maybe sick. Maybe dying. They didn't know yet.
The thought hit him like a blow to the chest. He hadn't told her. Hadn't said the things he meant to say.
Now she was slipping through his arms like vapor, and all he could do was hold on tighter.
"Alright," Joey said finally, reaching for his med kit. "I'm starting everyone on anti-radiation protocol." He began sorting through pill bottles. "We've all been exposed to around 1 Gray, which is treatable if we act quickly."
Joey moved methodically around the shelter, handing out pills. "Potassium iodide first, then Prussian blue, then DTPA. Seven-day regimen."
Luca lifted his head from where he'd been resting it against the bulkhead, relief warring with bone-deep exhaustion. How long had they been in here? Four hours? Five? Time had lost meaning in the cramped space.
Danny's exhale was audible across the shelter as he stared at the Geiger counter. "It's dropping," he announced. "Radiation levels are finally decreasing."
"How much longer?" Ryan asked.
Danny squinted at the numbers. "Maybe another hour or two before we reach safe levels."
Luca nodded, trying to ignore the numbness in his legs where Emily's weight pressed against him. She'd fallen into an uneasy doze against his shoulder, though her breathing seemed more labored than it should be. He hadn't moved for over an hour, unwilling to disturb her.
Luca gently shook Emily awake for her medication. Her eyes fluttered open, unfocused for several seconds before finding his face. The confusion in her gaze sent ice through his veins.
"Pills," he said softly.
She nodded slowly, her movements sluggish as she took them. When he held the water pouch to her lips, her hands trembled too much to grip it herself.
"Em?" he whispered, studying her face. Her skin had taken on a grayish pallor beneath the dried blood.
"Just tired," she mumbled, but her voice was slurred at the edges.
The hours crawled by. Emily drifted in and out of consciousness, and each time she woke she seemed more disoriented. Luca watched her with growing dread, noting how her breathing had become shallow, how she'd stopped responding to the others' quiet conversations.
"Level zero-point-two-five," Danny announced suddenly. "We're back in the safe range."
Everyone stirred, limbs cramped from hours in the same positions. Joey checked Chris, who was sitting up on his own now, color much improved.
"We're good to go," Joey confirmed. "But everyone moves slowly."
Luca gently shifted Emily upright. "Come on, Em. Time to get out of here."
She tried to push herself up, made it halfway before her arms gave out. She collapsed back against him with a soft gasp, her face going white.
"I can't..." she started, then stopped, staring at her own hands like they belonged to someone else. "Why can't I?"
Panic clawed at Luca's throat. "Joey."
He was beside them in seconds, fingers on Emily's pulse, checking her pupils with his penlight. Luca saw something flash across Joey's face, concern, probbaly, before the professional mask slipped back into place.
"Orthostatic hypotension," Joey said quietly. "Blood pressure drop. Common after radiation exposure."
But Luca caught the way Joey's eyes lingered on Emily's face, the subtle tightness around his mouth. This wasn't just low blood pressure.
"The mission continues," Emily said suddenly, her voice stronger for a moment. "We didn't come all this way to turn back."
Those were brave words, but Luca felt how heavily she leaned against him, how her body seemed to be folding in on itself.
"We'll assess everyone once we're out," Luca said.
He turned the wheel lock, each revolution accompanied by metallic clanks. The door swung open to reveal the darkened corridor beyond.
Without hesitation, Luca slipped his arms under Emily's knees and shoulders, lifting her against his chest. She was felt lighter than she should have, and the way she went limp in his arms made his heart hammer.
"I should walk. I need to walk," she protested weakly.
"No, you can't," he said. "And that's okay."
Behind them, Ryan helped Chris to his feet. Chris was wobbly but mobile. Emily hadn't even been able to sit up on her own.
Luca stepped into the corridor, Emily cradled against him, and felt the weight of command crushing down.
"We need to get both Emily and Chris to the infirmary immediately," Joey said, his medical training overriding everything else.
"Zoe, get to the bridge," Luca said as he adjusted Emily on his arms. "Check our position and course immediately. We've been drifting for hours." He turned to the others. "Danny, get down to Engineering and wait for Ryan. Get life support and navigation back online, whatever it takes."
Emily's fingers barely had the strength to curl around his shoulder, and when she tried to speak, the words came out as barely a whisper. Her head lolled against his chest, and he could feel how her breathing had become erratic.