Samus was not sure how found her way back to her ship, only that she kept
running until the faint lights of the docking bay came into view. The
Etecoons and Dachoras where ecstatic to see her, but confused by her
dishevelled appearance. Not to mention the clotting gashes on her body and
the fact that she doesn't have her fusion suit with her.
Without a word to her alien friends, Samus went for a shower and collapsed on her bed without bothering to put on a nightgown. She managed about two hours of dead sleep before one of the Etecoons woke her up, pointing to the window bright with moonlight.
"No, I don't wanna go." Samus mumbled, barely coherent in her half-awake state. Her eyes felt as if they had been glued shut and she had an ice- cream headache from going to bed without drying her hair. She wrapped the covers tighter around herself and shooed away the offending Etecoon. It didn't stop pestering her, however, until she had a glimpse of the ship's clock. It was nearly 8 standard. And as her mind woke more fully, she realized that it was almost time to reclaim her power suit.
The animals had thoughtfully heated a bread roll and poured her a glass of juice for breakfast. She wolfed down the food, not really tasting it. The mother Dachora started making a fuss over Samus's wounds from last night, gently running her beak over the worst of the scabs and bruises, clucking with concern. The bird sent her offspring running off to the supplys cabinet and back to Samus with a tube of ointment.
The bounty hunter stared at the tube and shook her head. "I'm okay. I'll be getting my suit back in an hour or so. It'll repair me so that I won't even have any scars." Mother Dachora glared disapprovingly at the human with her glassy red eyes. Samus raised an eyebrow and said, "Calm down, I know how to take care of myself." The Etecoons and Dachoras have taken it upon themselves to be temporary servants of their human friend. They felt as if they needed to repay her for her hospitality and for saving their lives twice; once on Zebes, and recently on B.S.L. Their gesture was quite touching, although it got a little annoying at times.
Finishing off the last of her juice, Samus slipped on a black leotard she picked from her sparce wardrobe, and wore a pair of sweatpants and a jacket over it. It's more than she usually wears, but she means to cover up her injuries. Also, she's not in the mood to provoke more trouble than what she already managed to escape yesterday. What exactly happened in those terrifying moments? Samus shook her head. She didn't want to think about it. She shoved it to the back of her mind like a bad dream better forgotten.
The ship's hatch irised open, permitting Samus to leap out onto solid ground. A few people gaped at her, awed at the height from which she jumped, then hurrying on their way when the bounty hunter glared at them in return.
Samus walked about a block from the docking bays and was about to turn the first corner, when she suddenly stopped. She wrinkled her brow in confusion, looking back in the direction of her ship. Seeing nothing unusual, she kept walking with a puzzled expression on her face.
Odd. She realized that for the first time in days, she had no trouble waking up. Before this, she would lie in bed for sometimes hours, struggling for the energy to even open her eyes. But today, Samus felt as well as a person can feel after only two hours of sleep. Maybe it was the lack of activity since the X incident that accounted for her illness. And after fighting off that man in the alley, she got the exercise her body needed to recover.
Now that Samus thought about it, she's been quite the couch potato for the past three weeks. While waiting for updates on her new ship, she killed time by indulging in her rarely-expressed fondess for sitcom vids. She also managed to gain a pound or two since the Dachoras and Etecoons were always eager to fetch her a snack at her word. It's been years since the bounty hunter had been able to take a vacation like this. Her past had been a never-ending rush to her next bounty. Maybe she simply wasn't accustomed to so much inactivity.
But she thought against telling Dr. Bernen about this possible reason for her illness. If she told, then the doctor would become suspicious and ask questions, questions which Samus would be unwilling to answer. How could she explain that she killed a man little more than a few hours ago?
With her modest attire, Samus attracted far less attention than she usually does walking the streets. But during the whole journey to the doctor's office, she kept on looking behind her back, afraid some perverted sicko might try to jump her again. Moments of helpess terror tend to make a woman paranoid, even women such as reknowned bounty hunter Samus Aran. She couldn't wait to get back into the safety of her power suit.
Within the office, Dr. Bernen and the three scientists were sitting in the exact same position as they were yesterday, as if they haven't moved since then. In the corner, looking as inconspicuous as a 6-foot tall, bright orange object could possibly look against glaring white walls, stood the fusion suit.
