ALEXIS
Alexis opened her eyes. She resisted the urge to stretch, still nestled in Drakeâs arms. His breathing was deep and slow, his arm heavy around her hips.
Alexis allowed herself to revel in the feel of him. It was a strange thing. Only a short time agoâhow long ago? Days? Weeks?âsheâd been back home, single and struggling, with no intention of ever having a partner again.
Now look at her. For a queer moment, she felt a pang of regretâshe was just like everyone else: a slave to her feelings and emotionsâto her body. Then it went away.
Alexis grimaced as she shifted her hips; her bladder was full. Very carefully, she took his wrist and eased away his arm. Alexis watched him, but he didnât move, deeply asleep.
Slowly, she pulled away from him. His penis was limp and spent. There was a stain on the bed, but it was dry.
Sitting up on the edge of the mattress, she planted her feet on the floor and dragged her fingers through her hair with a sigh. It was ~so~ quiet. So different from what she was used to.
For a moment, she felt another pang of regret at the thought of her nieces and nephew, which she quickly shrugged off. She wondered how Hope was doing. She winced at the thought that she might think Alexis was kidnapped or dead. Her ~sister~.
Alexis looked down at the floor. It wasnât fair, and it was selfish. She needed to go back and explain what had happened. If only there was a way to contact her.
She suddenly thought about Freddy and whether heâd kept her coat. At a sharp pinch in her bladder, she hurried over to the bathroom. After relieving herself, she washed her hands, looking at herself in the mirror.
She frowned, then straightened. She turned her head one way, then the other. âWhat?â
She turned off the water and reached for her face. There were little dark bumps sitting around the side of her eye. It looked like some kind of skin irritation.
She brushed her fingertips over it. It didnât hurt, it wasnât itchyâand her eyes were fine. With a shrug, she turned and left the bathroom. Drake hadnât moved.
She contemplated rejoining him, but she wasnât tired, and the last thing she wanted to do was disturb him. Heâd been awake probably close to forty-eight hours.
Alexis took a moment to gaze out through the window into space. The stars seemed unnaturally bright tonight. There was really nowhere to go except one placeâwhere all the action was happening.
She turned and left the room. Maybe she could speak to some of the women. Maybe she could try to allay their fears. She remembered the woman whose mother was sick.
Alexis tugged at her hair, feeling the guilt gnawing at her belly. Then there was Silo and Karina. She picked up her pace, her shoes thudding against the floor of the corridor.
The windows looking out into space arched over her, making it feel like she was walking through a tunnel. She was getting used to it now. She was even starting to feel comfortable, even with the Zibons passing her by.
They no longer leered at her. They no longer brushed up against her. Though she ~did~ attract glances. Glances of envy, perhaps. It made her sad for them that they all should be so lonely. She felt sad for Drake.
She raised her eyes, meeting the glance of another passing Zibon. He frowned, his lips parted, as though in surprise. She looked over her shoulder and saw that heâd stopped. He was staring at her.
Alexis raised her eyebrows, shook her head, and continued on her walk. He wasnât the only one acting strange. Another Zibon did the same thing. A third did a double-take, his yellow eyes wide.
Alexis lowered her face, feeling distinctly uncomfortable. What was going on? There was another Zibon. Alexis sighed internally. It felt like there were so many!
She raised her eyes again and this time the alien stopped in his tracks. Alexis jumped back with a yelp when he suddenly seized her wrist. âWhat are you doing?â she cried.
He was staring at her face, particularly around her eye where her little rash was. Alexis touched it. âWhatâs wrong? What is it?â she asked.
The Zibon didnât answer, though his yellow eyes were ablaze. Alexis yanked her arm out of his grasp and hurried away. Was she sick? Should she get Miktar to take a look at her?
But she felt fine! It was just a stupid rash. The Zibons were just being weird. She passed several more aliens but made sure to keep her face lowered. Finally, she made it to the infirmary.
The door slid open and Alexis stepped inside. It was fairly calm. She immediately looked over toward where the sick Zibon was and found, to her surprise, that he was no longer surrounded by a team of medics.
She went over, though kept her distance. He was resting comfortably in bed, no tube in his mouth, though there were lines coming out of his neck and arms. Beside him sat a gray-haired woman who turned to look at her.
Her gray eyes were bright and fierce. Alexis opened her mouth, wanting to say so muchâit didnât happen. âIâm sorry,â was all she managed to croak out.
The woman turned back to her alien, gripping his wrist. Next, Alexis searched for Karina. Like before, she was sitting beside Siloâs bed, her head lowered.
Silo was resting on his side, his big shoulder rising and falling with each breath. Nothing seemed to have changed. She should go over and speak with her. But she reconsidered. What was she going to say?
Instead, she searched for Miktar. Standing on her tiptoes, she looked for his brown ponytail but couldnât find it. Perhaps he was in the laboratory? One of the medics walked past.
âExcuse me,â she said. The medic turned. He was looking down, swiping at something on his electronic notebook.
âWhereâs Miktar?â
He looked up, then froze. His eyes widened. Alexis felt her stomach sink. His notebook slipped from his grasp, and as he bent over to pick it up, Alexis hurried away.
Pressing open the laboratory door, she stepped inside. Three technicians glanced up at her. Alexisâs heart was thumping. She looked back toward the door, but nobody had followed.
Keeping her distance from the technicians, she went over to one of the benches, looking at herself in its reflective surface. Alexisâs hand leapt to her face. The rash was definitely becoming more noticeable.
The little raised dots had spread to just beneath her eye. What if they got into her eyes?!
She spun around to look at the technicians, but they were busy with their work. Alexisâs hand was shaking as she raked it through her braids. What if she spread whatever this was to someone else?
Sheâd better tell someone. She needed to find Miktarâor go back to Drake.
She reentered the infirmary. Her face was slightly lowered, her braids allowed to fall around her eyes. She looked around again and finally found him across the room, standing before one of the beds.
Alexis went over.
âI donât think it will be long before youâre allowed to leave,â he told the Zibon and the woman sitting on the edge of his bed.
Alexis immediately recognized the daughter whoâd been angry with her. They looked well. Her alien was awake, his yellow eyes watching Alexisâs approach curiously.
âMiktar,â she whispered. âCan I borrow you for a moment?â