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“I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m glad she’s alive. She’s been through a lot. Mak, she was on the ship on my last mission.” Philtan shook his head. “We’ve seen some horrible things in our time. I didn’t think she was alive when we found her.”“I still think you’re a faal’s ass. I’ve got to go to her.” Maklr pulled himself out of the water and raced after Nell.

Chapter 8

Maklr

“Nell,it’sme,”Maklrcalled. “I’m opening the door.” Although he wanted to run into the cabin, he restrained so as not to cause her undo stress.

“Where are you?” he called into the empty cabin. “Nell?” Falling back on his military training, Maklr started his search for Nell in the living room. Systematically, Maklr checked the tiny bungalow, opening closets and closing them after making sure Nell wasn't hidden inside. “Nell, it’s me. Nothing’s going to hurt you.”

He searched the bathroom, moving the shower curtain from one side of the tub to the other. “Where are you?” Maklr narrated each of his actions in case Nell could hear him. “I’m opening the holo-suite,” he called. He opened the suite door and turned on the light. “I’ll be honest, I thought you might be in here. I hoped you’d programmed it to what your home planet looked like, or wherever you have amazing memories,” he said into the air. “Nell? Please come out.”

Only the bedroom remained. A sliver of light invaded the hallway through the almost closed door of the bedroom. “Nell?” Maklr stepped closer to the room. “I’m coming in.” Maklr knocked twice on the door before pushing it open.

She had made her bed and not returned to sleep. The soft blue plush comforter, which Nell tucked in earlier that morning, covered two pillows. Maklr looked around. “Something’s different.” He ran his hands through his mohawk, rubbing his horns in frustration. “The stuffed animal. Thecatonis missing. Nell, wherever you are, it’s okay. No one will hurt you. I’m going to look under the bed. Please be there.” Maklr knelt down, flipped his tablet open and turned the light feature on. Gingerly, he lifted the edge of the comforter. “Damn it. Where are you?”

He rested back on his knees and waited. “Please give me a sign. I need to know you’re okay.”

The closet door handle moved. The door sprung open. “Nell?” Maklr crawled on his knees to the closet. “I’m going to open the door. My hands are on the handle. I’m going to pull it toward me. If you’re in there, don’t be afraid.”

Inwardly, he groaned, realizing the stupidity of his words. “Sorry, I said it without thinking. Nell, I’m going to turn the light on. I’ll place the tablet on the floor with the light facing upwards. It won’t be too bright for your eyes. Can you please come out?”

In the closet, a duffle bag in front of the door rustled. Nell’s fingers gripped the fabric of the case, pushing it to the side. Shesat with her back resting against the closet wall, her knees to her chest. She wrapped her arms around her legs, cuddling the plush cat-like creature.

“Philtan’s an idiot,” Maklr said. “He means well, but he can’t read the room.” Nell said nothing, so Maklr continued. “For what it’s worth, I punched him in the mouth. I’m not sure he’s going to learn his lesson and my hand hurts a bit because he’s a giant. A giant faal’s ass. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.” Nell chuckled, the corners of her mouth twisting in a half-hearted smile. “And for the record, I wasn’t punching Phil in the mouth for the first time. He speaks before thinking.”

Maklr sat back. “I’m not going to force you to come out of the closet. I’m just glad you’re safe.”

Nell motioned across her lips.

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. Not now anyway. Does Charlie know?” Maklr probed.

Nell shook her head. “No. Not all of it.”

“When you’re ready, I’m here.” He sat down at the foot of her bed, leaving the closet door open. “I’ll stay until you’re ready to come out. I don’t think being alone is best for either of us right now, do you?” Maklr waited for a response that never came. “I’ll take your silence as a no.”

He leaned against the bedframe and mattress, careful to give Nell space. “What would you like to talk about?”A shadow moved from the back of the closet; Maklr’s lone clue that Nell was even paying attention. “Was that a shrug?” he asked.

Silence answered.

“You know, I understand why you don’t want to talk. I have an idea, though. What if I talked, and you listened like usual? Instead of talking, you can type your responses. The communicator has an automatic translator, so whatever you write in your language I can translate into Klagan. Does it sound like a good idea?” he asked. Nell reached for the tablet.

Her fingers were steady as she typed out a message and pushed it back to Maklr.

What did you want to tell me about?he read.I don’t want to talk about what happened.

“I was thinking about telling you about my life. Would you like to hear some of my story, since I know a lot about yours?” he asked out loud.

Yes.

“I grew up on Eoris right outside of Dorbound, near the sovereign and his three sons. Did you know he had three children? Arkas, Strels and Isir. The twins are the oldest; they’re mated to a human female now. Their brother, Arkas, is in the military working with the Elite Force. He’s been in for a while and hasn’t been back to the planet in revolutions. Anyway, I didn't know the twins well until the military stationed us on the same ship.”

Nell scribbled furiously on the tablet.Why did you enter the military? Was it mandatory?

Maklr took a moment to read it. “No. I always had an affinity,” he cleared his throat, “more of a desire to help injured people or animals.”

Is that why you became a doctor?Nell wrote.

“Kind of. My family had a small farm. One day, I came home from school and there was an injured faal. I stayed outside doing whatever I could to help it. My father was annoyed that I brought the large beast home.” Maklr put his hands on his hips, deepened his voice and mimicked his father. “Maklr, we don’t have room for that animal, son,” he said. “My mother insisted if I was adamant about keeping the faal, I would learn what responsibility meant. Neither she nor my father would help me with it. I stayed up with the injured animal day after day hand feeding it.”