Chapter 30
CHAPTER THIRTY
“They want to do what?”
Elder Soparo cocked his head a fraction, studying the startled human woman a moment.
“I understand your surprise. You have come a long way, Ella. And the medical technicians from not only our sect, but also representatives of several neighboring cities with whom we share interesting case studies, all wish to witness your examination and results first-hand, nothing more.”
This isn’t normal. What’s the deal here?
Ella kept her concerns tightly under wraps, a pleasant expression plastered to her face regardless of any worries she might be feeling.
“Right. Of course. I suppose I must be an interesting patient.”
“You are. And a teaching opportunity. While our records do contain documentation of treatments of severe burns, as well as the repair of damaged runes, yours is not only a unique case for the degree of damage to both, but also your near-miraculous recovery.”
“What do you mean? I thought your medicines and machines were supposed to do this,” she replied, gesturing to her flawless skin as well as the pristine runes now etched into her flesh.
“They can heal superficial damage without issue and can reconstruct most races’ bodies with a degree of efficiency. But you? Seeing you heal in your time among us has amazed our medical staff. They feel quite privileged to have treated you.”
“Could have fooled me,” she grumbled. “Sorry, that was uncalled for.”
“Not at all. You have caused quite a disturbance with your presence. It is against our ways to have a woman in our midst, and I would be remiss to pretend that I was any less put off by it than the others.”
“I sense a but coming.”
“But you are an anomaly, Ella. It seems your race, so new to the Dotharian Conglomerate, responds far more favorably to certain healing salves and processes than most. And with your planet being only recently added to the conglomerate, there is still no data about your kind yet in the realm’s systems. It’s a bit strange, but if it is located at a distant peripheral system, the distribution of data can take a lot longer from the fringes than the internal mesh network of integrated systems.”
“Oh, yeah. Earth is way out there. Really far in the weeds.”
“Weeds?”
“Sorry, Earth saying. We’re off in the boonies—I mean, it’s in the fringes. A peripheral, as you said.”
Soparo nodded sagely, pleased his assumption was correct. At least, so far as he knew. “As I assumed.”
“So, when exactly will these other doctors be here? I usually meet with Draikis before I head to the archives.”
“Ah, yes. Nilkis has said you have been studying a great number of ancient texts.”
Ella brightened up at the mention of her passion project. “Yeah, there’s so much to learn. And I’ve found some really fascinating things. Surprising, too.”
“And you are able to read them? The old texts?”
“Yeah. Nilkis said it’s a fluke of the translation runes. Not typical, but it happens on occasion. I guess humans are just exceptionally attuned to your particular language.”
“But the old tongue is difficult, even for our own.”
“I know, that’s the wild part, right? I had no idea those texts were any harder than the other ones.
It’s all a foreign language to me, after all.
But the rune really does its job. And whatever your Skrizzit did to fix it seems to have amped up its power.
Plus, the boost this one gives it,” she said, tapping her chest.
Elder Soparo’s eyes widened slightly. “Your Infala? It was only just reconstructed after your injuries. But connecting to your other runes already? That seems unlikely.”
“Like I said, this is all new to me, but it feels like that’s what it’s done.”
Soparo stared, his brow furrowed.
“Uh, or I could be wrong,” she quickly added. “Like I said, you’re the experts.”
“Indeed. And if you will come with me, the answer to your prior question about timing is now.”
“Now?”
“The others have already arrived and are waiting for you in the medical suites.”
“Oh. Um, should we wait for Draikis to join us?”
“He is not part of this process. While he has been your caregiver during your stay, this is not something he is needed or even trained for. Now, please follow me.”
They walked the corridors, following a familiar path that led to the main medical facilities where Ella had spent her earliest time among the Norvalians.
The chamber they entered was well lit, a warm glow emitting from the walls and ceiling, illuminating her from all angles.
Undoubtedly to better visually inspect her.
A dozen males of different races stood watching her arrival expectantly.
She took a deep breath and stepped into their midst. Here we go.
All in all, it wasn’t that bad. While she had to strip down for one part of the examination, the new arrivals from outside the Norvalian Sect were medical professionals perfectly comfortable examining male and female subjects alike.
It was only the Norvalians who appeared a little uncomfortable at the female in their midst, but even they put medical discovery first. And looking at the records of her state upon arrival to where she was today, all seemed flabbergasted that she had recovered so well.
“That degree of burn normally allows for reconstruction, but there will always be deformity to some degree. The ruined fatty tissues of the breasts, for example. Cosmetic rebuilding is normally required of races possessing those deposits. But this woman’s response to the treatments has defied those norms.”
“I concur,” another of the visitors marveled, touching her breasts in a purely clinical manner. “See how the suspensory ligaments re-grew without intervention? Highly unusual.”
“And they seem to have done so immaculately,” the other man replied.
“Are you saying I have perfect breasts?” Ella quipped.
