Prompt: Sometimes you can’t hide the pain, Part 2

…Continued from Part 1

“Please, don’t call the medics. I’ll be all right in a moment. Please…”

“Okay, but let me help you up. You’ve got to cool down. If you don’t want an ice bath, then let me get you in the freezer for a few minutes and see how you feel. But I’m reserving the right to call the medics if you pass out.” He tried to inject both sternness and humour into his voice. Maybe it worked, because she pushed herself up a little and accepted his help sitting up.

He handed her the walking staff, and she leaned heavily on it as well as his hand gripping hers. She slid slowly down the stool to stand, with a heavier thump than he expected. Standing so close, he heard gears whir as she took a step. With a shock, he realized she must have leg braces under the voluminous robes she wore. He’d always assumed the brightly colored and intricately patterned dress was simply her ethnic expression. Now he realized she had used it well to disguise the extent of her disability.

“Come on, it’s not far to the freezer,” he encouraged her.

The station did its best to accommodate the different needs of researchers who came for varying lengths of time. Kaazaahns had a core body temp of 9 degrees Celcius. They had a whole-room freezer set at -2 degrees, complete with plush sofas and a wet bar. Electronics weren’t allowed in, but there were ice dart boards and other games stationed around the room.

Garduth had dated a Kaazaahn hetfem in grad school, and he could stay in the freezer longer than most humans. He’d give Sheria fifteen minutes, and then he was calling the medics, no matter what her objection, if her temp didn’t make a big dive.

Settling her on the freezer sofa, he rolled over a solid ball to sit next to her, still holding her hand.

She coughed, a shallow cough up in her chest, and he could see from the way she winced that it hurt. She looked away from him and muttered again, “I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have anything to be sorry about. You’re sick. Do you know what this is?”

She nodded. He waited.

“My parents were missionaries. When my mother became pregnant with me, they decided to settle on Zeta Four.”

Garduth nodded. He’d visited there a couple of times. It was a lovely planet, mostly tropical, and the cultures were maintained at sub-tech levels. He’d laughed at how much some people complained about peeling off and storing all their tech for the duration of their stay. But what did Zeta Four have to do with—

“On their way, they stopped at Binahl Three.”

Continued in Part 3…

Dogs in House	Houdini
Music	Earl Klugh, Hand Picked
Time writing	~80 minutes
May word count	11,094