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“On another matter.” Dr. Ten switched his focus to me. “Have you commenced your treatment?” He tipped his beak so that both his small eyes narrowed on me.
This was so not the time to be talking about this. I could barely focus and JayJay would clearly be out of commission for a while. “Yes. I kinda wanted to talk to you about that. It seems my symptoms return after three days or so.”
While he pulled up my file, he stretched out one wide wing and tucked it neatly to his side. “Well then, I recommend you arrange engagements at that frequency.” He entered a few notes into his wristport.
“Yes, but the thing is…I was really hoping to take the next shuttle home.” As soon as I said it, my body recoiled. The thought of going home without JayJay no longer appealed to me.
“That’s unfortunate. The volatile hellsna activity has prompted a moratorium on travel to and from Tern.” The points of his wings skimmed the sea-colored moss before he shrugged his shoulders. “The Intergalactic Federation on Transportation and Travel has canceled the next passenger shuttle.”
The news didn’t hit as hard as I would have thought. My priority was JayJay. A missed competition seemed minor in comparison, but I still wanted to return home one day.
I forced out a response as Dr. Ten eyed me with concern. “I guess that makes sense,” I whispered. Maybe JayJay and I could catch a private shuttle when all this hellsna shit was done with. Makir might be able to ask Bonic. “And the oral treatment the lab’s working on. When will that be ready?”
He placed a warm hand on my shoulder. “The media responsible for stabilizing the medicine for travel is reacting poorly to human DNA. Pharmalab’s working through alternatives.” We jerked our heads toward a groaning JayJay before Dr. Ten said, “But that will take some time.”
Okay, so that wasn’t a definite impossibility. I moved back to JayJay’s side as he stirred in his sleep.
“On that note, I must return to my practice. Nurse Claice is overrun after those heinous beasts trampled our settlement. I trust JayJay will be fine under your care?”
“Absolutely.” Weariness worked through my body, but I was used to pushing through discomfort. JayJay would have the best possible care under my hands.
“Get some sleep, dear.” He patted my shoulder and, with wings half-spread, fluttered out of the room.
“Thank you, Dr. Ten,” I called before the door slid shut.
Too tired to change, I stretched out alongside JayJay and placed my head on his chest. He began to purr as I settled in the shelter of his arm.
Tears slid over my cheeks, landing on my folded arms, and I stifled my sobs so as not to wake JayJay. Despite my happiness knowing he would heal, not being able to attend the competition left a hollow ache in my heart. Eventually, his soft purr lulled me to sleep.
When I woke, still damp, Nebula’s steely gaze caught mine where she maintained her vigil, a queen perched on the throne of JayJay’s shoulder. I pressed two fingers to his wrist, noticing a strange pattern. Quickly dismissing it, I focused on the reassuringly steady beat, along with the rise and fall of his chest.
The dim glow inside the volcano made time impossible to tell, and I glanced at my wristport. Eight hours. I’d slept for eight hours! My joints still ached, but a sense of determination thrummed in my veins. Maybe JayJay’s nearness alone staved off my symptoms. Or did having Nebula nearby help? Dr. Ten had said she would assist with JayJay’s healing. Why not mine, too?
As much as I didn’t want to leave JayJay, I couldn’t handle having dirty hair any longer. I fingered a limp strand andgrimaced. Why was hair color so tricky to come by on Tern, anyway? After I rushed through the fastest shower in history, I swung by the kitchen and collected two containers of soup. Hurrying back to JayJay, I answered as few questions as I could get away with.
As I approached our door, I laughed at the stack of mantu hides heaped to one side. Word must have gotten around that I could make use of these. Nebula’s ears twitched from her perch on JayJay’s chest when I propped the soup on the mossy floor and then dragged the hairy brown coats inside. After assessing the potential threat with her shrewd eyes, she dropped her head to rest on her paws again.
Sitting beside JayJay, I ladled salty, tangy mantu broth into my mouth. It filled the hole in my stomach. Wow-ees were awesome, but one donut hole since lunch yesterday had left me starving. I rolled up a mantu hide and propped it behind JayJay’s head before spooning a mouthful between his lips, mesmerized by the iridescent sheen of his gray skin.
After filling the container lid, I placed it on JayJay’s lap in front of Nebula. Would she accept an offering from me? With a twitch of her whiskers and an unnerving glance, she dove in. I filled it a second time.
I passed the day intermittently napping and feeding JayJay broth, usually after one of his crew dropped a container at the door, inquiring about his health.
The following day, Geo delivered my sewing machine and tools, then set up a table I could work on. Mantu hides occupied most of the floor space now. Measurements marked the hides in a series of dots and dashes, ready to be cut. Between my short work sessions, my naps beside JayJay and Nebula grew more frequent.
My vision faded in and out as I spun a round helmet in my hand, double-checking the blurred stitches. I’d takeninspiration from boxing-style head guards to design protection for D’Rasma. Pleased with my latest creation, I lifted the helmet for Nebula’s approval. “That should do the trick.”
“What should do the trick?” JayJay’s raspy voice filled my heart with joy.
He’s awake!
21
My head heaved, asif its insides were churning and sloshing about. Dizziness pulled me under the murky waters, muddying the past and present.
Ginger’s lips brushed over my lips.
I tucked my chin to my knees and pinned my elbows to my head.
