The Alien's Accidental Bride

by C. V. Walter

  Molly nodded and smiled. "And dinner?"

  He smiled back at her. "Food, at least, if not a full meal. You don't want to overdo it."

  "I want to," she said. "But I won't."

  With a nod, be backed away from her, and she immediately felt the loss of his body heat. Instinct pushed her to kiss him before he left. Instead, she gripped the table hard to keep from going after him. She waited for him to leave before she climbed back on the table where she trembled for several long minutes before she managed to calm her nerves.

  Chapter 10

  Mintonar hurried down the corridors near the med bay, his first destination the closest residential section to the med bay. Several of the nurses lived nearby, allowing them to be on call and still get some sleep, in theory. One or two of them were close enough to Maw-lee in size to have clothes she could wear.

  He needed her clothed. Whatever spark existed between them was growing stronger the better they were able to communicate. That wasn't something he had anticipated, much less had any way of dealing with. Relationships were not something he had spent much time pursuing and he wasn't about to do so while she was still his patient.

  His comm chimed with replies to the request for clothing he'd sent to the nurses he thought might have clothes that would fit Maw-lee and the first answer in the affirmative was also the one closest to the medical bay.

  The door slid open and he was greeted by a smiling Nurse Bow-sie.

  "She's feeling better?" she greeted him without preamble.

  "Much," Mintonar acknowledged. "Getting up and moving is as important now as anything else we could do for her and she needs something to preserve her modesty."

  Bow-sie smiled at him, obviously biting back a laugh. "Preserve your sanity, is more likely," she told him. "You have that look."

  "What look?" he demanded.

  "Of a surgeon shocked to meet his match on the operating table."

  "How-"

  "Not all of us are subsumed by our work, Mintonar," she said. "I've been around enough to understand how it is."

  "What, who did you see? How?"

  Her eyes softened and she patted his arm. "My first assignment, I was a trauma nurse and I worked closely with the surgery teams. The girl, she was brought in officially, with guards to make sure she didn't die. I saw him touch her to assess the damage and the look in his eyes..." she shook her head. "When you've seen recognitions spark in somebody else, you don't forget it. I wouldn't have separated the two of them for all the world."

  Mintonar stilled. There had been few happy endings to such stories in recent years. "If he was a surgeon, he might have-"

  "She woke none the wiser, every wound healed, with a guard to see her back to her mating ceremony. He was no longer a surgeon."

  He closed his eyes and nodded. "Of course. Did he-"

  "I don't know what happened," Bow-sie said gently. "There were no rumors of violence. I think he simply left. With the first spark, you can walk away, and it will only haunt you for a little while. I always wondered about the girl, though. She was pretty, delicate horns, fancy family crest on the ceremonial dress."

  "She lived happily ever after," Mintonar said. "Until she didn't. When she disappeared, people very carefully failed to look for her."

  "I hope he found her, then," Bow-sie said. "The way you have found yours. I would help you care for her and keep her the way I couldn't help him."

  "Then you have-"

  "Something that will cover her, yes," Bow-sie said. She walked back into her quarters and came back quickly, handing him a stack of cloth with a hard-plastic container on top. "And some advice."

  "I don't need-"

  "Yes, you do, Mintonar. You need to make time to get others vaccinated so you can sleep somewhere else and trust she'll be safe without you there. And explain to her what's going on, at least as much as you can. If you're scared of what's going on, imagine what she feels, who knows nothing about recognition or any of the rest."

  "She's well enough to leave the med bay," he told Bow-sie. "And she wants a more comfortable bed than the table."

  "She can't have yours," Bow-sie told him. "I can put her up for a while if you still want someone to watch over her. Or you can talk to the captain about getting her a residential cabin near someone who's vaccinated."

  "There's a cot in the medical bay," he said.

  "Mintonar," she scolded. "You can't keep her locked up in there forever. I understand wanting to keep her safe but she's not a pet or an experiment. You have to let her out."

  He frowned. "I know that."

  "And you have to sleep, as well. How long have you been awake?"

  "I took a nap during the last rest cycle."

  "On the cot in the medical bay, right? We're halfway into the next rest cycle. You need to get some sleep. If you keep pushing like this, you're going to injure yourself and then where will she be?"

  "Trapped in the medical bay with an injured doctor," he said with a rueful smile.

  "And nobody can help because nobody has downloaded the vaccine."

  "Which is stupid," Mintonar said. "We were going to an alien planet that we hoped could support life. They had to assume there was some kind of life on it already."

  "I know, I know," Bow-sie said, raising a hand to placate him. "Most of us assumed we could get one if we got here and there was life. I don't think anybody expected to have that life running around the ship before we even made it to the planet."

  Mintonar sighed. "I didn't, either, but I did expect some of the idiots to contact biological life before they remembered they needed to update their nano's and I would have to take care of them. I expected to be quarantining a landing team, not fixing a stranded alien."

  "It's a good thing for her you were prepared, though," she said. "She probably wouldn't have lasted long enough for you to get the update. Or survived if you'd had to update after you started."

