"Squad Leader! What can I do for you?"
"I want to know the condition of the humans."
"Humans... Oh, you mean those filthy, strange-looking creatures that were rescued yesterday."
Nikhil gritted his teeth, glad that Mackenzie still didn't understand Kaliszian so she couldn't understand Parlan.
"Their condition?" he demanded.
"I have not yet checked on them this morning, but they were fine when I went off duty last night. Food, cots, and clean coverings were provided as the General ordered, and I assume they knew how to cleanse themselves."
"Did you show them how to use the cleansing room?"
"Why would I do that? Every known species knows how to use a cleansing unit."
"But they are not a known species to us or us to them." Parlan remained silent. "Were any of them taken to Luol?"
"No. None of them mentioned the need."
"Because they would know they could, right? As they know nothing about us." Nikhil had never liked Parlan. Oh, he was a highly, efficient warrior and did his duty, but he never did more than that and felt he was always entitled to more because of his family’s bloodline and connection to Minister Stepney.
"I want you to go and check on them, and then report their condition to me."
"With all due respect, Squad Leader, General Treyvon assigned me this duty. I follow his orders and report to him. When it is my assigned time to see to that duty, I will." With that, Parlan disconnected his comm.
Nikhil couldn't believe it! That self-important caca had disconnected from him. Him! Squad Leader! While Parlan was right that he didn't report to Nikhil, not in this, he had forgotten that he did report to him on the training fields. Nikhil would make him pay for this insult.
"What did he say?" Mackenzie's question pulled his thoughts away from his and Parlan’s next encounter on the fields.
"That they received food, beds, and new coverings. That none requested to see the Healer."
"Did they know they could?" she immediately asked.
"Wouldn't they have if one of them was in dire straights? They were informed we were treating you."
"They were?"
"Yes." He saw she had finished the packet she had chosen. "Do you need more?"
"No."
"Then are you ready to return to medical?"
"I'd rather check on my friends." She frowned when he seemed to hesitate and stood to confront him. "Nikhil? What are you keeping from me? Why don't you want me to go there first?"
"I am not keeping anything from you!" Nikhil reached out, cupping her cheek before he could stop himself. "My vow. I only thought that you would be better able to assist your... friends, if you had a better understanding of the world you are all now in. You can't do that without first using our educator."
Mac stilled at his touch. It surprised her, especially after the way he reacted to her lips on his. Maybe he was right. If she couldn't understand what was going on between them, after the time she'd spent with Nikhil, how was she going to be able to explain it to everyone else. She needed to use their educator.
"Alright," she finally said. "Let's go see Luol. The sooner this is done, the sooner I can be with my friends."
Nikhil frowned at that. Did she really expect him to just let her leave him, to let other males surround her? It wasn't going to happen, but he knew he couldn't tell her that right now.
"Let us go to the Medical Wing, and Luol can finish treating you, and then he can apply the educator."
"Finish? What do you mean?"
"You became agitated while the deep-repair unit treated you. Luol wanted me to bring you back today so it could finish replenishing your system with what you have lost."
"Replenish...”
"It means to restore what your body has lost."
"I know what it means," she told him shortly. "You never said anything about needing more treatments, only that I needed to use the educator."
"I... I did not mean to mislead you, Little One. We discussed so many things yesterday that I didn't realize we had not discussed that."
Mac stared up into Nikhil's softly glowing eyes and knew he was telling her the truth. She wasn't sure how she knew, she'd never been that good at reading men before, her past relationships were proof of that. But somehow with Nikhil she just knew.
"Alright, but I'm tired of only being told what others think I need to know." She watched Nikhil stiffen before he sunk onto the couch, his hand running over the tightly restrained hair on the top of his head.
"That was never my intention, Mackenzie. I have only tried to care for you to the best of my abilities. I am greatly sorry that I have failed you."