In a few brief moments, he can pull away the breastplate. When he pulls up a rough spun shirt, my medical brain takes over and pushes any doubts out of my mind.
His muscles clearly show through his skin, but instead of the bumps of human abdominal muscles they run in long thick ridges in a repeated V pattern that meets in the middle of his chest and stomach. Swirling patterns of the same green illumination flow along them.
I shake myself out of my burning curiosity and narrow in on the stab wound leaking dark green blood.
"I am grabbing a tool," I warn him so he doesn't stab me in alarm.
I pull out the stitch clipper and hold it out to show him. "This will tie your wound together. The ties will melt when your body no longer needs them. It will hurt when I use it. Did you get one from the genali?"
"I did. But I left it under a bush."
"That is good. Watch how I use it and ask questions as needed. May I touch you?"
"You may touch me."
"This will hurt."
He smiles at me again. I'm pretty sure he's amused. Hopefully not because I've trampled all over social decorum.
I mean, Thivoll still doesn't know what it means when he rubs my butt. I wouldn't have guessed his tail was erogenous. I might be about to get very personal.
Nurses do what needs to be done, so it doesn't matter, anyway.
I reach forward to assess the depth of the stab. It goes in at least a couple inches. For a human that is all it would take to be very dangerous.
"Did it hit anything vital? Can I just close it up?"
"It is only on the surface."
"Good. I am grabbing another thing."
More of his sharp teeth are showing when I look back up at him. Yes, I'm definitely being entertaining.
I grin back. Entertaining is far better than dead because I did something stupid.
"This will clean your wound," I explain and then I focus on my task.
He doesn't seem very concerned about the blood loss, but I don't like it. I make quick work out of spraying some of the disinfectant and closing it up. I use a few more stitches than I think are necessary, the clicks of each staple the only sound for a short while.
"That looks good, my Ree," Thivoll comments.
I turn to Thivoll with a smile, then Kuret's voice pulls my attention back to him.
"I thought you looked too young for a donor, but your teeth are worn. Are you actually old?" Kuret asks as he pulls his shirt back down.
I'm not sure why he seems so focused on my age, but I can understand why he's confused about my teeth.
It seems like sharp teeth are the norm around here and I'm just another harmless human with our 'ruminant' chompers.
I laugh, and it makes his eyes widen. "No. Humansjust don't have many natural defenses."
He makes a deep clicking sound. "But those black scales look thick."
I'm still getting used to having those. "Those are new. I got them from Thivoll."
He shrinks back into the tree and a hand strays down to his thigh.
"Wait! I didn't take them. I was captured by the same aliens you just killed. It's because of them I can look more like him."
