22. Ryoch
22
RYOCH
“ Y ou’re not going to ask Gravod.”
I couldn’t tell if Mathol was judging me or just making a statement. He walked behind me, easily matching my brisk pace despite carrying Naomi in his arms. I continued facing forward, leading the way through the ship. We were running out of time.
“No. Gravod’s busy.”
That was true enough. The entire ship smelled like a bonding frenzy. Thankfully, the medical bay was at the opposite end from his captain’s quarters. I doubted he and his new bondmate would notice we were here at all.
Naomi groaned, and I sped up. She was fading again. The tincture kept her alive for now, but she needed treatment right away.
“C’mon, beautiful, put your arm a little higher around my neck. That’s it.”
I finally looked back over my shoulder, my brow raised.
When Mathol came into her room, Naomi had appeared to recognize him, flushing a deep red. And he’d noticed Naomi at the bakery. The way he held her and spoke to her seemed affectionate. Was she…?
Mathol caught my look and shook his head, giving me a half smile.
“Not that lucky,” he murmured.
No. If Naomi was his mate, he’d be feral right now. She was close to death.
The medical bay door opened at my approach, and I started calling out instructions. Mathol set Naomi down on a treatment bed as I rattled off names of medications and tools for him to pull out.
“What can I do?” Charlotte’s worried voice cut through.
“Hold her hand, keep her calm.” It was a real need. Naomi would do better if her cortisol wasn’t spiking.
And I would do better if Charlotte was occupied.
My well-ordered life, the career I’d had to fight for after my mistakes on Nax-5…all of it hung in the balance. She’d asked me why I changed my mind, and I hadn’t lied. I would do anything for her.
But it was more than that.
For years, I’d pushed down my emotions when it came to patients. I didn’t let myself feel. It was too dangerous. But that wasn’t really me. I was the doctor who’d risked everything for his friend on Nax-5. Even though it had all gone wrong, I believed my instinct to help Tax had been the right one.
Watching Charlotte’s grief as she sat next to Naomi, I’d reached my breaking point. In the battle between emotion and logic, emotion won. I didn’t know what the consequences would be, but I was committed to making sure that, this time, the story would end happily.
Now was the moment of truth. Charlotte had given me her trust. My strong mate. She didn’t shy away from difficult situations, and I knew she understood the stakes.
But did Naomi?
With the first dose of her treatment prepared, I came to Naomi’s bedside. Charlotte stood on the opposite side, holding her hand.
“Hi, Naomi. I know you’ve spoken to Charlotte, but I need you to tell me you understand what’s happening, and that you consent to treatment. If we do nothing, you’ll die. If I treat you, you’ll live, but at a cost. You’ll have to go into hiding, and likely give up everything in your current life, including your planet.”
Saying it aloud, I realized how many unknowns there were. But we didn’t have time to figure it all out right now, not if she wanted a chance to live.
Naomi gave me a crooked smile. “I didn’t have a lot invested in my planet anyway, Doc. Char explained. I’m all in. I’ll take alien adventure over death.”
“Alright. This might sting.” I didn’t hesitate, immediately administering the medication with a pressure injector against her arm.
Both Naomi and Charlotte stared, wide-eyed, as I pulled the injector away. Naomi laughed. “That’s some pretty cool sci-fi shit right there!”
I grinned. “You’re on a spaceship.”
“I know. This is wild.” She leaned her head back on the pillow, blinking heavily. “Is it supposed to make me feel tired?”
“Yes. This first treatment will start re-writing your DNA, and that’ll take a lot out of you. But I’ve added boosters for your blood and energy levels to make you more comfortable.”
Naomi yawned. “Is it okay if I take a nap?”
“Yes, rest. Someone will always stay here to monitor you.” I looked over at Mathol to confirm, and he nodded back, watching everything from a respectful distance.
His expression remained carefully neutral, and I wondered what he thought about all this. He hadn’t objected at any point, but that didn’t mean he agreed with what I was doing.
Soon, Naomi was asleep. I reached over to Charlotte’s shoulder and squeezed. “She’s fine right now. I’d like to speak with you and Mathol about some details regarding her care.”
“Of course.” She gently set Naomi’s hand down and came to join me at the other side of the room.
We had a seating area set up for just this kind of discussion. I motioned for Charlotte and Mathol to sit on the cushioned bench while I pulled over a stool and faced them.
Mathol spoke first. “Will she be okay?”
“I believe so. I’ve treated similar diseases on Vytaris. Everything has to be personalized to her DNA profile, so there’s some variability in how long it might take. But I expect her to fully recover.”
On Vytaris, this kind of thing was cured in childhood. That was another variable—Naomi’s age. But the principles were the same. Theoretically, the outcome should be no different.
Charlotte let out a relieved breath, but Mathol only stared at me.
I raised my chin. “Say it, brother. What are you thinking?”
He sighed. “This was the right thing to do, Ryoch. I feel it in my soul. But not everyone will agree.”
I nodded. “I appreciate your support.”
Charlotte was frowning. “What would happen now if you went back to Vytaris?”
“That wasn’t our plan—” Mathol started.
“I would face a tribunal.” I looked to Mathol. “Unless Gravod decided on a different way of handling it.”
“But we’re not going back.” He shrugged. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Actually…” Charlotte bit her lip. “Jess has persuaded Gravod that it would be best if you all returned once you find your mates.” She cleared her throat and glanced away, muttering, “For the children.”
Mathol stared at her, dumbfounded. “The children?”
“You know,” she waved her hand, “babies. Jess wants some, and she doesn’t want to hide them or make them stay shifted all the time.” Her gaze drifted around the room, over Naomi’s sleeping form, before returning to Mathol. “Plus, as all of this so clearly shows, you have better technology than we do. Jess thinks our lives would be much better if we left.”
“What do you think?” Mathol asked the question I’d been screaming in my head.
His anticipation to hear her answer was probably as high as mine. None of us thought we’d ever see home again. It was an unexpected turn of events, one that made me wary.
Was it wrong for our mates to be put in the same position we had been, deciding whether to leave their planet behind? Or was it a fair question, for all of us? It was difficult to know how to feel about it.
She looked at him, then at me.
“I think I’d like to know what would happen to Ryoch if he went back. And what will happen to Naomi.”
Mathol stood and paced. “Gravod will have to discuss this with the crew. All of it.” He turned to face me. “And we’d need Thylor for the journey. Has anyone considered that?”
“Knowing Gravod, he has.”
Charlotte sat up taller. “We all agree that we’re saving Naomi and doing whatever needs to be done to keep her safe, right?”
Mathol nodded. “Right.” He looked at me, and I knew what he was thinking. I had his complete support, but he expected this to go badly.
“Right,” I said. “We need to work out a treatment schedule.”
I was ready to face the consequences, but first I was going to get Naomi well.