The First Day: Life Changes, part 4
She was going to be alright. Daniel could see that she knew this and felt this, maybe for the first time ever.
"Camila. Ka MEE la, ka MEE la. Cami. KAM mee." She was smiling and playing with the sound of her new name.
He reached up and rubbed her ears affectionately. "Ka MMMMMMMMMEE la," she purred.
"I'll be right back, okay, Cami?"
She nodded, still smiling, and untangled her tail from his leg. She then arced her tail around his back to pull him close for a quick kiss. "Mmmmm. Ka MEE la."
Daniel chuckled softly, walked to the back door, and opened it. He found a light dimmer switch on the wall just to the left and set it to half intensity. The room beyond was clearly intended for laboratory workers who were so busy that they didn't have time to go back to their homes. Bunk beds filled the area to the left nearest the door, while to the right were sinks and hand dryers, toilet stalls, and shower stalls, as well as what looked like closets of some kind. Heavy security doors, currently closed, were set in the walls to the far left and right. The center of the room was occupied by a number of tables with chairs. Behind them and to their left on the back wall was a kitchen area complete with cabinets, a stove/oven with microwave, a sink, a dishwasher, and a large refrigerator/freezer, while to their right were a number of vending machines containing both solid and liquid items. He took all this in at a glance and headed directly to the sinks on his right.
He noticed that a number of items had been left on the sink counter – toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, bar soap, a hair brush and comb, a blow dryer, and the like, in both 'his' and 'hers' varieties where it mattered. There were also towels for the showers.
On the wall above the sinks were dispensers for regular soap as well as sterilizing soap. Choosing the latter, he quickly but thoroughly washed his hands and dried them at a dryer, then he headed back to the lab, turning off the lights and closing the door.
Quickly walking back to Camila, he located the medical gloves and gauze beneath the table. "You ready, Kitten?"
In reply, she looped her tail around his waist and nodded, pulling him close. He bent down for another quick kiss, eliciting a giggle from the girl.
"Here we go…" He carefully followed Dr. Lochman's instructions for each of the tubes and then coiled them around the supports above. Her tail never moved from his waist, but it ended up not hampering his movements at all.
"Well done," Dr. Lochman said when he had finished. "You can leave the gloves in the medical waste disposal beneath the table. I've shut down the equipment. We'll come in and get it out of your way later.
"Thank you, Doctor, appreciate it. Now, Cami, we just need to get you some clothes, and then it's lunch time. Alex, what are our options?"
Alex chimed in, "See that wardrobe next to the bed? I already had Camila's measurements, so I brought her some of the outfits from our manticore shop, including some nightgowns and slippers. I brought a few things for you, too, until your own clothes get here."
"You have a manticore shop?" asked Daniel, inwardly smiling at her use of Camila's name. They didn't miss a single detail.
"You'd be surprised what we have here. It's a big place," Alex grinned. "I still owe you that tour."
"I bet I would. Thank you very much," he nodded, returning her grin. "So, come with me, young lady," he said, turning back to Camila, who smiled shyly at being referred to in that way. Daniel took the sheet that was still covering her from the waist down and brought it back up to around her shoulders, though it didn't fit over her wings. She looked at him quizzically.
"All gentlemen should protect the modesty and dignity of a lady." He then said to her in a low voice, "You're incredibly beautiful, Kitten. That means you're also incredibly distracting, which is wonderful in some situations and not so helpful in others. Plus, I really don't want any other men who might walk in to see you that way."
Her eyes lit up with understanding, and she nodded vigorously.
"So, my dear, are you ready to get off this table?"
She nodded even more vigorously.
"Okay, let's see how steady on your feet you are." He slipped his arm around her beneath her wings to support her, as well as to hold the sheet closed. With his other hand he patted her tail, still looped about his waist. "Hold on tight, okay?"
Camila nodded. She sat up and turned toward the side of the table, putting her legs down, then she stepped down from the table – and nearly fell as a wave of dizziness overwhelmed her.
"Whoa there, Kitten," as he reached down with his free arm to scoop up her legs lightly. "Let's get you to the bed."
