Queen of the Stars

by Haley R Lawson

  I just held his hand for a minute and then said, “Leave it to a royal to change everything I found important, to challenge me, and then leave just when I was finally learning how to do it. Alex, this ship needs you. You… You changed things in a week that have been since the ship first took off. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry I took you down there. I promise you I will do everything in my power as a royal advisor to make things right around here. I promise.”

  I had to let go of his hand to wipe the waterfall from my face. Jackson came in and sat with me. He said, “I wanted to give you a chance to talk to him alone. Rose, I’m so sorry. I should’ve acted quicker. I was distracted by Tucker and… I didn’t think they’d shoot a prince. I thought… I don’t even know what I thought.”

  “Jackson, it is not your fault. Alex was… is stubborn. He would’ve been the first to speak even if you weren’t distracted and besides, they were planning to kill him. It’s not your fault.”

  A doctor came running in and said “Excuse me, you are from the medical branch, right? We have a bunch of patients coming in and we could really use the help.” Jackson asked what happened and the man replied, “There was a secret facility collecting blood and organs from badly injured workers. They were bad when they got there, but now they are critical. I’m rounding up as many doctors as I can.”

  Jackson went with him but told me to stay with Alex. I held Alex’s hand and said, “We did it. We saved them. I’m not going anywhere Alex. I am here.” I just kept holding his hand. Conner came into the room after a while and said, “Ella told me Alex was here, she said you might be alone with him, so I came to sit with you. I brought some tea and a sandwich. I don’t think we are supposed to eat in here, but you need food and everybody else is busy elsewhere so I don’t think they will care.”

  I thanked him and took the sandwich. I wasn’t hungry, but I knew I needed to eat. Conner looked at the machines and then put his head down. He was incredibly brave for being there with me, since he survived through harder circumstances. He was kind of a symbol of hope and it made me realize how much he truly cared for me. “Conner, thank you. I know this must not be easy for you. You don’t have to stay.”

  “You didn’t have to ride the elevator with me for over an hour. You did it because you cared. I’m here and not going anywhere. Besides, Alex is going to need a survivor of the impossible when he wakes up.” He just held me while I held Alex’s hand. Eventually, I fell asleep on Conner’s shoulder.

  Chapter 25

  Everyday Hero

  Alex coded several times throughout the night, but the doctors were just treating him as a human patient. I couldn’t tell if it was helping him or just making him worse. By the fifth time, I had enough and borrowed Conner’s glasses. I went to the nurses’ station and commandeered a computer. I eventually found what I was looking for. I wrote down all of the information about Alex’s species normal vitals and ways to get them back to range. His temperature was too low, so I went and got some blankets. The level of his species’ normal oxygen range was different from what humans breathe, so I was really confused as to how he was living on the ship. I woke Conner to ask him and he told me there is a small device they put in the back of their mouths. Alex had been intubated, so I thought at first the device had most likely been removed, but then I noticed a lump in his throat. I removed the intubation and the device was stuck around it constricting airflow. Conner helped me put the tube back after we got the broken pieces from it.

  After it was replaced, I turned the oxygen level down to be consistent with his planet’s. As soon as the oxygen was corrected, his other vitals started to return to their normal range. Conner left to go get him a new air adapting device while I just focused on Alex’s vitals. The machine was set to human and started freaking out when his pulse reached it’s incredibly high but normal range. A doctor came in with a crash cart but ran away when he saw an alien.

  Alex woke up just after security surrounded our hallway and started treating it as a quarantine area. I pulled the tube out and replaced it with an oxygen mask. At first, it was set at our earth’s oxygen and he was hyperventilating. I fixed it and after a few deep normal breaths he removed the mask to say something to me, but I could not understand the noises that came from his mouth. I put the mask back on his face and said, “Alex, I’m sorry. Your air adjusting and I guess language adjusting device is broken. Conner went to find a new one for you. Unfortunately, we were just locked down and put into quarantine because your watch is off. I will fix this. I just have to find your watch.”

  I found it on the table by the door. The security people were going nuts outside. I just put Alex’s watch on and noticed a purple substance running down his face. I figured out he was crying and also that he was wearing special contacts. One fell out of his eye and his eye was light purple with a flower shaped iris with a gold outline. He closed his eyes. I went into the hall. A man on the other side of the plastic had his gun aimed at me and told me not to move. Conner returned and was just standing behind him.

  The man said, “This area is quarantined off for an extraterrestrial threat. Please find another route.”

  “You do realize we are on a spaceship? We are all extraterrestrials.”

  “Not like that thing in there.”

  “Isn’t it your job to protect royals? That’s Prince Alexander’s room. You should probably go in there.”

  “I’m not going in there. I think it hypnotized that girl. She’s going to try to break out.”

  Conner moved closer to the plastic. “Can I go in there? I have something for the prince.”

  “No, you cannot go in there? Do you want little alien spores all over the ship? Just wait until someone qualified for this shit comes to handle it.”

