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Cinq
I watch in both awe and horror as Jessica leaves our habitat. Awe, because she’s a determined little being and horror at how I’m rather certain over how she’s going to waste food. We don’t have a lot to spare as it is. I can’t say I blame her, though, after what eating tikk did. Easily catching up to her, I grab her upper arms to stop her progress. She stands completely still as I tell her to come back and at least try the creamy dessert.
Neither of us move when I’m finished. I let go of her and we’re still both motionless. Then, she continues on down the tunnel to where I’m sure she’s going to pour out the food. Fine. There’s another word I need to teach her. I take her arms again, stopping her like before, and say, “No.” I repeat, “No,” a few more times before gently turning her around.
Once Jessica faces me, I fall in love with her all over again. That sweet and adorably stubborn expression grips my heart, nearly tearing it in two. “No. No wasting food.” I add, “No,” and shake my head to get the point across. I take the bowl from her, then take a few steps back.
I motion for her to follow, taking another step back. She sighs and takes the bowl from me while muttering what I’m sure are curses on me and our future children. I grin and head back the way we came, only stopping once inside the great room. Pleased at how she’s listened to reason and will eat the dessert at least, my smile fades as she sets the bowl on the table and continues on to the sleeping quarters.
That’s not how it was supposed to go. Jessica was supposed to eat the meal and regain her strength. She’d been unconscious for three days. Origins only knows how long the Kostans had her on that ship or if they’d given any of the Earthers food.
I don’t follow her into the bedroom. Better to let her think she’s won this round. S’Tou’s at my side and clears his throat. “Yes?” I ask. “I’m sure you have an opinion.”
“I think we’ve finally met someone as stubborn as you are.”
“Seems like it, yes,” I concede.
“Did we know tikk could be harmful to humans?” S’Tou sits on our only sofa, taking Jessica’s dessert with him. “And do we know what else could injure them?”
“We do not.” I’m still staring at the doorway, but unable to see her bed from where I stand. “You should probably run the queries I’ve sent you soon so we’ll know what will and won’t kill her. Plus, I’d like to be able to speak Earther to her.”
“What if I can’t find her particular language? I seem to remember learning about their proclivity for far more dialects than necessary.”
He’s right, so I instruct him with, “We’ll learn them all just in case.”
“Very well,” he huffs. “I’ll run the program during Ghar’s sidereal midnight.”
I look back at S’Tou to find he’s eaten all her food. “Did you really?” Going over to him, I take the dirty bowl and utensil. “Jessica was supposed to have this to cool down her digestive system.”
Shrugging, S’Tou leans back against the sofa’s back with his hands behind his head. “Pehl is my favorite and you saw me take it. Besides, she didn’t want any.”
Giving a sigh, I feed the replicator our dishes and send a command for more pehl. I ask for a smaller bowl of the dessert for me, too, even if I don’t need it. Dinner was enough but, if I eat with her at the same time with no incident, maybe she’ll trust the food. Where are Nilt and Quin? I ask S’Tou.
He digs out his datapad from a pocket. Quin’s probably exploring and Nilt said he wanted to hunt for shiny rocks.
Underground, I hope, I reply while on my way to the bedroom and Jessica.
They know the drill while our airspace is full.
I hope so, I think but don’t send. Recent events and our new Earther have shown just how lax we’ve all become. No one’s bothered us for several Gharian years. Nice, but now after a significant crash? We need to be on alert for enforcers from my homeworld.
I walk in to find Jessica sitting up yet her eyes are closed. “Hello,” I say even though she can’t understand me. “I have more for you to try.”
She opens her eyes and I’m lost again in their brilliant blue. They remind me of Ghar’s skies on a clear winter day. I hold out the larger bowl. She groans and covers her face with her hands, muttering something. I sit on the edge of the bed. “I know the tikk was bad, but you have to eat.”
Jessica slinks down, covering her body with the blanket and turns away from me. “No,” she says in Gharian. She’s speaking my native language and I’m almost brought to my knees by how much I love her.
99% DNA match detected. Accept match?
Origins pless me all to tunsa, I curse to myself because clearly, I have a glitch in my system causing a bonding to an Earther. No. Delay match.
The order hurts, leaves my body shaky and my joints aching. I ignore my discomfort in favor of enjoying Jessica learning Gharian while solving her lack of food or water.
Even though I physically could do so, I won’t force her to eat. I run a hand through my hair, since pless, I will never again force another living being do anything against their will. After a glance at the table between my and Quin’s bed, I concede with, “Fine. No it is. I respect your no.” Putting down the desserts, I leave to retrieve a glass of water for her. I come back to stand between the beds. “Jessica?” She opens her eyes and I set the glass down where she can see it. “Jessica, yes” I repeat, nod, and point to the water. “Yes.”
She returns my nod, says, “Yes,” in Gharian, then closes her eyes.
Sitting opposite from her, I calmly eat my dessert like I don’t care about her interest. The treat’s good but I don’t really taste it. Certainly, I can’t know her well enough to love her. I’ve never kissed her, never made love to her. I can’t speak her language, but even after refusing my system’s request for a match, I adore this woman. She’s brave, clever, interesting, and my body yearns for hers.
