Page 18 of Klora (Mates of the Mylos #6)
CHAPTER 18
ADRIAN
A knock sounded and Klora answered it, opening the door to reveal the Lieutenant Commander on the other side holding up a small box of something in his hand.
“I met a concierge rushing this way with this for you,” he said. “Apparently he ran all the way to ABC for it, literally.”
“I told them it wasn’t an emergency,” Klora said, taking it from him. “I shall make sure to tip him for his concern, though. Did you get his name?’
“James,” Sachuu replied as Klora opened the box and began to unseal the bottle.
“Why do humans have to use such horrible packaging?” he complained.
“Safety. The manufacturers went really wild over it after someone put poison in packages of Tylenol,” I explained. “They never did catch whoever did it.”
He looked at me in horror.
“I am glad that we are able to simply replicate what we need, as we need it,” Sachuu finally said.
I grinned at them sardonically. “Yes, well, us humans do not have access to that tech yet. Not that I blame you. I wouldn’t trust us if we could make whatever we wanted either.”
Klora won his battle with the shrinkwrap safety seal, then began the really hard part - undoing the childproof cap.
“Diabolical,” he growled as he finally managed to get it to push down, turn, and unlock like it was supposed to. “I don’t have a measuring spoon,” he complained. Before I could caution him, he took a large swig from the bottle.
“Don’t take more than that!” I cried out in alarm. “That stuff has a sedative effect!”
“Does it?” He looked chagrined. “Proslo did not mention that.”
“It’s printed on the box and in the leaflet.”
He cracked his neck. “I’m fine. I do not feel sleepy at all,” he frowned. “I am also still itchy.”
“Go take your shower,” Sachuu replied. “That is what you called me here for.”
I looked at him sharply as Klora left to do as he was told.
“He did?”
“Yes. He did not wish you to remain unguarded.” His lips twitched as he spoke, his eyes dancing with merriment. “He said room service was likely to come while he was indisposed.”
I nodded. It made sense, Klora had proven himself nothing but conscientious, even if overly so. There was no way he’d want me to open the door only for his worst fears to be realized and the room service person to turn out to be someone from a local Humans First chapter here to silence me. And while that sounded like something out of a movie, if I’d learned anything from today’s unwanted adventure, it was that shit like that really did go down, so I didn’t understand why Sachuu seemed to be amused about the situation.
“Have you ever considered applying to our matching service?” he asked suddenly, causing me to look at him sharply.
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Our matching service. No, program is a better word,” he corrected himself.
“I already have my teaching degree and don’t wish to go for a Master’s,” I replied. “I love my job, teaching kids.”
“It’s not just applicable for scholarships,” he informed me. “That is the first and most famous aspect, yes, but it also is part of applying for a job within the Fleet.”
I looked at him in astonishment. “Oh! You meant did I ever think about applying to teach at one of the schools on your ships! Sorry, I misunderstood you. No. I didn’t know people could even do that. I guess I assumed all the teachers had gotten their degrees after applying for scholarships. Now that I think about it, that doesn’t seem entirely logical. Although I did once apply to teach at a DoD school and was hired, but had to back out before I could start after my dad had a stroke from a blood clot he got while flying. DVT was definitely not on any of our bingo cards,” I grimaced, remembering. “I just couldn’t leave my mom and dad to face that all by themselves. He survived but it was a long road.”
“Commendable. Has he fully recovered?”
I inclined my head.
“Thanks. He’s a bit slower and walks with a cane now, but other than that and having to remain on blood thinners, he’s fine. My brothers and sister would have helped, but they have their own families and more demanding careers.” It was what I’d always told myself, but repeating that out loud now, I could hear how hollow that rang. In the harsh light of day, the truth was, they were there for all the good times and offered sympathy for the minor shit that went sideways, but in a health crisis? Suddenly they were too busy to even make sure Mom had food in her refrigerator or that Dad got to his rehab appointments. So it had been me. I’d let my dream teaching job go, getting to teach Army kids in South Korea, and took care of everything. Then once Dad had recovered well enough and Mom wasn’t so broken, my siblings and their spouses showed back up. And I’d taken the job I still had, teaching fourth graders at an admittedly nice elementary school on the edge of Manhattan.
