Chapter 10
GEMMA
“My mate requires a medic now!”
Last night, Zalis walked Gemma to her apartment. They watched an episode of a baking show and ate popcorn, which was surprisingly decent for coming out of the food printer. It was very chill. Exactly what she craved.
The morning was entirely different.
Zalis went back to his cabin to sleep because they weren’t ready for sleepovers yet.
Gemma slept poorly again. Every time she drifted off, she jerked awake, convinced someone was in the room.
Zalis arrived before her alarm—not that it mattered as she was lying in bed pretending to sleep—armed with an embarrassing amount of food.
Her stomach felt too unsettled to eat much, which was why he dragged her to Medical, demanding to see a medic immediately.
“I’m a medic intern,” a young Mahdfel man said, emphasis on young. His face was round, almost childlike, but the rest of him was adult-sized, if a bit gangly. His frame hadn’t filled out yet. He had to be a teenager.
“Aren’t you a little too young to be a doctor? What happened to the rude doctor?” Gemma asked.
“I can see you now. If you want a medic or a nurse, you must wait.”
“We will not wait. Gemma has internal injuries,” Zalis said.
“What did you do?” Rather than wait for an answer, the intern waved a scanner over her.
“I do nothing, and Zalis did nothing. My stomach is queasy this morning. That’s all,” Gemma said, for all the good it did. No one listened.
“She did not eat breakfast. She had a slice of toast bread and a bowl of porridge,” Zalis told the intern.
“That is not adequate nutrition,” he replied.
“That is what I told her.”
Clearly, they didn’t need her input in this conversation.
Nurse Daisy arrived, taking the scanner away from the intern. “Sorry to keep you waiting. This is Mikah, my ward. He’s training to be a medic. Today he’s shadowing me. Is it all right if he watches silently?” She stressed the last word, giving Mikah a stern look.
“Sure, I guess,” Gemma said.
“My mate has internal injuries,” Zalis repeated. “She will not eat. She must eat to regain lost muscle and repair her fractured bone.”
“Okay, can you tell me what’s going on?” Daisy asked Gemma.
“I didn’t eat a big enough breakfast.” She listed what she ate—buttered toast and a bowl of oatmeal sprinkled with dried berries.
“Sounds like a good breakfast to me.”
“It is not enough nutrition—” Zalis started, but the nurse ignored him.
“Scans look good. No internal injuries. Any pain?” Daisy asked, speaking over Zalis.
“The foot and my head hurts.”
“The nonstandard issue translation chip could be the source of your headaches,” Mikah said, looking at a tablet. “When was it installed?”
“Oh, uh, not long ago,” Gemma said. She really didn’t want to say that her abductors had it implanted into her brain—she didn’t want to think about it.
No. She couldn’t ignore it.
“The people who took me, they installed it,” she said.
“Curious,” Mikah said. He stepped into her personal space, pushing back her hair to see the incision.
Daisy batted his hand away. “Ask before touching. What happened to watching and remaining silent?”
“My apologies, nurse.” Mikah stepped back, looking genuinely chagrined.
“Now,” Daisy turned her attention back to Gemma, “may I look at the incision?”
Gemma pulled back her hair, exposing the spot behind her ear.
“No signs of infection. Looks good.”
“Is it safe?” Now that she was thinking about the chip, all she could focus on was what the weasel and his minions put it in her.
“Perfectly.”
“Can you remove it?” She wanted it out. Now.
“I can’t. Kalen or another medic will have to do the procedure,” Daisy said. Gemma must have looked worried because she added, “It’s not a dangerous procedure but it is complicated and painful. Anything involving the brain is complicated. I’ll have Kalen follow up if you want it replaced.”
“Thank you.”
“Did you get enough sleep?” Daisy asked.
“Not really. It’s tough falling asleep,” Gemma answered. The strange sounds of the ship kept her awake, and when she did finally fall asleep, she had nightmares.
“Is your difficulty sleeping from insomnia or being in a new environment?”
“I don’t want a sleeping pill.”
“That’s good. I don’t want to give you one. You were in stasis not long ago and those drugs are slow to leave your system,” Daisy said. “How do you feel about drinking a cup of chamomile tea before bed?”
“Tastes like grass. I’d rather chew actual grass.”
The nurse snickered. “Totally, but a bedtime ritual can help ease your body into sleep mode. Any decaffeinated herbal tea will do.”
“Sure. I can try that.”
“Well, since you’re here, we might as well get started on the regenerative therapy.”
Mikah set up a footbath while Daisy removed the boot on Gemma’s ankle. Zalis loomed over the nurse’s shoulder, fretting. It was cute, in a hypercautious way.
