Souvenirs From Dead Worlds | ✓

Chapter 21

Returning to Sam's world was reminding Kias strongly of when he'd first arrived, and though everything had ultimately turned out for the best the memories it brought back came packaged with a heavy dose of anxiety. Kias focussed on his hands where they gripped the arms of the chair, on his breathing, tight and too fast. He knew there was no danger here, not with Sam at his side. There never had been. He hadn't known that when he'd first come here, though, and he was having no luck convincing the deep, instinctive part of him that this situation was safe.

They landed in the same room as they had the first time, huge and with high ceilings like a gigantic barn, empty until their shuttle landed in it. It smelled the same, Kias found when they exited the shuttle, a peculiar odor that Kias was fairly sure came from some kind of cleaning product.

Sensing Kias' apprehension, Sam reached out and took Kias' hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing his knuckles softly before he led him towards the door. The first time Kias had been here the automatic doors had startled him, but somehow, disturbingly, he simply considered them normal things in the context of Sam's world now. He still didn't really like them, though.

Unlike when Kias had first arrived on Sam's world, they were not the only ones waiting to see the doctor. Tristan's entire team was there this time, crowding the room.

Most of them had already been minimally dressed due to having their clothes taken when they were arrested, but now Diego was stripped down to his underwear along with the rest of them. Diego had struck Kias as being quite dignified, so seeing him in so little was odd. Diego appeared no less comfortable nearly naked than he was fully dressed, though, and as soon as he spotted them he came over to talk to Sam.

Sam split his attention between talking to Diego and encouraging Kias out of his clothes. The room was warm, at least, but taking his clothes off in front of so many people was making Kias uncomfortable. It was silly, really, because usually it was Sam who was the one concerned about modesty, but Kias was feeling anxious. He knew he was safe with Sam and with Sam's friends, but fear had never been something he'd been good at reasoning with. Kias wanted to hide, not expose himself further.

He wasn't so scared that he would allow his fears to control him, though, so he pulled his shirt off and threw it into the large bin, and then sat at Sam's feet to remove his shoes. By the time Kias stood up again to remove his pants, Sam had already rid himself of his own shirt and pants.

Being nearly naked, Kias decided as Sam wrapped his arms around him, wasn't nearly as bad when Sam's warm body was pressed against his own. Kias buried his face against Sam's neck and shut his eyes, breathing in Sam's scent and blocking out everything else. He was tired and it was too bright in the small room and there were too many voices talking too loudly, but the slow stroke of Sam's hand up and down his back kept him calm.

A short while later someone placed a hand on Kias' shoulder and Kias startled, reflexively pulling away from the touch and pressing himself closer against Sam. Sam spoke with whoever had touched Kias for a few moments and then gently pried Kias away from himself.

"The doctor needs to give each of us a needle with some medicine," Sam explained, and Kias glanced at the doctor standing behind him.

It wasn't until Kias fully twisted around in Sam's arms to face the doctor that he realised that only the three of them remained in the room. He'd shut his mind down so successfully that he hadn't noticed Tristan's team leave.

The doctor didn't bother to sit them down to give them their needles this time. Sam stood behind Kias, his chest flush against Kias' back, and held Kias' arm out so he could get his needle. After Kias had gotten his, Sam held his own arm out. While the doctor worked, Sam spoke to her, and Kias couldn't help but feel they were discussing him.