Golden Change

by Lynn B. Davidson

  “She didn’t look at me once,” Jacob said as he realized she hadn’t.

  Aiden shrugged. “It was hot though, wasn’t it?” he asked.

  They smiled at each other.

  The boys’ laughter brought him out of his daydream. Feeling slightly nauseous at his callousness towards Kylie earlier today, especially after hearing how much she had given him, Jacob decided to call it a night. “Hey guys,” Jacob said as he stood up, “I’ve got to call it a night.”

  The others looked perplexed.

  Before Jacob could leave though, Peter said, “Wait. What’s up, Jacob?”

  Jacob looked at all of the boys assembled. Some he had gone to cadets with, some he had only met at the beginning of the year, but he felt a special affinity for all of them. These were his best friends and they knew him better than anybody, except now maybe Aiden and Kylie.

  Jacob sat down defeated. He put his head in his hands. “I fucked up today, guys.”

  They looked at each other with stunned expressions on their faces, with the exception of Dylan, who was looking uncomfortable.

  “Aiden and Kylie were—I mean, they are—the best. And today someone came over and I don’t know.” He didn’t want to use Dylan’s name and he couldn’t look at him either. “We said some shit she overheard, stuff which was really hurtful and embarrassing. She was really upset. And then… and then she got really sick.” Jacob sighed deeply and still had his head in his hands. “She’s in the hospital right now. Aiden’s with her and he’s really pissed off.” When he finally looked up, he saw shock in in their eyes.

  Dylan looked like he was in pain. The other boys looked between Jacob and Dylan. Randy, who was never one to mince words said, “It was you.” He looked meaningfully at Dylan. “You were the one who came over, am I right?”

  Dylan nodded. His face was bright red and he was gaping like he was going to say something, but Randy cut in before he could utter a word.

  Randy pointed an accusing finger at Dylan. “You’re jealous. It’s obvious to everyone you’re jealous.”

  The other boys were nodding in agreement. Jacob was stunned. Dylan was jealous of him? He couldn’t understand why. Jacob shook his head.

  “He’s jealous of you. Even though Kylie is an earthling, she has done more for you than Cheryl has done for him. None of us share a room with our hosts. None of our hosts like to hang out with us, certainly not play ball with us or anything. And look at your color. Nobody else has a gold sheen like you have. Your sheen is from her taking care of you. He can’t stand that he isn’t living with them instead. I’m jealous too. I’m pretty sure we all are.” Randy paused as if he were done, but then added, “And you, Jacob, are clueless, and now Kylie is sick.”

  Jacob nodded his head in misery. His eyes were hot and moist. Dylan and Jacob looked at each other. Dylan looked as miserable as he felt. “I’m sorry buddy. I am jealous. I guess I was hoping to find something to make you jealous. I never meant for Kylie to hear, or be hurt. I really like her. She has surprised me.”

  “She surprised me too,” Randy agreed. “I think she surprised all of us. She is amazing.”

  “It isn’t just how she’s helped you change either,” Matt continued. “I think you might be the only one here, Jacob, who hasn’t picked up on how lonely she is. Does she ever have girlfriends over? I think we are some of her only friends.”

  “Do you have any idea how many of us like to just talk to her, or be around her?” Randy jumped back in.

  “Whenever you jump in the pool to play polo, have you ever seen how sad she is that she can’t join us? You know Aiden doesn’t want her to play with us in the pool. Why do you think we each like to sit with her while the others play?” Peter asked accusing Jacob. “We like to talk to her, and keep her from feeling left out!”

  They sat in silence for a moment. Jacob was stricken. Of course, now he realized how much Kylie wanted to be friends with his friends, not just hang out because she wanted to play sports. Amanda could hardly come over often, with her practice. She was alone most of the day and really only interacted with Aiden and Jacob.

  “As long as we are pouring out all of our problems, I have one as well,” Peter admitted. “The Websters have been really nice and all, but Mr. Webster’s ended up having to have surgery on his bum knee and, to be honest, he hasn’t had all much gold to give to me.” Now it was Peter’s turn to be embarrassed. “School has been going well but I don’t think I can go to the space academy if I don’t change.”

