Page 95 of My Tiny Giant

This might not be the right time or place to say it, with the Voranian medical team staring at us, but I refused to wait for a better moment when no one knew how many moments he had left or what would happen to us next.

“I love you, my tiny giant, with all my heart.” I swallowed hard, the warm feeling in my chest grew, flooding me completely. Emotions threatened to spill over with tears.

“Emma...” he took my hand, leaning to me.

“How is our hero?” General Hicrai’s voice boomed through the room as he entered at that moment.

“Hear that?” I blinked my tears away quickly and smiled at Agan, not getting up from my knees at his side. “You’re a true interplanetary hero now, Agan.”

“So are you.” He shrugged.

I shook my head.

“You did most of the work.” The glowing sphere that Agan had retrieved from the depths of the ocean was now in a Voranian lab somewhere, the AI had informed me earlier. It’d been confirmed that it emitted no signals to organize and lead fescods anymore, however, something inside it remained alive and pulsing. Both Voranian and Ravil governments had agreed not to incinerate it—as some had wished to do—but to study it instead, in hope of getting a better understanding of the fescods as a species. “You ended the war, Agan.”

“But where would I be without you bringing me to safety, Eleven? Every. Single. Time.” He punctuated each word by squeezing my fingers firmly. “You’re my safe haven.”

“Governor Eehie, the head of the Ravie Government, has ordered a celebration in your honor, Lieutenant,” the general announced with an extremely pleased expression. “They’ll also be a victory parade here in Voran that will be televised, with the footage transmitted to Tragul.” He turned to the medical personnel. “How is he doing?”

“Better than expected, everything considered.” Professor Kidreks consulted the tablet in his hands. “We used the new regenerating technique, and it worked phenomenally well. The internal bleeding that the lieutenant had sustained has been stopped, all affected tissues are almost healed, and the bones are expected to be fully restored within the next few days.”

“In other words, General, I’m well and good to go.” Agan tossed the sheet covering him aside.

I discreetly tugged a corner of the sheet over his crotch area, since he was butt-naked underneath.

“We will transport you back to Ravie,” the general assured Agan, completely ignoring my presence as usual. “As soon as the good doctors here give their permission, of course.”

“Not for another week, at least,” Professor Kidreks objected. “I would advise against any interplanetary travel until then.”

“I request to be released from the hospital, now,” Agan said, getting hold of my hand again. “I’ll remain in Voran for as long as Lieutenant Nowak is in the city.”

“Now?” The general blinked at Agan then at the members of the medical team. “Can he even be released from medical care yet?”

“I suppose we could continue the healing process on an out-patient basis, at this point,” the professor said slowly, checking the readings on the screens around Agan. He then gestured to the other medics to remove the tubes and wires from him. Someone handed Agan his pants. “He will have to remain in the City of Voran of course until his wellbeing is of no concern any longer.”

“When will that be?” I asked.

Ever since Agan had been shrunk, my concern over his wellbeing hadn’t eased. It had only grown stronger as I cared more.

“At this point, it would be impossible to tell,” the professor replied, not taking his eyes off the tablet in his hands.

“Is there a point , you think, where it becomes possible?” I insisted.

He slid his gaze from the tablet to me. “We can always hope.”

Hope was all I had.

“I’ll order to arrange for transportation to the Ravil Army Base, Lieutenant,” the general boomed.

I stiffened by back, getting ready to fight the general.

“That won’t be necessary,” I objected.

Agan and I had promised each other to stay together.

“I’m staying at the apartment in the Liaison Committee building,” Agan explained. “With Lieutenant Nowak.”

“With her?” The general leveled a stare at me, resentment clearly readable on his face.