If You Asked Me To (UWOC)

Seven

The harness was a little uncomfortable, just as anything new can be, but it was tolerable. We left the park and took a shuttle to Thorn and Sebia's house. No one spoke during the ride. I looked around and thought about the cars and buses I used in college. This shuttle was much smoother.

The couple lived in a small house on a busy street. Another shuttle pulled up just as we were about to enter their home, and a woman got out of it with a box. Thorn went to take it from her as I watched from Soranto's shoulder. Tessa, still on Soranto's other shoulder, was curiously silent. She hadn't said a word to me since she and the Kymari had arrived at the park.

"Tessa, are you okay?"

I sent the message only to her. She glanced up at me and then back down to her claws. Soranto immediately lifted her from his shoulder and held her in his arms, comforting her.

"What's wrong?" I tried again.

"I can feel Soranto's sickness. I don't want to move to another planet and leave my friends behind to die. I'm embarrassed about having to show you how to use a restroom," she said to Soranto and me."Take your pick." 

Soranto continued to pet and cuddle her. Once we entered the house, he pulled out a fruit container and hand-fed some of it to her. He offered the fruit to me, but my stomach was churning. I thanked him and refused.

Soranto's wife, Adeline, was working with Thorn to set up a heat lamp with a sandbox underneath. I flew around the room and checked the windows. They had a small backyard with two chairs facing trees and bushes. It looked like it wasn't visible from the street, but the houses on either side were too close for my comfort. If I decided to do the Morning Song, I would have to stay inside and use the window.

"Basil? Would you like me to remove your harness?" Sebia asked.

"Yes, please." I moved towards her, then turned to sit on the back of a chair and held out my wings. Her hands brushed against my scales. It felt strange. The last time someone touched me was the scientists well over a decade ago. "Thank you, Sebia." Then I felt Tessa reach out to me.

"Please come with me," she mumbled.

Their bathrooms were like human bathrooms, but also very different. She gave me a basic understanding of how the commode worked and how to use the sink to wash up. It was easy enough.

"Since the fire lizards do not read our language, you must talk him through everything verbally. I know this is a lot of work, but it will be worth it," Soranto was saying when we rejoined the Kymari. He reached out to his wife and motioned for Tessa. "If you need anything, contact me at any time. I will make myself available for you."

Thorn and Sebia walked them to the door.

Once they were gone, the couple turned back to me. They were at a loss about what to do first. I landed on the back of a chair in the dining area.

"Can you share the other ill patients' symptoms and common environmental factors?"

We sat at the table for the next several hours, and they explained the Kymari body to me. Their race had eradicated almost every disease that could attack them. It was incredible. They asked questions about humans and their bodies, and I answered everything, holding nothing back. My information amazed them. I did not state that I had been a human scientist turned into a dragonet; hopefully, I would never have to.

By the time it was dark outside, we had thrown around several possibilities, and I was exhausted and hungry. My worry minimized as my brain slowed down. While both of my Kymari hosts knew it was odd for me to have the knowledge I did, their minds were blessedly not going toward the truth. They had a few interesting theories, but none were even close.

"Do you mind if I get some food and rest?"

"I didn't realize how long we had been talking. Would you like something other than the fruit?" Thorn asked as he put a container next to me on the table. I glanced through and saw some fruit from my human days that did not grow in the park.

"No, but thank you for the offer. Are you going to eat?" I asked.

My mother would have been proud that I still had my manners. She'd drilled into me the rule that I had to wait to eat until everyone had their food, and I really wanted that fruit. I could not wait to try the cantaloupe.

"We will order some food for delivery. Please help yourself and get some sleep. We can start fresh in the morning," Thorn stated as he walked away from the table.

Sebia stared at the wall, not paying attention to her husband or me. As I reached for my food, I glanced through her thoughts.

Her mind went round and round the different symptoms and medications they'd tried, genuinely frustrated that she didn't have the answer.

She was not looking for the high I used to get from my science. She wanted the solution before someone died.

I envied her.