“We’ve got it from here, thanks Minio.” Eleri flashed a distracted smile, not taking the time to remind herself that most other species didn’t love it when you showed your teeth to them. If Minio minded, he didn’t respond, instead choosing to excuse himself from the premises. Aglao and Eleri got to work unpacking her ersatz bandages.
“The tourniquet was a bit too tight. For another species, it may be a problem, but latil’e are superior self-healers.” Aglao removed the last of the bandages with their sheathed tentacles while Eleri snapped on a pairof sterile gloves and loaded a fresh pack of disinfectant cleanser into the dispenser to bathe the wound. She then switched on the diagnostic interface and waited for the readout. The three-dimensional image popped up on the screen. Eleri took a moment to interpret what was on the screen and found herself bewildered by the results.
“Shrapnel?” She asked Aglao, not sure if her understanding was accurate. “Was he shot with a gun?” With her questions, Eleri realized she was outing herself as a colonist. Most other civilizations had moved far past using metal bullets in their weaponry. Earth proper was well past the heyday of steel weaponry, but Gaia employed a cruder form of justice. Some of the gangs took unusual pride in the gory mess left behind by an automatic rifle. Plasma deaths were undeniably cleaner.
“The pattern indicates something larger than a metal bullet.” Aglao used one of their ancillary tentacles to trace the ragged outline of the wound. “Perhaps a different type of explosive.”
“Why would someone be trying to blow him up?” As instructed she followed Aglao’s gestures along with the instructions on the medical interface. S’samph started to stir, so she increased the amount of sedative in the PICC line. It was more of a hypothetical question than anything she didn't expect Aglao to have an answer for her. The only one who could properly give her an answer was unconscious on the table.
Aglao made an encouraging noise as Eleri started to re-bandage the wound that had been cleaned. On any other type of patient, they would likely have started the suturing procedure. However, for the Latil’e any stitches would only interfere with the natural healing process. Eleri was halfway through packing the gaping wound when the door to the clinic banged open. An unfamiliar female entered. She must be S’samph’s sister. Unlike her brother, her colouring was more of a deep gold than his dusty yellow. Her frill was also around her neck whereas S’samph’s stretched the length of his spine.
“What happened to my clutch brother?” she asked. Eleri looked to Aglao to take the lead on the conversation, but Aglao gestured with one of their free tentacles that Eleri should answer the question.
“I will finish with the packing. You should go speak with S’kasia.”
Eleri very much would rather have continued with the bandaging, but it didn't seem like she was being given much of a choice. She removed her gloves and sterile coverings and stepped outside of the diagnostic console to go speak with S’samph’s sister. After all part of her job was communicating with patients’ families regardless of the circumstances and now was as good a time to startas any. She must have looked a sight covered in dust and blood, but she put on her most professional expression.
“I found him on the side of the road on my way back from Indras. Unfortunately, I don’t know what got him to this state. But we’re doing everything we can to take care of him. He should be back on his feet soon.”
“You found him? He was meant to be looking after you.” S’kasia’s frill rippled in an unreadable pattern. She turned her attention to Aglao’s work and then back to Eleri. “Thank you for saving my idiot of a clutch brother. I hope you can forgive him his stubbornness. He is not a bad male, just prone to bad decisions.”
Eleri managed a half smile. She wasn’t about to mention her patient’s haphazard attempts at apologetic courtship. For now, the focus on was helping him get well.
“Once he’s stable enough to leave the clinic, S’samph will need twice daily visits to change his bandages and prevent infection to ensure his tissue can regenerate effectively.” Aglao’s voice interrupted before Eleri had time to formulate an appropriate topic-dodging response. “Can you be responsible for this, S’kasia?”
To Eleri’s surprise, S’kasia shook her head. “I have eggs to guard. I can’t leave them for too long. I wouldn’t be here at all if this was not an emergency.” She turned once again toward Eleri and Eleri knew the question was coming before it even left her lips.
