“Unfortunately, no. I have reached my hibernation period. I will need to spend thirty-three IA standard days in a deep slumber to recharge myself for the next two years of awakening.” Their lowermost limbs drooped. “Even now it is difficult to maintain awareness.”
“What can I do to prepare? Do you need my help with your hibernation sequence?”
“You are prepared for most situations that might arise. My hibernation pod is already prepared in my sleeping quarters. If you can just help me inside when the time arises, and make sure no one enters while I am asleep, then all will be well.”
Eleri nodded, understanding dawning on her. She was going to be left in charge of the clinic prematurely. “Are you sure I’m ready for this?” she asked.
Aglao glowed a calming pale blue. “Yes. You are a gifted healer, Eleri of Gaia, and you have good instincts for care. When I awaken from my slumber, you will be ready to pass your examinations, I have no doubt.”
“Will you know when your hibernation is imminent?”
Aglao’s color flickered unstably. “It will likely begin within twenty four standard hours.”
Eleri held back her sigh. She was going to make this work. It wasn’t ideal, but she would manage the clinic as well as she could. It would be a good practice run for her. “Do you need me to do anything before then?”
“No. I will help you restock our pharmacy tonight, and we can walk through the clinical procedures again. You will have to rearrange your home visit appointments to account for the two hours of open clinic in the morning and then again in the evening.” Aglao sagged a bit under their own weight. “Things will run smoothly as long as you keep to your schedule. Go change into a clean uniform and let us not waste time in preparing.”
Eleri did as she was told, and they spent the rest of the evening cleaning, organizing, and preparing for Eleri’s official takeover of the clinic. Aglao had progressively faded throughout the long night. Eleri helped support them as they made the long climb up to the clinic’s second floor.
“Can I open your room for you?” Eleri asked. She’d never been inside before as she didn’t want to intrude on Aglao’s space. Her mentor made an amenable noise, and Eleri lifted their rightmost tentacle to press against the identity reader. The door clicked open to reveal a simple desk with an outmoded datapad model and a dark maroon cocoon-pod.
“Is that where you’ll be hibernating?”
Aglao made an affirmative gesture. “Help me in if you do not mind.”
Eleri hastened to help them over to the pod. There was no obvious door, but as soon as Aglao’s tentacles touched the surface, it began to pulse and undulate. Aglao was absorbed into the pod. Before her mentor disappeared completely, they reached out a final weary limb.
“I almost forgot.” The credit chip on Eleri’s wrist began to shine. “A stipend for your work in my absence. It is not much, but you should be compensated for your work.”
“That’s not necessary…” Eleri started to protest the gift, but by the time she could gather her thoughts, Aglao had already dissolved inside the pod, which then started to pulsate like a quivering heart arrhythmia. In the quiet hum of the room, Eleri allowed herself one deep sigh. She then straightened the datapad on the desk on her way out and then closed and locked the door behind her as she left.
Outside of Aglao’s room, the weight of responsibility fell on her with surprising alacrity. She was responsible for the clinic and for the health of everyone in both Lauras and Indras. Certainly, she could contact the senior healer in Abwele if anything catastrophic happened, but otherwise, she was it. The clinic was quiet in the evening, and for the first time in too long, Eleri sat and soaked in the silence. She was bone-weary. So many weeks of running around trying to acclimate herself to her new home while also trying to meet all the requirements to become a healer had taken its toll on her. And then there was S’samph.Stars and stones, she didn’t know what to make of him. He wanted her. At least he said he did. Her good nature wanted to trust him, but the sad, kicked child in the back of her mind trembled as she reminded her of every time she’d been let down by those she trusted.
If he was as reliable as he claimed to be, if he wanted her the way he claimed to, then it would be more than she deserved. But she couldn’t stop the yearning. Even if she was foolish for it, she couldn’t bring herself to quash the smallest hope sparking in her. Maybe he was the mate she’d been hoping for in earnest when she’d sent those messages through the interfacein her loneliness on the voyage over.
Before she closed up the clinic for the afternoon, it occurred to her to check the credit balance Aglao had provided her as a stipend. She tapped the interface on her wrist and stared at the number. It was a modest amount, a few months’ wages and nothing more, but it was hers. No one would try to take it from her. She wasn’t expecting the tears, but they came fat and wet, dripping down her chin. Soon, tears were falling faster than she could catch them. These were her credits. Hers. Not to give away. Not to save her brother from another bender. Not to use to bail her mother out of whatever pyramid scheme they’d invested in. When she considered the numbers objectively, they would barely cover the cost of a year’s tuition at the medical academy, but Eleri couldn’t remember the last time she’d had something for herself beyond the barest essentials.
She clutched at her wrist, the feeling of overwhelming relief replaced with anxiety. What business did she have with spare credits? She wouldn’t even know where to begin with using them. No, better to save them. If she spent them, they’d be gone, and there was something comforting about knowing they were there.
Her stomach rumbled with a day’s worth of forgotten hunger. She contemplated eating something down in the hospital rations fridge to save on credits, but she wasn’t sure how much more recombined nutrient mix she could stomach. The credits Aglao had transferred to her weighed heavy on her wrist interface. Maybe she could allow herself the luxury of a meal at the one dining establishment in Laurus. It might be good for her to get out; she spent so much time holed up studying for her exams. It would be good to meet some other people in town and get a change of scenery. Eleri pressed the activation on her wrist interface and gawked at the credit balance again.
A small meal. Maybe just a drink. Something different. Something she could do with the overly generous gift from Aglao. She found herself at the door to The Eon, the only dining establishment in town. Although she’d walked by it nearly every day, she’d never had cause to enter. At night, it usually buzzed with loud music and the noise of conversation, but in late afternoon, things were quiet. Eleri pushed at the door as if afraid she wasn’t welcome inside. It was cool and dim inside. A brown-speckled urtazi male glanced at her as she entered. His eyes lingered long enough to make it impossible to disguise his curiosity. She averted her own gaze, not wanting to give any opening for unwanted conversation.
“Hi, um, I was hoping to get something to eat.”
“Sit anywhere.” The urtazi waved a dismissive arm and made a low gurgling in his throat. “Daily menus are coded into the tabletops.”
“Thanks.” Eleri glanced at the tables and relief flooded through her when she noticed S’kasia tucked into one of the tables in a back corner. When S’kasia noticed her, she waved her over.
“I am surprised to see you here, Eleri.”
“I was getting tired of the meal rations at the clinic,” she admitted as she slipped into the slightly sticky booth seat across from S’kasia.
“Today is a good day to eat here. It seems like Gavor decided not to drink too much last night, so the food is good quality.” S’kasia tapped on the tabletop and pulled up a holoscreen. Eleri poked at the interface, scanning through the minimal list of options. They were mostly unfamiliar, but she picked a pastry at random from the list of bakery items scrawled on an old school holoboard and then ordered a mug of brewed tepsi root to drink with it. She flicked her wrist at the interface to pay with an odd feeling of panic that she quickly clawed back down. Aglao had given her plenty of credits to be able to afford something this small. It was important to learn how to spend credits like a normal person. She couldn’t spend the rest of her life hoarding every last one like she was preparing for galactic meltdown.
“I am surprised to find you not working in the middle of the day.” S’kasia accepted control of the interface again once Eleri finished making her selection.
“Aglao went into hibernation this afternoon, so I closed down the clinic until the morning unless there’s an emergency.” Eleri wasn’t sure if she should admit this, but she doubted S’kasia would begrudge her an afternoon off. S’kasia merely nodded and took a thoughtful sip of her own neon pink drink.
