There was no later. Isaias had been like an annoying tick. Always where Zen was, so the time Stephan and she were left alone was practically nil. The next morning everyone got up and had breakfast then Zen and Stephan turned to their map. The instant they did Isaias was there grinning. No way was this pendejo getting his sister! Stephan and Zen managed to work with him in the middle and finished by noon. Other than some hands brushing, nothing else went on, and that frustrated both teens. Zen growled and slammed her foot into the hull of the ship, wincing at the pain that not only shot from her foot but from her side as well. It had been hurting more lately. She doubled over slightly with a hand on her side.

“Is it hurting still?” Asked Kiera.

Zen nodded and winced as Kiera examined the staples. “It’s red and swollen, a sign of infection. I’m going to clean it with peroxide. Come,” she said, leading Zen to the med room. Zen followed slowly. She wasn’t looking forward to this. Stephan was walking back from piloting the ship. He had it on autopilot. The ship mostly floated along its destined course with no real power behind it. He noticed Zen holding her side and Kiera leading her to the med room. That can’t be good.

He decided to follow.

Zen entered the room and lay on a bed and reclined slowly. Her shirt was lifted off the wound and Kiera tisked.

“Well, it’s infected. I can see the pus from here.”

Zen groaned as Kiera busied herself getting some soft pads and the peroxide.

Stephan poked his head in. “Zen? Everything alright?”

Zen turned towards the door. “Yeah, I...just…”

“Her staples are infected, Stephan. You might want to hold her hand as this might sting a bit,” cautioned Kiera as she approached with the peroxide.

Stephan nodded and grasped Zen’s hand as Kiera began to clean out the wound. Zen didn’t scream but she squeezed his hand a few times and squinted her eyes in pain, as Kiera squeezed the pus from her raw wound. She whimpered when Kiera came upon the site of the infection itself and started squeezing the pus from the wound as gently as she could. It still hurt.

Stephan ran his other hand through Zen’s hair trying to distract her. He played with her ponytail and ran his hand from the base to the tips of the ponytail. It seemed to calm her slightly and soon she was in a light doze as Kiera cleaned up and put antiseptic cream over the wound and bandaged it up again.

“Will she be ok?” Asked Stephan as he watched Zen sleep. Her lashes curled slightly and she snored slightly. He chuckled.

She should be but I’d like to keep her in observation for a day. That was a nasty infection. I’m surprised she felt only a bit of pain. You would have been crying.”

Stephan grumbled. “Not everyone takes pain the same way.”

“Of course, crybaby.”

“Kiera! I’m not a...”

“Hey, Pirate! What are you doing close to my sister?” yelled Isaias as he barged into the room.

Stephan rolled his eyes, something he had picked up from Zen in dealing with Isaias. “I was holding her hand while she got her staples washed out. She has a nasty infection.”

Isaias turned to Kiera who nodded. “I want to keep her in observation for a day at least. That wound should be healed by now. It’s still open.”

“Do you think that Yolinda might have used a de-coagulating poison on her sword?” asked Stephan.

“That’s the most probable source of her not healing,” said Kiera.

“Damn that bitch!” exclaimed Isaias as he took in Zen’s pale face.

“Well, I’ve got some flying to do,” said Stephan as he tried to disentangle his hand from Zen’s hand. She wouldn’t let go.

“Um…” he said.

Kiera smirked. “I’ll get you a chair and tell Marek he’s flying for a while,” she said leaving the room.

“I’m watching you,” Isaias growled, vacating the room.

Stephan sighed and grinned, gazing at Zen. “At least we’re alone for a while huh?”

Zen slept curled around his hand.

Zen awoke to yelling.

“For Cripe’s sake Isaias! They’re just sleeping! Leave them alone!”

“That Pirate is too friendly with my sister, Marco!”

They are sleeping! Let them rest. You’ve been on their tail all day!”

“At least they aren’t in the same bed,” Isaias grumbled as he followed Marco out of the room.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

Zen rolled her eyes and looked at the med bed beside her. Stephan was gazing back with sleep in his eyes. He yawned and stretched one arm. The other was curled with hers and his hand gently squeezed hers.

“Mind if I have my hand back now?” he asked grinning.

Zen blushed and let go of his hand. “Thanks,” she muttered.

He winked. “No problem. I have a ship to fly though so...and I’m hungry.”

Zen’s stomach gurgled and he chuckled. “I guess I’m not the only one.”

“Um, no,” Zen chuckled as Kiera came into the room.

“I see the patient is up. How do you feel?” She asked raising Zen’s shirt and undoing the bandage. The pus was gone although the wound looked red and swollen still.

“Better. It still stings a bit,” she said rubbing her side gently.

“You can eat but I want you back here. That infection worries me. You’re lucky we caught it early before it could enter the bloodstream.”

“Can it do that?” asked Stephan.

Kiera nodded “Of course. Septicemia is a very serious condition.”

Marek entered the room with Skin hanging on his shoulder and Zen shivered slightly trying to hide behind Stephan. Stephan stared at her and grinned. She’s really scared of Marek...or is it Skin?

He called Skin over and the three-foot iguana crawled to his bed. Zen pulled back eyes wide.

