Assistant 23 was dead still. Then he groaned and passed out.
“Um,” I said, blinking at his unconscious form. “Okay. Didn’t expectthatreaction.”
Still holding me in his tentacles, Kur’tok turned around to leave.
“Hey!” I scolded. “Come on, we can’t leave him like that.”
Kur’tok sighed and allowed me to leap out of his grip. I ran over to the unconscious body of Assistant 23. I was hesitant totouch the suit. It was so old, it felt like it might crumble under any touch.
My heart raced as I felt Assistant 23’s real body beneath the suit.
I knew it. He’s definitely human,I thought with a twist in my gut.Kur’tok described their suits as flesh. Does he not know?
I grunted with effort as I tried to lift Assistant 23 to no avail. “Little help here? I’m a talker, not a lifter.”
Kur’tok grumbled as he grabbed Assistant 23 by the scruff and lifted him easily. “You could stand to do less talking...”
“Be careful. That thing’s old,” I said, pointing at the suit.
“Isn’t he around your age?”
“Never mind. Let’s just get back home.”
Kur’tok’s tail twitched happily. He didn’t seem to care what kind of trouble we got into as long as we did it together.
To my surprise, Haz’rull and Arr’tow recognized the unconscious form of Assistant 23. They kept their distance—like Kur’tok, they also seemed spooked, as if he’d risen from the dead—but were curious.
“How has he survived for so long?” Arr’tow asked incredulously.
“We saw him digging around in the old village ruins,” I explained. “I wonder if there’s still food there.”
The two smaller Maeleons perked up.
“You saw the village, then?” Haz’rull ventured.
Kur’tok turned his head away. His guilt had a tangible aura. I put my hand comfortingly on his arm.
“Yeah,” I said. “He told me everything.”
Haz’rull smirked knowingly at Kur’tok. “And yet, Paz remains by your side. I told you he would.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Kur’tok grumbled, his feelers flashing with rings of pink. “Can we deal with this in the morning? I’m exhausted, and I want to be with Paz.”
“You’ve been with me all day,” I reminded him.
He grunted through a fond look. “I never get enough of you.”
My chest squeezed. He was so freaking sweet, and he didn’t have a clue.
I knew the village would accept him back. All he had to do was realize he was worth accepting.
Haz’rull and Arr’tow promised to watch Assistant 23 overnight, so I followed Kur’tok to bed. The second I lay down, exhaustion hit me like a truck. My eyelids drooped as I snuggled closer to Kur’tok.
“You’ll think about it, won’t you?” I mumbled through a yawn.
“About what?”
“Rejoining the village.”