He carried her over and lay her gently on the bed, moving to sit beside her for a moment. "You haven't had any real food or drink in a long time, so you're bound to be light-headed. We'll get you some clothes and then take care of that right away, okay?"
She nodded, smiling weakly, and he was thankful at that moment that that she had been placed on life support so that she could at least receive intravenous nourishment and liquids for a short time.
"Now for the clothes. Um, Kitten," he said, reaching down to the bulb of her tail. He touched it gingerly, then, seeing no spines at all, he brought it up to his lips and kissed it. He'd have to ask her about that later. "I hate to ask, but I'm going to need you to let me go here for a minute, okay?" He stroked her tail as he asked.
She giggled a little but then turned serious and said, "But I need to be touching you."
He leaned over and kissed her, then he said, "I want that, too. Right now, you need to be in bed, and I need to get you some clothes and some food. But every instant we can be, I want us to be touching, okay?"
She nodded and hugged him, smiling brightly. He kissed her tail again as she released him.
Daniel stood and went over to the wardrobe and opened it, noting large mirrors on the inner surface of the doors. It was quite spacious, with a few outfits for both her and him hung up separately; there was room for many more. Each side also had drawers in which he found underwear, socks, handkerchiefs, and the like.
Feeling only slightly embarrassed, he took out bras and panties of different colors and designs for her to choose from. "Which would you like today?" he asked.
"Which would you like?" she countered, smiling demurely again. In that moment, he perceived that she wasn't just flirting with him. Consciously or not, she was inviting him to share in her femininity. She wanted him to choose so that she could feel even more embraced by him. She needed him to enjoy her, fully, with all that implied, and asking him to choose these intimate things was a way of being intimate with him, of inviting him to love her even more, so that she would feel even more loved.
"Wow," he said, momentarily at a loss for words at the power of that realization. Shaking his head in amazement, he then adopted a playful expression and brought his hand up to his chin in thoughtfulness, eyeing her critically. "Hmm. I think today is a red day."
Camila giggled and clapped happily.
He put the chosen articles on the bed and put the others away. He then pulled out a long pink silk nightgown for her and asked, "How about this?"
She smiled happily and nodded, reaching out to him with her arms and her tail.
As he returned and sat down on the bed and moved into her embrace, her tail once again looping around his waist, she whispered, "You really do hear my heart," as she pulled him into a long kiss.
Her growling stomach interrupted them again, and Daniel drew back to look at her. "Here, I'll turn my back while you change." He began to do just that, but her tail tightened about his waist, stopping him.
She said in a very small voice, "Could you help me? I've never had clothes before."
It was a simple statement, but in those few words he heard a lifetime of pain, shame, humiliation, and violation. She's not feeling it so much now, thankfully, but she'll have a lot more tears to cry when she's ready, he realized.
"It would be my honor," he said, seeking to restore some measure of dignity to the mistreated girl beside him. If you want a girl to feel like a lady, treat her like a lady, which is exactly what he intended to do. His lady.
"Let's start with this," he said, holding up the lacy red bra. "If you have to be active, like running or flying – do you fly?" he asked, realizing he hadn't seen anything in his research about manticores flying, which seemed strange. In most of the photos he'd seen, the wings seemed too small to be functional, it was true, but in some of them, and in Camila's case, they seemed potentially large enough. She might be able to fly, or at least glide.
Camila looked puzzled and shrugged her shoulders, opening her wings and flapping a bit.
"Hmm, definitely something we'll have to try when you're feeling stronger." He flashed her a smile, and she smiled back, looking excited at that idea. She folded her wings once again.
"Anyway, this will help keep… things… in place and make you feel more comfortable. I think. Actually, I've never worn one."
She giggled at that and moved the sheet down to her waist.
Daniel's heart skipped a beat again. If her beauty weren't distracting enough, he could feel her relishing his gaze, enjoying being enjoyed by him. She jiggled intentionally a little bit, her expression… not exactly seductive, as she was too innocent for that, despite what she had been through. Passionate would be a better word, he thought.