  "Right," he said. "How did you know the alien was a she?"

  Bow-sie smiled at him. "I've been reading the updates but you've been referring to her as a 'she' so I figured you'd found out."

  "Ah, right, I forgot I'd put that in the reports. Is anybody else reading them?"

  "Most of the medical staff are staying apprised. And making sure they're edited enough that the rest of the crew aren't aware of too many details. I am curious about some of her reactions to you touching her but that's a discussion for another day, probably with another woman, if she's as shy as you seem to think she is."

  "I don't know how much of that is her natural inclination and how much is cultural," Mintonar said. "Some of the videos from her helmet show rather strange taboos."

  "We'll have to ask," she said. "But later. After she has clothes and you've slept. And eaten. There's enough in that container for both of you."

  "Thank you, Bow-sie," Mintonar said, nodding his head to her. "I appreciate your willingness to help."

  "You're welcome," she said, with a smile. "Now go take care of your alien so I can get back to sleep."

  He backed up and the door slid closed. The fabric in his hands felt soft and a glance at the label on the container Bow-sie had given him made him wonder about how she'd react to it. She'd liked the last one more than he'd anticipated. Hopefully she'd enjoy this one, as well.

  It was a quick walk back to the medical bay and he found Maw-lee sitting cross-legged on the table watching the door. She was frowning, her teeth running lightly over her lower lip. A jolt ran through him at the thought of running his own teeth over her lip and he turned away from her to put the clothes down and get himself under control.

  "I have found clothes that I think will cover you," he said. "And food. As it is currently half-way through the rest cycle, we'll have to see about getting you more comfortable accommodations when the captain has woken up."

  "There's a captain?" Maw-lee asked, sliding off the table.

  "Yes, he's in charge of the ship and will have to authorize any use of the residential ar
eas."

  "Oh, I wasn't expecting that," she said.

  "What were you expecting?"

  "I don't really know," she admitted. "I just thought you might have a different command structure."

  "I imagine there are differences, yes, but Captain is the best word that translates and it's close enough to what he does that it doesn't make much difference at this point. If you decide to join the crew, that might change," Mintonar said with a smile.

  Maw-lee laughed. "I'm a little old to be joining the crew of an alien spaceship but I'll keep that in mind."

  "You are not old, Maw-lee," Mintonar said with a frown. "Or, you don't look old by our standards. You'll have to explain to me how your people age."

  She blushed slightly. "I didn't say I was old, just too old to be joining a crew. I'm approaching the middle of my expected life span, if I age naturally. Working on the space station has its own risks."

  "Ah, yes, I imagine the possibility of accidents would decrease your life expectancy." He'd put down the container of food and was holding the clothes. She was standing next to him, close enough he could feel her body next to him, and it was more unnatural not to close the distance than to hold himself where he was.

  "Are those for me?" she asked, nodding to the fabric in his hands.

  "Yes," he said. "They are female garments. Fairly straight forward to put on, I imagine."

  "No fancy zippers, straps or anti-gravity undergarments?" she asked with a smile.

  "Not on casual wear for a space ship, no," he replied.

  She took them from him and shivered slightly when her fingers brushed the back of his hand. He wanted to ask what she felt when that happened but she pulled back, clutching the fabric to her chest and backed away.

  "Is there a place I can get dressed?"

  Mintonar looked around the med bay. There were alcoves but this was mostly an operating suite with equipment tucked away in the corners and space for people to move around. "I can step out for a moment, if that makes you more comfortable," he offered, finally. "I don't know that I understand why but I can do so."

  She gave him a small smile. "It's a human thing," she said. "And I can explain the concept of privacy, if you'd like, and some of the historical reasons behind the desire for it. But maybe after I get dressed?"

  He nodded. "Yes, I would like to hear more about your species concepts of privacy. Call out to me when you are finished and I'll return to prepare the food."

  "Thank you," she said.

  The door slid open and he left before he could think better of it. He would learn more before he protested being banished from the room.

  Chapter 11

  Pajamas. The clothes he brought her were pajamas. Molly laughed as she slipped on the pants and shirt. They were loose, soft, comfortable and probably too large for her but they were definitely pajamas. The clothes Mintonar wore reminded her of what she'd seen doctor's wear on earth. Pants with a solid weight to them, a shirt that felt like it could be crisp if it was ironed properly but there weren't a whole lot of wrinkles in it, either, and a jacket over all of it to keep it clean.

  The overwhelming urge to inspect his clothing made her laugh at herself. The few times she'd touched his clothing deliberately, she'd liked the feel of the fabric. And when he had held her, the feel of the fabric against her skin had been very pleasant.

  She didn't want to think about what that meant.

  Instead, she called for him then picked up the blanket and went to sit on the table. There weren't a whole lot of chairs and, as good as she felt, she didn't feel quite up to sitting on a stool just yet. It had less to do with physical discomfort than a desire for being cozy while she processed her surroundings.

  Which was something else she was going to have to do. She'd been very careful to not think too much about where she was and what was going on. There was too much in her brain to deal with how the ship worked, even though she had a million questions to ask.

