Rolling over, I shouted, “Serlotminden!”
The creature’s talons were dug deep into Serlotminden’s side as they struggled to fly away with him. I grabbed the blaster that had fallen to the snow, fumbling, and lifted it. My hand shook. My muscles started to freeze and terror flooded me. I’d never shot the blaster before. I hadn’t needed to. I did not want to hit Mindy. I might kill him.
“Let him go!”
The alien didn’t react, struggling to take him away.
They were hurting Mindy,mymate.
I lifted the blaster higher and pulled the trigger. An orange beam shot out of the muzzle and singed the alien’s feathers. They dove. I scrambled to my feet, not giving myself even a second to think, and chased after them, yelling. Serlotminden did not make a sound, and he hung lifelessly from the alien’s talons. I lifted the blaster again and shot. The beam hit the alien in the wing. They screeched and dropped Serlotminden, who crashed into the ground in a motionless heap.
I kept the blaster pointed at the alien, but they didn’t attack again. Instead, they jerkily flew to the cliff, clinging to the nest as black blood dripped from their wing.
I slid to the snow next to Mindy, and a wide green puddle surrounded him, marking the snow.
“Serlotminden,” I screamed, clutching his cold cheeks. “Honey, please.”
His eyes fluttered open. “Bartholomew.”
“Keep talking,” I demanded as tears coursed down my cheeks, but he didn’t. His eyes closed and didn’t open again, no matter how much I cried.
The alien screeched, and I lifted the blaster. They hadn’t left the cliff, staring at me. I wanted to kill them. They’d hurt Serlotminden. I’d never wanted to kill anyone before in my life, not even Agk, because I had seen too much death, but I wanted to kill this alien. They deserved to die. They deserved to feel the pain Serlotminden was experiencing. My finger shook on the trigger.
But if I shot and missed, it could cause a cave-in and block the shuttle. That would spell death for Mindy. I lowered the blaster, and the alien screeched again.
I could not leave Serlominden to grab anything to help me drag him, so I ripped the blanket around my shoulders off and tied it under his armpits. Keeping my eyes on the alien, who watched me, blood dripping from their wing, I dragged Serlotminden toward the shuttle.
I had to get him inside. Now.
With grunts and tears frozen on my cheeks, I hauled him inside painfully, agonizingly slow. I slammed the door closed, keeping us safe from any threat. Skittering came from behind me, and Pookie snorted, snuffling Mindy.
“Not now,” I told her. “Please, Pookie.”
She trailed me as I dragged him to the cabin and into the tent. I ripped off his shirt and pants. Blood leaked from the deep punctures in his abdomen and thigh. The alien’s talons had gone straight through his scales. One had also pierced his old injury, and it was deep, leaking green blood everywhere.
I grabbed the medicine he’d first used and the laser scalpel. I tried to fill the needle with the medicine, but I didn’t know how much to use or how it worked. It didn’t draw like a human one, not that I had experience with that either.
I patted his cheek. “Serlotminden. Please, Honey. I don’t know what to do. You need to tell me what to do.”
His breathing was shallow.
“Do not do this to me. I cannot lose you. You promised! We’re supposed to stay together. Damn it, Serlotminden. I need you. Do you fucking hear me? I need you!”
Serlotminden didn’t open his eyes, and blood continued to stain the blankets under him.
Tears continuously slid down my cheeks as my hands shook. I fiddled and finally got the vial filled. I had no idea if I did the right amount, but I injected him, massaging the site for a few moments. I grabbed the tweezers and pulled the broken scales away like he had before while trying to apply pressure to the open wounds, but there were too many, too much blood, too much. Fuck, there was too much.
I flicked the laser, but it shuddered and clicked off. My heart stuttered.
“No. No.” I flicked and flicked. It didn’t come back on. Throwing it with a scream, I grabbed one of the blankets and shredded it. I wrapped the pieces around him like a makeshift bandage. Blood soaked them. It was not enough. Serlotminden was going to die.
A sob caught in my throat. “Please, don’t leave me. I can’t do this without you.” I shook my head. “I don’t want to do this without you, Honey.”
Serlotminden did not respond. His breathing was shallow and wet as his scales grew cold.
He needed help, but there was no one here except me. Useless me.
Pookie nosed me, and I petted her, sobbing. He needed someone, anyone, but I had nothing.