"Kitten, remember when I was talking about distraction?"
"Mmm-hmm," she giggled.
Her stomach chose that instant to growl again, breaking the tension of the moment.
"Hmph," she pouted, and he thought he had never seen anything so cute in his life. He gave her a quick kiss, bringing a smile back to her face.
"I'll tell you this, Kitten. What we were just feeling is the way it's supposed to be with a man and a woman. And it gets a lot better from there. But before we go there, we need to have a talk about what the law of this land permits, okay? But even before that, we need to get you dressed so you can eat something."
She nodded, smiling.
"Okay, so, here we go," he said, taking a deep breath, sliding the bra over her breasts, reaching around beneath her wings to tie it, and then reaching up behind her neck to tie it there, all the while idly wondering whether her fingers were dexterous enough for her to do this by herself. If not, they'd either have to find a style that she could manage, or he'd have to keep doing this. She'd probably prefer the latter. He probably would, too. He was getting distracted again.
"All set. Now for these…," as he held up the panties. "You don't need me for these, do you?" he asked, knowing they would be even more trouble for him than the bra was.
"Need, no. Want, yes," she said, her voice almost teasing. Her smile, too. He had to admit, he liked the way she thought – as well as the way she was looking at him.
"Okay, then," he smiled, taking another deep breath, steeling himself. It wouldn't help, he knew, but he had to try.
Camila moved the sheet off the rest of her body, and Daniel's heart nearly stopped entirely. If he'd thought she was curvy from the waist up… Her legs were exquisitely shaped, the deep-blue fur from her feet-paws extending up to mid-thigh and ending in a circle of longer indigo fur. Her hips were even more exquisite, with just the right amount of extra padding, not an ounce too much nor too little. How this girl managed to have so many curves on such a slender frame – and after being nearly starved… She was far beyond any work of art he could ever have imagined. What got to him even more, though, was her scent, which was both delicate and intoxicating at the same time. If he were going to do this, he had to do it right then.
He slid the panties over her feet-paws and up her legs. Her fur is really soft… As he reached the indigo fur of her thighs, she lifted her hips off the bed for him, taking the opportunity to move them slowly in small circles. "Cami…" He heard her giggling, clearly enjoying the effect she had on him. In a herculean effort of will, he slid her panties up to her hips, which were still moving. Her skin was even softer than her fur, if that were possible. It took all his willpower to pull his hands away. His breathing labored, he moved to sit back beside her, struggling to maintain control.
"I like," she said as he felt her drinking in his arousal. "Can you help me take my clothes off, too?"
At that, Daniel was beyond words. One more episode like this, and he'd either have a heart attack or end up breaking the law and being sent to prison, and who would protect Camila from the likes of that Packard woman then?
That sobering thought was enough to clear his head. He'd been feeling almost desperate to get her to eat and drink something, but this wasn't going to wait.
"Camila, honey, I need you to hear me, please."
Seeing how serious he had suddenly become, she stopped playing and looked deeply into his eyes, a little worried, her ears perked up to full attention.
He began, touching her cheek reassuringly, "I really love doing this with you – being this way with you. But there is something you need to know that puts a limit on how far we can go.
She nuzzled his hand and nodded, completely focused on him.
He continued caressing her cheek, trying to decide how much she needed to know, given the unique way she had come to be there.
"It was only a year ago that laws were passed to allow liminals – people like yourself – to become part of human society in this country. A whole program was set up to help that to happen. It started in Japan four years ago, and it went well enough that it came to the US just last year. I signed up for it myself, which is why I'm here with you now."
She smiled and kissed his hand softly as he continued to stroke her, her eyes shining.
"The laws that you need to know about are that no liminal may harm a human, and, more importantly to you right now, no human may harm a liminal. The penalty for violating that is deportation for the liminal and serious prison time for the human. This is why that Dr. Reynard and that Packard woman are in serious trouble if I tell the higher-ups about how they've treated you." He specifically did not want to mention her abusers right now, because he needed her focused on their particular issue.
