Page 13 of LeX (Darverius, House of DaR #17)
Chapter Twelve
LEX
The last thing I expected was her asking me to leave. Aggravated , I yank the sensory scanner off my head and stand up. My fingers pull at the knots in my long hair as I pace around the end of her bed.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see her entire body jerk, but the sensors show no change other than that sudden movement. How am I going to wake her up if she doesn’t want to leave? If I barge in, forcing her to realize that nothing around her is real, I could permanently harm her mind.
The med bot assigned to her starts to turn her over onto her side and that’s when I see them. She has scales going all the way down the sides of her neck, fading out on the tops of her shoulders. She needs at least one more transfusion, but do I dare change her more? I never dreamed she wouldn’t want anything to do with me. I simply assumed with us being mates she would have the same pull to me as I do her. What will I do if she hates me?
“ FRACK !” I scream out in frustration. These are emotions I do not know how to deal with. There is no book or holo search I can look at to provide me with any guidance on how to move forward. This is the only time I can recall ever needing instructions with the opposite sex.
I can’t talk to ViN , he has enough on him right now. EvO’s relationship is too new, and they have enough issues to work through. I could call Father and ask to talk to Kira , but they have their hands full with an entire ship full of humans to deal with. My mind drifts through all my brothers realizing none of them have dealt with anything like this.
For once, the med bay door sliding open is a welcome disturbance from my dark thoughts and helplessness.
“ Brother , is she supposed to squirm around like this?” ViN’s booming voice almost has me concerned until I see a rare, but disturbing smile on his face as he points toward the fetus stretching on his side.
“ I would be more concerned if she was not moving.”
“ Do you know how hard it is to rest with her rolling around like she is having the time of her life in there? Just earlier, I had laid my arm against her, and she reached her little foot out and kicked me!”
I run my hand over the hardened area, amazed at how much softer it is now than it was originally. “ Has your hunger increased? Are you craving anything in particular?”
“ Meat , lots of it. I feel like I am always standing in front of the replicator looking for something else to devour.”
“ Did Ember experience anything similar?”
“ Her sustenance intake did increase, and I recall her telling me that anything sweet seemed to upset her stomach. I do not know how she rested for even a moment. The second I settle down, she gets all riled up. It’s like she wants to move all the time.”
“ Welcome to motherhood, brother.”
He growls and I can’t help but laugh, especially when you can see the little one push on his side again. “ Does she react to your voice, or possibly music or particular sounds?”
“ I was playing some of Ember’s obnoxious music earlier, simply because I have become used to it always being on. The silence in our quarters was bothering me, but she did actually seem to settle once it was on.”
“ It is likely that you are not the only one missing Ember . Even though you are now the one making sure she survives, Ember is the original vessel that created this life. It is possible she is restless because she misses her voice or even something else we cannot comprehend.”
“ Well , that is one thing me and the little one can agree on. Since the moment I found Ember , we have not been apart. I ache to simply hear her voice again. I had not realized how I had taken some of the small things for granted. Like feeling her cold feet in the darkness as she snuggled up to me, seeking out my warmth. Or her excitement over things that I consider mundane. I am thankful to be given this opportunity of having a young one, but I pray I will not lose my mate because of it.”
“ Ember is strong ViN ; she would have to be in order to put up with you. Not to mention the pain and suffering she was experiencing while carrying your child. A weaker being would not have lasted that long.”
“ Thank you brother, I needed your reassurance. I know this has been a trying time for us all. How is your own mate? Your stress is physically apparent to me.”
“ I have found a way to interact with her, or at least part of her active mind. But when she became confused, she asked me to leave. I have no path forward or anyone I can ask for guidance.”
“ Can you be there without her permission?”
“ Yes .”
“ Well , make her curious. Lead her out of that place, make her seek you out. If you have found one way to get her attention, then find something else that she enjoys. Do you have any information about her life before the pod?”
“ I am sure ANDI would have something.”
“ Then do what you do best … research. I must go; I have been away from Ember long enough. I was simply hoping a change in scenery would help calm the little one down, but it is not like she can see what is going on around her yet.” ViN grasps me in his huge arms, hugging me tightly before turning to walk out of the med bay.
With a smirk on my face, I stand there, surprised to find the angriest among us is secretly a softy. “ Destroyer , can you contact ANDI directly?”
“ I can.”
“ Please tell him I am in need of his council about Rylie . I would like any and all records he might possibly have of her previous life.”
Moments later, a small form appears on the side of Rylie’s bed. “ ANDI , thank you for coming personally.” He takes his ridiculously large gray top hat off and bows to me.
“ Greetings Medic LeX . You were in luck with your timing. I was about to check on my Little Ray of Holographic Sunshine , Destiny , just as she contacted me for you. However , I should inform you that at this point, I will use any excuse to converse with her. Nevertheless , I am running out of inquiries, and I do not want her to think I am being pushy.”
