A Second Chance

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"Ah! Ahh! Achoooo!" Rae hid her face in the fluffy—now grossly damp blanket. She desperately wished there was a tissue nearby because she was pretty sure if she moved a huge glob of snot would string down from her face.

Just as she was considering walking with the blanket temporarily attached to her nose, a small box was placed lightly on her hip. Peeking off to the side she saw the white material sticking out of the cardboard box and that's all it took for her to swipe her hand out and bring the soft tissue to her crying nose.

After giving it a hearty blow to clear out the sinuses that threatened to clog, Rae took a moment to recover. She looked back down to the tissue box and frowned. "Tomak?"

A soft, almost inaudible rumble answered from behind.

She wanted to sound irate and cross, but her nasally voice worked against her in that endeavor. "You suck."

The deep rumbling quickly transitioned into a chuckle. Rising from his crouch, Tomak looked down at her with amused eyes.

It had taken some time, but he was beginning to have an understanding of her strange human phrases; remembering before how her usage of the word 'suck' had no actual relevance to the action of sucking.

It was a poor attempt to prick at his pride, but he would allow her to think otherwise.

Normally a remark used by his brothers would test him, pushing him towards either forcing them to submit to him, or getting them back in some way. In this case, Tomak was convinced that would never be an option with the little female that barely came up to his midriff. For now, at least in her sickened state, he would let it go.

"It's not funny!" she swatted at him, not unlike her useless feline pet. "Thanks to you, I'm sick!"

He chuffed at that. It was not his fault her body could not properly fight off tiny microorganisms. Yautja did not suffer from such a problem.

As if reading his mind, she scowled and pointed a tiny finger at him in accusation, seemingly emphasizing each statement as she went, "I told you it was too cold for a bikini! And did you listen to me? No! Now I have a scratchy throat, a fever, and a blocked sinus! And it's: All. Your. Fault!"

Placidly blinking down at her, Tomak considered her words.

She exhibited the characteristics of a human quite well: whining, cursing, blaming, acting as if life itself were over. He crossed his arms in pure yautja arrogance. "Had you won, you would not be ill."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "I probably lost because I was running on an empty stomach," she grumbled irritably.

"That is unlikely. Eating beforehand would have slowed you even more than you were."

His swift retort stung like salt in the wound. Just as she was formulating a proper comeback, he was gone. Yeah he better run, she thought angrily to herself before a phlegmy cough got the better of her.

Despite what she thought, Tomak only left her for a short while, going to collect something in the other room.

Upon returning, he watched as she quickly sat up, snatching another tissue before a second sneeze wracked her whole body. The sound was peculiar. It was the mix between a snort and a hiss, but it appeared to be painful, certainly not a sound yautja would or could make for that matter.

She fell back against the pillow once more and sighed frustratedly.

Kneeling down beside her, Tomak presented the cooled cloth he had prepared for her and placed it over her feverish forehead. He was aware this was how some reduced rising temperatures amongst her kind. It was primitive but effective.