She nodded, pulling him a little closer with her tail and putting a hand on his free hand, interlinking her three fingers with his four. She smiled happily at how their hands fit together and started purring.
He continued, "This all affects us in a couple of very important ways. First, I am now legally your host and guardian. I am responsible for you. This means not only taking care of you but also teaching you how to be part of our society. To do this, we'll get to go out together and do lots of fun things. We'll talk more about this a little later, because I want to show you what our options are and hear what kinds of things sound appealing to you."
She smiled and nodded at that, but she sensed there was a 'but' coming and looked a little worried. Her purring continued, however.
"So, here's the downside," he said gently, hoping against hope that this would not cause her to fixate on the memories of her abuse. "The law's definition of 'harm' between liminals and humans includes, well, sex. This is because there are some liminal species that are predatory and will force sex on humans without their permission. It's happened a lot in the past, apparently. And as much as I hate the idea of it, there are some humans who are only interested in having sex with liminals, not in caring for them. So, to protect both groups, sex was made illegal."
Camila's face was downcast, and her ears were downturned as well. Her purring had stopped, and tears were welling up in her eyes.
Daniel was extremely thankful that she hadn't been scarred for life by what she had suffered. He'd been afraid that she might never be able to have any kind of relationship with anyone. However, her behavior with him had shown that she was more than able – in fact, she desired it greatly, and with him. That was almost beyond his comprehension and was certainly unexpected. It broke his heart to see her this way, but he was grateful that she was focused on him and not on her abuse. He reached his hand up from her face to rub her ears, which started her purring again. She looked up at him through her tears, smiling wistfully. He leaned over and kissed her then pulled back to look into her eyes.
"There is some good news about this, though. First, it seems there has been a big outcry from happy interspecies couples who want to get closer, and I understand that the government is fast-tracking legislation to make this possible. Second, I think you and I will be okay if we don't go any further than we've gone so far. The challenge for me will be controlling myself, because," he confessed with complete sincerity, because he felt she needed to hear it," I really want you, in every possible way. I'll need you to help me with that, okay?"
Camila pulled him close and kissed him long and deep. He could tell that she was about to cry again, though he wasn't sure exactly why this time. Before she did, though, he wanted to say one more thing.
Pulling back apologetically, he said, "Honey, you didn't let me get to the best part. I wanted to say that, law or no law, I would like to officially ask you to be my girlfriend, if you will have…"
Before he was even able to finish his sentence, she gave a little squeal of joy and pulled him back down into a passionate kiss, wrapping around him her arms, legs, and even her wings, holding him tightly, her tears forgotten. He smiled into the kiss and lay down with her, holding her to himself as well.
"Okay, Kitten, let's get this nightgown on you so we can eat. I'm hungry, too."
"My boyfriend!" Camila was so happy she almost couldn't contain herself. She was positively radiating joy. "Can I have a special name for you, too?" she asked as she unwrapped herself from him, except for her tail, which she kept around his waist.
Daniel stroked her tail gently. "Sure, if you can think of one you like."
He picked up the nightgown and examined it. "Oh, Cami, take a look at this. See here, this is for your tail, and we just tie it here once your tail is through. This space is for your wings, and we tie this around the back of your neck. I like it. It'll have to go on tail first, then your feet and on up."
Camila play-pouted a little and then giggled as she had to unwrap her tail from his waist to slide it through. He then slid her feet through as she raised her hips for him. To distract himself, he considered whether or not her foot-pads were ticklish.
"What's Spanish for 'boyfriend'?" she asked sweetly as he worked the nightgown over her hips. It was a little snug. She wrapped her tail around his waist once again.
"Hmm? Oh, it's 'novio'. But that's not as special a word to them as 'kitten' is to me."
"How about 'fiancé'?" Now he was at her breasts. It was a little snug there, too. And this girl was getting ideas…
"'Novio' again, or 'prometido'. They don't quite roll off the tongue, do they?"
"'Husband'?" Now he was tying the gown at the back of her neck. He reached down to tie off where her tail had gone through. Yep, definitely getting ideas.
