Dealing With Consequences

Chapter 3

        Amara didn't dare look down at the Naih sitting there. Instead, she walked over to the last body in her row and slowly did her blessing.  She elegantly swept her hand across her row and the blessing traveled with a small white glow to each body. She always felt the last blessing looked more like a delicate dance. Though this time it wasn't as smooth as she would have liked. It was difficult to do with so much on your mind and a Naih watching every move you made.

    After performing the few hand movements, she pointed again to her row.  The blue light appeared and she drew out a single symbol. It was similar to a cursive D in the old alphabet with a few more intricate lines looping this way and that. The D became similar to a touch screen on a computer and she pointed to the bodies she wanted marked. Each one lit up with a blue dot overhead. When she had them all addressed she clicked the entire screen again and the order was sent. The gurney rushed to take each one to the mortician area. 

        Amara turned back to the Naih she rescued from the other side and sighed. He looked up at her in curiosity. She had no idea what she was going to do with him. She knew as a medic, she couldn't let him die when her sole purpose was to try to save life or was that just her excuse now that she had. She couldn't give him over to the soldiers either. They would give him a trial and execute him. "What would have been the point of saving him then," she thought.

   She turned to walk towards him and her toe kicked something. It made a clinking noise. She picked it up and realized it was dog tags from one of the fallen. An idea popped into her head and it disgusted her. It seemed all day the world tested Amara's loyalty to her morals as a medic and her duty as a human.

    The Naih looked at her with a wrinkled brow. He wasn't sure if he could say anything yet with the officers still so close. She hoped he wouldn't. She wasn't sure if she could keep up this confident façade if he had. She bent down and pulled his arm. He stood and looked down at her. She couldn't decide if it was brooding anger or confusion written on his face. She preferred neither.

  "Follow me," Amara whispered as they headed down the rocky terrain away from the soldiers and other medics. She led him in a wide arch to the temporary supply unit at the bottom of the hill. It was rough traveling but he kept up with her with ease. The rocky slope was more of a challenge for Amara than the Naih and she resented and feared him for it. He was obviously one of their soldiers.

    She glanced inside and then beckoned for him to follow. He walked into a dimly lit room with rows of shelves. He looked around but couldn't find Amara amongst the tall stacks of supplies. He started walking down a row and she popped out from behind some shelves.

    "What are you a large," she asked and he looked at her confused again.

   "Large what," he asked. "Are you calling me obese? I am a soldier." 

    Amara rolled her eyes with her sudden courage and held a shirt up to his frame. He wouldn't hurt her. For some reason, she knew that he wouldn't. It made her calm a bit as she organized a plan to remedy what she had done. 

   He raised his arms slightly, as she pressed the shirt to his chest, staring down at her with that glare again. She decided to ignore it and tugged at the fabric. This wasn't going to fit. He would be swimming in it. Soldiers usually had fitted tees that worked with their frame. They would spot him in a heartbeat. She shook her head.

    "Not going to work. Let's try medium." She turned down an aisle and this time he followed her convinced he shouldn't be far. She stopped at a section of clothing piled high on a shelf. She pulled down a few things and handed it to him. "Put these on."

   He held up the items and shrugged. He slid off his stained Naih armor. There was a loud clank as it hit the floor. The shell like armor spun around a few times with the momentum and Amara couldn't help but follow its twirl. When it stopped, Amara glanced back up at the now topless muscled man. Her cheeks reddened instantly and her hand unconsciously went near her neck stroking her clavicle. Her large auburn eyes darted away from him only to catch a glance again. She was unintentionally sucking on her bottom lip. This intrigued him.