How I wanted to sit on the sofa and watch the TV Bedelia used as a monitor. No. My head hurt too bad to sit up. Elsie heated up my hot bag again. “Can I do anything else for you, Becky? I never saw you this sick!” The thermometer beeped. “It’s 103.5. Should I call an ambulance?”
“No. If I start seeing things, maybe.” If I talk too much, I’ll get sick again. Miserable COVID. Bedelia’s not bad. Elsie’s not. I lost my sense of smell yesterday, and I’m worried. I just wanted to smell a flower. Not in January.
“This is Emperor Ry’nao, speaking earlier today about the spaceship they found in Tullahoma, Tennessee. I’m Ryan White, reporting.”
“We think there may be a slaver’s mine somewhere in your solar system. The ship was the size of a compact car and had no occupant. We are looking for the person. Every country on Earth gave us permission to run progs to prevent violence. We ran a test in Atlanta, Georgia earlier today.”
“Here is a tape of an encounter with a man who wanted to beat up a woman in an alley in downtown Atlanta this morning.”
“No! Get away from me!”
“You haven’t got anyplace to run—hey!”
“As you can see, the man couldn’t hit her and she was able to escape. The program also offers to bring a healer to the person, for free, and this lady did. Zheien healers touch a person’s head—”
A knock at the door startled me.
“I’ll get it. You expecting company, Elsie?”
“Not at 10:30 in the morning! Be careful.”
I heard the door open. “Oh, hi!”
“May I see Becky? I am Antomias, Diplomat Of Esta Faho.”
“Bedelia, I am Jos Keil, Diplomat Of Esta Faho. These are for you.”
“Oh, thanks! These are beautiful! Antomias, maybe you want to give Becky these roses yourself. Elsie?”
“This way! Becky, these’ll cheer you up!” She led a handsome fella in. He wore a white suit and carried a vase of yellow roses—my favorite! I tried to sit up and my stomach turned over!
He somehow put the huge vase on my bedside table without knocking over anything and held a hand on my forehead. My tummy calmed down.
But, I looked up into black eyes. Like they were all pupil in the white!
“Nae be frightened. Becky, you are very unwell! I wish to bring a healer to you, may I?”
My tiny room with its yellow walls vanished.
The cracked blue plaster of my tiny room in Merit Colony depressed me.
Slowly, my eyes focused on a tall man with dark curls. A friendly smile. If I smiled back, I’d throw up again, so I just enjoyed his blue eyes a few secs and then made like I slept.
“This is Tom. He’s an adopted slave that ran away from his people. I thought this makes a great opportunity. He can stay up here and take care of you, Becky.”
Yeah. Great. What is he, a Zheien? I looked at the hand long enough to see two fingers. Wide, flat fingers. A Zheien. They’re gentle people, but after they’ve been slaves, they can’t take care of themselves. I can’t even get up most of the time. “Elsie. A week. The doctors gave me—“ Only a week before cancer kills me. I probably won’t wake up after tonight.
She put a hand on my bald head. “Look, Becky. You need somebody. I can’t stay here and lose my job, or I’ll have to live in Merit. They don’t give you a week off to stay with friends, you know?” I heard the tears in her voice.
“None of that, or—“ That did it. I threw up. The tubes vaporized it and kept fluids going into my stomach.
Tom held me in his lap.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
“He’s smart, Becky. Too smart to be a slave. I told him all about you and he says he’ll stay until the end, then he’ll leave. If it’s only gonna be—I think he can hide out somewhere when they come to give you treatments.”
I stayed so out of it with pain meds, I didn’t know where he went when they came to check on me. One day, I missed the outside air so bad, I cried.
Tom’s hand pressed against my cheek. Couldn’t bear to be touched much, but his hand felt good. “I want to go out. Just for a few mins. Is it hot? Are there flowers?”
He picked me up. I put up with the extra pain; it felt so good just to be held.
“I will take you, eae. O, you have beautiful eyes, Becky, like the green of shimmering leaves.”
The light hurt my eyes. Everywhere the light breeze touched, it burned like fire. But, the smell of the breeze felt good. I tried to remember just walking in a park somewhere. Hurt too much to even think.
“I will take you to healers, Becky. They know more than I. Then I will trade for blue ribbons, and braid your hair. It is like golden Tessite.”
Crazy. Healers only saw slaves. We have doctors, and they’ve already said—
“Here is Pas, for you, Becky.” Tom put his twin-fingered hand in mine. Kept my other hand in his. His hair’s not dark, but blond. Those memories weren’t clear. I was sicker, though.
Pas’ red-gold eyes studied me as he lifted both hands. “May I touch your head?”
Memories kept coming. Tom saved my life by linking with my mind. I felt his gentle thoughts near me, and clung to them. I love him, as if I lived it.
Pas gently touched my head across my forehead, then back a bit, and further. Then, he sang me to sleep.
I felt sleepy. But, I have to get up.
“Miss, you have an aandat. Rest.”
I smiled. No more trips to the bathroom. I felt a lot better. Clicking under me. What’s that? I didn’t hear the TV.
“Wish you friends? They worry for you. Bedelia married Jos Keil. Elsie wishes also to come.”
“Sure. Where’s Tom?”
“I am by you, Becky, I will nae leave. My touch is too warm—”
“Zheien need to be warm!” I saw his face and gasped. No sunny yellow in that gray skin! “Tom!” I held his hand. Cold!
“Children, you must marry.” Pas frowned at him and propped him in his leiwege, those wonderful bendable mattresses that held us both up. Made sure I was propped, too.
“But—” Should I mention his home? In that other future, he got tortured and couldn’t tell me about it.
“Becky, nae fear that you are nae a princess, for once we marry, so you are. Eae, I am 1st Prince Of Esta Faho, but our kingdom is small. Our colony moved to Elshar Zheiea, a world new to all of us, with very pleasant environs, and we travel there now. My fa waits when we arrive. Pas, I wish to wait until we arrive, to marry, so Fa may help me.”
“Do you need nesfa, Tom?” I held his cold hand against my cheek, but my hand trembled. Something very soft brushed my cheek, and in that hand were blue ribbons, that beautiful sky blue. I wore a dress of it. His family’s color. I smiled.
He laughed. “We nae need herbs in our travel, now. I am nae injured. All of us of yellow skin have unwells when we marry, and can nae court more than a week. But, we saw our future and our minds shared a link then, and our minds remember. So, eae, we must marry today. I have Galarsmen with me, my healer. Nae fear, Becky. We land very—”
Clicking stopped.
Tom laughed. “O, we are here! Shall I carry you to flowers, Becky?”
Galarsmen’s eyes turned black. He had red curls. “Liege, you can nae carry your maiden. I shall carry you, and Pas, will you carry Miss Becky?”
“I am happy to do so! Becky, hold to me and I try to help you.” He slid his arms under me and lifted. I was riding on a spaceship and missed it?
My neck trembled as I tried to keep my head up.
“Nae worry for protocols, Becky! Rest your head. My people understand—”
We came off the bed and an older Zheien ran to Tom. “Bae, are you unwell? Galar, what happens?”
Galarsmen tried to bow and the older man took Tom so he could. “Liege, he saw his future and has to marry now! Please, let me help him—”
Tom looked panicked. “I wish Fa to help me, Galar. You may help me, after.”
“What do you mean, he saw his future?”
“Fa, share my memories.” He shook all over.
Very gently, the older man held his head against his silver curls. “O, Bae, such a frightening future! Eae, I think your Becky may help you with it more than I! We escaped much harm lastweek. My people, forgive this fast marriage, but Antomias is unwell, and so is his Becky! They must marry—”