"'Esposo'. They also use 'mi amor', 'mi vida', 'querido', and 'cariño', for 'my love', 'my life', and 'dear' or 'darling'. But they're still not as special as 'kitten' is to me. It's because they use them so commonly without really feeling what they mean each time they say it, almost like a reflex. That's what I saw, anyway. There we go, all finished. How does it feel?"
She was pouting for real this time. "Well, what name would you like me to use for you?"
"Honestly, the names I like best are 'Sweetheart' or 'Honey'. I'm not complicated," he said as he looked down at his handiwork. She wore the gown beautifully. But then, she would wear anything beautifully. He tried to keep his eyes from lingering on the particularly snug areas. I do hope it's comfortable enough for her.
Camila's face brightened instantly, "Sweetheart! Thank you for helping me, Sweetheart. It feels really good. Don't you think so?" She smiled sweetly at him.
Okay, two could play at this game. "It does, I agree, but you feel better."
"Thank you, Sweetheart. You can help me take it off later," she giggled. She was learning very quickly how to tease him.
"Okay, you win," throwing up his hands in surrender, his mind going back to the episode with her underwear... It didn't escape him that she'd become almost a little chatterbox. He loved seeing her this happy. "Let me go get the food they brought for us. I hope it's not cold."
Patting her tail gently so that she would release him for a moment, he got up, retrieved the bag, and brought it over to the bed. He didn't want her to have to sit at the table and risk getting dizzy again. The food had been packed in special insulated packaging, so it was still quite warm, he was glad to see. "Looks like we have a steak meal and a chicken meal, both with potatoes and vegetables. The steak is probably yours, but you can have the chicken if you'd rather. Do you like potatoes and vegetables?"
"I don't know, but I can try them. The steak smells delicious."
"I'll get some plates and utensils from the kitchen. Can you use utensils? Oh, and here's some water you can have right away. Please go slow with it. Your stomach will probably be sensitive for a while," he said, removing the cap for her.
She accepted the water gratefully and followed his advice, taking slow sips. Shrugging, she said, "I hope so. It will be my first time."
He leaned down to kiss her forehead then headed to the back room, pondering these firsts for her. The indignities she had suffered... He'd heard that the team that had found her had taken photos and videos, but he wasn't sure he wanted to see them. He absolutely would if she needed him to, but if not… well, he preferred not to see things he couldn't un-see unless it was truly necessary.
He found dishes in the back cabinets and utensils and also napkins in the drawers.
When he returned, he found Camila already eating the steak with her hands, noting for the first time that, unsurprisingly, some of her teeth were like those of a large cat, particularly the incisors. How he'd missed that when kissing her, he wasn't sure. He chocked it up to sensory overload. She looked up at him sheepishly and stopped chewing.
"Please, don't stop," he said quickly. He'd have waved his hands, too if they hadn't been full. "I totally understand. Here, I brought some napkins." He set them down beside her along with the plates, putting the utensils on the plates and grabbing a drumstick. He whispered to her confidentially, "Chicken isn't meant to be eaten with utensils, either," and took a big bite, eliciting giggles from the girl once again. She has the cutest giggle, he thought.
It turned out that Camila had no trouble eating potatoes and vegetables. They weren't her favorites, but she was so hungry that she devoured them, despite Daniel's cautioning her to go slowly. When she had finished everything, he offered her one of his potatoes that he hadn't eaten yet, and she downed that as well.
Daniel looked at her and smiled, pleased she had eaten and drunk everything she'd been given. Handing her another bottle of water, he finished up his own meal, which had actually been surprisingly tasty. If the food had been prepared on base, and it likely had been, they clearly had first-rate chefs. He wondered if they offered room service.
When he'd finished, he wiped his hands on a napkin and asked, "How are you feeling?"
She licked her lips and said, "Wonderful! That was the best meal I've ever had."
He smiled again and reached over to rub her ears, making her purr loudly. "Mmmmm, I love it when you do that," she sighed happily.
"Well, I love doing it," he said in a low voice. Then he noticed that she was holding up her hand-paws. "Need to wash up," he asked?
