I pull her closer on the love seat, and she rests her head on my shoulder with a dreamy little sigh that has my tentacles fluttering with satisfaction. We stay like that for a long time, and Gemma even takes the opportunity to use the tablet device I gave her, taking photos to commemorate the occasion. When she joins me back on the love seat, she holds up the device so she can take a couple selfie.
My whole body warms with happiness, and I swear I don’t think this moment could get much more perfect than it already is.
She slays me—oh, my hearts—with her biggest, brightest smile.
“Thank you for helping me conquer my fears. Missing out on this would have been a huge mistake. I’ve never witnessed anything that can remotely compare. It’s completely humbling. My life on Earth was so cloistered and uninformed about what exists beyond the reaches of my home planet. The universe is full of so many marvels and wonders, and I want to experience them all.” She leans closer. “With you.”
My hearts start pounding like they’re revving up to enter warp speed. Could she be feeling the same as I am?
I open my mouth, ready to take a leap of faith and ask her that very question, but before I get a chance, a scream rings out farther down the skyway, and Gemma jumps to her feet.
“Help!” a panicked voice cries. “It’s a medical emergency!”
I’m left in the proverbial space dust, staring after Gemma, a bit dumbfounded as she races toward the source of the cries.
CHAPTER 15
Making a lifelong commitment to a partner or partners is a big decision and not one to be taken lightly. That said, as the saying goes, when you know, you know! You and your life partner are undoubtedly over the moon right about now, but there are some serious matters you’ll need to discuss. While this might be obvious, a refresher never hurts. Here are some of the key topics to cover early on to make sure there aren’t any oppositional expectations or preferences that could engender major problems later.
First, you’ll want to discuss the essential question: to cohabit, or not to cohabit. Not all partners want to share the same living space. In some cultures, it simply isn’t done, while in others it’s a fundamental expectation. Don’t skip this one! Second, you should address the matter of offspring. Do you want any or not? If you do want them, who would give birth to any children—you, your partner, or perhaps a surrogate? Alternatively, would you prefer to adopt offspring? This is a weighty issue, indeed, and one that can derail many a relationship if both partners aren’t of the same mind. Third, it is advisable to discuss money matters in advance. How willexpenses be paid, shared, etc. Will you maintain separate financial accounts or merge them? Do either of you bring debt to the relationship? These are but a few key financial considerations you should ponder together as a couple. There are plenty of other issues to discuss, but for now, these are pretty high on the priority list. So go ahead and get talking!
—Ch. 7,How to Flirt Among the Stars: An Intergalactic (and Interspecies) Sapphic Dating Guide
Gemma
My medical responder instincts kick in immediately, and I find myself racing toward the emergency situation without thinking about it. I suppose this kind of thing is hardwired in me by now, enough so that I don’t even notice the clear ground beneath my feet as I race toward whoever needs help.
I push my way through a crowd of people to find an older female-presenting alien and an accompanying child on the ground. The former is cradling the juvenile in her arms, lines of stress marring her pale blue face. I have no idea what species they belong to, but they’re fairly humanoid in their overall external physiology as far as I can tell. The two most pronounced differences are their skin, which is bioluminescent, and the two pronounced antennae coming out of their foreheads. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to help them, but at the very least I can try to stabilize the child while we wait for park staff to come to the rescue.
I fall to my knees beside the young alien. If they were human, I’d guess they were maybe around eight to ten years old, but I can’t be certain. What is immediately apparent to me, however,is that their blue skin is losing its bioluminescent glow, dimming rapidly even as I watch.
“What happened?” I ask the older woman. “I’m a medical doctor from Earth. I’ll do whatever I can until the park’s medical support arrives.”
Relief washes over her face. “I’m Elunara Jynthar, and this is my granddaughter, Phyrellia. Although she prefers to go by Phee.” Tears run down her cheeks. “Phee suddenly collapsed out of nowhere, and her glow began fading at the same time.”
My brow furrows. “What does that mean for your people? Can you explain?”
Her face showing the universal signs of anxiety, Elunara wipes her eyes. “It’s usually a sign of a problem with our circulatory stability, but I can’t imagine what would have caused that. Phee was perfectly healthy earlier as far as I could tell. There was no hint of any issues at all.”
“May I examine her?” I ask.
I have to do something so she doesn’t crash on me.
Elunara nods so I begin assessing Phee’s ABCs—-airway, breathing, and circulation. Opening her mouth, I see that her airway doesn’t appear to be blocked, but her breathing is a little shallow, and her pulse is all over the place. I ask Elunara what a normal baseline for breathing and pulse would be among her people and find my initial assessment about the abnormalities in Phee’s breathing and pulse are indeed accurate—but I still have no idea what’s causing the issue.
It’s also incredibly frustrating not having any of my equipment with me. What I wouldn’t give for my medical bag right about now!
Trying to rule out some potential root causes, I gently rest a hand against Phee’s forehead and test for any signs of fever that might indicate a viral illness or infection, but her skin isn’thot. On the contrary, it’s almost cool to the touch, whatever that means for her kind.
I turn to Elunara. “What can you tell me about body temperature for your people?”
“We are Zidalis, and our species tends to run warmer than most. Phee’s temperature is concerning. As her bioluminescence fades, her body will continue to cool until organs start to shut down.” She chokes back a sob. “Please help her.”
The danger meter for Phee has kicked up a notch.
“Does anyone have a jacket or makeshift blanket?” I call out to the crowd of onlookers.
Someone passes me a large shawl that I use to cover Phee.