  Conner backed up and the man kept looking at me. Conner flipped his watch and said, “I don’t think it’s secure here… Do I look okay to you?”

  The man dropped the gun and took off running. Conner flipped his watch back and came into the quarantine area. He was nice enough to zip it behind him. Conner helped Alex humanize himself. I held his hand, but he wouldn’t look at me, even after his contacts were back in.

  I said, “Alex, I’m not going anywhere. I don’t care what you look like. I’m here.”

  “You aren’t afraid of me?”

  “Well, first of all, you were on your death bed and I basically know how to kill you now. Secondly, why would I be afraid of you? You’ve done nothing but try to save all of us since you got here.”

  “I have body armor and creepy eyes.”

  “I think your eyes are awesome and so is the body armor. I was scared for you, but I’d never be scared of you.”

  “Where is Jackson?”

  “He’s treating the survivors from the facility. Your dad’s people must’ve been able to secure the location. They are working on securing the rest of the ship.”

  “Theo, where’s Theo?”

  “Your mom, Theo, and Sky are on your father’s ship. Just take a few minutes before you go all royal savior on us.”

  He smiled. “You saved my life three times. Will you be a royal now?”

  “These past two times were my fault.”

  “No, they weren’t. If I hadn’t surprised them, they would’ve carried out whatever they were planning. You potentially saved the whole ship.”

  “I just can’t become… I will tell you when I am ready. Alex there isn’t a chance your father would do this right? Your family gave up on you way too quickly and your doctor was treating you all wrong… Conner call Charlie. Do not let that ship leave!”

  “Rose, what am I missing? What happened?”

  “That man that was here wasn’t your doctor. He abducted your mother, Theo, and Sky.”

  Alex got up, like straight up without hesitation and took off running with his gown blowing in the wind around him. I followed after, but he ran very fast for a man who almost died. We reached the launch bay. I don’t know how Alex knew where he was going, but
thankfully he did. Charlie seemed so happy and confused to see Alex. Alex said, “Stop the launch.”

  Charlie replied, “They are already halfway to your ship. They will come back as soon as the ships secure. You can call them. You know you could’ve taken the time to change.”

  “Bring them back!”

  Charlie called the ship’s communication system, but they didn’t answer and then it disappeared from the map.

  “Get me a ship!”

  “Alex, calm down. I don’t understand. What’s happening?”

  Alex said “That doctor was not trying to save me. He took them! Get me a ship!”

  Sky, Theo, and Alex’s mom came running down the hall with Conner. Alex collapsed into his mom and Sky into Charlie. Conner said, “I needed it to look like things went as planned. The ship is on autopilot. How did you two get up here so fast?”

  Alex’s adrenaline all wore off and his legs buckled like Jell-O beneath him. I caught him and gently lowered him to the ground. His mother said, “Alexander, who is this girl?”

  He said, “She’s my royal advisor to the people. She’s saved my life four times so far. This is Rose.”

  His mother hugged me. She was incredibly strong and lifted me right off the ground. Conner and Charlie helped Alex back to his feet. His mom said, “I want you to go back to the hospital and rest. I know you won’t do that, but at least go get checked out.”

  Alex said, “The doctors didn’t help me. Rose did. She can do it here.”

  I said, “Actually, I can’t. All of my notes and the machines are in quarantine.”

  His mom said, “Did you say quarantine? Is he contagious?”

  Alex laughed and said, “She turned my watch off as a doctor came in with a crash cart. The monitors were set to human levels. The hospital may think there is an alien on the loose.”

  She looked at me and then at him and said, “Well honey, there is.”

  “I know that, but they think an evil brain eating alien is on the loose.”

  His mom laughed. “There is a missing alien. The man we came to this ship with has been our family doctor for years. He seemed different after we told Theo to say goodbye to you, but I just thought he was frustrated he couldn’t save you. I think our real doctor is missing and whoever that guy was used his device.”

  “We’ll go find him. Don’t worry.”

  Alex, Charlie, Conner, and I went back to the hospital. A new guard was stationed at quarantine and there were four layers of plastic walls now. Conner said, “Sir, we need to retrieve the prince’s lost items. Can we please go through?”

  “Not unless you want the prince to catch whatever horrible alien diseases are in there. There are two loose in there.”

  Charlie flipped his watch this time and said, “I don’t think the wall is holding it in.”

  The man said, “Ah hell no, get in there. Back up from me. Damnit.”

  We got inside and he got on the radio and said, “Sir, we need to evacuate this floor and move the line back. Stop letting people come down here. Now we’ve got an alien, two contaminated, and three people possibly including Prince Alexander. We need to find this damn alien. Where are you four going?”

  I said, “Well we still need Alex’s stuff and Charlie will need to sit down now.”

  “Aw man, is that Prince Charles too?”

  Charlie said, “The one and only.”

  “Yeah that’s the problem. Okay, do what you have to do. Are one of you a doctor or something?”

  Conner said, “Rose and I have medical training. It’ll be fine.”

  “I don’t know man. My coworker’s traumatized by whatever he saw. I’m going to back up a little incase this suit doesn’t work as well as they thought. If you need me to shoot something just yell.”

