New Dawn (Divine War Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

knowing that Benho would force him to. His friend liked dissecting his operations almost as much as he liked performing them.
    Benho winced in sympathy, his smooth olive forehead crinkling. “That sounds nasty,” he said. “How did you of the delicate girl hands manage to do that? Did the patient make it?”
    “Yeah,” said Maicee, walking over to slump into a chair. “But I'm not sure I did. I think I might have flunked this one, Benho.”
    Benho's feet clicked on the tiled floor as he came to sit on the couch opposite Maicee. “Don't you worry,” he said quietly. “You'll be fine. As long as your dummy's okay, they'll pass you.”
    Maicee managed to smile at this, but Benho's green eyes looked deadly serious.
    “No, I mean it,” said the dark man. “I heard that the dummies they provide as patients are living human clones that have been made braindead. It's the only way to let us perform a potentially dangerous operation in the right circumstances without putting someone's life at risk. And these things are expensive; think about it.”
    “I guess,” Maicee said, shrugging.
    “And this is the first time they've used the dummies for the surgical final. They'll just be glad that you kept yours alive and they don't have to spring for a new one.”
    Seeing that his best friend was about to lose it, and wanting to spare him the embarrassment of tears, Benho reached over and patted his shoulder.
    “You're the best out there, Maicee, and the professors know it. Have a little confidence in yourself. Being a surgeon is not about never making a mistake. It's about being able to fix a mistake if you happen to make one.” He grinned. “And I think you need a little stress relief. Come on, let's hit the town tonight and celebrate the end of exams. My treat.”
    Maicee gave him a weak grin. “Sure.” He sighed. “I need to drown myself.”
    Benho laughed. “That's not quite what I had in mind, but it'll do.”
    *
    The second sun was setting, its weak white light fading into a soft grey as a sliver of moon rose from the opposite direction. The lone man wrapped his brown cloak a little more tightly around himself against the slight chill of the wind. The beach on the outskirts of Carooine City was empty at this time of the evening, though it was never especially busy. Sharp rocks protruded around the bay, and strong currents made the sea unsuitable for swimming. The man surveyed the beach, his eyes carefully searching, moving in a pattern to ensure that he didn't miss a square inch. And when he spotted what he was looking for, he moved towards it, his steps purposeful, sandals slipping in the sand.
    “So here you are,” he said as he halted and stooped down to look at the damaged escape capsule. “I heard your call.”
    Gently, he picked up the unconscious Chamonkey. The furry grey body still held a little heat, but the creature's heartbeat was weak. Wrapping the animal in his cloak, tight against his body to preserve what little heat the thing had, the man turned back and headed towards home.
    “I never thought I'd see you again,” he whispered, shaking his head as he walked.
    The sea breeze ruffled his sandy hair, and he frowned in deep thought, trudging through the dunes, cradling the damaged Chamonkey closely and carefully.
    *
    Maicee briefly wondered where Kabi could be at this time of the evening. His guardian was generally at home, grouchily preparing dinner, but there was no sign of him. Oh well, he supposed that Kabi should have a life of his own now. After all, it wouldn't be long until he, Maicee, was... what? Studying for another year? He groaned. He'd always wanted to be a doctor, but the thought of studying for a whole other year on top of what he'd already been through was enough to make him feel sick. Maybe he'd join the navy instead. Or run away with a circus.
    He pulled on clean robes and stooped to wash his face in the bowl of water that stood beneath the mirror in his bedroom. A soft linen