Chapter 4

Xxxxx

As soon as they landed Arkillo ushered her out. Immediately, he was surrounded by a good dozen Green Lanterns, with Kilowog at the front. She cried out in alarm and the White Lantern hurried over. "It's okay... Greens and Yellows aren't exactly friends... But he's safe enough. Come with me, I promise no harm will come to him."

Peesh looked back, only to see Arkillo waving her away irritably. He seemed more concerned with the presence of so many Green Lanterns than he did with her, so she did as she was asked and went with her new companion.

She followed the White Lantern - Kyle - away from the shuttle. Arkillo, he assured her, would be given suitable accommodations, but she seemed to be in need of medical attention. "Where are we going?" She asked as he walked her towards one of many towering buildings, taller, grander and certainly greener than any she had ever seen before.

"We have our own medical centre. Doctor Soranik Natu will have a look at you. Don't worry... She's very kind. She won't hurt you." He smiled, trying to be reassuring.

She nodded, in no position to protest, and looked up at the vast building that towered above her. "It's so big."

"Well the first few floors are for the hospital itself. Then a lot of the staff live above it. Makes things easier." Kyle explained. "A far cry from Astonia, isn't it?"

"You know it?" It had been a surprise when Arkillo recognised her species, now he did too? It was strange. They weren't an advanced people, in fact, compared to most of the races she'd met, they were positively primitive. She was still reasonably sure that she was the only Astonian to ever leave their world.

"Yes... I... Visited it once, some years ago, though I kept out of sight. I know they're not accustomed to aliens there." He certainly wasn't about to tell her he'd gone to support Saint Walker on a particularly difficult anniversary. "It's a beautiful place."

"Yes, it is..." She managed a smile and the memories kept her nerves from overflowing as they entered the building.

"Wait here," Kyle said once they were in and near some tall, glass doors. "I want to explain things first." He had every intention of getting her the care she clearly needed, but he also needed to explain the situation to Soranik.

He went through and Peesh watched as he spoke to a tall woman with skin that was a deep pink. She kept casting glances her way and Peesh fidgeted under the scrutiny. She didn't understand why she was so interesting to them and would have preferred to just find a spot and go to sleep. Lack of medical care hadn't done her any harm before.

At last they both came back out and Kyle rested his hand briefly on her shoulder. "I have to go and... See someone. Doctor Natu will look after you." He looked up at Soranik and she nodded.

"Come on in, Peesh. Don't worry, we just want to have a look at you, make sure you're in good health." She was relying on Peesh not recognising the procedures to run the additional tests without letting her know what was going on. "Are you hungry? I could get you something to eat before we start."

"No... thank you, I'm fine..." her head-tail swung, showing her agitation. She was far too nervous to be hungry.

"Okay, well... After we're done we'll go and get something. I'll need to eat by then anyway," Soranik told her. "Come and sit over here." She gestured to a medical bed and watched Peesh hop up into it, pleased that her movements seemed fluid enough. "This is going to take a bit of time, so just relax."

Peesh nodded, but sat stiffly on the bed, hardly breathing. She didn't say a word unless Soranik asked her a question and then the answers were short.

Soranik observed the girl carefully as she ran the multiple tests. Peesh didn't flinch at any of the prodding or poking and seemed unaware of the extra tests. Her tension wasn't entirely surprising for someone who had endured captivity and Soranik hoped she'd recover from it in time.

"Okay, nearly done... If it's okay with you I just need a look at your back, the scans showed some damage there. I'm sure it's nothing, but I'd like to be sure... All I need is for you to take off your top."

If Peesh had been tense before, the request made her freeze completely. Her hands gripped the side of the bed until her knuckles were white from the strain. Her mouth was open as she tried to breathe, though the breaths came in short, sharp, gasps.

"Peesh?" Soranik grew alarmed as the girl descended into panic and stopped what she was doing. "What's wrong?" She moved to face the girl, keeping her movements calm and gentle. "It'll be okay..." She soothed. Whether she was who she said she was or not, it was clear that she had endured something terrible. "You can talk to me." Carefully, she sat beside Peesh on the bed and waited. Her hand brushed Peesh's lightly as she willed the girl to regain her composure.

