Chosen by the Alien Doctor

by Sloane Meyers

  Kromin wanted to get some Zocronian doctors and nurses in the pipeline, but it would take years to convince some locals to go get training, and then actually complete that training. In the meantime, Kromin would have to look at outside planets to find doctors and nurses who might be willing to immigrate to Zocrone. Not long ago, that would have been impossible due to Zocrone’s strict rules against immigration. But now that outsiders were allowed, Kromin was sure they could find a few good doctors and nurses willing to move here. Of course, these sludging storms were going to have to let up before anyone from the outside would be able to get into the city.

  Kromin looked up at the ceiling, as though he’d somehow be able to see through it and see outside. Of course, that was impossible, but it didn’t matter. He didn’t need to actually see outside the city dome to know that it was still storming. It had been storming nonstop since Kromin and Anya got back from the mines. That brief respite had been the only break in the storm’s intensity in weeks, and the forecast for the next several weeks didn’t look good. Kromin was glad there had been no medical emergencies for the last few days. He hoped with all his heart things stayed quiet, because if they did he might actually come out of this without suffering any ill effects from the hospital being under-stocked. They were already out of skinsealer. He’d used the last of it on a little boy who came in four days ago with a huge gash on his forehead from falling off a tree. The boy’s mother had been traumatized, and Kromin couldn’t really blame her. There had been a lot of blood. But after cleaning up the wound and applying skinsealer, the boy had been fine. He’d also been defiant, telling his mother that he didn’t care if he hurt himself: he was never going to quit climbing trees. Kromin had had a hard time not laughing. The kid reminded him a lot of himself at that age. He’d climbed to the highest trees in the city dome with Daxar, Jarmuk, and Toryx when they were all kids. He’d never been as strong or skilled as the other three, though, and frequently Kromin was the one who ended up with a broken arm or bloody face. Not that the other three didn’t have their share of falls, too. Kromin just always got the worst of it. No wonder Daxar, Jarmuk, and Toryx all worked in the mines, while Kromin headed up the hospital. Kromin tried to act tough, but the truth was that he was probably too much of a klutz to work safely in a Zekkardite mine, and everyone knew it.

  “Penny for your thoughts?” Anya said, bringing him back to the present.

  “Huh? What’s a penny?”

  Anya looked confused for a moment, then laughed. “Oh, it’s just a type of coin one of the countries on Earth used to use back in the day. Back when people still used actual physical money. Penny for your thoughts is just an expression that technically means I’d pay you a penny if you told me what you were thinking.”

  “Do you have a penny?”

  Anya looked at him like he was crazy. “No. Of course not. No one has pennies anymore, except maybe a few of the Earth museums.”

  Kromin grinned at her and crossed his arms. “Well, then, I’m not telling you my thoughts.”

  Anya groaned and rolled her eyes. “A credit for your thoughts?”

  Kromin laughed. “I’m not thinking anything exciting. Just about the logistics of getting the hospital staff hired, mostly.” Kromin wasn’t about to tell her that he’d actually been thinking about his klutzy side when she broke in to ask him what he was thinking. The less she learned about that klutzy side, the better. Daxar, Jarmuk, and Toryx would be sure to gleefully fill her in on details, anyway, once they realized she and Kromin were dating.

  “Stop thinking about the hospital right now.”

  Kromin raised a surprised eyebrow in her direction. “I never thought I’d hear you say that to me. You’ve been on my case since the day we met to think more about the hospital.”

  “Yeah, well, you have thought about it. Now it’s time to think about us.”

  Kromin took a slow sip of his beer and leaned across the small table so he could lower his voice as he spoke. “What should I be thinking about us?”

  Anya shifted nervously in her seat. Kromin had learned enough of Anya’s quirky little habits by now to know that when she shifted like that, she was trying to work up the courage to say something she really didn’t want to say.

  “What is it, Anya? Just spit it out. Unless you’re breaking up with me because in that case keep your mouth shut. I don’t want to hear it.” Kromin winked at her, hoping to put her at ease. He was pretty sure she wasn’t breaking up with him, which was the only reason he felt comfortable joking like that. They’d been making love every chance they got, both at the hospital, at his house, and at her apartment. And their most recent romp, which had been at the hospital just before they came to the pub, had been their best one yet, if her screams of delight had been any indication. She had definitely not sounded like a woman who was planning to get rid of him anytime soon.

  “I’m not breaking up with you. But that’s just the thing, Kromin. We still haven’t talked about where this relationship is going, or what our status is.” She looked around hurriedly, as though nervous someone might be listening in. But the bar was empty except for the two of them and a man sitting on the complete opposite side of the room, nursing a beer on his own while reading something on his e-assistant.

  Kromin frowned. Had he missed some signal from her that he was supposed to make some announcement about his plans for her? At the beginning he’d told her they could talk about the future, because he knew enough to know that girls always wanted to do that. But she’d seemed more interested in banging than talking, and he’d been okay with that. He’d figured she would bring it up again if she wanted to talk, but something in her eyes right now told him that he should have known enough to bring it up sooner of his own accord.