He petted Skin on the head. “Hey there, big guy. How have you been?” he said to the iguana who stuck his tongue out for a minute. He turned to Zen. “He doesn’t bite unless told to. He’s just a scaly teddy bear.”

Zen shivered in disgust at those words but slowly stuck her hand out. It was trembling. She stretched slightly to reach Skin and the thing moved closer, its tongue kissing her fingers making her jump. Stephan chuckled and held the iguana closer to her so she could brush her hand against it. It held still for once watching with beady eyes. Zen petted it for a minute before retreating and sighing.

“See? Not so bad,” Stephan said as he handed the iguana back to Marek. Zen watched it fade from view and become invisible in his arms. Only the silver bandana was visible.

“Is that its party trick?” she asked pointing.

Marek smirked. “It’s a rare species found on Serendipity. Iguanidae Evanescence.”

Skin reappeared back still in his arms. He cooed at the iguana and carried it out of the room before returning.

“Oh, right Captain we are approaching a tech weak spot. Thought you should know. You’re going to have to fly this tin can for a while,” he said before disappearing out the door again.

Stephan sighed and stood stretching. “My vacation’s over,” he sighed watching as Zen blushed and looked away. He grinned and ran his hand through her hair. He noticed once more the silky-like texture of the strands. He gazed at her eyes and the way the hybrid light brought different browns and even honey to the surface of the mahogany.

“Hmm-hmm,” came an annoying voice and he rolled his eyes and backed away.

“I’m going. Geeze,” he muttered as Isaias appeared at the door.

He smirked at Zen and kissed her hand again. “Bye, Zen.”

Zen blushed and nodded. “Bye, Stephan. Thanks”

“No problem,” he said, leaving through the door passing a smug Isaias. He rolled his eyes and squirted some water into Isaias’s face leaving a sputtering male.

Marco smirked from behind Isaias and lifted his hand in a high five surprising Stephan who smacked his hand with a little more strength than necessary smirking. Marco sighed and blew on his hand shaking the pin and needle feeling he was left with. One day you’ll forgive me, won't you Stephan?

Not likely, brother, replied Stephan.

Zen had spent two whole days in the med bay. Stephan came to visit and so did Edline, Marco, and Skin with either Marek or Val or on occasion both. Zen appreciated the attention. Isaias was driving her up the walls mad. She loved her brother but he could be a pest on occasions such as these. They reminded her of the time before her tenth birthday when she became stronger. She had been weak and fragile then. Always sick. I wonder what changed on my tenth birthday? I suddenly became stronger. I remember feeling weak then feeling some strange energy enter me and then...I was fine.

It was also the day her mother had lost the baby. She was six months along and she was healthy but somehow she lost Yuresa.

Zen had always wondered if that was why her father had changed. He wasn’t the same after Yuresa’s death.

He left them and disappeared, taking all their family’s wealth with him. What an ass!

She had long come to grips with what her father had done but...she still missed him. Before Yuresa he was a good father. She ran her hand through her ponytail.

“Zen? Am I doing this right?” asked Edline as she showed her drawing to Zen. Apparently, Edline was a serious sketcher and had begged Zen for tutoring. Since Zen had nothing else to do, she agreed. They were using a crystal piece that Val had made from breaking the Terrarium. It was a really small piece not big enough for Skin to escape from. They cleaned it and it shone nicely. It would do for the light and shadow lesson Zen wanted to impart to the ten-year-old. Edline smiled as Zen inspected her sketch of Skin. She wasn’t good at sketching animals but Skin was familiar to her and he disappeared which was better. She drew him disappearing. Which was to say his outline was presented, while everything else was corporeal. Zen hmmed trying to make heads and tails of the drawing and finally catching on to Edline’s ploy. It was genius really and lazy. She bopped the girl on the head with the notebook.

“Edline, it’s very artistic but has nothing to do with our lesson,” she said reclining on the med bed.

Edline sighed and nodded her long auburn hair in a braid. “I’m trying! Skin is the shadow and everything else is light,” she huffed, taking back her notebook.

“What about the butterfly you were drawing before? That was a great use of light and shadow.”

Edline turned the page and looked at the butterfly she had drawn. It was slightly lopsided and the flower wasn’t pretty.

“It didn’t turn out right,” she said showing Zen the picture.

Zen smiled and petted her head. “Drawing and sketching is a commitment. You can’t quit when something doesn’t turn out the way you want. Sketch it again, Your problem is three-dimensional sketching. I want you to focus on one object and draw all its facets...er sides.”

Edline sighed nodding. She began trudging out of the room.

“Oh and Edline? Use light and shadow to show three dimensions,” she said grinning.

Edline groaned. She hated today’s lesson.

Zen laid back and sighed. Was I so difficult when I started sketching? I didn’t have a teacher. She’d probably have driven them mad. She got out her own pad of paper and a pencil and began sketching whatever came to her mind. She found herself staring at a familiar grin and she blushed. Why did I draw him of all people? Now Isaias will be even more finicky!

Still, she finished her drawing and was surprised to find that Skin made an appearance so did she. It was the moment she had touched Skin for the first time. It hadn’t been terrible, different, like rough leather. She turned to the drawing. I hope Edline likes the sketch.