death, combined with the torment of the MP’s murder to push Cobb to the breaking point. He was sweating profusely in spite of the chilliness of the night air. Every time he heard a halter whine or a Kirrian shouting, his heart jumped further into his throat and his pace quickened.
Cobb’s knee was hurting, and, even though the adrenaline dampened the pain, all he could manage was a galloping limp. The city seemed to go on forever, and Cobb could tell he had entered a slum area. The houses and shops were run down and in many cases deserted. He was getting very tired, but he wanted to get out of the city before he allowed himself a break. As he passed a row of official-looking buildings that seemed inordinately tidy for this neighborhood, he heard a sound that made him stop dead in his tracks. It was a wonderful sound. It was someone speaking the language of the Alliance. He quickly looked around to see the source. A man wearing a white coat stood in the doorway of the officious building. Cobb’s first impulse was to run up to the person and start babbling about how he was from Earth and needed help, but he didn’t move. Why would someone be speaking Alliance so deep in Kirrian territory? He moved into an alley opposite the man and building and watched from the darkness.
It didn’t take long to determine that the man was a doctor, and he had been speaking to a Kirrian who Cobb assumed was an interpreter. Even in the poor light, Cobb recognized the doctor’s squat form and light green skin as that of a Jolappian. Cobb knew that some of the Alliance members had been sending humanitarian aid to the Kirrians, but he didn’t realize that they were this deep in Kirrian territory. He knew that could easily get them killed by an Alliance raid. The Jolappian Council had been one of the most outspoken opponents to the war on Kirria. They had not sent troops to fight, but they had sent medical personnel to help treat Alliance and Kirrian casualties, civilian and military. Cobb’s hopes went up. He knew he had to talk to his person, so he made himself comfortable in the shadows of an alley opposite the clinic and waited.
It was several hours later when the Cobb saw the doctor come out the front door and say good-bye to some of his colleagues before heading off down the street. Cobb trailed him just out of sight. A number of Kirrians said hello to the doctor as he passed, and Cobb realized that the Jolappian must have been there for some time to be so well known. Cobb bided his time until the Jolappian reached a dark stretch of street with no foot traffic and then moved quickly and quietly in front of the doctor. Cobb stepped out of the darkness directly in front of the Jolappian, less than a meter away. The doctor was startled and pulled up short, he started to say some words in halting Kirrian, but then stopped and stared.
Cobb could tell the doctor was scared but also curious. Resting one hand on the hilt of his knife, Cobb said very quietly, "Doctor, I need your help.”
The doctor's eyes opened wide, and he stared at the filthy, hunched figure in front of him. Finally, he said nervously, "Wha…can I help you?”
"I hope so."
“What do you want from me?”
“Help.”
“Why should I help you?”
“You’re a doctor, aren’t you?”
“Yes…? What is your point?”
“Don’t you guys have some sort of code about helping people.”
The doctor paused briefly, then responded, “It’s more of a guideline.”
“Well, I’m an Alliance soldier trapped behind enemy lines,” Cobb replied. “I’ve been trying to get back to my lines for a week now.”
"If you have managed to survived in Kirrian territory for a week, then I’m impressed. I assume your outfit is the reason you’re still alive. But you still haven’t answered my question, what do you want from me?"
“I need to git back to my lines,” Cobb answered flatly.
“What a surprise. And how am I supposed to accomplish that?” the doctor snapped back.
“I was sort’a hopin you might have a suggestion.”
“Let me make sure I understand this. You want me to help you, an Alliance soldier, who happens to be killing and wounding the same Kirrians I patch up every day.”
“That’s right.”
“Boy, you have got nerve, I’ll say that for you. What if I just called the authorities and have you picked up?” the doctor responded with sharp edge in his voice.
“You could. But I guarantee that when I go, a lot of your precious Kirrians are gonna go with me,” Cobb said in his matter-of-fact tone.
The doctor could tell that Cobb was telling the truth.
Cobb’s voice softened, “All I wanda do is go home. I don’t wanna hurt nobody. I’m hurtin’ and exhausted, both mentally and physically. I’m askin’ ya as one human to another.”