  Something about Mintonar told her he'd been holding back for a while, too. He had been anxious for the translator to work, she knew, but now that it was, he'd been strangely reticent in their interactions. Probably because she'd been so demanding, she thought, and wondered if he regretted being able to understand her.

  When he came back in, he took in where she was sitting, and that she was wrapped in the blanket again and frowned. "Are you still cold?" he asked.

  Molly shook her head, smiling because she'd anticipated the question. "No, I just enjoy being wrapped in a comfort item."

  "Comfort item," Mintonar said, considering. "The blanket is an item that provides physical comfort. Is that a human thing?"

  "Humans can get psychological comfort from things that provide physical comfort. As infants and children, we have a need for soft things. Sometimes the soft things are our mothers and sometimes the only soft things are blankets and stuffed toys. There were some horrible experiments done by some awful people to figure out why that it is but without things that provide that comfort, humans can get very sick, even without anything else wrong with them."

  "I see. So that blanket is very important for your continued health."

  She nodded. "Not necessarily this blanket but something like it. I have a weakness for soft cardigans when I'm home and getting ready for bed."

  "Cardigan?"

  "It's a piece of clothing. Kinda like your jacket but soft and warm."

  "Ah, I understand. I believe we have something similar. I shall have to find one and show you and you can tell me how it differs."

  "I'd like that," she said. "Especially since the clothes you gave me are very similar to what I wear as pajamas on the space station."

  "You wear different clothes on the space station than you do on the planet?"

  "I have a more limited wardrobe on the space station because everything has to be functional and durable. There's limited space and few opportunities to replace things that are damaged."

  "The clothes you wear on the planet aren't functional?"

  She thought about that for a moment, her head tilted to the side. "They're differently functional," she said. "There's no need for a ball gown, fancy dress costume or negligee on the space station, at least for me, but I've used all of those things on the planet and have several of each for different occasions. Not that the negligee's gotten much use in the last few years."

  "What are all of them for?" he asked. "Some of those words require context, I believe."

  "They do," she said with a laugh. "I'll have to find a way to show you pictures, just in case you ever need to identify a ball gown."

  "Your temperature increased slightly when you said negligee but I have no translation for that."

  She blushed. "Uh, it's basically fancy pajamas."

  "Something you sleep in, then?"

  Molly nodded and blushed again.

  "Something you don't sleep in, then." He looked down at his comm and raised an eyebrow. "Ah, I believe I understand. I will ask about it later and you can explain the context."

  "Wait, what do you understand? What's on your damn arm that makes you understand about not sleeping in a negligee?"

  "I have certain of your health information sent to my comm so I can monitor any issues when we're not here next to the displays."

  "How are you getting it? Where's it coming from?" Her pitch raised in alarm. "Do I just have to be sitting on the table for it to monitor me?"

  "Oh, no, the bio-nanos are setup to communicate with the medical bay. Most of the time, it's just to indicate trauma and distress but since they're still learning, I have them sending everything so we can create a baseline and indicate what qualifies as trauma or illness and what is just normal fluctuations in breathing, heart rate, hormone creation and utilization."

  Molly's mouth dropped open. She wanted to protest the gross invasion of her privacy but had no idea where to start. "Can you make them stop?"

  "Transmitting? Certainly."

  She waited expectantly. "Are they tele
pathic?" she asked when he didn't do anything.

  "Of course not."

  "Then how are you going to make them stop transmitting?"

  "I'm not."

  "But you said you could."

  "And I can but I'm not going to."

  "Why not?" she demanded.

  "Because I don't have enough data yet. They've only just finished repairing the rest of the internal damage and are starting to read the cellular level data to set programming for a healthy internal function."

  "So, they're inside me and communicating with that thing on your wrist," Molly said levelly.

  "Well, they're communicating with the diagnostic equipment in the medical bay which is sending select information to the comm device I wear on my wrist but otherwise, yes."

  "How did they get inside me, why are they inside me, why do you need to know every little thing like how my hormones are working?"

  "They're inside you because I put them there," he explained slowly. "Because you have massive internal injuries, most of which I could stabilize but which had to be fixed from inside your body. I used these ones because they were mostly blank. Bio-nano's that haven't been programmed yet have two functions; to find obvious injury and use the surrounding detritus to fix them and to learn about the host body to enable them to continue fixing injuries."

  "Why do you need to know how my hormones are working?"

  He tilted his head and glanced down at his wrist. With a frown, he reached over and pressed something on the container he'd set on the rolling table by his stool. "Because a great number of your bodily functions are controlled by various hormones, including-"

  The container beeped and he stopped talking. He reached over and opened it, removing a rectangular bowl and a spoon, which he handed to her.

  "What's this?" She asked, taking it from him and sniffing. It smelled really good though she couldn't quite place why.

  "It's dinner. Strictly speaking, it's a ship's ration comprised of a ratio of protein, fat and carbohydrates. Designed to be pleasing to the palate and provide enough nutrition to last roughly a third of a full cycle."