  Jacob was surprised. By the look of it, Matt and Lucas were surprised as well. They hadn’t changed yet either, but it hadn’t occurred to them someone from their group wouldn’t eventually change.

  “I actually asked Kylie about it. She thought that maybe some of you could, you know, help me, once you had changed,” Peter said as he looked at Jacob and Dylan.

  “Of course,” Dylan and Jacob agreed.

  “It occurred to me you might not have a place to stay, Jacob, and maybe you want to spend the night with me?” Peter asked a little hesitantly. “Since it sounds like maybe they are still at the hospital.”

  Jacob nodded and they got up to call it a night. They all hugged each other and before he left, Dylan whispered in Jacob’s ear how sorry he was again.

  The lights were all dim when they got to the Webster house. The walked as quietly as they could to Peter’s room, hoping not to disturb anyone.

  They discussed waking early because they both hoped Jacob could leave without anyone detecting them. Unfortunately, the sun was streaming into Peter’s window when they finally stirred. Jacob gave Peter another dose of gold before he got up, slipping into his pants before he put on his socks and shoes.

  Peter got up too and slipped some shorts on as he opened the door from his room. They walked quietly through the hall but were stopped by a voice calling out of the kitchen, “Hello boys!” It was a high voice and unnaturally loud in the quiet house.

  Jacob lifted an eyebrow in question, but Peter looked as confused as he was as to who had called to them. When they got to the kitchen, they found three people sitting around the table. Peter’s host couple and a woman he guessed was one of their parents were eating breakfast. Jacob had met the younger Websters at the event where he met Kylie and Aiden. He was pretty sure their names were Walter and Betsy. Walter had seemed nice enough, but Betsy seemed snooty and he couldn’t imagine living with her.

  Mr. Webster stood up slowly to do the introductions. His leg was still in a plastic cast. “Peter and Jacob, this is my mother, Mrs. Sylvia Webster.” She stood up gracefully and put her hand on her son’s.

  Mr. Webster held out his mother’s hand as Jacob followed Peter forward. “Mrs. Webster,” Jacob said as he pressed a kiss to her hand. Jacob waited for Walter to present his wife to him as well, but he sat down without sparing a glance for her.

  Betsy seemed to be a in a foul mood when it became apparent she wasn’t going to be formally introduced. She gave a dramatic sniff before returning her attention to reading a tablet as she ate breakfast.

  The older Mrs. Webster gave a derisive look at her daughter-in-law before sitting back down. She looked at him closely all over. “Well you certainly have changed well, Jacob,” she stated with a smile. “I don’t know when I’ve seen a boy your age that has had such a beautiful color.” She was sizing him up like he was a car she wanted to buy.

  “I was hoping I would run into you soon. I had heard about your change, but of course I wanted to see for myself,” she continued.

  “I met Kylie of course when Aiden first brought her home. I hope she is doing well,” Sylvia continued without even waiting for a response. “She seems to be such a nice young woman.” She smiled up at him.

  “She hasn’t been feeling well,” Jacob offered.

  “Nothing too serious, I hope,” Sylvia said.

  “I was leaving now to check on her,” Jacob supplied. “I hope you will forgive me for rushing out.”

  “Of cou
rse,” Sylvia said with a smile.

  Jacob turned to say good-bye to the younger couple. “Thanks for the hospitality.”

  Walter offered his hand from where he was sitting and Jacob reached across the table to shake it. “Give my best to Aiden,” he said. “And Kylie,” he added after a pause. “I hope she is feeling better.”

  “Good-bye,” Betsy said without even looking up from her tablet.

  Peter led him the rest of the way out of the house. They hugged before Jacob stepped out of the door. “Best of luck,” Peter said.

  “You too,” he replied.

  Chapter 10

  Jacob was desperate to go to the hospital. He ran through the housing development to the main street where he hoped to catch the speed tram. When he saw a tram pulling into the station a block away he stepped up his pace to catch it. With the high-speed tram, it was only a five minute ride from the housing developments into the city where the hospital was located.

