"Donald Malcolm - The Unknown Shore" - читать интересную книгу автора (Malcom Donald)

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The Unknown Shore by
Donald Malcolm
CHAPTER ONE
As he made a final cut with the laser scalpel, Surgeon-Commander
Carlo Rangone noticed the aide to the Commandant of the Casualty
Transfer Station beckoning to him from the door. Rangone's brow
darkened. He brooked no interruptions during operations. However, he
supposed that it must be important. Giving instructions to Donlevy, the
surgeon aiding him, he strode toward the scrubbing room. The aide
followed him into the room and closed the door. Rangone did not like
Templeton, but being tolerant, he did his utmost not to show it. At best,
he was polite to the man.

If Templeton sensed the dislike, he covered it up well. Army training
colleges, such as New Sandhurst, were good at that sort of thing.

"I regret disturbing you at an operation sir, but Commandant Brandt
wishes to see you at once. It's very serious, I'm afraid. He will tell you
about it himself."

"Kindly inform the Commandant that I'll be along in two minutes,
Captain Templeton." He finished scrubbing off and dried his hands.
Hanging up the towel neatly, he shrugged out of his gown as Templeton
left.

Before going to Brandt's office, he looked into the operating theater and
received a thumbs-up signal from his assistant. The case had been a
particularly nasty one. The injured man was a scout pilot, and he'd been
badly shot up off the fourth planet of Canopus. It was a miracle that the
Enemy had left his ship intact enough to let him limp away. Normally,
they showed no mercy.

Fortunately, the wounded scout had been picked up in time and
brought to the Casualty Transfer Station, located on the satellite of a dead
planet. The next move would be to send him to one of the hospitals nearer
to Earth, where he would get regeneration treatment to restore his
missing left limbs. Everything was arranged. The pilot would go out with
some other casualties, all thankful that, for them, the war was over.

Rangone's long stride carried him along the green-tiled corridors. As he
salutedтАФBrandt liked disciplineтАФhe noted the others in the room.
Templeton was there, of course, hovering beside Brandt's desk in a