Extraterrestrial Moors

15

Like last time when we entered the cafeteria the sound first faded then rose to near thunderous levels, if thunder could be softer than normal tones.

My face is like stone giving nothing away. Maha actually is acting like she's bored. I think she's tired of riding in the wheel chair.

"Look at the whore and her protector," I hear and before I can do anything I hear Maha reply.

"Oh, look at the idiot and his pack of fellow idiots. Someone that knows nothing really should keep his mouth shut. Showing off how stupid you are is detrimental to one's career."

The bastard gets up and Maha keeps me from doing anything. "You bitch." He slaps her and that's all it takes. I have him in an arm lock and bent backwards. Someone had called the MP's and they arrive almost immediately.

They take the fool off in cuffs. He will be courtmartialed. With as many witnesses and video of his unprovoked attack there is no doubt that he will be found guilty.

I look around at the other diners and they return to their meals and no longer gossip about me and Maha.

"You shouldn't have stopped me Maha. You don't deserve to be slapped." But Maha just smiles.

"Oh, you mean his little love tap? That was nothing. My brothers gave me worse all the time." The more that I hear about her life before the more it sickens me.

We get in line and I ask for an ice pack for Maha. They have one ready before we finish getting our food.

Once we find an empty table I have her put the trays down and look at her face. It's very red where his hand made contact with her skin. It's already starting to change colors. Maha holds the ice pack with one hand and eats with the other. I offer to take her to the infirmary but she declines.

The pain from the slap wasn't so bad at first. Less than what my brothers would give me on  a daily basis actually. But the pain of the bruise gets worse the more I try to eat. 

I give up by the time I'm done eating. "I think you'd better take me to the infirmary. I'm going to need pain pills for a day or two."

Rafe takes care of the now empty trays and wastes no time taking me to the infirmary. The doctor goes in just before we do. Rafe gets his attention and calls him back.

"Rafe what the hell did you do and how is it you're not dead?" The doctor yells at him.

"Rafe didn't do this. This piece of work was done by one of your lovely people sitting idle in the cafeteria gossiping and bullying people."

The doctor looks at Rafe, "Is he dead? I didn't receive any notifications of any deaths."

Rafe is starting to seriously get angry with the doctor. "No, he isn't dead. Rafe just made sure he stayed in place, painfully I might add, until the MP's came and took him away. Why are you so quick to jump to conclusions Doctor?" I'm getting annoyed with the doctor and his hasty judgments.

"Sorry Lt., Maha, you are correct. It's just from everything I've heard about his condition is it will send him into a near killing instinct when you are hurt or insulted by others. But the condition is so rare today that I don't know what is truth and what isn't anymore."

I look at the doctor blankly, "The genetic thing I told you about with him? Yeah, it makes him super protective when it comes to you."

"What about the other?" I ask knowing that it's going to be what I don't want to hear.

"I don't know." That isn't what I was expecting. The doctor smirks at my look of shock. "All I have to go by are old accounts of this. And they didn't focus too much on the sexual side of things. But the Lt. has been more than protective and interested in you from the beginning. My guess is that he's just incredibly attracted to you. You are a beautiful woman Maha, even if the other Earthlings never realized it." The doctor's words stun me. He's not being flippant or flirty, he's stating fact.

"You are very beautiful Maha." Rafe says at my side. I lean into him as the doctor gets a topical pain medicine that will also act like an anti inflammatory to my cheek.

Watching Maha get slapped made an anger stronger than I've ever felt engulf me. I wanted to kill him, but Maha just places her hand on mine and the anger drains right out. I take the fool down and wait for the MPs to show up.

Now at the infirmary I wish that I had done more to that man.

I gently trace the outline of his hand and she flinches back just a smidge. "It hurts, doesn't it?"

"Yes, but I've had lots worse and the medicine the doctor gave me is already making it so it doesn't hurt much." I think she's lying but I let her be. Once the doctor gives us the okay Maha jumps back into the wheelchair.

"I want to go back to the room, Rafe." That's all she says and I don't blame her. There's an observatory on the ship and I think she'll like it, but I'll show her another time.

As soon as we get back to the room Maha jumps out of the chair and grabs her things to change into for the night.

I put the chair away and change as well.

I feel her hands on me before I can put my shirt on. "Maha?"

"I don't want to be alone tonight." I turn to face her. She's just wearing an over sized shirt she'd bought today. I feel my mouth go dry.

"What exactly are you asking me, Maha? Do you want me to just hold you until you sleep or do you want something more?" I hope she wants something more, even though I know she's not really ready yet.

I can't hide my erection either.

She swallows, "I, uh, just want to be held. But if that's going to cause problems then forget I asked." She manages to actually say it even though her face is burning red by the time she's done.

"I'm sorry," She says and backs away from me.

I look at her in confusion. "Are you afraid of me now? Tell me what I can do so you aren't afraid of me." My breathing is starting to get shallow and fast like it did before when mom took me in for questioning.

"I'm not afraid of you," and just like that my breathing evens out. "But, I think I'm hurting you." Light bulb goes off.

I close my eyes and force my body to calm down. It takes me several deep breathes and slow counting to calm my body down. "I'll be fine, Maha. I do have some control over my body. I'll hold you until you go to sleep okay? Then it'll be better for me to return to my own bed." It's definitely going to be a long night.

When she gives me her bright smile though it makes it all worthwhile.