26. Ryoch
26
RYOCH
N ow that Gravod was aware I was helping Naomi, and I had his tacit approval, I could walk through the ship without the burden of his judgment on me. But regardless of how he’d made it sound last night at the bar, covering up what I’d done wasn’t a minor issue. And for now, it was all falling to me.
Gravod had an emergency on his hands.
Thylor’s video was everywhere. On the news, on social media. Every time I went online, I saw it being replayed, triggering painful memories of the hysteria I’d witnessed on Nax-5. It still shocked me that he’d gone to such lengths to get us to abort the mission. Surely he understood the danger.
The irony, of course, was that he didn’t need to convince any of us to leave. Gravod and Jess had done a fine job of laying out the reasons why it made sense, and the crew now planned to return to Vytaris once they found their mates. If Thylor had been in contact, he’d know that.
He was one of the most intelligent males I’d ever met. I knew he was desperate, but this was just so fucking stupid of him. Unfortunately, his role as engineer was vital to operating the ship. That was another thing for Gravod to worry about.
My responsibility was to monitor Naomi’s condition, and to keep it a secret. Concealing what I’d done was more important than ever.
I walked through the ship toward the medical bay, carrying a tray of food and thinking about the final phases of her treatment. At the same time, I was formulating and then discarding possible explanations for her sudden recovery. None of the ideas I’d come up with so far would pass the scrutiny of a doctor who had knowledge of her disease.
As I neared the medical wing, I heard Charlotte’s voice, breathy and light. I paused outside the doorway, listening to her chat with Naomi, savoring the sound for a brief moment.
Last night, I’d followed her home in my car. By the time I met her at the front door, she was distant, her thoughts far away. We crawled into bed together with our clothes still on, and I didn’t push her to talk or be intimate. I kept her wrapped in my ta’laps , offering what comfort I could, but her body had remained tight and tense with worry until she fell asleep.
It was her decision to make, whether to go to Vytaris or not, and she was struggling. I told her I’d stay with her either way, that I wouldn’t force her to choose between me and her life here, but it didn’t seem to ease her mind.
This morning, we’d driven to the ship together to relieve Mathol. The ride over was quiet, and her silence had me concerned. She’d stayed with Naomi while I went to get the three of us breakfast from the mess hall.
I sighed with relief as I stood at the door now, hearing how relaxed Charlotte was with Naomi. Joyful. So happy that her friend was well. The warmth of her voice rolled over me, and I treasured her happiness as if it were my own.
Then I listened to what they were talking about.
“Oh, wow. That’s what they really look like?” Naomi asked.
“You haven’t seen them before?”
“No, the good doctor hasn’t shifted for me.”
I came in with the food, catching Naomi rolling her eyes. They were bent over Charlotte’s phone, watching a replay of Thylor’s video.
“No, he hasn’t,” I said. Naomi’s head snapped up, and she laughed. Charlotte blushed.
Naomi shook her head at the tray in my hand. “Mathol brought me pastry earlier. He loves to feed me.”
Charlotte looked at me meaningfully, and I shrugged. She’d brought it up last night, that it seemed like Mathol and Naomi had a connection, but I assured her that he’d told me they weren’t mates.
“How have you been liking the food since you’ve been here?” she asked Naomi. Charlotte took a piece of sartga from the tray and popped it in her mouth. She clearly hadn’t expected the tart, savory flavor, because her eyes widened in surprise.
“It’s great. Different, but good.” Naomi turned to me. “But I’d love a chance to enjoy some of my favorites here on Earth before I leave. Do you think I’ll be able to venture out a little?”
“I do. I’ve been working on the details, but I think you’ll be able to go home soon. At least in the short term, your medical team won’t be searching for you. You can call to reschedule appointments so that they don’t suspect anything’s happened.”
“You don’t think anyone will come looking for me if I don’t go back to the hospital for transfusions?”
I didn’t like to admit the truth. “Doctors on this planet are overworked. They won’t proactively search for you if you don’t come in.”
Naomi just nodded. “No, I don’t suppose they would. So I’d better stay out of the hospital.”
“Please. Take good care of yourself. No injuries. At least until I can think of something that would explain your DNA being repaired.”
She laughed. “I’ll try to stay in one piece until lift-off.”
I noticed Charlotte flinch. It wasn’t only Jess who would be going to Vytaris, but Naomi as well. She’d told me that Annabelle wanted to go too. All of her friends. This wasn’t the right moment for me to talk to her about it, so I moved on to discuss what lay ahead for Naomi’s treatment.
“I have to check your latest samples, and then I can tell you how much longer you need to stay on the ship.”
“Okay. I really appreciate you all spending so much time on me.”
There was another step I’d resolved to take that I thought she should know about. “I’m planning to send an anonymous message to a genetics researcher whose studies I’ve followed. She’s close to a breakthrough that will help people with diseases like yours. I can give her a push in the right direction.”
I was already breaking the rules, and my conscience wouldn’t let me forget that many others suffered from illnesses similar to Naomi’s. The information I could provide would cure a range of genetic disorders, saving countless lives.
Naomi let out a long breath. “Thank you. I’m so grateful for what you’ve done for me, but I have to admit, I’ve got a lot of survivor’s guilt. That makes me feel a lot better.”
Charlotte looked lighter too. She’d come very close to losing her friend, and she sympathized with those in the same situation. The ethics weighed on her, as they weighed on me.
“Me too.” I smiled and switched to a less emotional subject. “I was wondering about your employer. Are they likely to ask questions?”
Naomi shook her head. “No employer. I’ve been living off my inheritance ever since I got too sick to work, although I don’t know how far that’ll stretch. I didn’t expect to be around much longer. It’s definitely a problem I don’t mind having.”
“Charlotte mentioned that you were an architect. One of the shifters I trust, Hal, was telling me recently that he needed an extra hand at his architecture firm. I think it could be a perfect fit.”
Naomi looked to Charlotte. “He’s a…?”
“Bear,” she said.
“Sure.” Naomi’s smile lit up the room. “I can work for the bear shifter architect until I go to another planet. That works.”
If only everything could be that easy.