[sylvanSpider]

Ashi couldn't help but let a small smile begin to form at the corners of her lips. It was only when she was alone with the doctor that she realized how tense she'd been the past few days. The doctor prattled on with small talk, interesting small talk no less, her concerns nowhere near the same areas that Ashi's own her. Shaldag, Toka, Vail...all of those faces formed her primary concerned, and for two it was already too late. Hell, it might even be too late for Shaldag, at least to be as he was when he first approached her in her room in her first days with the Odyssey clan. He'd saved her then, though he probably didn't realize it. Even if she hadn't been fully contemplating taking her own life, she'd been on the edge of a mental break, and it was Shaldag who prevented her from taking that leap. Until now, those concerns were in the foreground, not to mention the excruciating pain she'd been in. Here, with the doctor, conversation turned to her area of study. The princess looked sheepishly up at Dr. Analoka. “You're correct about that,” she said, nodding, “But you're not the first.” The threat of a smile never left the princess's face, but her eyes saddened for just a moment, the image of a little cowboy hat, boots, beside a puddle of plasmic sludge momentarily bubbling up to the surface. She shook the thought away, grinning, “Though, I'm glad this is how you chose to channel your curiosity rather than...well, other alternatives. It does seem like you took to your field of study well.” She paused briefly, wondering what Shaldag would want before resolving to go in to see him as soon as she was well again. “No hopes dashed,” she said, after a moment, “If he's conscious, I will just ask what he prefers...”

Ashi fell silent with the doctor, watching the plume and grateful for the flash of warmth across her face. She was no longer in pain, but the cold was enough to prove uncomfortable. “If...if that much is true, then I'll be grateful for my hand in reminding him how strong he is – something anyone with anatomy that allows them to see can witness.” She swallowed, shifting slightly and being pleasantly surprised that a jolt of pain didn't race up her leg. “There's nothing to be ashamed of, doctor. None. I always questioned the purpose of the media following me around as if I was permitted to make decisions or have any sway on Daoweian politics whatever. Can you believe that I have a fan club?” The question was more one of incredulousness than boasting, a fact reflected by her shaking her head. “That said, there is a lot that happened within the palace that the media could never get a hold of, even local to our moon. Still more that happens moonside that allies and trading partners are never allowed to discover. My leaving was quite intentional, and if 'daddy' wants to spread that I am dead, it will simply make my escape that much easier.” Her nod here was resolute and she was resisting the urge to stand, already feeling mended.

The relief Ashi felt was palpable, that tense feeling in her shoulders melting away. “Thank you,” she whispered, wanting to hug the doctor and remembering an earlier part of their conversation in one instant. “I don't know how I can ever repay you...” One start would be to do as the doctor asked, which she proceeded to do, bending one knee first, followed by the other. There was no sudden pains, rather the feeling was closer to that of getting to one's feet after sitting on her knees for quite some time. “It feels...better. Truly miraculous. Thank you, doctor.”

>>>>

Mendez shaped one of his hands to a makeshift mouth, mimicking Atrix complete with his tongue sticking out, “I'm not that bad. Maybe not female Terskix strong, but I can definitely kick another human's ass, and maybe even male Terskix. You're not going to end up on a vivisection table. Won't let it happen.” His contorted features returned to normal and he was grateful for the slightly reduced grip. “Sounds like I wouldn't be worth it anyway. How many of your mates have been willing to cook for you? Shit, I'll even kill for you once I find someone I can kill with relatively little consequence. Those Edensians that took Vail and tried to take Riola? Esa, I will bring you home twenty. You'll be so sick of cheek meat by the end of this,” Mendez said, grinning, attempting to take her mind to somewhere out of the doctor's office. “And as far as fear goes? I just look at it as a motivator. The hardest I fight is when I'm afraid, and I'm not the only one. It's just a matter of how an individual channels it.”

He shrugged innocently, blissfully unaware of the effect of his “encouragement”. With the last bit of dialogue from Atrix, Mendez raised his eyebrows, looking up at her. He could feel his heartbeat quicken and without thinking gave one her hands an extra little squeeze, “Well, there is Galactic Common, and I know what it feels like. So, I'll go ahead and say it. I love you, Atrix.”

The 'X' in Atrix's name had barely passed through Mendez's lips when the door hissed open, a bear of a man appearing in the frame. The man was large, but in the universal white of a doctor, and he bore in one arm a clipboard, presumably with the information that Atrix had given the bot at the front desk. “ I take it you're Atrix?” he asked, looking at the Terskix in question. “It says here that there's a crack in your chitin. I'm glad you came to see me. It's easily fixed, and I know your species' hatred of doctors. So, we're going to make this as quick as possible, alright?” the doctor looked tiredly over at Mendez, “This a lay or a snack? Does he need looking at too?” The doctor seemed hardly phased by treating a Terskix, acting more dismayed at Mendez's presence than anything.