"Mike Resnick - A Miracle Of Rare Design" - читать интересную книгу автора (Resnick Mike)

him to go away, that as long as he was asleep nothing hurt and that he could handle his nightmares, but if he
woke up he'd be faced with a terrible reality, that he wanted to sleep the rest of his life away. The prodding
continued and his mouth was so dry that his tongue was stuck to the roof of it and he couldn't say anything
without pulling it loose, and he didn't want any more pain, not even the mild discomfort of speaking. He
moaned and tried to roll away, but the restraints held him motionless.
тАЬThe machines say you're awake, Mr. Lennox,тАЭ said a feminine voice.
He lay perfectly still, hoping to lull the machines into making a mistake.
тАЬYou're lucky to be alive,тАЭ continued the voice.
The nightmares vanished, to be replaced by the memories, which were worse.
тАЬDefine тАШlucky',тАЭ mumbled Lennox.
тАЬIf we'd found you ten minutes later, you'd be dead.тАЭ
Lennox was too busy trying to erase the images of Chomanche's knife from his mind to reply.
тАЬYou were in a very bad way.тАЭ
Now tell me something I don't know,thought Lennox.
тАЬI see your eyelids fluttering, Mr. Lennox,тАЭ said the voice. тАЬPlease don't try to open them. They've been sealed
shut to prevent infection.тАЭ
He suddenly felt an urge to wiggle his fingers and toes, and fought to resist it.
тАЬAre you in any pain?тАЭ asked the voice.
He did a quick survey and found, to his surprise, that hewasn't in pain.
тАЬI don't think so.тАЭ
тАЬThat's because we've given you a very strong pain-blocker,тАЭ said the voice. тАЬIt'll mask your pain, but shouldn't
affect your perceptions. You'll be able to think clearly, once you adjust to your current circumstances.тАЭ
тАЬWhatare my circumstances?тАЭ
тАЬYou're in the infirmary of a Republic ship bound for Hippocrates, the medical research center that orbits
Windsor V.тАЭ
тАЬThat'sour circumstances,тАЭ he rasped. тАЬWhat aremine ?тАЭ
тАЬYou have been severely mutilated, Mr. Lennox,тАЭ was the answer. тАЬPart of your left foot was severed, and both
feet seem to have been pierced with swords or spears. You are missing three fingers from your right hand and
four from your left. Both of your eyes have been removed, and your left ear was sliced off. I am told that when
you were found, you were pinned to the ground with a pair of spears that were run through your shoulders.тАЭ
The voice paused. тАЬYou have undergone three surgeries and four transfusions. It was necessary to amputate
the rest of your left footтАФinfection had spread throughout it, and we were, after all, fighting to save your
lifeтАФand we also had to remove the stubs of your fingers for the same reason. Evidently you'd been dragged
through sand and dirt with these gaping wounds; it would have been impossiblenot to become infected.тАЭ
тАЬWere there any reprisals against the Fireflies?тАЭ
тАЬI have no idea,тАЭ replied the voice. тАЬI don't even know what a Firefly is.тАЭ
Lennox was silent for a moment. тАЬHow come I'm not hungry? It's been five days since I've eaten.тАЭ
тАЬYou're being fed intravenously.тАЭ
тАЬAre you my doctor or my nurse?тАЭ
тАЬI'mone of your doctors. You've got six of them at the moment.тАЭ A pause. тАЬYou're one of my most famous
patients. I've read all four of your books.тАЭ Another pause. тАЬYou came across as a very grumpy traveler. If this
is what you go through to get material for a book, I can understand why.тАЭ
Lennox frowned. тАЬI'm getting groggy.тАЭ
тАЬYour system has had too many severe shocks, both on Medina and in surgery. You'll spend most of the
next week sleeping.тАЭ
тАЬMy family...тАЭ
тАЬThey've been informed. They'll be waiting for you at Hippocrates.тАЭ
He was sure he had more questions to ask, but he was asleep before he could think of them.

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