Chapter 7: Talking a Little
Paulie and Jakiikii sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, he noticed that her eyes kept flicking to his face and then away as she noticed he was watching. Every time one of those petal-like eye flaps looked at him he smirked slightly. He wasn’t sure why she was acting so abashed all of the sudden. As far as he knew she hadn’t done anything to feel embarrassed about, but that was the distinct impression he was getting from her behaviour.
Before he could muster up the wherewithal to ask her what she was on about, the door to the room swung back open and the shaggy furred nurse pushed her way back in pushing a small cart with several packages or boxes piled up on top of it.
Jakiikii immediately stood and rushed the nurse, causing her to freeze slightly like a deer staring into headlights. But Jakiikii either didn’t notice the hobulite female’s consternation or didn’t care as she pilfered several of the containers and then hesitated, grabbing a plastic spoon from the cart as well.
She shot a clipped, “Thanks!” over her shoulder as she approached Paulie and loosed her captured treasures upon the bedding beside him before plopping herself into a sitting position next to his waist.
The nurse just seemed to nod and then waved, “I will just leave this here for you both. You can message for me if you decide that you need something else.” He nodded his thanks and watched as the hobulite nurse scurried from the room as quickly as it seemed she was able on her stubby legs.
Once more he turned his attention to the termaxxi woman seated on the side of his bed. Her six eyes roved around the room freely as if they had minds of their own, but four of them locked to his face as she noticed him looking. She grabbed one of the small boxes with a brightly colored label and ripped open the top. To his surprise this was immediately followed by a little catchy jingle that seemed to play in response to the box itself being opened.
He saw her grin and nod. “Ahh.. I love that sound. Reminds me of older times.” As if the joy was suddenly sapped from her, her face saddened.
He shifted in the bed and asked, “With Gillm?”
She nodded sadly, one of her eyes shining as a tear threatened to leak from it. But it folded and rubbed itself against her neck and she sniffed through the breathing vents on her upper back.
She coughed slightly, the sound of it a little wet before then reaching into the box. He watched as she extracted a small container covered in the same bright alien script as the box itself and he half expected a jingle to play again as she held it. The art and lettering was clearly cartoony in nature and aimed towards children, but he had to admit that it held a certain daft appeal to him as well. Bringing to mind those old nostalgic as-seen-on-tv ads for snacks and treats he had grown up watching on the telly.
She handed it to him and reached over to grab a single spoon from the cart. “Here, try the frubble first as I already know you like this flavour.”
He nodded his thanks. “So, it's just got like a peel top or something?”
She shook her head and smiled. “A peel top?” She giggled. “Where is the fun in that?”
If he had been curious before he was downright captivated now as he watched her hold the container in her left middle hand and then grab something from under it with her right lowest hand. She seemed to produce a small cord that she unspooled from one side and once it was almost three centimeters from the bottom she gave it a small tug.
He wasn’t sure what he had been expecting, but certainly not for the top of the container to glow bright orange and then seem to disintegrate into small floating motes of light that flitted and drifted like lightning bugs.
He was flabbergasted, bamboozled and delighted in equal measure. For a few seconds he swatted at the glowing motes like a kitten with a ball of yarn but they eventually faded and he blinked.
Shooting Jakiikii a wide smile, he asked her in mild wonderment, “What in the name of all that is holy was that? I’ve never seen anything like it. Some sort of hologram?”
She grabbed another container for herself as she handed him the one she had opened. He watched as she popped the second one, this time a cascade of blue sparks spilled over her hands like electric water and he found himself grinning as wide as a schoolboy again.
She nodded towards the container as she uncoiled her bright pink proboscis and dipped it into the container directly. She had no need for utensils when she had her own straw it seemed. Even with her mouth preoccupied she spoke, her husky voice rattling from deep in her chest. “I don’t know exactly what it is. But I do know it has something to do with some manner of photoluminescent material that is energised by a tiny electrical dynamo that when pulling the string, activates.”
She gave him a smile as he dipped his own spoon into the container. To his mild surprise the kluggsgoft had a texture much like custard and he eyed it suspiciously as he looked around.
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He gestured to Jakiikii, “Hey, is my coat in here?”
She nodded. “Yes. It’s by the door. Do you need it?”
Paulie shook his head as he answered, “No, not the coat itself anyways. But can you grab my multitector from it? As she stood to get it he nearly rolled himself out of the bed as he made a grab for his commie off the bedside table while balancing the kluggsgoft cup in the other. He watched her carefully as he did so, she was totally focused on the task at hand. All six of her bright orange eyes were turned away from him, but that could change at any instant.
He grunted from the effort, his ribs and side smarting as he settled himself down into the bedding once more. The medical technology that the GGI had access to was incredible, but even super advanced alien technology couldn't heal broken bones instantly it seemed. Before she had gotten back he managed to settle himself so as to look like nothing had happened and placed the communication gadget back upon his right wrist.
Jakiikii walked back over presently, her face growing suspicious as she looked at him. He scratched his cheek with his right hand and she frowned as she saw the device. “Paulie! How are you expecting to heal properly if you insist on these acrobatics of yours?”
He smiled wide, giving her his best shiteating grin. “Light work in this gravity. And you are the last one to talk about acrobatics, I have seen you run up a sheer wall like it was a staircase!” She ducked her head a little as her skin flashed a pale white, as opposed to its normally mottled brown and tan tones. He had begun to recognise the tell as a sign that was her equivalent of blush embarrassment or something similar. What he had come to realise as well was that he quite enjoyed flustering her from time to time.
