As Stinger leads Aleksa to the cell, he warns her, "M'lady, this could be difficult."
She sets her shoulders and holds her head high, and it makes his chest swell with pride. The determination to do what she sees as right is yet another thing he admires about her.
An unearthly cat-like wail greets them as they look down through the grate in the floor to the cell below, "Just get it over with!"
The child sized vaguely humanoid body is curled up in pain with several spots of blood matted in the thick ginger fur. Aleksa gasps, "Stinger, you said he was lame, not recently wounded…"
He hadn't seen the prisoner yet either and automatically reaches to put a hand on her back, offering comfort.
To the guard in the cell block, she commands, "Fetch the healers."
Stinger adds, "And a meal."
With a salute and click of his heels, he's off.
"Don't bother," the splice moans, "Just kill me, already."
Glad she had the sense to wear a pant suit instead of one of the suggested dresses, she kneels and scoots to the edge. "What's your name little one?"
No answer, just sniffles and whimpers.
Stinger pipes up, "M'lady, he's probably mature for his splice type. May I?"
She squeezes his hand in affirmation and doesn't let go.
"Healers will be here soon. It will be in your best interest to answer. M'ladys' idea of mercy is more than just a quick death. But she needs your cooperation. Were your wounds inflicted before you were apprehended or did our soldiers do this to you?"
Just as Stinger's about to give up, the pitiful creature answers, "Before."
Footsteps announce the arrival of the medics and Stinger ushers Aleksa out. "This won't be pretty, m'lady. We'll return after it's all done."
Hisses, wails, growls, and screeches echo down the hall behind them. When Aleksa looks back with concern, he clarifies, "Medical grade RegeneX burns wickedly."
Seeing she's not happy with that answer, he shares, "I've been through it more times than I can count. He'll be ok. And he did try to kill you."
"That's why you were grateful for the same treatment as I would have been given…"
"Bingo."