The joke landed like a dead fish, the blank stares of all present making her feel like a comic bombing in front of a very harsh crowd.
“Sorry. I just get nervous being poked and prodded.”
“You have nothing to be nervous about,” the Norvalian doctor chimed in. He turned to the others. “My patient has shown other unusual healing processes. If you will note her intake records, she had been burned to such a degree that all but the translation rune were destroyed.”
“Such an extreme case. It’s a marvel she survived.”
“One of our brothers came upon her just after the incident. His quick actions undoubtedly made the difference. Speed of care prevented sepsis and permanent damage beyond our ability to repair.”
“I see it was a Raxxian vessel. She was taken as livestock?”
“Yes. And no Raxxians survived the crash.”
“We are better for it. While we have taken an oath to heal, I would just as soon not treat those beastly creatures if at all possible. Abhorrent race, the Raxxians.”
“On that we are all in agreement. But let us focus on the subject at hand. See her runes? How well they are healed?”
“You say these are all new additions?”
“Yes,” the Norvalian doctor said, his chest puffing up proudly. “Note the quality of her healed flesh. The pigment bonded perfectly.”
The men leaned closer, studying the markings on her body with fascination.
“And they were all gone?” one marveled. “They are impeccable.”
“Our Skrizzit is very talented. And the pigments used were of the highest quality.”
“And power, I see,” another noted. “Her Infala is particularly strong. Exceptional work.”
The Norvalian doctor’s smile faltered. It was only a flash, but Ella saw it. He’d only glanced at the powerful rune in the middle of her chest previously, but with the others calling his attention to it, the Norvalian had been forced to look closely. And what he saw clearly caught his attention.
Shit. I think he noticed it’s changed.
Perhaps he did. Her Infala had been very active of late, especially so ever since she and Draikis had sealed the deal, so to speak.
But whatever he saw, the doctor kept it to himself, opting simply to affirm the quality of the Skrizzit’s work and the pigments the Norvalians possessed.
Given the nature of their position within the Dotharian Conglomerate, it was only natural they would have the best of the best at their disposal.
The examination continued for a while with Ella being put through a series of tests and scans, as well as a great deal of old-fashioned visual scrutiny.
By the time they’d finished with her, she’d been more or less nude around them for so long that it really didn’t register anymore.
Her private bits were covered after the first inspection, but her coverings were skimpy to say the least.
Fortunately, the experience was entirely clinical, and there were no lingering eyes or hands. These were professionals, and she was a remarkable case study, but nothing more.
At long last she was free to continue her day, a marvel to the newcomers, a concern to the locals.
“I see you are finished,” a familiar voice said as she stepped out into the corridor, the deep rumble of it settling her unease in an instant. “I heard you were being examined and thought you might benefit from an outing in the fresh air afterward.”
“I’d love that.” She turned back to the collected medical professionals. “I hope you all enjoy the rest of your stay,” she said by way of farewell, then moved to join her lover, careful to not give in to her impulse to jump into his arms.
Draikis was likewise carefully restrained, but a glimmer of want was clear to her in his beautiful gaze.
None seemed to notice. Not even Elder Soparo, though he did watch the two with interest as they took their leave.
“How was it?” Draikis asked once they were well out of earshot.
“Weird. Clinical. Uncomfortable, but not as much as I would have expected.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there with you. I was only informed of the examination after it had begun.”
“It’s okay.”
“No, I should have been there. I am here to support you, Ella.”
Her heart beat harder, a warm ball of joyful heat in her belly.
He cared. Like, really cared, and not just because they were now having sexytime.
He had always taken care of her, and she knew in her gut he would look after her no matter what.
The feeling of secure, safe love that washed over her was intoxicating in a way she could barely find words for.
“It really is okay. You can’t always be there, you know. You have a life too. And this was actually pretty interesting, truth be told.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. I got to hear more details of how bad off I really was when I first got here.”
“It was bad, yes.”
“Draikis, it was more than bad. If you hadn’t gotten me to the medical guys so quickly, I would have died.”
His hand brushed hers, longing for more contact but settling for a lingering touch. It was enough; the electric charge between them made both of their Infalas pulse, along with other parts of their bodies. But not here. Not within the walls and under scrutiny of the brotherhood.
Ella spoke first, breaking the tense silence. “They seemed to like me. Do you think there’s actually the possibility of me being accepted here?”
Draikis walked in silence a moment, his thoughts heavy in the air. “You are a specimen to them, Ella. At least, to most. And the brothers are fixed in their ways.” He saw her countenance darken slightly. “But who knows?” he quickly added. “Time will tell.”
“I guess it will,” she replied, cautiously hopeful. Things were finally going her way. And with this outsider fascination, perhaps her status would change. If she brought some kind of prestige to the Norvalians, maybe, just maybe, they’d warm to her presence.
We’ll just wait and see, she mused, reveling in the radiant warmth of the man walking so close beside her. And in the meantime, life ain’t bad at all.