Chapter 37

“My Seth?” I asked, hesitant to touch him. What if I’d hurt him? NAID had said we were compatible in practice and anatomy. I’d even done research. Like I’d known he needed preparation and lube before he told me. Or that I couldn’t linger inside of him, nor him with me, after we fucked like I could with drakcol partners.

Gently, I touched his back.

When he stopped vomiting, Seth panted. I rolled him over, and sweat had gathered on his forehead. His glazed eyes stared back at me, and tremors wracked his limbs.

“Seth?”

“I think I’m sick.”

I cupped his cheek. His skin was feverish beneath my fingertips. “What can I do?’

His eyes closed as he lifted and lowered his shoulders.

“Seth? My Seth?” I asked, shaking him, but he didn’t respond. I ripped through our pile of clothes, searching for a touchstone. The Admiral Ven might be out of range, though Vx-93 was more compatible with our technology than Petveiti because it wasn’t underwater.

I frantically shook out our trousers. Seth’s touchstone rolled onto the ground. I seized it. “NAID,” I shouted.

Her voice resonated in my ear. “Yes, Prince Kalvoxrencol?”

“Seth is sick, very sick. We need transport. Now!”

“I will confer with Captain Talvax. Standby.”

I dragged on some clothes before shoving everything into our bag. I dropped the bag next to Seth and wrapped him in a blanket from the bed. I held him in my arms, waiting. Seth burned within my grasp, trembling. He was ill, and it’d happened so quickly. One second he was well, and then the next?

He would be fine. He had to be.

Captain Talvax’s voice sounded in my ear. “We’ve had a rash of sick people, Prince. We’ll be transferring you both directly to the medbay for isolation.”

“Ready.”

One moment Seth and I were in the dwelling I’d secured for us, and the next, we were in the medbay surrounded by people. Every bed was occupied, and people darted around. Doctor Qinlin shouted orders that people jumped to follow. I sat in the middle of the chaos with Seth in my embrace.

When someone rushed by, I said, “We need help.”

The assistant barely glanced in my direction.

What was going on?

Gathering Seth closer to my chest, I stood with a quiet groan, leaving our bag in the middle of the floor. Seth wasn’t significantly shorter than I was and had a solid build, not to mention he was deadweight, all making it difficult for me to hold him. Still, I carried him toward Doctor Qinlin.

“Put him there,” she ordered, gesturing to her office that had a couple of cots in it. Ensign Wyn was curled up on one, puking into a container.

When I stepped into the office, Wyn shot up. “Seth! Is he alright?”

“I don’t know.” I placed him down as carefully as possible, keeping the blanket tight around him. I brushed back his damp hair. Sweat dripped down his temple, though he shivered like he was chilled.

I didn’t want to leave him, but Seth needed to be seen. I spotted Doctor Qinlin near another patient.

“What is going on?” I asked, my voice deepening.

She mussed her hair. “Nefi fever. A whole rash of it.”

My lungs refused to take in air at her words, and the world spun. Shaking it off, I demanded, “Why weren’t we informed when we entered orbit?”

“They had a couple of cases and thought it was under control, but someone was unknowingly infected and went to work at the tavern where they spread it to a multitude of people.”

“Seth was there this afternoon.”

“It incubates quickly. We’re evaluating everyone. People with moderate cases are being transferred to their quarters or one of the cargo bays, which is becoming a secondary medbay. Everyone else is restricted to quarters to stall the spread, and we’ll remain in orbit until no one is contagious anymore.”

“What about vaccines?” I asked. Nefi fever had gone through the capital when I was a child, and I’d been inoculated at that time.

“They’re effective when given before exposure. We’re synthesizing them now and will begin treating all of the uninfected. We’re also supplying some to Vx-93.”

“My Seth?” I asked.

“If he’s already sick, we can’t give it to him. I would also need to perform tests to make sure the vaccine wouldn’t harm him.”

“He’s not well. You need to examine him. Now.”

