Page 54 of Stone Cold Alien

“Well?” Sten asked.

“Your face is strange.”

Pam sighed. “It’s a perfectly normal face.”

“It isn’t his.”

The human mouth smiled. That was still Sten’s smile, at least.

He lifted one arm and examined it. “I dislike this.”

“You look good,” Georgie assured him.

For some reason, I didn’t like her complimenting my gharrgoil. That was my job. She had her own.

“I looked good before.”

“Yes,” I said. “You did.”

His attention shifted to me. Even without golden eyes, I recognised the look he gave me.

Cairn cleared his throat. “Perhaps we should discuss how you are travelling.”

Sten scratched at his shoulder. The projection flickered, revealing part of his horn for a second before settling.

“Don’t scratch,” Pam warned. “If you tear it, the projection will fail.”

“It itches.”

“So Cairn tells me.”

“Constantly,” Georgie added.

Pam took out her phone. “Joseph can drive Robyn and Sten to Glasgow this afternoon. Cairn and Georgie can follow in the other car.”

“Why are they coming?” I asked.

“We don’t know how long your blood will protect Sten. It would be safer to keep Cairn nearby until we understand more.”

Sten turned towards me. “I will stay in your dwelling while you work.”

“For twelve hours?”

“I have waited longer.”

“That’s not the point. What happens if my blood stops working while I’m in the hospital? What if you get bored? What if-”

“You will return.”

“I can’t leave an ICU patient because my alien gharrgoil is turning into a statue at home.”

The room went quiet.

I hadn’t meant to say it quite like that, but it was true. My job didn’t allow me to disappear halfway through a shift. Even if Sten stayed in the hospital car park, I couldn’t keep checking on him.

“We could give him more blood before you leave,” Pam suggested.

“No,” Sten and I said together.