At long last, Peesh moved, shifting her position. Still without speaking she turned until her back faced the doctor's.

Taking that as permission, Soranik lifted the loose top, trying not to touch her. As the fabric lifted, she could see why Peesh had reacted as she did. A mess of ugly scars covered her back, some long and jagged, others smooth and short. Soranik hissed as she saw the wounds. Astonians naturally had tough skin and she wondered how hard they'd hit her to cause scarring like that. No wonder she was terrified.

"Oh, Peesh..." Very slowly, she dared to touch one of the fresher scars. They were healing, some almost healed completely. But there were so many.

"They used to... To make me take my own top off when they wanted to punish me," she whispered. "When you asked I... I..."

"I understand." Soranik stopped the retelling before it traumatised her further. "Peesh this... This will never happen here. Never." She let the top drop down, watching as Peesh pulled away. "I can help with the scars to your skin... And if you need to talk about the hurts inside... I can help with that too." Her heart went out to the girl and she hoped that, whatever the truth behind her identity, Saint Walker would be able to use his blue light to heal where she could not.

Getting up, she set the tests up to run in her absence. "Come on. Let's get something to eat and find you somewhere to stay."

Xxxxx

Peesh ate little, to Soranik's concern. She was badly unnourished and she was certain the tests would show her lacking in the vitamins her species needed. Still, perhaps once she was settled, she'd eat more. When she could cajole her into eating no more, they left the dining hall to look for some accommodations.

It wasn't easy, most of the Lanterns lived either communally or in private residences. There were no families with children she could stay with. She made a few suggestions, but they were met with looks of abject terror.

"Okay... Okay let me think..." She truly hoped this was Walker's child, either that or he was willing to take her in anyway, because the girl desperately needed a family.

She almost missed the scared whisper. "I don't want to be alone."

She closed her eyes. Of course she didn't. "Okay..." She hesitated, but at that point there was one obvious solution. "Okay. You can stay with me."

"I can?" Peesh asked, surprised enough that her voice was almost at a normal level. She barely knew the doctor, but it seemed by far the best offer she'd had all day. She had a good feeling about Doctor Natu and her instincts rarely let her down.

"You can. Just need to clear all my junk out of my spare room and we'll turn it into a bedroom. You'll like it... It has its own little balcony and you can lock me out if you want to." It was going to be a heck of an adjustment, but she couldn't see another way. And besides, she found that the girl was growing on her already. "Let's go and see, shall we?"

Peesh nodded and Soranik ignored the nagging voice that reminded her she might be letting an infiltrator into her most private space. So far she hadn't said or done anything even remotely suspicious and Soranik was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt.

She took Peesh to her rooms, opening the door and letting her look around. "I can't say I'm always here that much, but I try to come back to sleep. You have free reign just... Don't touch anything you don't recognise until someone has explained it to you." She smiled and led the way to another door. "This will be your room. I'll get a team in, we'll have it up and running today.

The room was currently full of Soranik's assorted possessions, the only furniture an old sofa and a table. But it was large, with doors opening on to the balcony that overlooked both corps headquarters and a lush forest.

"All this... For me?" Peesh's eyes were wide with shock.

"For you." Soranik smiled. "Have a look a round while I get some people in to help." The items she could procure were fairly basic at such short notice, but they could add personality later, if Peesh wanted to. For now, the basic comforts were the most important and at least this way, she could keep a proper eye on her.

Xxxxxx

Several hours later, Soranik returned to her lab, Peesh asleep in the hastily put together bedroom and looking like she would remain that way for some time. Finally she was able to look at the now completed tests and check the results. There were a number of species that could pass for another, they had learned with the Durlans that such deceptions required extremely thorough testing to reveal. Sometimes even the subjects didn't realise they weren't who they thought. As such she had taken no chances, subtly subjecting the girl to every test she knew. And now the results were ready.

She took a deep breath, oddly nervous and began to review the results.

When she had done, she looked down at her ring. "Open communications to Kyle Rayner."

Xxxxxxxx