by Mira Maxwell
“There,” I say when the incision is large enough. “You should be able to pull it out. Give it a try.”
He opens his eyes for the first time and reaches down to his wound. The spear head isn’t an easy thing to grab onto and I can see now why he was so worried. It looks like he will most definitely cut his fingers trying to get a decent grip on it. If I tried, that would make two of us lying on the floor of a cave, out of commission.
He grunts and pulls, the spear sliding out of his side with a wet popping sound. As quickly as it’s out, he throws it across the cave out of sight.
“There, now I’ll be back to myself in no time.” He starts to pull himself up into a sitting position. I quickly move behind him so I can help him slide over to lean on the cave wall. I can’t stop myself from constantly glancing over at the dead Salthu lying in the cave with us. I keep waiting for him to get up and attack us again.
“I’ll clean your wound and stitch it up for you. It’ll heal faster that way.”
“No, I’ll be fine.” He’s brusque with me again, shutting me down with his quick, cold comments. The Ozmyx that was friendly and chatty before the attack is gone. His eyes are closed, his head resting against the cold, hard cave wall. I’m completely out of my element. I want to ask him what I should do now. What I can do to help our current situation, but I’m scared to ask. It seems like he wants to be left alone right now and I can’t say I blame him. I look up at the hole of light, willing Krenar’s face to appear…or better yet, a rope to pull us out. But nothing happens and from what I can tell, whatever was happening above us is over now.
The cave is quiet and Ozmyx seems to be either passed out or sleeping. With nothing to distract me, all I can focus on is how cold I am. The cave protects us from the wind but it doesn’t do anything to help with the cold. I swear I’ve been cold since the day we crash landed on this ice planet and lately all I’ve wanted to do is pack up and head home. Even if the planet we know will eventually be as cold as this one if we can’t get the Eclaydian back home to help jump-start the dying sun.
I spend a few minutes looking around the cave, trying to find something I could use to start a fire. It’s useless though. Even if there was something I could use, I don’t have a match or anything to actually start the fire. I may be a member of this science expedition crew, but wilderness survival is not my specialty. They let me come along because I’m a doctor, not because I would be much help if we were stranded and somehow needed to survive off the land.
I’m too scared to venture any further into the cave. It’s impossible to see what’s past the light and there are a lot of loose rocks that look like they could tumble down with the slightest touch. Eventually I decide to be bold. Walking quietly back over to Ozmyx, I check his heartbeat if only for the illusion that I’m giving him a quick check-up. When he doesn’t respond, I slide myself next to his side and curl up beside him to share body heat. Not only can I feel his warmth transferring to my frozen limbs, but exhaustion seeps through my body and I find it impossible to keep my eyes open.
It’s almost completely dark in the cave when I finally wake up. I don’t know if I was dreaming, if I heard a noise, or if my subconscious just knew that it was time to wake up. Whatever is was, I bolt upright with a start and the events of the last few hours come flooding back. There is a dim glow coming from above us and I assume it must be the planet’s moons. I don’t know how many hours have passed but I’m starting to think that no one’s coming for us after all. The Salthu is still lying dead in the center of the cave, an eerie glow surrounding him. It’s unsettling and I really wish Ozmyx were awake so I didn’t feel so alone.
Ozmyx still hasn’t moved and I’m starting to worry. He claims he’ll be able to heal himself without any medical support, but as I trail my hands over his wounds, they don’t look as if they’ve healed at all. The side of his body where he fell is swollen and discolored. His ribs are still most definitely broken. Even worse, the wound from the spearhead is still open, his blood just barely clotting.
Instead of panicking, I grab my first aid kit and pull out the tube of disinfectant that I carry with me at all times. It’s the best product because you only need a small amount and it works wonders. Unscrewing the cap, I apply a small amount of the gel along the wound. As soon as it makes contact with his skin, it expands into a white cream that almost looks like cool whip. It forms a hardened shell around the infected area, working it’s magic on the inside while keeping anymore dirt or bacteria away from the wound while it heals. After it cleans the wound, I’ll be able to stitch it closed if it still isn’t healing on its own.
Once I’m finished, I tuck myself back in to his side and cuddle close for warmth. Even though he’s still out cold, having the warmth of his body and knowing that he’s still alive is comforting. I don’t know what I’d do if I were all alone in this cave. My stomach growls, reminding me that it has been hours since I’ve eaten. Though food should be the last thing on my mind right now, it is something that I’ll need to think about eventually. We can’t survive down here indefinitely without food and water.
My mind is starting to categorize all the things that we’re lacking when I hear the rocks start to shift further back in the cave. My heart starts beating loudly in my chest. Either the rocks are about to collapse around us or something else is inside this cave with us. At this point, I don’t know which option I’m hoping for.
There isn’t much time to think it over anyway. Within minutes, the rocks have been moved and I can hear noises. Something is coming through. I look around me to try to find something to defend myself with but it’s really no use. I already know that there’s nothing in here besides the crumbling rock. I’m terrified and alone while Ozmyx is of no help to me while he lies unconscious against the side of the cave. Feeling a bit sheepish, I tuck myself into Ozmyx’s side, relying on the unconscious alien to protect me. I couldn’t be more surprised when a torch illuminates the space around me and three tall aliens crawl through.