She nodded with a giggle.
"Want me to take you?"
"Are you sure you're not reading my mind?" she asked, actually laughing.
This was the first time he had heard her laugh; it was a musical, magical sound. "Just your eyes and your heart, Love."
He got up from the bed, reached out for her, and then scooped her up lightly into his arms. She was holding her hand-paws up just like a kitten would, looking up at him, radiating joy once again. She's so perfect, he thought as he carried her to the back room. She's nothing short of a miracle. He was very thankful that all of this was happening, even as his mind struggled with believing it was real.
"Sweetheart, how did you get to be so perfect?" Camila asked softly, reaching the velvet tip of her tail up from his waist to brush his cheek lightly.
"Now you're reading my mind, Kitten," he laughed, kissing her tail and opening the door carefully. "I was just thinking the same thing about you. The truth is, you make it easy. I've been needing you for a long time."
"I've always needed you, Daniel," she confessed, and he heard the full weight of her heart behind that.
He bent down to kiss her forehead tenderly. She tilted her head up to bring her lips to his, putting her arms around his neck.
After several minutes, Daniel said, breathless, "I could do that for the rest of my life."
"Mmmmm, I accept," Camila smiled, looking deeply into his eyes.
He looked deeply into hers as well, seeing that she was truly ready to take that leap with him, without a single reservation in her heart. He knew what she needed to hear. And, as crazy as his mind was telling him it was, his heart was right there with hers. He spoke the words his heart needed hers to hear.
"Then, my love, I give you my heart, to have and to hold, to love and to protect, whatever the future may bring. I am yours for as long as we both shall live."
Tears forming in her eyes, her voice catching in her throat, she echoed his words with her whole being. "My love, I give you my heart, to have and to hold, to love and to protect, whatever the future may bring. I am yours for as long as we both shall live."
Tears in his own eyes, he sealed the moment with a kiss, pouring everything of himself into her, and feeling her doing the same.
"I love you," she breathed against his lips.
"And I love you, my Kitten," he responded.
After another long kiss, he quietly asked her, "Would you like to wash your hands now?"
Camila giggled. Then she laughed. She laughed so hard that she couldn't stop laughing. It was the cutest and sweetest sound he had ever heard. He laughed with her, marveling once again at how perfect she was.
When she finally was able to stop, she looked into his eyes again and said with great passion, "I want to make you as happy as you are making me."
"You already are, Kitten. You already are," he said sincerely as he looked back into her eyes. "Now, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to set you down. You're getting a little heavy."
She nodded, laughing again, and he set her down at a sink, still keeping an arm under her wings to support her. Realizing that this was probably all new to her, he turned the water on for her with his free hand.
"Just put your hands under here for the soap," he said, pushing the regular dispenser for her. When she'd washed her hand-paws, he said, "Now over here to the dryers." Keeping his arm under her wings, he let her try to support her own weight, ready to take over in an instant if need be. She was still a little shaky, but she managed to take the few steps to the dryers on her own. He noticed that at full height, she was about three inches shorter than he was, though her ears made up the difference. . He wondered idly how old she really was and if she had finished growing. He wondered if she even knew.
"Hold out your hands here," he said as he positioned his free hand under the dryer. "You'll like this," he smiled as he pushed the button and started the flow of warm air.
She gave a cute little squeal of delight and rubbed her hands together and over each other until they were dry.
"See? Perfect," he said as he leaned over to quickly kiss her cheek.
Her eyes shining happily, she turned and kissed him back on the lips. She then looked around the room and asked, "What are all these things?"
"Well, these beds here must be for lab workers, for when they can't go back to their own homes. They probably figured I'd sleep here so you could have the bed out there."
"Wha…?" she turned quickly, looking at him with concern in her eyes, but he just as quickly placed a finger gently over her lips. "Don't worry, Kitten, I'm not leaving you alone. We'll just need to be careful, okay?"
"Okay," she smiled shyly, kissing his finger and putting her arms around him. "What about that?" she asked, pointing at the refrigerator.