  “Anya, I’m always happy to talk to you. I didn’t realize you wanted to talk about us, but I can tell you that as far as I’m concerned, at least, this relationship is a permanent thing. I have no plans to get rid of you. In fact, I have plans to keep you forever. Eventually I’d like to convince you to move into my house and maybe even to marry me. I know it’s probably ridiculously early to say that sort of thing, but I know in my heart how I feel about you.”

  Anya’s wary expression had softened somewhat. “You really feel that way?”

  “Absolutely. Don’t you feel the same?”

  “Well, I, yes. But…”

  Kromin felt his heart clench up with worry. He hadn’t thought there was anything even remotely wrong between them, but Anya was clearly dancing around some issue. “But what?” he prompted, even though he was terrified to hear the answer.

  “But is this going to last? Are we too different?”

  “Different? Why, because you’re human and I’m Zocronian?”

  “Well, that’s one part of it. But there’s also the fact that we had such crazy different views about the hospital. You’re fine with listening to me now, that everything is new and exciting. But what about in a year? Five years? Ten years? Are you sure you’re not going to regret letting me have such a big say in things, and inviting me into so much of your life?”

  Kromin leaned in toward her as closely as he could. Their noses were almost touching, and they were so close that he easily could have leaned one more inch and kissed her. But he didn’t. Not yet. He had something to say first.

  “I will never regret inviting you into my life. Never. I was an idiot, running things like an idiot, until you came along. You stood up to me in a way that no one else ever had. You’re not afraid to get in my face and tell me when I’m wrong, but you don’t do it in a spiteful or mean way. You do it because you care about me.”

  Anya shifted in her seat again, but she continued to meet his gaze. Good. He didn’t like it when she looked away while he talked, but she was getting better about not breaking eye contact just because she felt uncomfortable. He liked that about her. She wasn’t afraid to grow and learn. And she’d made him realize that he needed to grow and learn as well.

  “Y
ou’ve made me a better man,” Kromin said, reaching out to cup the side of her face with one of his hands. He loved the way her pale human skin looked against his blue Zocronian skin. When he was this close to her, it was easy to feel like she was the only one in the room. Tonight, that was almost true. Almost. But it didn’t even matter that there were technically two other people there. She was all he saw. “I know this probably sounds crazy, because we haven’t been together that long, but I love you, Anya. I mean it. I love you, with everything in me. If you’re asking how long I want to be with you, the answer is forever.”

  Anya’s eyes had filled with tears. Kromin wasn’t entirely sure, but he thought that was a good thing. Humans could be so hard to read, but he knew that sometimes they cried when they were really happy, and if the smile on Anya’s face was any indication, she was really happy with what he’d just said.

  “I love you, too,” she said. “I’ve been afraid to say anything, because I didn’t want you to think that I was a total freak. But since our time together in the mines, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. I just worried that because we sort of started off as enemies that you might never be able to get past that and love me back.”

  “We started out as enemies because I was an idiot and didn’t want anyone touching my precious little hospital. Now that I’ve gotten over that, it’s easy for me to see that you’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”

  “Oh, come on. You’re just sweet talking me now.”

  “No, I’m not. And I’ll prove it.”

  Kromin got out of his chair and went to kneel beside Anya’s chair. When he got down on one knee, her eyes widened. “You’re not doing what I think you’re doing, are you?”

  “That depends. Do you think I’m about to ask you to marry me? Because that’s exactly what I’m doing.”

  She clapped her hands over her mouth. “Kromin!” she said, her voice muffled a bit by her hands. “We’ve only been dating, if you can call it dating, for about a week.”

  “I don’t care. You asked me what our status is, and what I want for us? I want our status to be engaged, and then married. I want our status to be together, forever. I mean that. You changed me from a whiny, entitled doctor to a true man. A man who isn’t afraid to face down problems. A man who is finally doing his true best to be the doctor Zocrone needs. A man who knows that sometimes your enemies turn out to be right, and when someone has the right of something, you should listen to them.”

  “Kromin…”

  “Wait, I’m not done yet. Not only have you made me a better person, but you yourself are sludging amazing. You’re beautiful, smart, and fun. You care about people, truly care. You work hard and you make the best of every situation. Any man would be lucky to have you. I’m still not sure how I got lucky enough that you chose me, but I’m grateful. And if you’re willing to let me, I’ll spend the rest of my life taking care of you, and showing you just how grateful I am. Anya, will you marry me? I don’t have a ring at the moment, but I’ll get you the most beautiful one you’ve ever seen, I promise. Right now, all I have is my heart, and I’m offering it to you completely, if you want it.”