"Miss Aran, you may reclaim your power suit." Dr. Shalafiki announced. He sighed, as if parting with that jewel of technology had taken him considerable effort.
Samus didn't even glance his way but focused her attention on her suit. She walked over and carressed the visor lovingly. Altered or not, this suit has been with her for most of her adult life and she had no idea how much she missed it. The four specialists patiently waited while she peeled off the outer layer of her clothing to put on the suit. And all four of them stared at the scars and bruises that the jacket and sweatpants once hid. Those injuries had not been there yesterday. Dr. Sofard coughed nervously and hid his face behind his notes when the bounty hunter caught him staring a little too intently.
Samus rolled her shoulders, testing the cozy fit of her second-skin. Unbeknownst to everyone else, the suit was also healing away the injuries, reverting her skin back to its milky-peach smoothness. It tickled a bit.
"Miss Aran," Dr. Chen began. "We ran a few tests on your blood samples and power suit but we were unable to find anything out of the ordinary with the new features of your suit. Everything seems to be functioning normally. As for your lethargy complaints, I'm afraid we weren't able to come to any conclusions to that problem."
"Yeah?" Was the only reply the bounty hunter could think of. She didn't expect them to figure out a solution to her problem so soon. Besides, she doesn't really care anymore. She's feeling better than she had been in weeks.
"However," The scientist continued. "The cells in your suit appear to be sluggish, as if they lacked some essential nutrients. Tell me, what has your diet been like in the past month or so?"
"My diet??" Samus asked. She struggled to think up what she had been consuming in the last little while. "Um, vegetable, protein, tofu, and witter root ration bars when I'm in my ship. When I'm planetside, I usually go to resturants. And I can survive in my suit for days without eating anything, living on just the suit's energy tanks. I know my lifestyle isn't very healthy, so I also take vitamin supplements." She shrugged. "But that's what I've been doing for years. I've never had problems with it before."
"Maybe it's time for you to change your lifestyle." Dr. Sofard said off- handedly.
"I personally think that it has something to do with your Chozo blood." Dr. Chen provided. "Being a higher species, I would imagine that they take special care in what they consume. If so, then their bodies would likely react violently to malnutrition. Do you agree, Miss Aran? Only you have ever lived among the Chozo."
"Hmm. Now that I think about it, yes. They were careful about what they eat." The bounty hunter said. She recalled how Old Bird never allowed her to have seconds of any meal, claiming that eating too much would 'throw her off balance'. Not that she asked for seconds often; the food was often bland and unappetizing, thus, healthy.
Dr. Bernen pulled out a preprinted sheet from her clipboard and handed it to Samus. "We thought that this might be the case, so we prepared a special diet for you. Here is a list of specific supplements you should be taking. Also, I suggest you eat fresh foods more often instead of ration bars. Perhaps you should keep a hydroponics unit in your ship if you don't already have one. Exercising often will also keep your metabolism up."
Exercise? Samus smiled to herself. Well, that certainly confirmed her belief about her illness being simply a lack of activity. She took the paper from Dr. Bernen and stared at it, unable to even pronounce most of the foreign medicines on it. "Where am I supposed to get all this stuff?" She demanded.
"Oh, just hand it to your local pharmacist and they should be able to handle most of it for you." Dr. Bernen replied. "If not, try a nutritionist."
"Alright. Thanks." The bounty hunter said as she stuffed the paper into a hidden compartment in her suit. She watched the specialists expectantly. "So? Is that all? Do you have anything else to say?"
"That is all, Miss Aran, but I'm still not happy with the results of our tests." Dr. Chen stood up to shake Samus's hand, but wore a thoughtful frown. "Like I said before, they are inconclusive. I doubt that your lethargy stems from diet only. Try the supplements for a week or two, and remember to contact us if any complications develop."
Samus shook his hand and methodically shook the hands of all the specialists, muttering the necessary pleasantries. Gathering up her clothes, she left the doctor's office and once again examined the list of medicines she was given. She crossed her eyes and held the paper up at different angles, trying to make heads or tails of the letters. Not even her fusion suit could help her decipher the words. Pocketing the paper with a sigh, Samus stopped to ask for directions to the nearest pharmacy. Might as well finish all her chores right now. She couldn't wait to get off this planet and retreat to her sanctuary of space. She yawned. She was also looking forward to a full night's sleep for once.