He went with her around the room, showing her everything and answering all of her questions. She had a lot of questions; she was curious about everything, and he was really enjoying explaining all the little details he could, as well as the culture behind the details. Even the toilets and the showers were new to her, prompting him once again to wonder what she must have suffered. He'd be ready if and when she needed him to go through it with her.
When they returned to the lab, Alex's voice rang out over the intercom. "Hey, Dan, can we talk to you for a minute?"
Looking over at the monitor, he saw that both Alex and Dr. Lochman were still at their posts. Both were looking at him; Dr. Lochman's expression was one of skepticism and thinly-veiled disapproval, whereas Alex's was of amusement and… could that be a hint of jealousy he saw? Regardless, he'd been expecting this.
"Sure, if Cami's invited," he smiled.
Sensing something herself, Camila's tail tightened a bit around his waist as she looked first at the monitor and then up at him. "Sweetheart?"
"I have to explain the things we just said back there," he indicated the back room with a motion of his head. "It's not a human custom to say the things we said after knowing each other for only…," he looked at his watch, which read 4:55pm, "about four hours. Do you trust me?"
"Always," she said without hesitation, smiling and leaning her weight against him, resting her head against his shoulder.
"Thank you, Kitten. I've got this." He began walking her back to the bed. "That okay?" he called out to Alex.
"Yeah, guess you two are like a package deal now," she grinned. She had to admit to herself that for such an average-looking guy, he'd been one surprise after another, which she found extremely refreshing and all too rare. She didn't know how this would play out, but she couldn't wait to hear what he would say next.
From Dr. Lochman's expression, it looked like she'd been on a slow simmer for too long and was at the point of boiling over, finally free to give voice to her displeasure. "What in the world were you thinking, saying those things to her?!" she blurted out.
Camila recoiled a little at her tone and tightened her hold on Daniel, but he smiled at her reassuringly and held her close. "Before I answer that, Dr. Lochman, can you tell me Camila's current medical condition?"
"What?!" she exclaimed.
In a very calm, steady, and soothing voice, he gently asked, "Doctor, how's she doing?"
"Well, I, uh…" she stammered, looking down at her instruments, already knowing what they indicated. "She's doing unbelievably well. She's on the road to complete recovery."
"Thank you, Doctor. To answer your question, everything I've done, every single word I've said to her, has been to bring healing and love into her heart. She was dying because she'd lost the will to live. She'd lost hope. With all that she's been through, and with the way she was treated when she got here, I don't blame her one bit. In order to have any chance of helping her, I had to love her, completely and unreservedly, with no holding back. If I had held anything back, anything at all, she would have felt it, and I'd have lost her. To put it simply, the only way to save her was to love her.
"But it's much more than just that," he continued. "Before I applied to be a host, I did a lot of research on liminals. With a few exceptions, almost every species in the program knows that the most important thing in life is love. They know that nothing in this life is more important. And even more than that, they actually know how to love. We humans could learn a lot from them. We think we know what's important for us, but we get hung up on stupid, superficial things that have no real meaning at all. We sabotage our own relationships because we're so selfish that we only want what we want when we want it, and if we don't get it, we're ready to throw everything else away. But when a liminal loves, she gives herself completely, with no holding back and no turning back. She will sacrifice her own blood and sweat and tears to make sure the one she loves is safe and secure, simply because she loves. And when she gives her heart, it's for life. This is especially true for manticores, who will literally die without their mates.
"This girl's heart is beautiful and pure, and she knows how to love like this. It's all she's ever wanted. My wife understood this, too – it's why I married her. I never expected to find this kind of miracle love again, but here I am, thanks to you and your agency, here to save a girl more beautiful and loving than I could ever have imagined possible by giving her exactly the love she's been needing and wanting all her life. And it turns out that doing that also happens to be exactly what I have been needing and wanting all these years. Happy coincidence, that.
"So, yes, because I can see her heart and what kind of girl she is, I will absolutely give my heart to her, with no holding back and no turning back. And I will cherish and care for and protect her heart for as long as there is breath in me. So, that's what I was thinking. Any questions?" he asked with a slight smile, eyebrows raised, ready to answer any they might have.
