Page 59 of Pulled By the Tail
No response. For a moment, Georgia wondered if she pushed too far. Then, he burst into laughter. The driver’s side door opened, and the vehicle shifted as Talen sat down, still chuckling.
The day wasn’t so bad, all things considered.
Talen
Georgia lookedwretched but never uttered a complaint about her obvious misery. Angry red splotches and tiny bumps covered her pale skin. Scratches marred her fingers and hands, possibly from the evergreen she handled yesterday, or possibly from vermin. He did not see any obvious bite marks, but he could hear the vermin moving in the walls at night. He had difficulty believing such a radical transformation was an adverse reaction to a plant.
The condition of her eyes alarmed him the most. Whatever substance she encountered, she rubbed her eyes at some point and Talen hoped she would not lose her vision.
Humans were too fragile. Georgia could be blinded because of a sweet-smelling plant used for home decorating. The oil that made the leaves fragrant did not irritate Tal skin. Obviously, human skin was more susceptible to damage. He mentally made a list of everything that would have to be cleaned, such as furniture she may have touched, including doorknobs.
He drove carefully, aware of every bump in the uneven road. A herd ofhipiunhelpfully blocked the road. He honked the horn, but the stubborn creatures would not move. Frustrated, he climbed out of the vehicle and guided them back onto a pasture, cursing the entire time. When he returned to the cabin, Georgia smiled.
“Tough day at the office, dear?” she asked.
“Hipiare stubborn,” he said.
“At least they’re cute and fluffy,” she said with a slight laugh. The tension eased in his chest. If Georgia could find the energy to laugh, even at his expense, then she must not be in too much pain.
The wait at the clinic to see a medic, only thirty minutes, was unacceptable. Talen paced the waiting room, tail lashing violently. This town never had enough medics. The population had grown but the only thing that had grown in the clinic was wait times. The staff and building size remained the same as when Drac had been a simple mining outpost.
They should move to the closest, largest city, or a town with adequate medical facilities. Damn Quil and damn the house. None of it mattered if he could not provide his mate with the care she needed.
Eventually, a staff member escorted them to a private examination room, where they continued to wait.
“I am Belith. What seems to be the matter today?” A tall blue-skinned Fremmian female entered the room. The medic’s gaze went directly to Georgia. “A human. How delightful. I have much experience with humans, so do not worry. I am an expert at this point. I don’t think there’s anything I haven’t seen your little brown bodies do.”
Talen’s top lip curled back. He disliked the thought of anyone seeing Georgia’slittle brown body, even if it was more beige than brown. “My mate has been poisoned. Do something at once,” he said.
“Not your mate,” Georgia said. “I’m having an allergic reaction to a plant, I think. Contact dermatitis.”
“You certainly appear to be suffering from contact dermatitis,” the medic said. “Do you have any vision?”
“Not really,” his mate—no matter how she denied it—said.
“I will need to touch you as I examine you. Do not be alarmed. Tell me, what plant did you encounter?” Belith took Georgia’s hand and turned it over, inspecting the rash of red bumps that ran up her arm.
“An evergreen with purple berries,” Georgia said.
“Themeyenbush,” Talen said, supplying the name.
“Hmm. The oil from a crushedmeyenberry is normally not caustic, but human skin is delicate,” the medic said.
Talen nodded in agreement. “Several in the family handled themeyenclippings but had no ill effects.”
“I’m assuming the rest of the family is Tal.”
“We have another human.”
“Two humans.” The medic clucked her tongue, amused. “How extensive is the rash?”
“My hands, face, arms, and chest,” Georgia said.
“Also her waist,” Talen added.
“Basically, anywhere you touched when your hands were contaminated. That sounds right,” Belith said. “Any known allergies?” Georgia shook her head. “I’m going to administer an antihistamine injection now to reduce the swelling around your eyes.”
“Okay. Tell me when.” Georgia turned her head away, but the gesture made no sense as she could not see a needle anyway.
