Transmission Lost by Stefan Mazzara

to subside, and Jack had his answer. Obviously the species that had attacked them possessed some sort of toxin. He searched in the medical kit, and after several frantic seconds he withdrew a large syringe with a capped needle. Inside was a powerful wide-spectrum antitoxin designed to adapt and fight a large number of venoms with a wide range of characteristics. Jack knew it probably wouldn't cure a toxin that the designers hadn't known to exist, but maybe it would bolster Aria's immune system enough to give her a fighting chance. He uncapped the needle and jabbed it into her arm, depressing the plunger and injecting it into her bloodstream.
    With that done, Jack pulled out the wound sealer Aria had used before and got to work closing up the worst of the injuries on her body. Before long the bleeding was cut off, and Jack bandaged up the wounds. He definitely wasn't as good at this as Aria was, but he did the best he could. When he was finished with that, he surveyed his work. Aria looked like hell, but at least she wasn't covered in open wounds anymore. He watched her, reassuring himself that she was still breathing. Fast and shallow, but yes, still breathing.
    Jack got himself to his feet and retrieved an emergency blanket from his pack. He covered Aria and then picked up her flight suit, which he carried down to the river to rinse off. No sense in her having to wear bloodstained clothing when she was fit again.
     
    ******
     
    Slowly, painfully, Aria's eyes drifted open. Her head was throbbing, and her entire body still felt a slight burning sensation. Soft, early daylight hit her eyes, and she blinked. Even that felt difficult to her. The Ailian tried to lift her head, but she found that she couldn't, so she settled for turning it to one side. To her right she saw Jack, stretched out on his bedroll a short distance away from her, his rifle cradled in his arms as he slept.
    He come back for me..., she thought. After watching him sleep for a few moments, she turned her head to the left, and saw an empty campsite and a fire which was nothing but a few tiny flames and a pile of embers. Aria saw no animal bodies, but she did see drag marks and patches of ground where dirt had been brushed over the pools of blood. Groaning softly, she again tried to lift her head, and only managed a few inches before she had to give up.
    A few moments passed before she realized she was naked underneath the blanket laying over her body. She managed to lift her left hand, and she brought it under the blanket to feel down her body. Her fingers felt bandages and tender spots where she'd been wounded, but she felt no fresh blood.
    He do this...
    “Awake, I see.”
    Aria turned her head back to Jack. He was sitting up, looking at her. Aria tried to speak, but her throat was dry and all she could manage was a small growl. Jack smiled.
    “I figured you'd probably be weak, what with the way you were wounded last night,” Jack said. “I thought about taking the opportunity to sleep in the tent, but I figured you wouldn't be able to defend yourself if any of those animals came back. I think they learned their lesson, though.” Jack shuffled over to her. “Hungry?”
    Swallowing her pride, Aria nodded fractionally. Jack got up and went over to their packs, getting some food and bringing it over. He set a can next to Aria, and then he put the last of their gathered firewood on the fire. After a little poking and jostling the flames sprung back up. He looked at Aria.
    “Can you feed yourself, or do I need to do it for you?” Jack asked her, grinning widely.
    That was the last straw. Hissing between her teeth, Aria mustered all of her strength and lifted her head. She got herself not quite into a sitting position, but she was able to prop herself up on one elbow. The Ailian opened up her food and began to eat, ravenous from blood loss and exhaustion. Jack ate as well, even bringing her a second helping after she wolfed down the first. When breakfast