Page 42 of Bonded

“Yes.”

Priya gasped a heavy breath between words. “But, I’m dying.”

Ruzan held her tighter. Though I ached to hold on to her as well, this was my strength. I needed to reach her through reason. “You are not dying. I will not let it. What you’re experiencing now is what we call heat. Have you heard of that?”

I knew she had heard of it in the way she stiffened in response. “Impossible,” she whispered.

“I wish I could agree with you. We have many enzymes and medicines on board the ship that can help you. But all that I’ve learned has stated that heat suppressants only make things worse later on. A lasting solution would be–”

“To bond with the ship,” she said. Priya, who had been a whimpering mess not a moment before, was suddenly clear eyed. Her demeanor shifted, and she could meet my gaze. “To bond with you. And the bond with Ruzan.”

Her sudden calm in the middle of her panic unsettled me. Ruzan, too, treated her as if she were some wild creature about to lash out at any moment.

“There are other options, too. We can put you in a medically supervised coma—” Ruzan snarled again, but I didn’t look in his direction. “And, the drugs. So many other options too, such as bonding with the ship first, and then bond with Ruzan and me later. I wanted you to hear them now, before you were too far gone, and feel as if you had no choice. Whatever you decide, we will honor.”

“Thank you for considering my choices,” she said. I could have been mistaken, but I could have sworn that she was partly…laughing? “Please get me to the medical bay. The ship says that all that I need would be there, and the bots could help me.”

I nodded solemnly. Ruzan’s face fell, upset at the news that Priya would choose a medical solution to help her. “We are almost there,” I said, aware of the approaching docking bay even as the shuttle’s perimeter alarms buzzed.

“Okay,” she said. “I think I used up my last energy reserves. The ship said that you would just place me in the medical pod as you did before. They could take care of the rest.”

“Understood,” I said. The pain in my chest was unbearable, doubly so since I also felt Ruzan’s pain echo mine.

“She is rejecting us,”Ruzan said. Though he shared quietly in our link, I could feel his heartbreak as loud as a war cry.

“Only for now. There is always a later. Remember.”

He didn’t acknowledge my words, merely rocked our now silently sleeping soul. “I won’t let go, even if she never accepts us,” he said with a pout.

“Have faith, old friend.” I pat him on the shoulder, pouring belief and hope as much as I could.

I followed him to the medical bay. Distantly, I felt the second shuttle arrive, with the captain directing the offloading to the rest of the crew. I made a mental note that we would pay back our share of duties after Priya was settled into her deep sleep.

Ruzan nestled Priya safely into the medical pod. She was so small especially compared to the size of the pod. Unburdened, Ruzan wrung his hands once more.

The bots entered and began their work on Priya. The glowing screen of the nearby interface shifted, and the swirling image that represented the ship appeared. “Greetings, Pilot-Ruzan and Pilot-Vryek. Do not be anxious. Pilot-Priya will wake as soon as the compatibility testing is complete. She will be disoriented once she regains consciousness. I cannot predict how she would react, as she is an unquantifiable variable. However, when she does wake, know that she will be ready and eager to begin the bonding process.”

“Begin the what?” Ruzan said, as I tried to formulate questions of my own.

For the first time in recent memory, I found I was speechless. It was most disconcerting.

“The bonding process, Pilot-Ruzan. Pilot-Priya communicated with me that she wished to bond; however, she wanted to ensure that she could physically withstand it. I promised I would check as she slept to make sure that the preparation process was as painless as possible. Plus, it would allow for her to be conscience of herself even if the physical symptoms of her heat persists.”

“Ship, are you saying that you can somehow change her heat?” I asked.

“No, her reproductive cycle is set. However, I’ve been able to regulate the characteristic haze that overcomes a female–or a rare male–in heat. Pilot-Priya was concerned with choices, and wanted you to know that when she chooses you, she chooses from a clear mind.”

“Chooses?” Ruzan’s face opened in an enraptured glow. “She chooses us?”

“Indeed, Pilot-Ruzan. It might not have been clear, as she was in the midst of pain. Which is why she wanted to make sure she can be of clear mind to communicate with you both. I offered to do so for her, as I am doing now, however she said that it would mean more coming from her.”

I smiled despite myself. “Yes, Ship, it would mean more. However, we appreciate your insight.”

“Ship, do you feel she would welcome my touch?” Ruzan asked. “She seemed to value it, and she looks so lonely in this big cold pod all by herself.”

“The pod is temperature-controlled,” the ship announced. “However, Pilot-Priya might appreciate having skin contact with you both.”

Ruzan didn’t need to be told twice. Faster than I could communicate my thanks to the ship for its input, Ruzan had promptly stripped down to his breeches and pounced behind Priya’s form. It was gratifying to see that even unconscious, Priya gravitated toward Ruzan, seeking his skin. When she pressed her back against his chest, she relaxed. When Ruzan curled his arm around her middle, she sighed.

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