“ Destiny ?”
“ Well , you all assigned her that horribly aggressive name of the Destroyer . Thankfully , Commander DaR is allowing her to change it to something more appropriate when she drydocks with Falcor . She has picked the name Destiny , and that is how I will address all this metal sexiness from this point on.”
I bite my lip to keep from laughing. “ I was unaware of this, but I do agree with you ANDI , her name does not suit her personality. As I am sure you are aware, I am in need of your assistance when it comes to my mate. She seems to have created a world within her own mind that she is in no hurry to leave. Can you provide me with any information about her previous life that might help me lure her out?”
“ Let me see,” He stands there quietly for a moment. “ Ah yes, thankfully I am able to verify that she is indeed Rylie Elizabeth Hicks , approximately thirty-three years of age. Both parental units passed before earth was destroyed, and I have no siblings on record. She has several medical degrees, but this one in particular I believe will interest you the most. She was a surgeon in the maternity ward of her local hospital. That is only one of two medical degrees she had achieved; the more important one is in prenatal care. In other words, she had a lot of knowledge on the younglings and the skills to care for them and their mothers.”
“ Wait , then how or why was she working in the Scientific center with Qwin ?”
“ The company records show she had an outstanding attendance and work record, up until she suddenly resigned and relocated to a different part of her state. They do not tell me what or why, simply that one day she packed up everything and left the area. I am sorry I cannot provide you with a more detailed history.”
“ No , I appreciate you taking your time to come here personally. It wasn’t the help I was hoping for, but any information is better than none. How are the humans adjusting in your care?”
“ Some better than others. I understand why the scientists took such extreme measures to save the Human race, but I do not think they thought past that point. Some will never adapt LeX , and I feel those will be the ones that have it the hardest moving forward. MeK is en route to their new habitat, but he is not the most personable. I have asked Commander DaR to see what other sons or acquaintances might be in or around the area that could help quicken the reconstruction of their world and possibly make their views of other races more common and less terrifying. He was reaching out to several others when Destiny commed me.”
“ I know KyT and BuK’s home planets are close to that sector, they might be able to help out. I have not seen KyT since our holiday dinner several orbital rotations ago. He is not one to leave his home planet frequently, but that is common in our family. Some of us are just closer than the others. Please keep me posted if it is not too much trouble ANDI .”
“ It will be my pleasure Medic LeX , and I wish you great success with your mate and her speedy recovery. During this spare moment, I will chat with my Little Beam of Light in the sky.”
I just shake my head when ANDI pops out of existence. I do believe that male could give the rest of us pointers on how to sweet talk our mates. With no other course to follow, I sit down to initiate the last transfusion. Once we are hooked up, I settle the scanner on my head and pick up the holo pad.
I feel a small hand on my nose. “ Hey , you still in there?” Petal is trying to get my attention.
“ I’m sorry, I zoned out on you. That just brought back so many memories. The puppy’s name was Rocky . He always played with me when I was little. Man , I loved that dog. He wasn’t a puppy though, he just thought he was. He has been gone for years. I never wanted another dog after him. Nothing could replace him in my eyes.”
“ I wondered why I hadn’t seen that puppy in quite a few seasons, and to think of it, I haven’t seen the older lady this last season. Is this why you’re so sad? Maybe you should cry. I have always felt better after a good one.”
“ Yeah , that was my grandmother, and she is the reason I have been so out of it this year. I miss her so bad, but I have never been much of a crier. My emotions never seem to come out that way. I tend to let things build up until they’re more in control of me than I am of them. But anyway, she would have loved you. We searched every year in the blooms, trying to find a fairy.”
“ We know, Spirit Mother always enjoyed the stories your grandmother told. A lot of evenings, when we were all settled down in the leaves for the evening, she would tell them to us. So , you see, I have been talking about you for seasons. I watched you grow up, more or less.”
“ How do you explain the 122-season thing? And don’t give me that look. I told you I was gonna have a hundred questions.”
“ Well , how do I make you understand?” She was tapping her finger on her forehead. “ Ok , for example, at the end of a season, let’s say like spring, summer, or even when one falls too soon like I did. When we touch the ground, our spirits are absorbed back into the Earth . Spirit Mother keeps all of our spirits alive in her seeds for the next year, or should I say for her future blooms. When the time is right, Mother Earth pushes her essence out into the roots of all trees, including my Spirit Mother , and her essence brings the blooms back to life in the form of us.”