Five
SAVANNAH
I’m still hiding behind Ozmyx, barely breathing much less moving, as all three aliens push themselves into the space. They take in the surrounding, noticing the Salthu lying dead on the ground, but they also study the section of the ground above that has caved in. They’re clearly Attalan which is a relief because I was worried there was a cave troll or something coming through, intent on eating me. They don’t look like warriors, though. Not like Ozmyx and his brothers. Their physical features are similar, though these aliens aren’t nearly as muscular. From what I can see they still have the designs on their skin, but they aren’t the light blueish color like the warriors.
I’m studying their physical features when they finally notice me, hiding behind Ozmyx who’s still passed out. They look surprised to see me. They all huddle together and take in the situation. It’s possible that they’re just as surprised to see an Attalan warrior down here too. Regardless, I’m still hoping that they’re friendly and willing to help us out.
“We will not hurt you,” the first Attalan says. It takes a moment for me to realize that he has just spoken to me in English. How he knows that I speak English and how he’s able to speak English, I have no idea. I’m just glad his words carry a friendly tone. “He is hurt,” he says again, pointing to Ozmyx.
“Yes. He’s not healing like they usually do. I’m a doctor but I don’t know how to help him.”
“We can help you,” he says. They move towards us and I panic for a moment, thinking they’re going to force me into the caves. I quickly realize they’re positioning themselves so they can help carry Ozmyx and I feel guilty for being so mistrusting. The first alien lifts him from under his arms while another one lifts his legs. They carry him toward the opening they came through, and I follow closely behind. The third alien climbs in after all of us and stops to close the opening. There’s a wave of claustrophobia that passes through me once the wall is sealed and we’re left in the dark with nothing
but the light from the torch.
“Follow closely,” the leader says again. “It’s easy to get lost in the caves.”
They’ve started walking again before my eyes can properly adjust. From what I can tell, we’re just following through a tunnel right now. It’s narrow and uninhabited. We’ve walked for ten minutes when the tunnel curves and we step into an open cavern. There’s a fire burning in the center and there are a few other Attalan aliens here. They turn to look at us and I try to keep my head down and follow closely behind, fully aware that there are curious eyes following my every move.
The aliens keep moving, probably looking to put Ozmyx down as fast as possible. He’s solid, impossible for me to move on my own. I was screwed in more ways than one until these guys found us. We walk down the hallway and this time it looks different. There are small openings in the walls of the tunnel, making it look like the inside of a beehive. Many of these small rooms have furs hanging over the doorways so I’m assuming this is where the aliens sleep. We walk all the way to the end of the tunnel before they turn into the last space on the end. There’s a fur tied back from the entrance, revealing an empty room aside from a pile of furs on the ground.
They set Ozmyx down on the ground while I scramble in and spread out some of the furs. Then they gently reposition him onto the soft nest, being careful of his wounds. I’m worried that they’re just going to drop us off and leave. I’m thankful that we’ve been “rescued” but there’s still the issue of Ozmyx and his wounds.
“Can you help me?” I ask the alien that seems to be in charge. The other two leave the room but he stays. He looks at me and then down at Ozmyx. The hardened antibiotic cream catches his eye while he’s scanning him over to check out our situation. He leans over and gently presses against it with his fingers.
“What is this?” he asks.
“It’s an antibiotic cream. It helps an infection from spreading and keeps the wound clean until it can heal.”
“Interesting,” he says.
“Are you a doctor?” I can’t help but ask. If so, we couldn’t have gotten any luckier.
“Not officially,” he says, turning to look at me. “My name is Edek.”
“I’m Savannah,” I say, smiling. “You’re Attalan?” It’s obvious that he is, but he doesn’t look like a warrior and obviously he doesn’t live in the city. I heard the warriors talk about the “wanderers” when they held that woman in the fortress because they thought she was spying. I don’t really know the story behind the wanderers but I can’t help but wonder if we’ve stumbled upon their home.
“Yes. And you are human.” He says it as a statement but I can tell he’s wondering what I’m doing here…with Ozmyx.
“I am. I’m on a science research mission from Earth. We’re here to gather and harvest a material called Eclaydian that is unique to your planet.”
“A research mission, interesting. Have you found what you were looking for?”
“We have, actually. I hoped we would be leaving soon but we’ve been delayed. And now I’ve ended up here, with him,” I say, pointing to Ozmyx lying on the furs. “He’s not healing and I don’t know why. Usually the warriors have excellent healing powers. I’ve only seen this problem one other time, but it was with an Attalan that was older.”
“I have something that should help.”
“That would be so wonderful. I only have things that I use to treat humans on Earth. They don’t work quite the same on Attalans, though they’ve helped a little. Ozmyx was struck with a Salthu’s spear that was tipped with poison and only a day before he was bit by a poisonous animal by the hot springs. I’m worried he has too much poison in his blood or blood poisoning, and maybe that’s why he’s not healing?”
