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  “What’s this about? I was in the middle of a very delicate—Baird!” Sylvan leaned over his half brother’s supine form, his eyes wide with surprise. “How did he get here?”

  Liv repeated the transport tech’s story about Baird piloting a stolen ship and then collapsing. “Do you think he’s just in shock?” she asked hopefully.

  “I don’t know.” Sylvan leaned down to shine a thin beam of light into Baird’s eyes. “The pupils are responsive but he doesn’t seem to be seeing me.” He looked up at the tech. “You’re sure about what you heard? He actually piloted a ship?”

  The tech nodded. “Sure. Some of the other guys said they couldn’t have escaped without him—none of them knew how to fly but him.” He nodded at the silent Baird.

  “That’s good, right?” Liv asked anxiously. “I mean, that’s great! He shouldn’t have been able to do that after what the…after what he went through. So he must be still all right—still in there, somewhere.”

  “Maybe.” Sylvan looked skeptical. “I’ve never known anyone to withstand a Scourge krik-ka`re. But if anyone is strong enough, it would be Baird. Still…” He broke off shaking his head.

  “Still what? What?” Liv demanded.

  “He might have been acting on autopilot so to speak. I mean, flying a ship is so ingrained in him that he might not need the parts of his personality that make him the male we know in order to do it.” Sylvan sighed. “I’m sorry, Olivia—I just don’t know.”

  “Well I do.” Liv leaned over the stretcher, staring earnestly into the tarnished brass eyes. It seemed as though Baird’s gaze focused on her but she couldn’t be sure. “Baird,” she said softly, stroking his cheek. “Baird, it’s me—your Lilenta. Come back to me—I miss you.” Was there a flicker of recognition in the depths of his eyes? Liv wasn’t sure but it was enough to make her hope.

  “Olivia—” Sylvan began but she didn’t want to hear it.

  “Sit up.” She tugged at Baird’s arm. To her absolute joy, he did. He moved slowly in strange, jerky motions that reminded her of an old Frankenstein movie, but he did move. Soon he was sitting on the edge of the stretcher with his feet planted on the ground. He was still bare from the waist up, wearing only his black uniform pants and boots, just as he had been the last time she’d seen him, Liv noted. There were also fresh scars on his chest where he must have been pierced by the wires leading to the AllFather’s horrible view screen. “Oh, Baird,” she half whispered, her eyes filling with tears. “What did they do to you?”

  Baird made no answer nor did he focus on her face when she spoke. He simply sat there, staring vacantly into space and not moving an inch.

  “I was afraid of this.” Sylvan looked grim.

  Liv rounded on him. “Afraid of what? Look, he’s doing fine. He responded—he did what I told him to do!”

  “Following orders would be part of the brain function the AllFather would leave alone. Olivia, listen to me.” Sylvan put a hand on her shoulder. “I know that Baird is responding to direct orders, but that doesn’t mean he’s the male we remember. I’m afraid that what he endured may have damaged his mind beyond repair. Either that or the part of him we knew as Baird is now hidden, buried so far under so many layers of pain and fear we may never see it again.”

  “That can’t be right,” Liv argued. “I won’t accept that. I refuse to accept it.”

  “You’ll have to,” Sylvan said gently. “Believe me, Olivia, I’ve seen patients that have been subjected to the krik-ka`re years ago, during the Syrinx wars and this is not unusual. They often retain some of their more vital and deeply ingrained skills and the ability to follow direct commands without ever coming back to themselves. The AllFather does that so that he has a mindless slave who can still be of some use to him. In this case, he left Baird his piloting ability.”

  “But he used it to steal a ship and take other warriors to safety,” Liv pointed out stubbornly. “There must be some of Baird left in there. I just need time to find it and let him out.”

  Sylvan ran a hand over his short spiky hair. “I don’t know if that’s possible. Maybe if you two had already established a bond…but you didn’t. And without that, I don’t think you have much of a chance. I’m sorry, Olivia—I love him too. I just don’t want you to expect too much.”

  “Well I have to try.” She took Baird by the arm and tugged at him. “Stand up,” she commanded and then looked at Sylvan. “You can make do without me for awhile, right?”

  He nodded slowly. “We just had a shuttle full of new med techs come in. I’ve been meaning to tell you to take a break.”

  “I’m taking it now.” Liv laced her fingers with Baird’s, wishing he would squeeze her hand in return and not just stand there. “We’ll be in our suite,” she told Sylvan firmly.

  “All right. Good luck. And Olivia—do all you can. Baird is…very dear to my heart as well.”

  Liv could see how much it cost the normally stoic Tranq to say such a thing and she nodded briefly. “Thanks, Sylvan. I will. Come on.” She tugged at Baird’s hand gently. “We have work to do.”

  Hours later back in the suite she still had no idea what to do. She’d tried everything from slapping him lightly in the face to calling his name to reminding him in exhaustive detail of the day he’d first come to claim her at the HKR building in Tampa. None of her words or gestures seemed to penetrate the catatonic state he was in—even putting Bebo in his lap didn’t help. Although the little animal nudged him with its head and made soft, inquiring sounds, Baird didn’t even look down. As Liv placed the little creature back down on the floor and watched it waddle away, she was beginning to give up hope.

  “Oh, Baird…” She sank down on the couch beside him and put her head in her hands. He was seated on one side of it, sitting up as straight as a ramrod and staring at nothing. His hands were at his sides and his broad chest was barely moving, as though he was hardly even breathing. He’s not really here with me. It’s just his body—a shell, like Sylvan said.

  Liv was physically and emotionally exhausted. She’d been working nonstop for what felt like days, trying not to dwell on what Baird must be going through. When he’d come back to her it seemed like some kind of miracle and her hopes had been sky-high. Now she felt them plummeting to the ground. It was too cruel. To get him back again only to find she’d lost him for good.

  “Oh, Baird…” Overwhelmed Liv lay down and put her head in his lap. “If only you could hear me,” she whispered, pillowing her cheek on his muscular thigh. “If only I could tell you how I feel—how wrong I’ve been and how much I want you. But you can’t…you can’t.”

  Giving in to her misery, Liv let the tears come, rubbing her cheek against his leg as the sobs shook her. I’ve been such a fool. I waited until it was too late to realize I love you. Too late…too late… Then, to her surprise, something hot and hard nudged her.

  “What—?” Sitting up, she wiped her eyes and looked down. A lump was growing in the crotch of the black uniform pants Baird still wore. Was that an automatic reaction to her accidental stimulation? Or could it be that somewhere down inside the real Baird, the one who had wanted her so badly, was still there?

  Experimentally, Liv reached out and stroked the ridge of flesh. It got even harder and longer and Baird’s hands, which had been lying open at his sides, suddenly clenched into fists. At the same time, he took in a deep breath—almost a gasp—and then let out a soft sound like a groan of pain or pleasure.

  Liv’s heart jumped in her chest and she swiped hastily at her eyes, rubbing away the tears. That had to be more than just an involuntary reaction! Maybe if I… She stroked him again, this time leaning close to look in his eyes as she did. “Do you like that, Baird?” she murmured throatily as she caressed his rigid shaft. “You like it when I touch you? I wish you’d come back to me—tell me what you like, what you want me to do and what you want to do to me.”

  She thought she saw a flicker of heat in his eyes but still he didn’t speak. His hands