“Be patient, Lin,” Myrum told the Jinjoo trying to get at the container of food he was carrying. They mostly ate out of the automatic feeder system, but one of Myrum’s favorite things was to go into their pens and give each a handful of sweet feed loaded with supplements.
Lin had only been with them for five rotations and needed to be checked regularly, so she got many treats.
Myrum fed her a small amount, making sure her attention was completely on him. “Go ahead,” he said to Gis.
Moving past him, Gis checked the healing wound on Lin’s rump. “No evidence of infection.”
Myrum presented Lin with another handful while Gis sprayed medication over the wound.
“I was scared we wouldn’t be able to save her,” Myrum admitted. Lin hadn’t been able to walk when she first arrived. To everyone’s relief, she was able to get up and move around on herown after a few days of steady meals. With the wound healing so well, there was no question she’d make a full recovery.
“Done,” Gis said, tucking the spray back into the med kit he’d developed specifically for the Jinjoo.
In the next pen over, Jul and Restic were talking quietly to a pair of bonded Jinjoos as they checked and cleaned their cloven hooves.
Gis, Jul, and Restic had wanted to stay close to Amina, so they’d gone to work for the Jinjoo rescue. Sar had decided to work for Helmen on the ship, learning Amina’s job. Nashie had enrolled in the Grassland Science Institute. She had many solars of learning to do, but eventually she’d be able to conduct her own research.
Hisha had gotten a job at a small diner. She got along so well with the owner that they’d invited her to join the family so she could take partial ownership since no one else in the family wanted to work there. Hisha had already discussed it with Amina, but neither was talking about which direction Hisha was going to take: marriage or adoption.
Everyone was taking bets.
It was beyond pleasing to see everyone happy and thriving, including himself, as he found he had a gift for dealing with troubled Jinjoo. Lin was the perfect example. When she’d first arrived, she wouldn’t let anyone else near her, only Myrum. Now she tolerated others, but only if he was there also.
While Amina liked to do jobs that kept the rescue running smoothly, like keeping track of feed orders, doing outreach, and performing repairs, Myrum got to spend all day caring for the gentle Aminals. He couldn’t be happier.
“Are you going to the celebration?” Gis asked as he exited the pen. “There’s a rumor that Hasha is going to announce her decision tonight.”
“I’d be there even if Hasha wasn’t going to announce,” Myrum said. Over the last solar, he’d found out that he loved socializing.
Talin gatherings tended to be drab affairs, and as a species without music, they didn’t dance, sing, or even discuss anything too loudly. The parties on Ineeko were almost always held outside and tended to be lively, loud, and crowded. He almost never missed one.
Gis made the common Ossiso hiccup-laugh. “That’s true.”
He opened the pen gate and left. After he was safely out of Lin’s pen, Myrum followed. Once they were both outside, Myrum looked up to the roof of the pen’s shelter.
“Ruby, we’re leaving. Do you want to stay up there or come with us?”
A little, bright body came flying off the roof at Myrum. He was used to it, so he easily caught Ruby with both hands and held her to his neck. She wiggled into the Jinjoo scarf he always wore and snuggled against his neck, her body warm from sunning on the roof.
“I feel like Ruby does more to keep the bugs at bay than all the tech around the pens,” Gis said.
“Ruby would agree,” Myrum said. The jeweled lizard’s torso had gotten much thicker since moving to Ineeko. “I should find someone with the skills to check on her health. I’m concerned she might hurt herself by eating too much.”
Gis made a sound of agreement. “I’m going to check on Yif. I’ll see you at the celebration.”
Myrum made a rumble of agreement and turned to walk to the rescue’s office. Usually Ruby settled down once she was in his scarf, but she was restless today. Worried she was in distress, he unwound the scarf the moment he stepped into the office.
Amina stood up from the workstation where she'd been sitting. She smiled until she saw Ruby shivering in his hands.
“What’s wrong with her?” she asked, stepping close and trying to pet the lizard. Ruby grabbed hold of Amina’s finger with both front paws and held on. She looked up at Amina, her normally half-closed eyes open wide.
Her entire body seized, and her back arched dramatically. Before Myrum could even think of what to do, a small, red egg emerged from her.
“Oh!” Amina exclaimed. “That’s what’s going on!”
They watched as Ruby’s body convulsed three more times. By the time it was over, there were four brightly colored eggs, two magenta and two emerald green. After the last egg emerged she collapsed, wrapping her body around the four eggs, using her long tongue to gently roll them closer to each other.
“What do I do?” Myrum asked, feeling both relieved that Ruby wasn’t dying but also panicked because he couldn’t keep holding the lizard and her delicate eggs in his hands.
