Nikhil(66)

"While we will be remaining here," she finished for him.

"Yes, for now at least."

"What do you mean for now?"

"I only meant until we discover where your home world is. Your concern for your people is admirable, Mackenzie, and I support it, but there are also others that have suffered."

Mac found she couldn't argue with that. They weren't the only ones that had suffered, but at least the others knew and understood what was happening to them, then and now, while her friends didn't.

"Then at least start letting them use the educator," she argued back. "There is so much they don't know or understand. You have no idea what it feels like to not understand what is being said to you. To not know how this world works and why. They can't even understand what I am saying to you right now."

Looking behind her, Luol saw she was right. All her people were standing there staring at them with a combination of confusion and fear. How would he feel if he suddenly found himself in their world and couldn't communicate?

"I can not properly attend to two beings in the deep-repair units, and also monitor another using the educator."

"Then I'll help you," Mac told him.

"What?" Luol's eyes widened in shock.

"I said. I. Will. Help. You. Let me go find out who wants to go first."

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

"What's going on, Mac?" Craig asked as soon as she returned.

"The Kaliszians have brought down another deep-repair unit so they can start treating you guys the way they have me. It's a bed that closes around you." She saw their confusion. "The only thing I can compare it to is an MRI bed. It scans you then fixes whatever needs repaired while replenishing whatever has been depleted from your system. It will take some time."

"How much time?" Craig demanded.

"I was in it two times totaling almost twelve hours."

"Why two times?" Paul asked.

"Luol wasn't sure how my system would react to the unit so he erred on the side of caution."

"But you didn't have any problems. Right?" Jen asked concerned.

"I didn't," she reassured her. "Luol is also going to start applying their educator to you, one at a time, so you can know what I know."

"How long does that take?" Craig asked.

"A couple hours. So who wants to go first?" she asked looking at each one of them expectantly then frowned when no one immediately volunteered. "Guys?" she prompted.

"I'll go," Craig and Paul said at the same time.

"Great, then let’s go," Mac said

"Paul..." Eric grabbed his hand.

"Someone needs to do this, Eric. It will be fine," Paul squeezed his hand reassuringly then looked at Mac. "Let’s go I'm ready to understand all this shit!"

∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

Luol was still slightly shocked as he sealed the door of the medical unit. Onp had vigorously tried to deter Mackenzie from accompanying him, but when it came to the battle of wills, Mackenzie was the surprising victor. He found himself smiling as he remembered how flustered Onp had become when Mackenzie had told him that the only way he could stop her from leaving the area was if he physically restrained her and she was sure that wouldn't upset Nikhil at all.

Turning, he found Mackenzie talking quietly not to the two males she'd introduced as Paul and Craig, but to the Nekeok that was going to be treated by the other repair unit. Moving closer, he was surprised to find she was comforting the male.

"Is there a problem, Mackenzie?" he asked moving to her side. Nekeok's were a somewhat short-tempered species that could strike out when irritated. While they were small by Kaliszian standards, they were still larger and stronger than humans.

"No. I was just reassuring Blag that he had heard correctly. The supply ship will be here in four days. He's anxious to get back to his wife. They have been notified that he's alive, right?"

"I... I do not know," Luol admitted.

"Well, we need to find out," she told him. "Blag's wife was with offspring when he was taken, and he is very concerned about her."

"I will contact the General after they are in the repair unit. I am sorry, Blag," Luol turned to the Nekeok whose name he hadn't even known, "that I never thought to inquire."

"It is to be expected," the Nekeok replied, and it had Luol frowning.

"What do you mean?" Luol demanded.

"Kaliszians are only ever concerned with themselves. It is what caused the Great Infection," Blag said moving toward one of the repair units. "If it weren't that the Zaludians were stealing a resource you might need, you never would have even bothered freeing us."