He shook his head slightly and reached for the small device she was offering out to him. It was his multitector, it should tell him whether or not he would experience any troubles from the small cup of kluggsgoft. He tapped a few buttons, the controls in English, not the strange falling alien text. He would have to try and read it eventually, he couldn't stay here for the rest of his life and remain illiterate. Luckily for him he had taken Spanish and German in school and done reasonably well, so there was at least a passing chance he would be able to figure yuuvian out as well.
The multitector didn’t seem to think there was any conflict between his physiology and the treat so he set the device to the side and grabbed the spoon back out of the container. He glanced at Jakiikii who was watching him intently, no doubt supremely curious as to what his thoughts would be.
“Alrighty, here we go.” He muttered at her, still not entirely sure about trying new things. He took a bite, the spoonful of creamy paste surprisingly like unto that of tapioca pudding. It even had the small round things in it, though he was a little afraid to ask what they were at first. But as he gave it an experimental chew he found that the small orbs burst with flavour, and one he was now familiar with.
Paulie’s face lit up as he exclaimed, “Oh! It’s good!” He took another bite, same result. A smooth start with little bursts of flavour and then a pleasing aftertaste of fresh fruit that made his mouth water. Before he knew what he was doing, he had polished off the entire container of the frubble kluggsgoft and found himself a little disappointed that it was gone.
Jakiikii chuckled, the raspy sounding laugh shaking him out of his pudding-fueled torpor. “Well, I would assume that you enjoyed it as much as I do. You ate that like you hadn’t eaten anything in a day!” She laughed again, two of her arms patting her upper thigh in mirth.
He grinned, “Yeah. I guess I was a little peckish. How long was I out for? I never asked.”
While he feared the worst, his fears were assuaged immediately as she told him simply. “Not more than a few hours. You lost a fair amount of blood, took a direct hit to the leg from a bultesian flayer. The doctor was amazed that you survived, he said something about your muscle density protecting you like a giant heat-sink. Though you may have a bit of a limp for a few weeks, so try not to jump off the tops of any tall buildings or anything like that.”
He looked at her suspiciously. “Why would I do that?” She shrugged.
“Why do you do anything, Paulie? I have nearly given up trying to understand that alien brain of yours.” She leaned forwards and tapped his forehead gently as she said it, her eyes smiling though she was trying to remain straight faced.
He waved her away in mock annoyance. “Gahh, no such thing. You are the alien, look at you. You got too many arms!” He joked.
She tucked her lower four arms behind her back and spread her longest pair wide. “How about now? Could I pass for a human do you think?”
He just laughed and glanced towards the open box on the cart. Pointing to it he asked a bit sheepishly, “Hey, could you hand me another one of those?”
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He spent the rest of the day resting, Jakiikii had to leave after a while and he soon found that he missed her presence dearly. Her witty quips and bright disposition brought some much needed mirth to the dry clinical nature of the room he was in. As he was lying back, his eyes closed and his breathing slow, he heard the door creak open slowly.
Looking towards it he saw two pairs of huge grey eyes peek around the corner on a very long neck covered in blue quills. Smiling wider, Paulie gestured towards the figure and spoke loudly, “Mack! Oh it is good to see you.. please come on in.”
The miriam detective stepped around the corner on his four legs, shutting the door behind him gently as he meandered over his direction. He seemed a little worried, his face flat and his expression sour. He wanted to ask the alien man what was the matter but Paulie knew Mack would tell him in due time.
Mack reached his side and leaned heavily on the bedside table, his breathing a little shallow as if he were under a great deal of stress. Paulie reached out and gestured, “Hey. What’s up?”
Mack shook his head. “The raid is set for three days from now, and you are injured. It is like we have a spy in the department. It is simply too much of a coincidence that you are injured just before the raid is planned.”
“A what?” Paulie asked sharply. He really hoped this wasn’t going back to the ‘Paulie isn’t a citizen and might be a traitor’ route again. He was mighty tired of the distrustful side looks he was constantly getting from many of the other adjudicators back in the complex. He wasn’t an officer yet of course, but he would have liked to become one, or maybe even a detective like Mack in the future.
Mack interrupted his thoughts. “I have long suspected that there was a turncoat in or two in the complex, somebody willing to sell out their oath for the highest bidder. And I know for a fact that Ooounoo is likely the highest bidder there is on Gike. She has her tentacles in smuggling, racketeering, fraud, drugs and extortion..” He glanced at Paulie, “And kidnapping of course.”
Paulie nodded slowly. “So, who is it?”
Mack gave him a cold look, those twin grey orbs of his boring through Paulie’s soul. “Well, I know it isn’t you. Or at least I know that there was a traitor long before you came along. So rest assured in that, but the bad news is that the assault is likely going to be rough. She will know we are coming, but not from where. The specific plans of the assault are private, mine and the Major’s eyes only till the raid is underway.”
Paule raised a hand and Mack stopped to give him a very pointed look. He asked, a bit sheepishly, “Wouldn’t that make things unnecessarily chaotic?”
Mack nodded, a smile cracking his lips for the first time since he walked into the small hospital room. “Yes. Yes it will. I’m counting on it.”
He chuckled and Paulie cocked his head. He hoped the man was alright, the lack of sleep showed lines under his large grey eyes and his long greatcoat was rumpled and stained. But he seemed to be genuinely happy about the upcoming raid and Paulie didn’t have the experience to tell him if he was making a mistake or not. So he let it go, smiling a little and nodding to the man as he stood by his bedside in companionable silence.