Last Holiday on Terra

31

I opened my eyes to find Kia sleeping peacefully in a chair at my bedside. I could help but to smile as I watched her steady breathing, sitting mostly upright, with her blood red cranials in her eyes, as her head was drooped low. In her hands was a well-read Terran book, opened to some page near the middle.

I saw an upright shadow move through the room and stop at the foot of the bed and I found that I was still too tired and far too sore to do a damned thing about it. There was a call bell near my hand and my fingers were just about to activate it when Cee materialized.

"Ooo—Nice trick," I whispered.

"Thanks. It's how I kept an eye on you and Julia."

"It's rather creepy."

Cee grinned, his teeth sharp and glistening white, glancing toward Kia with a nod and a grin. "That's what she said."

"Soo—You still like to play tricks—"

"Can you honestly say that you're really surprised?"

I tried to reply while leaning up on my elbows only to return to the mattress quickly with a thud and a groan, causing Kia to breathe in deeply as she opened her eyes.

She quickly leaned forward and smiled, her hand settling my cranials still. "Hey—"

My body felt like it was on fire, especially my abdomen, specifically where the hole in my gut had formally been located. Cee rounded the bed and leaned in. "I'm going to call for the doctor."

"You're not supposed to be doing anything except being flat on your back."

I cut my eyes to her.

"Like a good boy."

And it was then that Cee sniggered.

Drogo entered in with his medical tablet and frowned as he sighed, pointing toward my brother. "I agreed to the Princess remaining but you, Captain, were supposed remain invisible."

"Well, I was. And when he woke up, he caught sight of my movements." Cee shrugged his shoulders.

Drogo looked lost on thought for moment. "Julia could do that. Makes me wonder if it wasn't Rowan's gift all along—" He huffed again. "Azreal has requested to meet with you three. I informed him that it would be up to Rowan."

"What does he want to talk about, do you know?"

He shook his head and placed his tablet on the bed and lowered the blanket. Kia moved to stand beside Cee to give him room to move. "I do have my theories though."

Kia giggled, "of course you do."

"Now—let's take a look and my rushed handiwork—"

"Rushed?"

"You nearly bled out, your Grace."

I gasped when he placed his hands near the wound.

"Pain?"

"Cold hands," I whispered.

"My apologies, your Grace. Number one physician-requirement, you understand—can't get into medical school without them."

We watched his facial expression change only momentarily to a blank stare and he looked into my eyes and touched my skin again.

"Better?"

"Much—how do you do that!"

"One of the conveniences of living in a clone. It does get dreadfully warm in here after a while though. Alright, let's take a look, shall we?"

My tentacles wrapped around his hands and moved up his arms as if exploring him and he looked towards Kia, asking her to move to my other side as a distraction and instantly, Drogo was released. "Better you than me, Princess," he said. "My hands are somewhat invasive. Yours however, are not."

"Really Rowan?" Her chuckle at having all my tactile tendrils all over her was rousing an appetite that I knew I couldn't possibly satiate.

"Sorry."

"No you're not," she giggled.

"You're right, I'm not."

She leaned in and gazed into my eyes. "You're such a guy," she whispered.

"Thank you for being such a good sport about it, Princess," Drogo muttered, still continuing the examination. "Well it doesn't looked as angry as I thought it would and the regeneration has already begun, so that's very promising! Let me have a look at the other two please?"

The blanket was moved and he took measurements of the other two penile tentacles and marked the information on his tablet. He told me with a smile that they were compensating as they were expected to do.

"Can you do anything to expedite the regrowth process," I asked.

"Remember our little chat about patience, your Grace?"

I rolled my eyes and groaned.

"By the way—I have that information you requested, your Grace," he said in a lowered voice.

"Oh?"

"Definitely highborn."

"Thank you Drogo. Good work."

The nurses helped me to sit up with the aid of the bed and I was given a light lunch of tuna fish wrap in fresh seaweed leaves which I inhaled.

It was very tasty though and I requested seconds. My request was denied and I sneered my displeasure.

Cee filled me in on ship's activities and informed me that we were on our way to the cyber planet to see if Allie's new shell was ready to go. The crew was delighted with having their Captain being returned to them and his number one was very relieved to return his job to him...he said that she looked like she had aged a bit from the experience. He asked if, when I was feeling better, if we could return home without notice...he remembered that I loathe pomp and also too, if we just showed up on the doorstep, we'd get to see everything going business as usual. I remembered the framed images on his desk and wondered, but only momentarily if he had some hidden agenda...

I looked up, having seen a familiar shimmer in the doorway. "Azreal?"

He materialized in the doorway and smiled. I read all sorts of emotions on his face and body language. "Your Grace—" He sounded positively forlorn.

"It's good to see you, my friend," I said.

Cee stood and moved to leave, "I'll give you two some privacy."

"Ohhhh no—please stay—I've waited far too long to see my boys together again—"

We were both bathed in radiant energy emanating from him...pure love was literally pouring from his etheric pores. "Az," Cee asked, "what's going on?"

"Forgive me, my Prince, I'm an emotional old man—"

"Please, take your time," I told him.

"Thank you, your Grace."

He stood perfectly still and quiet as his light bathed us both and I was reminded of when Cee was a little boy, insisting that I read him a bedtime story while Azreal provided the wonderful light show, similar to your Aurora Borealis. 

It felt good and I realized that I  missed it.