I have found over my years as a doctor, or S’il Vala as they call them here, that there are certain things that are the same across all races:

-No one hydrates well enough. Whether it is water, nectar or any other odd thing.

-Every race has their own stimulant that performs the same role of coffee. I, myself, prefer the Telorian drink Bax’thar. It has notes of chocolate and caramel that I find very satisfying.

-Every child likes a little treat when they go to see the doctor.

-From the journals of S’il Vala Tomas Martinez

Doctor Tomas led Maggie back to an examination room that was so normal looking it made tears rise up in Maggies eyes. Someone had taken great care in the design of the room, getting every little detail right down to the paper that covered the exam table and the slightly speckled tan floor.

“I was expecting something more high tech.” Maggie said around a lump in her throat. She climbed onto the exam table, letting her feet dangle.

“There are some high tech things in here, and of course we have some rooms that are fully advanced to the technology of the station. But for many of my patients, rooms like these provide comfort. It is a slice of home in a very strange and scary place.” Doctor Tomas tossed the bandages he had removed from Maggie’s hand into a slot in the wall.

“Do you get a lot of people from Earth here?” Maggie asked softly. How many missing people had wound up in space, too far from their home for the cops to ever find a trace of them?

“A fair few. With modern technology the Silvarians and their allies can’t get away with abducting as many as they used to. But I can still tell the ones new to space. They look around as if everything is new, and the bits of Earth culture that appear are the strangest things they’ve ever seen.” Doctor Tomas pressed a button set into the wall, making a drawer pop open. “I’m going to scan you so that I can adjust the medicine to your specific body.”

“Alright.” Maggie looked down at the crystal rod the Doctor held. She had expected something like a tricorder out of Star Trek, but this thing looked more like a wand out of some fantasy novel. He ran it over her body, starting with her head and moving down slowly. Blue lights flowed from it across her skin, tingling when they passed over her burnt hand. She winced, her fingers curling at the sensation.

“I know it hurts, you’ve been handling yourself very well considering how bad the burn is.”

“Well, there’s been a lot going on to keep my mind off it, and it only started really hurting again a little while ago. Theseus said it was bonding with me, what the hell does that mean anyways? What’s it doing to me?” Her voice cracked a little on the last question, and tears pricked at her eyes. But she refused to cry.

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If she started, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to stop.

“It’s adapting itself to your biology, and becoming part of you. Think of it like grafting a new piece of skin to you, or a new branch to an existing tree. Given time, luck and compatibility, two things become one.” Doctor Tomas slid the crystal rod into a slot in the wall.

A screen lit up next to it, most of the text in a language she didn’t understand, but there was also a handy diagram of a human body. Her body. One hand was completely red, the color already halfway up her arm, following the same lines as her veins. She stared at the screen, it was easier to look at than her hand. “I don’t want it to become part of me though!”

“I don’t blame you, but there are many things we don’t want in life that we must learn to live with.” Doctor Tomas studied the diagram and the notes that scrolled by. He let out a disappointed sigh. “When was the last time you drank any water?”

“Can you make it not become a part of me?” Maggie blushed at the question and thought back over the last few days. She had drunk coffee, soda, even milk! But no just plain water. “Coffee is mostly water.”

The doctor let out a small snort, his gaze stern and disapproving. “Coffee does not count as drinking water. As for making the key not become a part of you....”

He trailed off, his look softening as he looked down at her palm. “Short of amputating your arm, that is highly unlikely. I can try, but we don’t know much about how the Ancients technology works. We know that there is a mechanical and biological part to all their technology, but how it all works? We simply don’t know much.”

“So I’m going to be stuck here?” Maggie whispered, thinking of Flame and her oh so casual comment about killing her. She doubted the woman would mind cutting off her arm if that meant getting what she wanted.

Doctor Tomas was silent for a moment, and Maggie stared down at the ugly wound on her hand, the world clouding as tears started to fall. His voice was soft when he finally spoke. “I will see what I can do to remove it, but you may wish to prepare yourself for the idea of not returning to Earth.”

His voice was gentle, but it felt like a knife stabbed into her heart. She thought of Becca, of her Aunt Electra and mom, of Bobby and Ross, even of Chance. It was very likely that she’d never get to see any of them again. Which meant she wouldn’t be able to help her mom either. Theseus and Robin had lied to her! She was going to kick both their asses. “What am I supposed to do if I can’t go home? I have family and friends waiting for me back there! And what if that lunatic Flame decides to kill me to get this stupid key?”

“Often times there are jobs similar to those on Earth that you can do here. As for Flame, she will not kill you. I won’t allow it.” Doctor Tomas’ voice turned hard, and she looked up in surprise. “You are my patient now, which means your well being is my business.”

“Then help me get home!” Maggie pleaded, desperation leaking into her voice.

“I will do my best.” Doctor Tomas let out a sigh, and he turned back to the crystal computer. “For now, let me give you something for the pain, and something to help you sleep tonight. And a quota for how much water to drink.” He was silent for a moment as he reviewed the notes on the screen, a dissatisfied look on his face. “And vitamins. I’ve never met anyone from Earth that had the proper amount of vitamins in their system.”

Maggie couldn’t help letting out a ragged laugh. Everything that was going on, and he was worried about vitamins and water intake? The man clearly had his priorities messed up!

She doubled over, holding her stomach as she continued laughing. She couldn’t stop. The idea that vitamins and water would help was just too funny right now. She was on an alien space station, with an alien gizmo inside her hand, and this guy wanted her to drink more water and take vitamins!

She was on an alien space station, and may never go home again.

A sob interrupted the laughter.

She’d never go home.

Shit.