Oh well. Now the debut happens. Little nervous here. BUT first things first - this story was written for Sabaine, a dear, amazing friend who encouraged me to do this. So I did. And now she's kind enough to be also my beta (English is not my mother tongue but it's not an explanation, I realise that :]) and the one who gave me a prompt to fill.
Theros and Mia are sort of our 'babies'. And now I am really curious what I will do to them... :P
Sabaine, thank you SO much. And I'm really here, publishing, due to your actions and kindness. All hail to you!
So here we go:
Everything was a blur. A too dark, too quick to grasp blur. One minute he was standing with the batarian scientists and watching their new 'invention,' and in the second he was running from the safety room toward the laboratory; or what was left of it. Of course their stupid prototype blew. And he, Theros Ris'ono, should known better.
What he didn't know but found out on his own soon enough, was that the gas sweeping from the metal tube was toxic. So three minutes after the experiment began Theros was coughing and curled on the floor of his lab, unable to stand or to take a deep breath.
Black dots floated just in front of his eyes and then the quickly moving blue tunic of his assistant. He heard something that sounded like a muffled 'Hold on, sir' and a strong grip pulling him out of the room.
And then he passed out.
"No, that level of oxygen could kill him. He's a Turian for God's sake, not an elephant."
Theros had no idea who the 'elephant' was but was sure enough that HE WAS a Turian, and that he needed air. Lots of air. Breathing was still a hard task to do on his own. His eyelids flickered, after few seconds he was able to open up his eyes. He saw greyish walls unknown to him. But he was quite sure that this was some kind of doctor's office, maybe even a hospital.
The human female who was standing near him was tense and angry. Oh no, he didn't like angry physicians. And he didn't like angry females even more. This mixture was far more dangerous than the one which blew up in his laboratory.
He tried to move, one limb after another, this task wasn't easy either.
"Oh, don't move" he heard, in one, quick and graceful motion the female was at his bed and her head impending over his own. He tried to answer but his mandibles hit some plastic surface covering his jaw plates; which also covered his mandibles of course. Theros squinted as far as his eyes let him, curious about the object. Well, he wasn't breathing on his own after all. A plastic mask covered half of his face, had tubes which were attached to the big, orange machine. It wasn't very reassuring view. Almost absent-mindedly he made deep, dissatisfied rumble which buzzed in his chest. The physician smiled at him and relaxed a bit. After few glances over the tubes and machinery she nodded.
"Ok, I will remove this but take slow, deep breaths. And try not to talk for a minute."
Theros closed his eyes and held his thumb up in human confirmation gesture. Then he felt her soft touch just under his collar and the second one ghosting his temple. He spread his mandibles as far as he could and took just one quick breath.
"Slow! I told you S-L-O-W!" he heard few minutes later after a very hard coughing attack and many sips of liquids brought to him by an asari nurse.
"I'm fine" he answered her careful, questioning look and felt how impaired his mandibles were.
"You're rather far from fine but I'm surprised you're conscious. And talking. I must examine you, it's better to be safe than sorry."
"I'm sorry but do you have proper knowledge? About my species I mean." Uh-oh. Now she looked even more angry than before. And almost offended. Why, why he was so stupid to learn all these little human gestures and mimics? His life would be much easier without them, he could always tell that he didn't know.
"Doctor, I'm truly grateful and all but my question is a good one, right? No offence please."
"None taken. I understand your concern," she sighed and took small, plastic card from her left pocket. "This is my medical license. My name is Mia Vormillan and I'm a specialist in turian physiology and a well-educated surgeon with experience in human, turian and asari. You can scan it in every patient station here."
"Good. I will do it later if you don't mind ma'am."
"Just let me know. Can I do the examination now? It won't kill you after all." She smirked at him and without hesitation touched few spots on his head.
Theros didn't know how to answer. Was she joking? Like really joking? This 'Mia the Doctor' looked like she knew what she was doing and her hands were soft and warm. She checked carefully all his plates in close proximity of his nose and then with one, smooth motion caught him just under his fringe and pulled down. He was too surprised to react and surrendered instantly to her firm but strong grasp.
Well, the fringe and area underneath it was definitely an erogenous zone and he was quite convinced that she knew it. But her touch was delicate and far from erotic teasing, strictly medical. Now it was his turn to sigh.
"Yeah, yeah, don't be such a baby, I have to check your lungs and it's not my fault that turian lungs are much higher than ours. From experience I know also that it's better to listen to the air flow when a turian patient is bending. What's more your species is not very happy about such position."
Her logic was sound so he didn't fight her back. Yet, Theros couldn't remember any female who was allowed to touch him like this, or to be so dominant with him. Like EVER. And he was with quite many in his life.
"I'm not a baby it's just…" he begun but she slapped him gently in his left arm.
"Shhh. I'm trying to work here."
Theros' mandibles went slack with defeat and he shook his head. Helpless in human hands. Yes, a really great story to tell his colleagues.
He held that thought. Colleagues… His pupils dilated and in one strong movement he was on his feet, holding the doctors hands in his.
"Batarians."
"I'm sorry?!" her anger was obvious, this time he even didn't need his extra skills.
"It was a set up. I was so stupid! Gas was the main effect of their machinery not the energy we preconceived!"
The woman snorted and tried to pull him back on the bed but he didn't move and she was definitely too weak to move a grown turian on her own
.
"Ma'am I'm afraid I must go. Like NOW." He said, pushing her not very gently towards the bed.
In a few quick steps he was in the corridor, once again pushing everybody who was in his way out. He had never been in this part of the Huerta Memorial, but all in all he knew he should go to the transit hub.
Or where he thought he would go. Just before something hard hit him under his leg spur, in the centre of one of most painful areas on his body. The very ungraceful fall was inevitable. His leg buckled under him and without any warning he hit floor, first with his butt and then with his back.
"Nice, you didn't even groan," he heard the familiar voice which was coming closer with every word.
"You… human…" Theros tried to say something but every coherent thought was escaping his mind. VERY fast.
"Yeah, I am human. Who knew, huh?"
He opened his eyes, the pain let him go slowly and his other senses were coming back to him with every little breath he could take.
"You didn't give me opportunity to explain the situation to you. And also didn't hear my screams after you so…" she moved her arms in the most stupid human gesture he had ever seen which could only be translated as 'I don't know what I did really'
"Hell you don't" he thought as his eyes moved from her arms to her hands. She was holding a long, metal white stick with little two hangers on top of it. Oh. Realization hit him.
"You hit me with stand for drip-bags" it wasn't a question, short statement.
Her smile expanded.
"Well, you didn't leave me much choice. And I did tell you I'm an specialist in turian physiology."
Yes, she did. No doubts here. Theros shook his head. She not only made him bend but also took him down with just one precise hit. It was amazing but mostly it was sort of terrifying.
"Now be a good turian scientist Theros Ris'ono, get up and please walk with me, well limp. I'm sure I can explain everything".
And so he did.
And I would love to see some reviews, even the harsh ones. So please... hit it! ;)