“Perhaps you should seriously consider it,” Sachuu said, a knock followed by someone calling out, “Room Service,” interrupting him from continuing.
I watched as he cautiously looked through the peephole before opening the door. A drama free delivery of a heavily laden food cart greeted my sight.
“Call down when you’re ready for it to be cleared away, otherwise they’ll do it in the morning when they clean your room,” the server said.
“Mahalo,” Sachuu said, passing the man what appeared to be a generous tip.
The man’s face brightened as he pocketed the bills. “Mahalo nui!” he said with a bright smile before turning and leaving.
“That looks like a lot of food,” I said, eyeing the covered dishes dubiously.
Sachuu lifted a few of the lids, peering to see what was there. “Looks like he ordered a four course meal.”
I gaped at him. “Are you serious?” My stomach chose then to gurgle, demanding I start stuffing it. It was certainly eager and the food did smell mouthwatering, but I didn’t think that even with Klora’s professed enormous appetite, that we’d manage to make more than a dent in all of this.
The bathroom door opened, revealing a wet haired Klora wearing that same fluffy bathrobe he’d gone in there with.
“Oh good! The food’s here!” he practically shouted, all but vibrating with excitement.
Sachuu shook his head. “I don’t know how all of it fits in your stomach.”
“So it’s not just me? He really is a bottomless pit?” I asked.
Sachuu nodded. “He is always either regaling us with human sayings he has learned or comparing cases to one of your crime entertainment vids, or wishing it was time to take a food break.”
“We do hard work and that takes fuel!” Klora protested. “McGarrett always understands this. He and his team find a reason to stop at a food truck when its time to eat.” He looked giddy at the thought. “We should go and get prepared foods the day of our hike! And when we go to the beach, see if we can find The Shrimp Shack!”
“The Shrimp Shack?” I asked, puzzled as to why he thought I should know the name of a food truck business in Hawaii.
“You know, The Shrimp Shack! Kamekona’s truck?” he sighed at both mine and Sachuu’s blank looks. “Hawaii Five-Oh! Kamakona in it owns a food truck called The Shrimp Shack. I just remembered that in the fandom wiki someone said there is a real one and it’s on the North Shore! The actual guy owns and runs it!” He looked positively giddy about it. Then again, my mom frequently waxed absolutely poetic about how she and Dad ate at a Bubba Gump’s during their vacation in Ft. Lauderdale three years ago. Forrest Gump was one of her all time favorite movies, and discovering there was a themed restaurant chain? They ate there almost every day of their weeklong trip. Dad put his foot down when she realized they’d opened a location on Broadway, reserving that as a treat for her birthday and Mother’s Day.
“Okay, sure,” I said, admittedly curious.
“We need a TV in here,” he declared, bouncing on the balls of his feet. “If we had a TV, we could watch the show and you’ll see all about it.”
“I was going to go to bed after eating,” I reminded him.
“We could watch it while eating and if you fell asleep after a while, that’s okay. You said you fell asleep in front of the TV at home.”
I sighed. I had indeed shared that nugget of information.
His boss eyed him critically. “Are you feeling alright?” he asked.
Klora nodded frantically. “Yes, yes! The itchiness is still there but it’s not so bad and wow, I feel so full of energy!”
“Oh shit!” I looked at the Lieutenant Commander. “I think the Benadryl has made him hyper instead of having the opposite effect.”
“Once I’m back in my room, I’ll call down and ask them to bring the TV back here,” he replied dryly, shaking his head. “I have the feeling it’s going to be a few hours before you are able to get any sleep.”
I watched as he left me standing there, with Klora now excitedly uncovering all the dishes and heaping food onto two plates willy-nilly. I sighed. I’d handled sugar crazed fourth graders and my nieces and nephews after too much Halloween candy before, so I could deal with a temporarily hyperactive Mylos warrior too. I just hoped they didn’t take too long with the TV.