Without a word to her alien friends, Samus went for a shower and collapsed on her bed without bothering to put on a nightgown. She managed about two hours of dead sleep before one of the Etecoons woke her up, pointing to the window bright with moonlight.
"No, I don't wanna go." Samus mumbled, barely coherent in her half-awake state. Her eyes felt as if they had been glued shut and she had an ice- cream headache from going to bed without drying her hair. She wrapped the covers tighter around herself and shooed away the offending Etecoon. It didn't stop pestering her, however, until she had a glimpse of the ship's clock. It was nearly 8 standard. And as her mind woke more fully, she realized that it was almost time to reclaim her power suit.
The animals had thoughtfully heated a bread roll and poured her a glass of juice for breakfast. She wolfed down the food, not really tasting it. The mother Dachora started making a fuss over Samus's wounds from last night, gently running her beak over the worst of the scabs and bruises, clucking with concern. The bird sent her offspring running off to the supplys cabinet and back to Samus with a tube of ointment.
The bounty hunter stared at the tube and shook her head. "I'm okay. I'll be getting my suit back in an hour or so. It'll repair me so that I won't even have any scars." Mother Dachora glared disapprovingly at the human with her glassy red eyes. Samus raised an eyebrow and said, "Calm down, I know how to take care of myself." The Etecoons and Dachoras have taken it upon themselves to be temporary servants of their human friend. They felt as if they needed to repay her for her hospitality and for saving their lives twice; once on Zebes, and recently on B.S.L. Their gesture was quite touching, although it got a little annoying at times.
Finishing off the last of her juice, Samus slipped on a black leotard she picked from her sparce wardrobe, and wore a pair of sweatpants and a jacket over it. It's more than she usually wears, but she means to cover up her injuries. Also, she's not in the mood to provoke more trouble than what she already managed to escape yesterday. What exactly happened in those terrifying moments? Samus shook her head. She didn't want to think about it. She shoved it to the back of her mind like a bad dream better forgotten.
The ship's hatch irised open, permitting Samus to leap out onto solid ground. A few people gaped at her, awed at the height from which she jumped, then hurrying on their way when the bounty hunter glared at them in return.
Samus walked about a block from the docking bays and was about to turn the first corner, when she suddenly stopped. She wrinkled her brow in confusion, looking back in the direction of her ship. Seeing nothing unusual, she kept walking with a puzzled expression on her face.
Odd. She realized that for the first time in days, she had no trouble waking up. Before this, she would lie in bed for sometimes hours, struggling for the energy to even open her eyes. But today, Samus felt as well as a person can feel after only two hours of sleep. Maybe it was the lack of activity since the X incident that accounted for her illness. And after fighting off that man in the alley, she got the exercise her body needed to recover.
Now that Samus thought about it, she's been quite the couch potato for the past three weeks. While waiting for updates on her new ship, she killed time by indulging in her rarely-expressed fondess for sitcom vids. She also managed to gain a pound or two since the Dachoras and Etecoons were always eager to fetch her a snack at her word. It's been years since the bounty hunter had been able to take a vacation like this. Her past had been a never-ending rush to her next bounty. Maybe she simply wasn't accustomed to so much inactivity.
But she thought against telling Dr. Bernen about this possible reason for her illness. If she told, then the doctor would become suspicious and ask questions, questions which Samus would be unwilling to answer. How could she explain that she killed a man little more than a few hours ago?
With her modest attire, Samus attracted far less attention than she usually does walking the streets. But during the whole journey to the doctor's office, she kept on looking behind her back, afraid some perverted sicko might try to jump her again. Moments of helpess terror tend to make a woman paranoid, even women such as reknowned bounty hunter Samus Aran. She couldn't wait to get back into the safety of her power suit.
Within the office, Dr. Bernen and the three scientists were sitting in the exact same position as they were yesterday, as if they haven't moved since then. In the corner, looking as inconspicuous as a 6-foot tall, bright orange object could possibly look against glaring white walls, stood the fusion suit.
"Miss Aran, you may reclaim your power suit." Dr. Shalafiki announced. He sighed, as if parting with that jewel of technology had taken him considerable effort.