“I’ll go get something that will have him back on his feet in no time. You’ll be okay here?”
“Yes, of course. And thank you, I appreciate your help.”
“I’ll be back with supplies.”
And then he’s gone and I find myself alone with Ozmyx. At least now we have blankets to keep warm and a source for food and water. He said he’s going to help me with Ozmyx and then hopefully we’ll be on our way back to the fortress. I want to reunite with the other women and start our voyage back home. I can feel the exhaustion tugging at my limbs. I’d give anything to grab one of the furs and lie down right next to Ozmyx and drift off into much needed sleep. But all my nights working the ER re-set my internal clock and now staying awake while monitoring a patient is second nature. Once I’m sure he’s on the mend, I’ll be able to rest.
Until then, I busy myself by re-organizing the furs around Ozmyx. I fold one of them up into a square and tuck it under his head to make sure he’s comfortable. I’m about to tuck the blanket around him like I would a human patient in the ER when my hand brushes against his skin and I realize that he’s still incredibly warm to the touch. If he were human I would worry about a fever, and I suppose that’s still possible, but from what I’ve learned about the Attalan warriors, it’s just their higher body temperature to help them adapt and thrive on this cold planet. The sight of these warriors half-dressed in a snowstorm will never look normal to me.
I’m sitting on the edge of his furs waiting for Edek to return and I find myself studying his features in a way that I’ve never had the courage to when he was awake and grumbling at me. His size is definitely imposing, especially in this small space. His chest is like a barrel, his arms completely defined with rock hard muscles rippling under his smooth skin. He has always intimidated me. Every time I see him in the fortress, he has a stern, almost angry look on his face. His body language closes him off from any kind of interaction with anyone besides his warrior brothers, and before our walk through the woods we had never had a conversation together that lasted more than a few words. Those words usually consisted of him barking orders at me to hurry up or some other sort of command.
He doesn’t look so intimidating now. His face is completely relaxed, giving him a very different look. When his eyebrows aren’t set in a scowl he looks quite handsome. The Attalans do resemble humans to a certain degree. There’s just something about Ozmyx that makes him seem more dangerous and closed off than the others. My fingers are gently tracing the designs on his skin when Edek comes back into the room. I pull my hand away as if I’ve been caught doing something I shouldn’t, as I turn to face Edek. He’s carrying a small jar of cream that looks instantly familiar to me.
“The healing cream!” I say excitedly. “This is what I used to help heal another Attalan warrior. I didn’t know anything about it and there was only a small amount, so I wasn’t able to keep any to study it. Do you make it here?”
“Yes, in fact I do,” Edek says as he moves to Ozmyx’s side. “Can I remove this medicine from his wound?” He’s pointing to the antibiotic cream that I applied to keep his wound from becoming anymore infected.
“Yes, it will wash off with water.”
He reaches into the small bowl that he has carried in with him and rings out some sort of cloth. With the skill of a trained doctor, he removes the medicine and cleans his wounds. “This one isn’t looking very good either.” He reaches the cloth around to the back of his shoulder, almost behind his neck, where he was bitten the day before. There’s a wave of guilt that passes through me when I see how that injury hasn’t healed either. But then I quickly remind myself that he wouldn’t have accepted my help anyway.
Once the wounds have been washed again, he scoops out some of the light blue cream and smoothes it over them.
“Do you need gauze or bandages? I have some in my bag.”
“No, I think it will be best if we let it be.”
“How long will it take to work?”
“I would think he’d be back on his feet within a day or two.” With that, Edek finishes with the cream and wipes his hands off with the wet cloth. I have a million questions that I want to ask him. Not only about the medicine but also about this place and the people here. My curiosity is
helping to combat my home sickness. For the first time in a long time, I’m more interested in learning more about what Edek knows about medicine than getting home again.
“How did you discover this medicine?” I ask, unable to bottle up my questions.
“I made it, actually. I have my own space in these caves that serves as my lab.”
As fascinating as that is, it only creates more questions in my mind.
“So how did you learn about making medicine? It doesn’t seem like something that would be easy when you live in a cave. No offense.”
He is amused by my question, thankfully. He manages some sort of chuckle before answering. “I haven’t always lived in the caves. I grew up in the city. My father worked directly for the prime minister himself. He was in charge of the genetic enhancements that all of the warriors received, which is how I know what to put in the medicine to help them. I have a wealth of knowledge that the city would gladly kill me for.”
I look down at Ozmyx. He’s still resting quietly and comfortably, unmoving on the furs. Edek said it could take a whole day before he’s well enough to be up and about again. Full of excitement, I look up at Edek and ask, “Would you show me your lab?”
He smiles and says, “I’ll gladly share all of my secrets with another doctor so eager to learn.”
“And the warriors? You know their history?”
“I can tell you all about it,” he says, standing and walking toward the entrance. I hesitate for a moment, not sure that I should leave Ozmyx, but when Edek motions for me to follow him with an excited look on his face, I can’t pass up this opportunity to have some of my questions answered.