Dr. Lochman was staring at him with her mouth open, shocked into silence. She then closed her mouth and nodded slowly, saying quietly, "I believe I understand. Bravo, Mr. Carson, bravo," a newfound respect for him in her eyes.
Alex muted the mic and turned to her, grinning broadly, "Never a dull moment with this guy. And I gotta admit, if he treated me the way he's been treating her, I'd probably want to marry him, too."
"I thought he was just trying to make her feel better. I never imagined he was really serious. He's really thought this through. Do you think we should we tell him now?" the doctor asked.
Looking at the couple on her monitor, Alex said, "Looks to me like they're gonna need some more alone time. Yep, definitely. Besides, much as I'd like to, it should probably come from Abigail."
The doctor nodded, turning the monitor and the mic off.
Meanwhile, Daniel looked down to find Camila staring at him, an ocean of emotions in her eyes. He could see that her emotions were so strong that she had no words for them. But he could feel what they were. In the last two minutes he had validated her entire existence, given purpose to all of her suffering. If she hadn't suffered all that she had, she would never have been brought there to meet him. And beyond that, he'd not only seen the agony of her heart but had also given her the only thing that could not only take that agony away but also give her healing, life, and hope for the future. He had given her his love. He had even given her his heart. Somehow, he knew the depths of her heart, and though she had known from the instant she'd felt his touch and looked into his eyes that she was his then and forever, now she knew even more deeply what kind of man he was and how right she had been. There were no words for how intensely she loved him in that moment. Her heart was so full that it felt like it was going to explode, and her eyes were beginning to tear up.
"It's okay, Love, I hear you. You don't have to say a word. I feel the same," he whispered, his own eyes tearing up in response to her feelings. He smiled and kissed her forehead, then finished leading her to the bed.
She was trembling with emotion as he gently helped her to lie down, still looking up at him. It was as if he had touched all of the pain, horror, and shame of her life and purified it in a moment. She no longer even felt the need to cry about it, at least, not right then. But there was one thing she did need in that moment. She needed to be held.
He nodded, smiling, and lay down beside her, pulling her close to rest her head over his heart, just holding her. He started rubbing her ears, knowing it was going to take some time for her to process her feelings and get used to her new life. Her healing, while far from completed, had taken a number of very important steps today. Her trembling stopped as she relaxed into his arms, purring, softly crying tears of joy. He kissed the top of her head and whispered, "I love you, Camila."
In a darkened room of indeterminable size, a single light glowed, illuminating the sharp features of Dr. Susan Packard as she sat hunched over the communications device, tuning it to the correct frequency with practiced fingers.
"Report," an emotionless male voice commanded.
Bristling at his tone, she nevertheless maintained her composure. "We've had a setback."
"Explain."
"They've called in an outsider to take care of the beast." That last word was voiced with particular loathing. "She's not going to die, so I won't have samples for you as planned. And my position here may have been compromised." How could he possibly have known that I was going to let her die? That thought haunted her more than she cared to admit.
"Was the implantation successful?"
"Yes, Dr. Reynard was able to inject the experimental nanites before they gained access to her. We have full readings on her vitals."
"That may be sufficient for the short term. And your other projects?"
"Progressing as expected, though if my position has indeed been compromised, we'll need backup plans."
"Very well. Send the telemetry info at once. Check in as scheduled, and await further instructions. Out."
Though it galled her to be taking orders like this, Dr. Packard had bigger concerns at the moment. She complied with the brusque order then powered off the device and sat there in the darkness, seething. Her plan had been going flawlessly, but now all was in jeopardy because of one insignificant man! Who did he think he was to talk to her that way – and in front of subordinates, no less? And how could he have known… She violently wrenched her mind free from that troubling thought. It didn't matter. She was sure of one thing: she was smarter than this Daniel Carson, and she was going to make him suffer for his insolence if it was the last thing she did! That thought brought comfort to her cold heart and a sneering smile to her lips.