“Dr. Qinlin is here to see you.”
Kal moved away and revealed Dr. Qinlin standing in the door frame. “Seth Harris.”
I wanted to sigh but didn’t. She was the one person who refused to call me by my first name alone.
She held up an instrument that beeped when she waved it slowly over my body. Then she began asking NAID to do scans before checking the machine with the tubes running to my arms. Lastly, she took a sample of blood and tucked the vial in her bag.
Dr. Qinlin asked, “How are you feeling?”
“Tired,” I replied.
“I assume that’s normal.”
“I guess. Whenever I’ve been sick in the past, I’m always tired afterward, though I’ve never been this sick.”
Kal’s tail tightened around my ankle and snaked up my calf. “How are his organ functions?”
“I will need to do more comprehensive scans in the medbay, but he seems on the road to recovery. I imagine you’ll be sore and tired. Until you’re eating and drinking normally, I want to leave you connected to the life support.” Dr. Qinlin placed the strange medical instruments in her bag.
My eyes started to close, and Kal brushed my cheek, which made me look at him.
“Stay with me, Husband.”
Qinlin headed toward the door. “I will come back later to check on you.”
When the door whooshed closed, Kal turned toward me. “Can you eat something?”
“I can try.”
He smiled, and that alone convinced me to eat to make his stress lessen. When Kal got up, Lucy crept out from under the bed, crying. I wiggled my fingers, and she jumped up, headbutting me. I petted her silky fur, and Lucy purred loudly.
“She’s been worried about you,” Kal said, setting a glass of juice and some bread on the nightstand. “Let me help you up.”
I panted, struggling to get upright, and Kal lifted me. I sagged back, exhausted. He handed me the glass and a piece of bread. My stomach churned. It didn’t want food. I glanced at Kal, who looked as tired as I felt. His eyes were half-closed, and his wings and tail drooped.
“You need sleep,” I told him.
“I’m fine.”
“You’re not.”
“I’m alright, my Seth. Please eat.”
I nibbled on the piece of bread, and it hit my empty stomach, uncomfortably. The minuscule amount of food threatened to come up. I would not puke in front of Kal. Again.
Kal settled beside me, and I kept taking sips of juice and tiny bites of bread. Eventually, I couldn’t force any more down, so I gave them back to him. Kal returned them to the food dispenser for recycling.
“Do you need to go to the bathroom?” Kal asked when he came back.
That wasnotsomething I wanted help with, but I couldn’t make it by myself. I nodded, not looking at him.
Kal nudged my chin up. “Don’t be embarrassed. If the situation was reversed, you would help me, right?”
“Of course.”
“Then let me assist you.”
As I sat on the toilet, I stared at the shower. Fuck, getting clean would be amazing. I could smell myself—a mixture of sweat and sickness. But the machine wouldn’t survive the water, I assumed. Not to mention, I didn’t want Kal to have to hold me up.