  We went to Alex’s room. I checked all of his vitals and he was fine. I didn’t have any clothes for him, but he was fine. The four of us split up to search the quarantined area for the doctor. We found him unconscious in a storage closet. Charlie put his watch on him, and we moved him towards Alex’s room.

  The guard saw us and said, “Where did you get him from?”

  I said, “He was locked in the storage closet. The alien must’ve scared him and then he got locked in.”

  “Now hold up, why doesn’t he have spots?”

  “Stronger immune systems or he didn’t touch anything the alien did… I don’t know. He just doesn’t. I don’t either.”

  “True… okay. Just stay in there. Is he dead?”

  “No, he’s just unconscious. He’ll be fine.”

  Charlie went to find Alex and Conner. I treated the doctor. He had been given a shot to knock him out and he seemed to have a slight concussion when he woke up. I had taken his contacts out and turned his watch off. Alex and the others came back. The doctor thought I was torturing him and pushed me to the ground.

  Alex turned his watch off and the doctor said, “I am glad you are okay, but what are you doing. This girl is going to kill us.”

  Alex said, “She saved our lives. Let her go. Rose, are you okay?”

  I told him I was fine as the doctor let me go. Alex turned both of their watches on and we all sat down to strategize. Eventually, Charlie said, “So, now what?”

  Alex said, “Well they aren’t going to let us go until a specialist arrives and catches an alien.”

  There was a commotion in the hall and Jackson came running in after a gun shot was fired. His arm was bleeding. I said, “Please tell me you didn’t just kill that security officer.”

  He said, “I’m fine thanks. He’s fine too. He’s just sitting on the ground crying.”

  I got a bandage for his arm and said, “Did he shoot you?”

  “He tried to, but thankfully was shaking too badly and only grazed my arm.”

  “What are you doing?”

  “Saving you. I promised I’d come back.”

  “Well you are doing a great job.”

  He laughed. “I got here, didn’t I?”

  I laughed before Charlie responded, “I don’t mean to interrupt, but we still have a problem and now they think the alien is attacking.”

  Conner turned off his watch and said, “I don’t know this guy’s name, but he’s obviously capable of catching an alien. Just say it was me.”

  “Conner, you don’t have to…” I said as I tried to talk him out of it, but we heard an army moving in. Conner handed me his watch and took his contacts out. His eyes were all black, but he was Conner and did not scare me. Jackson restrained him using a bed sheet and the gun he picked up from our guard friend.

  As the security team moved in, Jackson said, “Don’t shoot. I have it restrained. Don’t shoot.”

  The team moved in and knocked Conner to the ground. They put him in some sort of pod. Alex said, “Take him to the royal office. I want to interrogate him.” They did as he asked.

  Alex said “He’ll be fine. Jackson, thank you again. Rose, I am heading back up to the office. Will you come meet my father?”

  “They need help with all of the patients they had to move. I’m going to stay with Jackson for now.”

  Charlie seemed more upset than Alex. Alex responded cordially with, “Okay, but don’t be a stranger. I’ll come see you when I can. Thank you both.” They took his family doctor with him and they headed to the office.

  I asked Jackson how Tucker was. He said, “He went into surgery when everyone started freaking out about an alien. He should probably be done now.”

  “Well let’s go see.”

  “You can go with them. Prince Charles looked upset you weren’t. I will be fine.”

  “They don’t need me up there. You need me here. I’m your partner.”

  “Okay, but is Charlie your partner?”

  “That’s a complicated question… We… He’s a prince and I am not even a real royal. We are just close friends.”

  “Okay, well partner, let’s get back to work.”

  We went to Tucker’s room and h
e had just gotten out of surgery. He lost his leg and a lot of blood, but they thought he was going to be fine. The lockdown alarm was lifted, and we had to go back to work. Jackson wrote Tucker a note and we headed towards the medical supply building. Eventually Jackson broke the awkward silence. “So, are you going to be a royal now?”

  “I… I thought the service staff was my calling. I thought I was going to give up but working with you has allowed me to make such a big difference. Royalty can wait. I’m not done yet.”

  He laughed. “You really are stubborn, aren’t you?”

  I laughed. “I am, but it’s saved Prince Alex a few times so I’m not about to change.”

  “Good, because I wouldn’t want you to.”

  We arrived to get our supply bag and the supervisor told us that we could call a drone bus for critical patients. He gave us all the number. We went to our assigned clinics and the number of engine room injuries declined, but the number of boiler room and water worker injuries increased. It was just a lack of proper training. We only had to transport two patients by drone bus. Tommy was back with hypothermia again. He admitted his coworkers didn’t like him very much and most likely did it on purpose. We warmed him back up and Jackson asked what he did before he was on the ship. He was apparently a med student.

  Jackson said, “I will work on getting you transferred to my team. Get yourself fired. You will most likely end up down here.”

  “I don’t know how to get fired. You think getting yourself repeatedly locked in a freezer would do it.”