Fast Cars and Intergalactic Speed Dating

16: Crab Legs

Moments later, Richard pulled the garage door down to close his Camaro into the darkness. Garth stood nearby, breathing heavily. He was leaning on Aialo-El, looking down at her arm, which was not currently an arm at all but rather a flexible tentacle she had wrapped around his waist.

"This is so cool," he said happily. He was clearly exhausted and in a lot of pain, but at least the experience was keeping him in high spirits. "Do you even have bones?"

"Garth, let's add that to the list of things you don't ask a lady," said Richard. He locked eyes with Aialo-El, keen to keep going.

If he slowed down, he was going to lose his shit, and he wanted to be safe from rampaging crustaceans when he got around to losing his shit. "Where to now?" he asked.

"Can you support your friend? I must go ahead and advise my crew that you are with me."

"Cool. Sounds like a good plan. At the risk of sounding like we hold grudges, we'd like to avoid being shot at any more." Richard extended his left arm, looping it around Garth's ribs.

Garth grunted, his face screwing up. "Other side. Other side."

"I can't, mate. My right arm's all but useless after the whop you gave me," said Richard. "Steady on."

"You're hurting me, and I do not like it." Garth clenched his jaw, unsteady on his feet. He had clearly been hiding how much pain he was in.

"I know, but it's better than dropping you." Richard adjusted his hold on his friend, but there wasn't a good way for them to go on together. They were both a right arm down.

Aialo-El's tentacles were loose now, fanning around her head and extending curiously toward the human men. "This will not work," she said after a moment. "I will support him."

"No, no, you've got to make sure we're not about to be killed," said Richard.

"I will walk with you into the trees. You may wait for me there as I go on ahead. I will not leave you long."

Being left without their green guardian didn't sound like the greatest plan, but Richard and Garth had little choice. They shuffled along slowly, Garth leaning on Aialo-El for support. The grass was high and their progress slow as they made their way through the yard. They were forced to slow down further still when they came to the grove, where weeds, undergrowth, and fallen branches littered the ground.

Finally, just on the edge of the cornfield, Aialo-El stopped. She helped Garth rest back against a tree. He slid down to sit on the ground with a groan, lowering his head.

Richard knelt next to him. "You're scaring me," he said. He examined Garth's arm. The wound had bled enough to soak the shoulder of his shirt, but it hadn't been running with the stuff. Until that moment, the notion that Garth might have lost too much blood had not occurred to him at all. Had he been stupid not to think of blood loss?

Was Garth in shock?

Could shock kill a person?

He should have just gone on to hospital, two against one be damned. His friend was seriously hurt, might be dying, even—

"It's fine." Garth grinned. "You can be very grandmotherly sometimes, Richard. It's sweet. We should get you one of those big, flappy, flowery things. What do they call those?"

"I will return in a few moments," said Aialo-El. She looked back toward the road, her tentacles quivering, and then turned to Richard.

"It's some kind of a dress, only for old ladies," continued Garth.