The doctor’s voice soften in response, “Well since you put it that way, I guess I can think about it. I know Kirrians very well, and I believe they wouldn’t hurt you if you gave yourself up. I could speak for you, maybe have you exchanged.”
Cobb thought back to the village that was destroyed and the MP that he’d killed only hours earlier. “Doc, look at it from my angle. Would you place your life at risk on someone else’s opinion?”
“Seems to me you are ready to place your life in my hands, someone you don’t really know,” the doctor stated.
“True, but you don’t strike me as someone that would want to be responsible for someone else’s death.”
“It just so happens you’re right, I wouldn’t. I’ve seen far too much death,” the doctor replied. The Joloppian could tell from Cobb’s voice that he was telling the truth about being near to collapse. Plus, even though he did not support the war, he did his best to try and help both sides. He began to seriously consider helping the lost soldier.
The doctor finally said, “I’ll do what I can. I can’t promise you anything; I have no idea what I can do. But I’m willing to try. By the way, I’m Doctor Jonal Zeffer, but everyone calls me Zeff.”
“Call me ‘Cobb,’ and I appreciate the effort,” Cobb said as he let out a quiet sigh and relaxed the hand on his knife.
Zeff said in a reassuring voice “Why don't you come home with me and get cleaned up? From your appearance and smell you need it."
"Thanks for the offer, but I'll stay on my own for now. I could use some food though. Plan on meetin’ here at the same time tomorrow night. And thanks again." Without waiting for an affirmation, Cobb moved off to the side and faded back into the shadows. Zeff lost sight of him almost immediately, but stood there for a while deep in thought. When he resumed walking, Cobb was watching from the darkness and followed the doctor, just out of sight.
The doctor walked a few more blocks before entering a building that was apparently a boarding house of some kind. Cobb picked a spot in a damaged house across the street with a good view of the boarding-house door. He couldn’t watch both the back and front door, so he would have to settle for just the front. The house was the center unit of a three-house unit and was as run-down as most of the houses in the neighborhood. Cobb thought the doctor must be really dedicated if this is how he lived when not working. He curled up in a ball and watched the house for about an hour before falling asleep. He slept very lightly, waking every half hour or so to see if there was any activity across the street before dozing off again.
Sunlight was flooding the street by the time Cobb woke up for good. He wasn’t sure if Zeff had left while he was asleep or not, but he continued watching the door as he ate some of the pastry that he still had stored away. It was stale and meager, and he chased it down with some of the water he carried in the used bottle. About an hour and a half later, Dr. Zeffer appeared at the door and started walking in the direction of the clinic. Cobb followed at a safe distance. He wanted to make sure the doctor was not going to turn him in to the authorities when they met that night. But the doctor went straight to the clinic and went inside. Cobb took a seated position with his back against one of the deserted buildings, just down from the clinic. The sunlight drove the night chill from his limb
s, and he felt recovered from his panic of last night. He watched as Kirrians went into and out of the clinic during the day. Cobb was amazed at the number of people this one clinic could treat in such a short period of time. He thought that this Dr. Zeffer must be one hard-working individual to have spent years doing this type of work. Then, in the late afternoon, Cobb perked up when he saw an MP enter the clinic and not exit for almost an hour. Cobb watched the MP when he left and followed him for several blocks before deciding that the Kirrian was not headed back to headquarters to report a significant discovery. Cobb returned to watching the clinic.
Just after dark, the doctor left the clinic and headed off in the direction of the agreed upon meeting spot, with Cobb closely trailing. Once the doctor had reached the designated place, Cobb circled the area several times to assure himself he wasn’t walking into a trap before appearing in front of Zeff.
Again the doctor was startled by Cobb’s sudden appearance.
“Yipes,” he gasped. “I wish you wouldn’t do that. It really startles me.”
“Sorry, I’ve learned to move quietly. In my business, it’s a matter of survival.”
“Well, you’ve definitely got the hang of it,” the doctor said.
“Any news for me?” Cobb asked, trying not to impart any of the emotion he felt into his voice.
“I do, but first, I brought