esent circumstances. "I'm afraid it was the best I
could think of," he finished apologetically.

"There's nothing to be sorry for," Tarlac assured him. The youngster
had probably saved his life; he wasn't in any mood to quibble about
details. "You might not believe how much I hate to ask this--but just
how bad is it?"

"Uh . . ." Dave hesitated.

"That bad?"

"Well--not good, so far, and I've only checked your front. I haven't
even cleaned that yet, since the water's still cold." Dave swallowed.
"I'm no corpsman, obviously, and you need qualified medical attention,
but I'll do the best I can for you."

"I'm sure you will." Tarlac tried to sit up, unsuccessfully; Dave
caught him as he fell back, groaning. "Is there any painkiller in what
you brought along?"

"I think so." Dave rummaged through the medical supplies, brought out
an injector of quidine. "Uh, what's your mass?"

"Call it seventy kilos, that's close enough."

"Yes, sir." Dave read the instructions, set the injector for the
weight he'd been told, and triggered it into the side of the Ranger's
neck. "I hope that's right--there's only enough here for another
couple of doses."

After a few minutes, Tarlac sighed in relief. "That's fine, Dave--a
lot better. Would you help me sit up?"

"Of course, sir." Dave piled up some of the blankets he'd collected,
helped the Ranger to sit up, and shoved the blankets into position to
serve as a backrest. "I'm not really sure you should be putting weight
on your back--but I don't really think you should be putting it on your
front, either, and you have to rest somehow." He hesitated, then went
on. "I ought to check your back now, if you don't mind."

"Whether I mind or not doesn't matter very much," Tarlac said. "It
needs to be done, and at the moment you're the closest to a doctor I've
got. Plus if I'm in as bad shape as it feels like I am, there's a good
chance that I'll be unconscious a lot of the time--and when I am awake,
I won't know what's been going on, and I could very well not be in any
shape to make good decisions. Which puts you in charge, until we're
rescued. What do you want me to do?"

Dave stared at the Ranger in bewilderment. "But--I can't give a Ranger
orders!" he finally managed to get out. Granted that almost everything
he knew about Rangers came from the holo, news and dramas, he was
positive that they gave orders, they didn't take them . . . well,
except from the Sov