“I’ll do it.” She’d have to shuffle around her responsibilities helping out on Pyo’s farm, but that was no great loss. Perhaps this could be the out she’d been looking for. “Aglao can’t leave the clinic in the hotter hours, and I have to complete my community health training hours.” He was just a patient. There was nothing more at play here. She’d spend time in the community plying her nursing skills to meet the steep practicum hours required as part of her licensure and it would keep her out of Minio’s and Myla’s way at the same time.
If S’kasia was surprised at her declaration, she made no indication. The Latil’e female lifted her long tail and arced it high over her head in a gesture of gratitude. Eleri made an awkward bow of her own, unable to properly return the motion.
“I know you will take care of him, human Eleri.”
“I’ll do my best.” Eleri flushed, suspecting there was more in her words than the obvious. However, for some reason, it didn’t grate on her the same way it did when Myla pushed her toward her own younger brother. As S’kasia left the clinic, Eleri tried to figure out how she wasgoing to ask Aglao for the huge favor of allowing her to sleep in the clinic until she was able to find something more permanent. She couldn’t continue with her duties on Pyo’s farm in exchange for room and board if she was going to seriously devote herself to completing her practicum hours, taking care of S’samph included.
The diagnostic interface hummed as Aglao finished securing the bandages around S’samph’s shoulder and then shut down the machine. S’samph had better color now than he did when Eleri had scraped him off the side of the road, and Aglao seemed optimistic about his chances to make a full recovery. This injury would join the other mottled patches of discolored skin where Eleri had learned that when the Latil’e regenerated, the new tissue was a slightly different shade than their original coloring. She’d never seen him without clothing before, but disrobed, she noticed several large swathes of differently colored skin along his torso and right hip. He was no stranger to injury, that much was clear. But she was stalling. S’samph’s personal life was none of her business.
“Aglao?”
“Yes, Eleri? The raised tone at the end of my name indicates you have a question for me.”
“Is there somewhere I can stay at the clinic? I don’t think I’ll be able to complete all of my practicum hours and take care of S’samph while trying to keep up with farm work in the mornings. I don’t have very many things. I’ll stay out of the way. But if I could just stay here it would make things much easier.” She was rambling like she did when she felt like she was asking for something unreasonable. The words spilled inelegantly, but at least she’d gotten them out. Now she just had to hold her breath as she awaited a response.
Aglao shimmered in the way they did when they found something amusing. “Is that all? There is a furnished apartment above the clinic floor. I only sleep once every three standard years, so I have no need of it.”
Eleri stared at Aglao, taking a moment to process this information. “There is? Are you sure it’s fine for me to stay here?”
All this time there’d been somewhere else to stay. Why had no one ever told her? She knew the answer without asking. She’d never asked. She never asked for what she wanted or needed. And when you didn’t ask, nothing happened. “I don’t have any credits to pay rent.”
“You are my assistant until you complete your certifications. You have already done plenty ofwork unpaid. The apartment is unused. There is no reason not to use it.” Aglao pressed a button to shuttle S’samph’s cot from the treatment area to the recovery room on the other side of the clinic along the magnetic track built into the flooring.
“Thank you.” This would resolve the housing problem. In terms of food, she wasn’t sure exactly what to do yet, but she’d find a solution. She was keen to have her own space and to get some distance from whatever plan Myla was brewing.
“You are welcome. If you are here you can also spend more time monitoring our patients. I would like for you to take your certification exam before the floods come to Laurus.” Aglao produced a high-pitched pinging sound. “Sanitize the treatment station and yourself then you may be finished for the day. I assume you will need time to gather your things from Pyo’s home.”
Eleri stared down at herself, realizing her jumpsuit was covered with splatters of S’samph’s green blood mixed with puffs of blue dust from outside. The grime was the least of her concerns. Although the new place to stay was a victory, it came at a steep cost. Pyo would be understanding no doubt, but Myla’s intentions to keep her in close proximity to Minio were obvious enough for anyone to notice.
She took the walk back to Pyo and Myla’s home slowly. If she was graced with any sort of luck, she’d be able to gather her things before anyone was home and give her apologies for the abrupt exit later. As it turned out, luck was very much not on her side. The second sun was well and set by the time she arrived back at the familiar house, so everyone, including Minio, was gathered around the table for the evening meal.