Samus didn't even glance his way but focused her attention on her suit. She walked over and carressed the visor lovingly. Altered or not, this suit has been with her for most of her adult life and she had no idea how much she missed it. The four specialists patiently waited while she peeled off the outer layer of her clothing to put on the suit. And all four of them stared at the scars and bruises that the jacket and sweatpants once hid. Those injuries had not been there yesterday. Dr. Sofard coughed nervously and hid his face behind his notes when the bounty hunter caught him staring a little too intently.
Samus rolled her shoulders, testing the cozy fit of her second-skin. Unbeknownst to everyone else, the suit was also healing away the injuries, reverting her skin back to its milky-peach smoothness. It tickled a bit.
"Miss Aran," Dr. Chen began. "We ran a few tests on your blood samples and power suit but we were unable to find anything out of the ordinary with the new features of your suit. Everything seems to be functioning normally. As for your lethargy complaints, I'm afraid we weren't able to come to any conclusions to that problem."
"Yeah?" Was the only reply the bounty hunter could think of. She didn't expect them to figure out a solution to her problem so soon. Besides, she doesn't really care anymore. She's feeling better than she had been in weeks.
"However," The scientist continued. "The cells in your suit appear to be sluggish, as if they lacked some essential nutrients. Tell me, what has your diet been like in the past month or so?"
"My diet??" Samus asked. She struggled to think up what she had been consuming in the last little while. "Um, vegetable, protein, tofu, and witter root ration bars when I'm in my ship. When I'm planetside, I usually go to resturants. And I can survive in my suit for days without eating anything, living on just the suit's energy tanks. I know my lifestyle isn't very healthy, so I also take vitamin supplements." She shrugged. "But that's what I've been doing for years. I've never had problems with it before."
"Maybe it's time for you to change your lifestyle." Dr. Sofard said off- handedly.
"I personally think that it has something to do with your Chozo blood." Dr. Chen provided. "Being a higher species, I would imagine that they take special care in what they consume. If so, then their bodies would likely react violently to malnutrition. Do you agree, Miss Aran? Only you have ever lived among the Chozo."
"Hmm. Now that I think about it, yes. They were careful about what they eat." The bounty hunter said. She recalled how Old Bird never allowed her to have seconds of any meal, claiming that eating too much would 'throw her off balance'. Not that she asked for seconds often; the food was often bland and unappetizing, thus, healthy.
Dr. Bernen pulled out a preprinted sheet from her clipboard and handed it to Samus. "We thought that this might be the case, so we prepared a special diet for you. Here is a list of specific supplements you should be taking. Also, I suggest you eat fresh foods more often instead of ration bars. Perhaps you should keep a hydroponics unit in your ship if you don't already have one. Exercising often will also keep your metabolism up."
Exercise? Samus smiled to herself. Well, that certainly confirmed her belief about her illness being simply a lack of activity. She took the paper from Dr. Bernen and stared at it, unable to even pronounce most of the foreign medicines on it. "Where am I supposed to get all this stuff?" She demanded.
"Oh, just hand it to your local pharmacist and they should be able to handle most of it for you." Dr. Bernen replied. "If not, try a nutritionist."
"Alright. Thanks." The bounty hunter said as she stuffed the paper into a hidden compartment in her suit. She watched the specialists expectantly. "So? Is that all? Do you have anything else to say?"
"That is all, Miss Aran, but I'm still not happy with the results of our tests." Dr. Chen stood up to shake Samus's hand, but wore a thoughtful frown. "Like I said before, they are inconclusive. I doubt that your lethargy stems from diet only. Try the supplements for a week or two, and remember to contact us if any complications develop."
Samus shook his hand and methodically shook the hands of all the specialists, muttering the necessary pleasantries. Gathering up her clothes, she left the doctor's office and once again examined the list of medicines she was given. She crossed her eyes and held the paper up at different angles, trying to make heads or tails of the letters. Not even her fusion suit could help her decipher the words. Pocketing the paper with a sigh, Samus stopped to ask for directions to the nearest pharmacy. Might as well finish all her chores right now. She couldn't wait to get off this planet and retreat to her sanctuary of space. She yawned. She was also looking forward to a full night's sleep for once.