The girl awoke to a warm feeling, not at all like the cold stone of the
cell floor, then she opened her eyes and looked up to see that she was in
the girl known as Kes' arms. As soon as she recognized this she bolted up,
waking Kes up with start as well. As soon as the girl saw what she had done
she ran to a corner and cowered.
"Hey, it's alright." Kes said calmly as she got up. But in response the girl just huddled up tighter, protecting her deep cut along her side.
"It's OK." Kes continued.
"What's wrong?" Kes studied the girl and slowly tried to inch toward her but the girl just kept getting in a tighter ball.
"Do you think I'm going to hurt you? For you waking me up?" Kes understood now, this girl had lived all her life in fear and shame, it was sad to see someone like this, but even sadder to think that she could've been that person if Neelix hadn't rescued her.
"It's ok, I'm not going to hurt you." Kes tried to use her words to calm the girl so she could edge toward her.
Finally she got within range and kneeled beside her, the girl buried her head under her hands.
Kes stroked her scarry arm and said, "What happened to you earlier? When you started having spasms."
The girl looked up slowly, not totally convinced that Kes wasn't going to do anything to her then said; "When they inject me with nutrients they also mix in some kind of poison that keeps my super soldier powers in check. I also have to go to some kind of energy draining place every now and then to keep me from having full control over my abilities."
"That's horrible." Kes said, but then got an unexpected reply from the girl, She lunged at Kes and hugged her tightly as tears dripped from her eyes onto Kes' clothes, but she didn't mind.
Kes tried to calm her as much as possible; letting the girl hug her for as long as she liked as Kes stroked her back gently.
Then a guard came in; "Come on you two, we've arrived on Salaus IV, time for the slave auctions."
The guard seemed almost cheery about it as he ushered Kes and the super soldier out into the corridor.
"Hey, it's alright." Kes said calmly as she got up. But in response the girl just huddled up tighter, protecting her deep cut along her side.
"It's OK." Kes continued.
"What's wrong?" Kes studied the girl and slowly tried to inch toward her but the girl just kept getting in a tighter ball.
"Do you think I'm going to hurt you? For you waking me up?" Kes understood now, this girl had lived all her life in fear and shame, it was sad to see someone like this, but even sadder to think that she could've been that person if Neelix hadn't rescued her.
"It's ok, I'm not going to hurt you." Kes tried to use her words to calm the girl so she could edge toward her.
Finally she got within range and kneeled beside her, the girl buried her head under her hands.
Kes stroked her scarry arm and said, "What happened to you earlier? When you started having spasms."
The girl looked up slowly, not totally convinced that Kes wasn't going to do anything to her then said; "When they inject me with nutrients they also mix in some kind of poison that keeps my super soldier powers in check. I also have to go to some kind of energy draining place every now and then to keep me from having full control over my abilities."
"That's horrible." Kes said, but then got an unexpected reply from the girl, She lunged at Kes and hugged her tightly as tears dripped from her eyes onto Kes' clothes, but she didn't mind.
Kes tried to calm her as much as possible; letting the girl hug her for as long as she liked as Kes stroked her back gently.
Then a guard came in; "Come on you two, we've arrived on Salaus IV, time for the slave auctions."
The guard seemed almost cheery about it as he ushered Kes and the super soldier out into the corridor.