  Kromin held his breath as he looked up at Anya’s shocked eyes and waited for her reply. She didn’t say anything for several long moments, and the wait became torturous. He forced himself to keep his mouth shut, telling himself to give her time to process everything. Finally, the fact that he was serious about the question seemed to hit her, and she smiled.

  “Yes.”

  “Yes?” he asked, his heart leaping in his chest. Had she really just agreed to be his forever?

  “Yes,” she repeated. “This is crazy, but what the hell. What in my life hasn’t been crazy? And I know in my heart that you and I are meant for each other.”

  Kromin whooped, then stood up and swung her around in his arms. He was vaguely aware of the bartender and the bar’s one other customer clapping in the background, but he couldn’t be bothered to look or care about that right now. The world around him had disappeared, and all he could see was Anya.

  She had tears running down her face. Human emotions still baffled him, but he was pretty sure those tears meant she was happy. That was definitely what they meant, if the smile on her face was any indication. Kromin himself had never felt a joy like this. He’d had a relatively happy life overall, but nothing—nothing—had ever compared to this. The most beautiful woman in the Seven Galaxies had just agreed to marry him. Life didn’t get any better.

  “Let’s order a celebratory drink,” he said. He was going to order the best drink that the bar was allowed to serve under the rationing rules, and he didn’t care how expensive it was. This was a moment to celebrate.

  But just as he stepped back from Anya and turned toward the bartender, the front door swung open and a Zocronian man ran in with a frantic expression on his face.

  “Doc Kromin!” the man yelled when he spotted Kromin. “Am I ever glad to see you! There’s been an emergency and we need your help.”

  Kromin turned to look at the man. “An emergency? What happened?”

  “A man was attacked by a monkey, badly. He’s lost a lot of blood and isn’t doing well. You have to come down to the hospital, quickly.”

  Kromin cursed under his breath. He’d been hoping to have a celebratory drink here, and then take Anya home to celebrate properly with a good romp in his bed. But duty called, so all of that would have to wait.

  “You want to come?” Kromin asked Anya. “Or you want to wait here?”

  “Oh, I’m definitely coming,” Anya said. “Who knows how bad it is, or whether you might need some assistance. I’m not going to sit around here twiddling my thumbs when I could be doing something useful.”

  Kromin nodded. He had expected this answer. “Alright then.” He turned back to the man who had brought the message. “Let’s go.”

  The man led them out into the streets, where darkness had already fallen. Things here by the bar were much quieter than they usually were, but a certain tension hung in the air that bothered Kromin. Something felt off in the city, and he had a foreboding feeling that it was going to be a long, long night.

  At least he knew that no matter what the night brought, Anya would be by his side. Having her company made things more bearable, and besides, he wanted her close by so that he could protect her. If there was going to be trouble, protecting her was his first priority.

  She was his, and nothing was going to harm her as long as he still had breath in his body.

  Chapter Eleven

  The noise started after they’d been walking about three minutes. It had been so faint at first that Anya had thought she was imagining it, but within minutes she realized that it was definitely not her imagination. People were yelling and chanting, although she had no idea what words they were actually saying. It was all in Zocronian, which she still had trouble understanding even under the best of circumstances. That’s why she and Kromin always spoke Universal together. There was no way she was going to be able to tell what all the yelling was about from this far away. Kromin, however, must have understood, because the expression on his face was slowly growing darker.

  “Are they saying what I think they’re saying?” he asked, turning to the man who had come to fetch them from the bar.

  The man nodded. “I’m afraid so. Half the town is rioting. It started about an hour ago with a handful of Zocronians and grew rapidly.”

  “What are they rioting about?” Anya asked. She had seen how feisty Zocronians could be when they were angry. There had been many locals who hadn’t been happy when Chief Daxar decided to allow outsiders into Zocrone. It had been a small percentage of the population, but they had been quite vocal. From what the Zocronian messenger was saying, though, a much larger percentage of Zocronians were participating in the current riot, whatever it was about.

  “They’re angry because of the rations,” the messenger explained. “They’re saying that Chief Daxar is being too stric
t. Some people claim that things aren’t so bad and he shouldn’t be imposing the rations. Others are saying that things wouldn’t be as bad as they are if the Chief had the guts to send supply ships out in the storms.”

  “But the storms are way too strong for any spaceship to fly safely,” Anya said. “I mean, have they looked out the city dome in the last two weeks? It’s madness out there!” Anya could feel her blood boiling. How could people be so ridiculous? Chief Daxar was doing his best to protect everyone and make sure supplies didn’t run out before the storms did, and all the ungrateful masses could do was riot? She looked over at Kromin, expecting him to be as angry as she was, but he looked more resigned than furious.

  He shrugged when he saw her looking at him with wide eyes. “It’s nothing new, Anya. Anytime things aren’t going well, people want to find someone to blame. Chief Daxar is the easiest target. He could do everything as perfectly as possible and it wouldn’t matter. If something goes wrong, even if it’s completely out of his control like the storms are, they’ll find a way to blame him.”