This time when I enter Rylie’s world, it is not as vibrant as before, but her tree seems to be lit up from inside. I can see the tree’s inner roots moving water and minerals all the way to the top of its canopy. The sight is beautifully odd and at first, I do not see Rylie right away as she is laying so close to its massive trunk, asleep. Deciding not to wake her, I walk over and sit by her side, watching her as she lays there peacefully. My eyes roam around the inner workings of her mind, wondering if this is a place she has been before.
“ LeX is that you?” Her eyes are big like she has been startled suddenly.
“ It is, are you well Rylie ?”
“ I don’t know anymore, something is wrong. I keep having these terrible dreams and every time it happens, I see those dark clouds in the distance. They frighten me, and I don’t know why. I have always enjoyed the smell of rain on a hot summer’s day. The rain always seems to pass through the area, cleansing the world as it goes. Often , I wondered how far the rain clouds traveled only to decide to release their heavy load all around me. But those storms in the distance, they’re bringing change.”
“ Is that bad?”
“ I don’t like it; change always brings pain. My heart is heavy already, do you know why? I can’t seem to remember, but I know it has something to do with these dreams.”
“ Do you really want to know? To remember?”
“ I feel like I should, but … sometimes it’s just easier not to. When I try to recall how I got here, there is nothing but blankness. So how do you recollect, or believe anything is real or make believe if there isn’t anything to show you the way? I don’t even know if this is real. It’s like my dreams are having dreams or as if I’m stuck in some sort of simulator. I wish someone would notice and turn it off. I grow tired of all this confusion.”
“ Rylie , this is your happy place. No one is pushing you to do anything, and you can stay here as long as you like; rest your thoughts until your mind clears. Would you like to take a walk with me?” She nods her head and this time when I reach my hand out, she puts hers in mine and I lift both of us to our feet.
We walk silently hand in hand for a while and I don’t push her to talk. I simply enjoy her company as we walk slowly. She doesn’t seem to notice that nothing is moving around us, that no matter where or how you look it’s all still the same. A small stream appears in front of me and as I glance down, I can see myself standing next to her clearly. I start to step back because I don’t want her to ask me to leave again, but I know she needs to face what’s coming.
Rylie leans down, her fingers pausing just above the water’s surface when she sees my reflection. She glances up, but I must appear differently in front of her than in the water.
“ LeX is this you in the water?”
“ Yes .”
“ You … are yellow.”
“ Yes , I am.”
“ Are you sick?”
“ No , I am a healthy male.”
She bends down on one knee, brushing the water around until my reflection is gone, only to stop. At first, I thought she was going to ignore our differences. Now I realize she was simply making sure the image didn’t change. Time seems to slow down as she stares at me, or the reflection of me on the water’s surface. “ LeX , you are not human, are you?”
“ No , I am not.”
“ Should I be scared?”
“ Do I make you feel uneasy? Because those are not my intentions.”
“ Intentions ? Why would you have those? I am nothing to you … that I can recall, anyway. Wait , that’s not right. Why am I suddenly so confused? You have always been a constant in my life and suddenly I’m looking at you like I have never seen you before. Are you sure I’m not sick?”
“ I am not sure you are ready for all the truths right now. But I can assure you, there is nothing more important to me than you and your happiness. I will always be right here no matter what.”
A flash of lightning in the distance makes her jerk, and she falls onto her butt. Gently , I bend down and pick her up, pulling her in close as the storm does look like it’s getting closer. I expect her to push me away as she stares up at me, sure that what she is seeing now is not the same as it was in the water.
“ You have been a shadowy figure in the background all this time, but now I can see faint colors throughout your frame. It seems like every time the storm gets closer, you become clearer, as do my thoughts.”
“ This is your world sweet one, you see what you want to. I have no control over it.”
“ So then, where is your world?”
“ Behind that storm, I believe.” The very moment I say those words I find myself sitting in my chair next to her bed. Once again, she has forced me out. Sighing at my helplessness, I unhook the leads as the transfusion was done quite some time ago and redo her blood tests. Within a short tic, the results come back, showing all of her numbers are now in the green.
Her words and thoughts seem to be changing; even my mind is having a hard time keeping up. One moment I am a stranger, an alien … the next she has known me forever. At this point, I am not sure who is more confused.
A few rotations back, I had the med bots pull some of my body’s pure essence out of my spinal cord and have had it in the cooler ever since, so it would be readily available for this moment. After retrieving the vial, I give the command for the med bots to hold her securely on her side, while I inject the larger than normal needle into her hipbone. The procedure is quite painful, so I’m relieved she’s still out; however, given my blood’s positive effect on hers, this should also be successful. If her body does not reject my essence, she will be cured of the pancreatic disorder that was slowly killing her organs, and her body should heal itself.
I have just finished the procedure when the Destroyers ’ voice rings out. “ Medic LeX , you are needed at Rafe’s residence. The female is sick and cannot seem to stop regurgitating her sustenance.”