  Although Jacob had raced to the hospital, by the time he had walked through the front doors, his pace had slowed to a crawl. Not sure how Kylie was feeling or how he would be received, he wound his way through the corridors to Kylie’s room with trepidation.

  When Jacob got to the door, he found it slightly open and there were loud voices coming from within. Dr. Jones seemed to be having a heated argument with a male Zehavian doctor. Toe to toe, though she was a foot and a half shorter than he, Dr. Jones wasn’t conceding anything. Her hair was back in a tight bun and gone was her soft smile. It was replaced by a grim line slashed across her face.

  The other doctor was the same young doctor from the night before.

  Aiden sat in Kylie’s bed holding her hand as they both watched the doctors argue. Kylie’s color looked much better, but she still looked frail, with dark circles under her eyes. At least she was no longer hooked up to an IV drip. Jacob stood in the door, not wanting to enter without an invitation.

  “She is my patient, Amanda,” said the Zehavian man.

  “She is your patient here, Dr. Douglas. She is my patient everywhere else,” argued Dr. Jones.

  “Yes, Amanda, I know of the kind of ‘prescriptions’ you give your patients,” he said with somewhat of a condescending smile on his face. He must know about her giving massages, Jacob thought.

  Amanda looked like she was trying not to bite her tongue as she said, “I was a general practitioner on earth, as you well know, when I was captured to come to this planet as a doctor to humans. If you do not need me or my services here anymore you can kindly send me back!”

  “Yes, well. You know sending you back isn’t possible,” he said somewhat uncomfortably.

  “What I do know is you do not know humans as I do. I do not think this situation is good for her. She has gotten sick two times in barely over a year and this one could have damaged her kidneys if she hadn’t gotten to the hospital in time!” She clutched the clipboard to her chest. It looked like she wanted to bludgeon him with it.

  “You do not understand the importance of these internships!” the Zehavian doctor said sharply. “It is more important a cadet turns to a healthy golden man than it is for one human to live!”

  “Now, you wait a minute,” Aiden interjected, getting to his feet.

  Everybody was surprised at the outburst from Aiden. It looked as if the doctors had forgotten they had a patient in the room. Aiden had the cold, calculating look in his eyes that he had last night. Kylie had grabbed his hand when he had stood up and was feebly trying to hold him back.

  Jacob was afraid Aiden was going to kill this doctor and he would have to find a place to hide the body. Jacob stepped into the room as an elderly Zehavian doctor brushed past him and stepped between Aiden and Dr. Douglas. Amanda looked like she was going to spit nails.

  His voice was deep and calm as he said, “Dr. Douglas and Dr. Jones.” He reached over to shake a reluctant Aiden’s hand.

  Aiden still looked like he was contemplating murder. Kylie still had hold of Aiden’s other hand and was trying to tug him back. She let out a small cry of distress only Aiden and Jacob heard. Aiden looked over his shoulder at her. Only after seeing the pleading eyes did he consent to come back and sit back on the bed, but he sat at the edge of the bed so he could get up at a moment’s notice if necessary.

  “I’ve reviewed the case this morning and I will handle it from here.” Both doctors gave him mutinous looks. Aiden still looked like he was going to rip the arms off of Dr. Douglas.

  “You are excused,” he stated emphatically. Amanda made a noise like she was going to say something, to which the elderly doctor immediately said, “Thank you for your input, you are excused.”

  With her lips pursed tightly, Amanda left the room. If Dr. Douglas thought this was a way to get rid of the human doctor, he was wrong. “If I have to throw you out the door I will,” the elderly doctor said.

  Dr. Douglas left too, looking even more pissed than Dr. Jones had.

  “I’m sorry for Dr. Douglas’s attitude,” he said to Kylie. His deep voice became gentler as he talked to her. “Please, Aiden, let’s talk rationally.” He looked over his shoulder to see Jacob standing inside the door. “Come in too, please, as this will concern you as well.”

  Jacob came to stand by Aiden. Aiden met his eyes briefly. He didn’t look like he was over his anger but he had lost some of his cold stare.

  “I am Dr. Normandy,” the elder doctor introduced himself as he came to stand on the other side of the bed so he could see all of them.

