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Lance nodded and bolted ahead.
The ride back was a blur of concern and self-reproach. How had I let her slip by so unprepared? The Surlon sun spared no one its cruelty.
Marah’s place sat on the edge of Dust Gulch. As we approached, Lance emerged from Marah’s dwelling with the healer in tow.
Marah’s wild white hair framed her face like a halo in the sunlight as she rushed forward with hands outstretched. “What happened?” she demanded before we’d even reached her doorstep.
“She underestimated the heat,” I said tersely.
Marah shook her head with a tsk that seemed to echo off the surrounding structures. “And you let her wander out there before she was fully healed? You know better.”
Guilt tightened around my chest like wire. She was right; I should’ve been more insistent. Or perhaps I should’ve forbidden Kate’s excursion altogether until she was stronger.
Inside Marah’s home, cool shadows embraced us. The healer guided me to a cot where I gently laid Kate down. Marah’s hands fluttered over Kate like birds wary of perching, checking for signs of life and distress.
“She’ll be fine,” Marah finally said after what felt like an eternity but must’ve been only minutes. “Just overheated and dehydrated.”
Relief flooded through me but didn’t wash away the residue of responsibility weighing on my conscience.
“Stay with her,” Marah instructed as she bustled about gathering herbs and water. “Make sure she drinks this when she comes around.” She handed me a bowl filled with a concoction that smelled of bitter roots and promise.
I just hoped Kate woke up before I had to go deal with the council.
Chapter 2
Kate
I awoke with a pounding headache, my eyes struggling to adjust to the dim lighting of the small room I found myself in. I tried to sit up but a gentle hand pressed on my shoulder, guiding me back down.
“Easy now,” a soft voice said. “You need to rest.”
Blinking slowly, I focused on the face hovering above me - one of the blue-skinned aliens I had seen earlier. Her eyes were warm with concern as she dabbed a cool cloth against my forehead.
“W-where am I?” I croaked, my throat parched.
“You’re in the healers’ clinic,” she replied. “I’m Alya. You collapsed in the heat a few hours ago.”
The memories started to come back in fragments. The crash landing on this alien planet. Being pulled from the wreckage by the tall, strong aliens. The searing sunlight as I was led through a rocky canyon into a primitive village. Hundreds of those same, blue-skinned humanoids staring at me in curiosity and suspicion.
I remembered the sheriff - Kian - ordering me to stay in the village until I recovered. His brother, Wyatt, and friend Lance watching my every move. The scorching heat sapping every ounce of energy from my body until the world went black.
“How long was I out?” I asked Alya.
“Only a few hours,” she said. “We brought you to the clinic to recover. You pushed yourself too hard too soon. Your body is still healing from the crash.”
I struggled to sit up again, this time waving off Alya’s attempt to stop me. My head spun for a moment before I steadied myself. I was in a small room lined with beds, some occupied by other patients.
“I need to get back to my ship,” I said urgently. “I have to recover the flight recorder and find out why I crashed here. There could still be something wrong with the engines. I might be stuck here indefinitely if I can’t figure it out and repair the damage.”
Alya placed a hand gently but firmly on my shoulder, guiding me to lie back down. “You must regain your strength first. Pushing yourself will only delay your recovery. Be patient.”
I sighed in frustration but could not deny the wisdom of her words. I still felt weak and lightheaded. And judging by what I had seen of the village so far, these people likely had no means of helping me repair my advanced spacecraft.
“You’re right,” I conceded. “I do still feel pretty awful. It’s just...my ship is my only way of getting home. I can’t stand feeling helpless like this.”
“Helplessness can teach us patience and wisdom, if we let it,” Alya said sagely. She squeezed my hand in a comforting gesture. “Rest now. Regain your strength. Then we will see what can be done.”
I sighed, settling back against the roughspun blankets as Alya left to fetch the healer. My thoughts drifted to my wrecked ship, alone and abandoned in the desert. The ship was my responsibility, my only way home. I had to find answers, had to try to repair it. But Alya was right - I was in no shape to head back out there yet.
