He went down and I fell on top of him. Holding him with my knees on his stomach I punched his face, his nose, his mouth, his jaw. Left, right. Left, right. One, two and again one, two. Morrie's head lolled with the punches and he was out. And then my strength left me. I fell over his unconscious body in a faint.
The darkness seemed to float away as I felt a cooling moisture on my face. I opened my eyes and saw Gail bending over me. Her clothing was in so many rags she looked naked. She had taken a strip of torn cloth, moistened it under the leaking water purifier, and was bathing my battered face.
I turned my head and saw Axel and Dr. Spartan coming through the bulkhead door.
"What in the devil happened here?" Spartan snarled.
"Grover," said Gail, nodding toward Morrie, who was trying to lift himself off the floor.
"He's hurt!" said Axel.
"Attend to him," said Spartan. Then he turned to Gail. "And Drake? Were they fighting? Over you?"
Gail stopped bathing my face. She began to sob. I sat up straight now.
"Stop tormenting her!" I said, my anger rising to choke me.