  “I’ve studied both human and Zehavian anatomies, so I think I can address your concerns here. I’ve looked over your chart, Kylie, and your patient history. Yes, this is the second time you have had this kind of infection in over a year, but I don’t think it is something that should affect your ongoing health.

  “I’ve been looking at studies the planet Germain. They have a large population of Zehavian men and earth women who are able to have intercourse without the women having as many infection consequences. One doctor has had a great success with an oral drug for earthly women. You will still need to test regularly and use the oils, but especially with you having intercourse with two men I think it will help dramatically.”

  “Germain, that’s the planet where I was to go,” Kylie said. “Do humans marry many of the men there?” she asked.

  “I don’t know how to say this to you,” Aiden explained. “They aren’t married to the women. The women are their concubines. You weren’t slated to work in the mines like you thought, you were going to be one of the women chained in the sleeping quarters for the men.”

  Kylie’s mouth fell open in shock. She looked from one man to the other, as if Aiden couldn’t be correct.

  Dr. Normandy looked embarrassed. “It’s true,” he said with chagrin. “There are very few women on the planet, and the earthly women are brought to slake the men’s lust. The women don’t live long there, but they want to keep them as healthy as possible while they have some value.”

  Kylie looked horrified.

  “We aren’t on diplomatic terms with them, sweet. We intercepted the ship you were on because they enslave people from our planet’s colonies.”

  “The men are captured to work in the mines,” Dr. Normandy explained. “There has recently been a revolt there, though. Hopefully our men will be able to come home.”

  “Hopefully the earthly women will as well!” Kylie interjected.

  “Of course,” he said. His face clearly showed how concerned he would be about the mental health of any woman who had returned from such an ordeal

  Dr. Normandy pulled out his minicomputer, punched in a few strokes, and put it to his eye for a security scan. “Your prescription should be delivered later today. I’m going to release you with some notes. I recommend you follow up with Amanda next week.”

  Turning on his heel, he left the three to look at each other. The air was thick with uncertainty and a little tension. Breaking the silence Aiden asked, “Jacob, can you call th
e car to the front for us?”

  “Of course,” he answered. Jacob turned and left the room to go to the entrance.

  By the time the car had pulled around, Kylie had been pushed by Aiden in a hover chair to the entrance. A nurse walked behind them saying, “I’m supposed to push the chair.” Aiden growled at him and he backed off slightly.

  Aiden picked Kylie up into his arms. He motioned to Jacob to open the doors. Jacob climbed in and when Aiden passed her to him, he helped her settle against some pillows in the back of the vehicle. Jacob programmed the vehicle to go home.

  “Kylie,” Jacob choked out, “I can’t tell you how sorry I am.” His voice cracked as tears pooled in his eyes.

  She looked up at him and a swell of emotion filled him as she said, “I love you, Jacob, of course I forgive you.”

  Relief filled his heart and he spoke the words which had been building in his heart as well. “I love you too.” They leaned together for a soft kiss.

  When they pulled apart Kylie and Jacob both looked at Aiden. Jacob wasn’t sure what was going to happen. He knew their arrangement had been heading past mentors and mentee. It had become more than Aiden helping Jacob with the change. But even with love, the future wasn’t certain. “We’ll talk later,” was the only thing Aiden said.

  Aiden gave a soft kiss to Kylie, then gave Jacob one as well. They relaxed as peacefully as they could on the way back to the house.

  Kylie fell asleep by the time they reached home. Jacob helped Aiden get Kylie out of the car. Aiden carried her in the house and set her on the bed. She stirred enough so Aiden could remove her hospital gown before settling her in for the night. Kylie had goose bumps on her arms so Aiden pulled a blanket over her.

  “I’m beat,” Aiden declared.

  “Me too,” Jacob agreed.

  Not sure if the arrangements were going to be different, Jacob waited for Aiden to say something as Aiden started to get undressed.

  Aiden pulled off his shirt and shucked his pants, knowing Jacob was waiting. He could have asked for privacy, could have asked him to sleep in another room, but instead said “Make sure the alarm is off. I don’t want anything to wake us up tomorrow.”