“Of course not. Lyriana is the best person in the universe.”
Unable to help myself, I tease, “Does she spank you if you say otherwise?”
“I will not answer that question,” Steven grumbles. He pulls away a little but stays seated next to me. “We really should talk, though. We need to discuss what happens next.”
Sitting down on my other side, Adam throws an arm around my shoulders and another around my waist. “Jaime needs to get his treatment.”
“Agreed,” Steven immediately replies.
I frown at both. “I’m not leaving Adam.”
“Well, luck is on your side. We’re about to dock with the Salvere, the medical ship where you were originally supposed to go before you started gallivanting around alien moons chasing alien dick. Anyway,” he continues before I can tell him he’s a dick, “we’ve discussed the situation with them and they’re happy to admit you both. A whole slew of scientists is eager to get their hands on Rizven, and the Salvere crew aren’t far behind. They’re already forming a joint team or whatever. The point is, they’lldiagnose and treat you while they study Rizven’s miraculous recovery.”
I’m cautious about giving it much hope because it sounds a little too good to be true. “But will they let us stay together? What if they just lug Adam off to god knows where and start cutting him to pieces?” I might have watched one too many mad scientist movies, but it still feels like a valid concern. “Do they even consider Adam sane enough to make decisions for himself?”
“At the moment, I’m officially acting as Rizven’s guardian,” Rokesh says. “It is true that everyone diagnosed with the red fog is declared legally incompetent and assigned a guardian, but our people aren’t malicious. Once they’ve tested Rizven’s mental capacity, I am certain the decision will be revoked, and even if it were not, they would never do anything against his direct wishes.”
I want to point out that he went against Adam’s direct wish when he refused to let him end his life, but it feels like too much of a low blow. I can’t imagine making that decision for Steven, either.
“Okay, so…they do tests with Adam’s consent? No torture or autopsies?”
Rokesh looks so appalled that he’s rendered speechless, and Steven elbows me. “You watch too much TV, Jaime. The Supernova crew vouched for the Salvere, basically claiming they’re a bunch of Mother Teresas, eager to help anyone in need. I know it sounds too good to be true, but in this case, it seems genuine. Also, it’s not a prison, though there will be some security measures your boyfriend will have to comply with. Still, if you don’t like it there, you can leave at any time.”
Definitely too good to be true. “Can Adam leave at any time?”
“I won’t be able to,” he replies promptly. “No individual suffering from the red fog is allowed to move freely. There arelaws for that, and even without them… I’m too dangerous to be around people.”
“Bullshit. You’re okay!”
Tilting his head to the side, Adam nuzzles my hair. “For the time being, but there’s no way to say how long it will last.”
“I’m not letting you spend the rest of your life locked up like an animal! Alright, that’s it. We’re not getting on that ship. We’ll just go back to the Supernova. There we can—” The shadow of guilt flashing through Steven’s expression stops me mid-word. “What? Don’t tell me they wouldn’t take us on board?”
Sighing, Steven runs his hand through his short hair. “Jaime, they have a kid on board. A kid and two pregnant women. They’re just cautious.”
“Rightfully so,” Adam agrees. “I would not go there anyway. I love you, Jaime, and I want to be with you, but I can’t risk hurting anyone in case my condition suddenly worsens. I’m willing to spend the rest of my life under guard if it means the people around me are safe.”
“Well, I’m not.”
Adam’s expression falls. “Right. That’s understandable. You should…you should still at least get the treatment before you leave.”
Damn this guy! He’s like the ultimate martyr, always putting others before himself. “I’m not leaving, Adam. I’m staying with you. What I meant is that I won’t let them just lock you up and throw away the key.”
“This discussion may be premature,” Rokesh interjects. “Once the research team concludes their testing, they might deem Rizven stable enough to be set free.”
Everything inside me rebels against letting some stupid doctors decide whether my perfectly stable boyfriend is going to be locked up for good, but even as worked up as I am, I see the logic behind it. Kind of. I still don’t like it, but I understand it.
“Okay, that’s the goal, then. Convince a bunch of asshole scientists that you’re fine.” Adam grunts noncommittally, reminding me that I will also have to convince him that he’s fine. But I’ll have time for that. Hopefully. “I’d also like to remind you all that the doctors never promised to heal me. They promised to look at me and see what they can do, so you should probably manage your expectations on that front.” God knows I do. Aliens miraculously fixing me is a nice dream, but that’s all it is. A dream. All I dare hope for is for them to stop, or at least slow down, the progress of my polyneuropathy. I don’t expect to walk again, but I’d like to keep what’s left of my upper limb mobility. Also, not dying in the next few years would be nice.
“You two are really perfect for each other,” Steven grumbles. “Worried for others, but not for yourselves. You are both getting better and that’s the end of the discussion. Once you have a clean bill of health,” he tells Adam, “you’ll be welcome aboard the Supernova.”
“Just like you’ll be welcome to join my crew,” Rokesh adds.
Adam looks genuinely taken aback by the offers, like it’s inconceivable that anyone would want him anywhere. “Thank you.”
I release a long-suffering sigh. “Alright. Let’s meet these mad scientists.”
Chapter 34