Not that she was into that sort of thing.
Zalis ran a hand over his horns, mussing the hair long enough to brush the collar of his shirt. His dark eyes seemed to catch the light.
Oh no, she was into that sort of thing.
“Looks good, right?” Daisy asked.
“What? No,” Gemma said quickly.
“The footbath.” She gestured to the tub Mikah carried. “Think of it like getting an aloe pedicure.”
“The treatment would be more efficient if applied internally,” Mikah said.
“Yes, but it’s not practical to submerge her in the tank for a foot injury,” Daisy said. She turned to Gemma. “We’re not putting you in the goo tank.”
“Please don’t.”
The goo had a tingle, but it was warm and soothing.
Much better than advertised. Zalis remained at her side, chatting about traditional spa practices on Sangrin, of all things.
Apparently, there was a tiny rainbow-colored fish that nibbled on the skin.
The practice was highly inefficient but gave a person time to relax in a hot spring while the fish did their thing.
Symbiotic, he claimed, as the fish benefited from the collagen in the dead skin.
Gemma wasn’t sure she’d call being fish food relaxing, but sure. Different strokes and all that.
As odd as the conversation was, it took her mind off the chip implanted in her head.
She couldn’t picture Zalis soaking in a hot spring with tiny fish nibbling on his toes.
Then again, she totally could see him up to his chin in water with colorful fish darting around like some sort of alien Disney princess. So precious and symbiotic.
Eventually, the nurse released her with an appointment to do it again in two days. Visually, Gemma could see the swelling had reduced and her skin looked less angry.
Maybe there was something to the goo pedicure after all.
ZALIS
“Zalis, you’re going to have to stop obsessing about how much I eat.”
Gemma was being unreasonable. While she sampled everything on the table, she did not consume enough to meet her nutritional needs. Two bites were not adequate.
He said, “You did not eat much last night, and your morning meal was insufficient. Your body needs energy to heal.”
Gemma slammed the spoon down on the table. A jolt of surprise rippled through the crowd as everyone in the mess hall became aware of their disagreement.
“Have you ever considered,” she said in a quiet tone, leaning over the table, “that all I’ve eaten for weeks was kibble? The hospital didn’t let me eat solids. It was all pudding or soup. My body needs to adjust to solid food again.”
Zalis ran a hand over his horns. “I have not considered this. My apologies.”
“I know my body and I’m not one to let myself go hungry. I’ll eat what I please, when I please, and how much. Got it?”
“Understood.”
Gemma held his gaze for a long moment before relaxing back into her seat. She picked up her spoon. “Good.”
He had failed to listen; the only piece of advice his mother gave him.
“What’s that look for?” Gemma asked, sipping at a spoonful of soup.
“I have no look.”
The eyebrow rose again. How she conveyed so much skepticism and reprimanded him at the same time was astonishing.
“What happened to honesty?” she asked, taking another mouthful. “That was your rule.”
“My mother advised me to listen to your needs. My performance has been underwhelming.”
“Your mom sounds smart.” Now she dipped a bread roll into the soup. Good. “What else did she say? Give yourself the grace to make mistakes?”
“Quoting my own mother to win an argument. I am unsure if I should be offended or impressed,” he said in a lighthearted tone.
“As long as we agree that I won,” she said, flashing a smile made of pure sunshine. “When do we leave for that place, Val Mori?”
“Ten days. The Judgment is enroute now,” he answered.
“Just for clarification because I’m sure it was mentioned yesterday during the orientation, you run on Sangrin time, right?”
“Correct, although a Sangrin day is shorter than an Earth day by six minutes.”
“Close enough for horseshoes and hand grenades,” she said, which made no sense, “and no math or time conversion. What about my things on Earth? My stuff’s not all heirlooms, but there are some sentimental items I’d like to have.”
“There are services that can ship your possessions. Make a list of the items and it will be arranged.”
“How much does it cost? I’ve got some savings.”
“I will pay the expense.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“What else is credit for?”
Her lips twitched in amusement. “Spoken like someone who’s never had to worry about paying the bills.”
That was true. The clan provided for all his physical needs. His recreational pursuits were modest. His credits went largely unused. He said, “We receive a stipend. You are not the first mate to have possessions to be shipped or sold. It would please me to be able to do this for you.”
Gemma hesitated before agreeing. “All right. I’ll make a list. What’s the plan for the rest of the day?”
Zalis had a plan. He pushed aside an empty dish and laid down a tablet. “Thirty-six questions designed to increase intimacy.”
“Oh wow. You get that list from the internet?”