Polar Opposites

5 - That Was Pleasant?

Elora woke up bright and early. So early, in fact, that Zokkik was still asleep, which had never happened before. During her most intense healing period, Elora would sleep for hours into the morning, so the healer was always up and moving by the time she awoke.

She stared at the sleeping man, hoping her awakeness would wake him up. It worked! Unfortunately for Zokkik, waking up with someone staring at you was not pleasant. "La, Elora... what are you doing up? It's so early." Elora grinned, "Can we go outside now?"

Zokkik eyed the girl, "Have you always been this creepy?" She looked terrifying, staring at him with a weird little grin in a halfway-dark room. Elora groaned, "You didn't answer my question."

Zokkik sat up in his cot, stretching and then groaning when his back popped. Elora muttered, "Old man..." He heard, but ignored, her statement as he pushed off of the bed and splashed his face with some water. Since Elora's arrival, many things had been added to the healer's room. One of the things added was a small wash basin. Again, they were fortunate enough that a crew member never had to stay in the healer's room long-term, so they didn't need a washing station full-time in the already cramped room. They would just bring one in when necessary. However, since Elora had so many wounds that were prone to infection, Zokkik made sure to keep her extra clean, especially when she was unconscious. To make things easier for the healer, Hakoda had the basin put in the healing room.

And now that Elora was awake, she could wash herself in the privacy of the healer's room. However, she was itching for a real soak-in-steamy-water bath and not a spit bath. She would have to make the trek to the ship's bathing room for that to happen. She obviously couldn't make the walk when bedridden, plus the room was usually being used by at least one man, if not a couple. It would be an inconvenience for the crew, and Zokkik understood that. So, they were stuck with the simple wash basin for a while.

He was already pushing everyone by just letting her out on deck with no physical inconvenience for them. He didn't think he could ask them not to use the bathing room for her yet. She would just have to be patient.

She didn't like being patient.

"Well? Can we go?" Zokkik patted his face dry with a sigh, "We can go in a couple of hours." Elora flopped back in bed, hissing at the soreness of her healing ribs. Zokkik gave her a stern look, "Do not re-break your rib, Elora." She rested her hand gently over the seeping pain, "I'll try my best." His look became sterner, and she mumbled, "I was being serious..."

Zokkik gave her a disbelieving look before pulling the curtain by her cot closed so he could change into his day clothes. As he changed, Elora was silent, and Zokkik hoped she had fallen back into slumber. They couldn't go out in the early morning because of the changing of day and night crew. If she was a spy, that would be important information. They would have to wait until the crews were fully changed.

"We really can't go now?"

"No, Elora. But I promise we will go today."

Elora gave a hum as an answer.

Zokkik frowned, asking permission before opening the curtain, "How about you get cleaned up before we leave? It's been a while since we washed your hair."