Her mouth opened, almost like she was going to protest, but she closed it and headed toward the office. I had enough presence of mind to grab our bag as I trailed behind her, soul pounding with each step. Seth had to be alright; I wouldn’t survive any other alternative, but who knew how his body would react to nefi fever?

Doctor Qinlin ran her scanner over Seth, making non-committal noises. She removed a needle out of her pocket and took a sample of his blood before depositing it into the computer for NAID to analyze.

Looking at her screen, she said, “His temperature is well above normal as is his pulse. His white blood cell count is exceedingly higher than the texts say is regular. From what I can tell, his organs are not functioning as they should.”

My stomach knotted. “And?”

“You need to prepare yourself, Prince.”

“No. Seth will be fine. You have to do something.”

“I will do everything I can, but I know very little about his species.” She placed a hand on my arm. “We have no idea how his species will react to nefi fever or if our treatments will help him. You need to be prepared for the possibility that I won”t be able to save him.”

My muscles tightened until they creaked with strain. “I can’t lose him.”

“A sentiment I understand, but death may be inevitable.”

I lay on the cramped cot next to Seth, arm draped across his waist. I had no idea what time it was, but the medbay was a bustle of activity. Wyn had been transferred to the cargo bay, as had several others. They were sick enough to need monitoring, but not enough to be in the medbay.

Currently, Seth and I were alone in the office, but it probably wouldn’t stay that way. The ship was inundated with infected people, and the numbers swelled by the hour. Most were moderately ill and would recover shortly, but several were extremely ill.

Doctor Qinlin had tried to make me return to my quarters because she didn’t want me to be exposed. Even vaccinated, I could get sick. I’d refused. I would not leave Seth’s side. Although, I had returned to our quarters to change clothes, drop off our bag, and check on Lucy.

Other than that, I stayed with my husband.

His breathing was shallow and raspy, his skin pale, and his eyes were restless beneath his lids. Machines and monitors were attached to him, helping him fight the nefi fever. I held him close, terrified. This could not be it. We had such little time together, and I needed more.

A whimper came out of his lips, and I rubbed his arm. “I’m right here, my Seth.”

The sound stopped, but I didn’t know if I helped or not.

Time passed and nothing changed.

Eventually, Doctor Qinlin came into the office. Her hair stood on end and her tail slashed the air. NAID appeared for a moment over Qinlin’s shoulder, expression drawn, before she vanished.

“NAID and I’ve been running tests on treatment methods.”

“And?”

“Amorians have the closest genetic makeup to humans.”

The breath left my lungs. “They react badly to the nefi fever.”

“They have high fatality rates.”

My tail wound around Seth’s ankle as if I could keep him here by sheer force. “What do they recommend?”

“Some of their treatments will not safely work, according to mine and NAID’s testing, though I cannot know for certain. They are not an exact match, and I don’t know how his immune system will respond. I have a regiment I’m willing to attempt, but I can’t promise that it will work, and it might kill him. But doing nothing will kill him.”

I heard the unspoken question. She was waiting for my permission. This was my decision. Hesitating, I continued to watch Seth struggling to breathe. I loved him, desperately. Doctor Qinlin was right. If we did nothing, he would die, but this trial didn’t guarantee life either.

“Proceed.”

Doctor Qinlin approached. She changed a few settings on the machines, then injected a clear liquid into the one connected to the tubes in Seth’s arms. We both watched Seth closely, but nothing altered.

“We’ll have to wait and see,” she said.

The next day passed with little change in Seth’s complexion or readings. The only times I left his side were to check on Lucy, who was growing more frantic each time I came. I wished I could comfort her, but I couldn’t—only Seth could.

NAID manifested frequently, promising that she was testing every human illness in her databanks for similarities as well as researching Amorian treatments. Doctor Qinlin would check in and administer more medication and take blood, but nothing seemed to help. His body continued to shut down.

Two more days passed with little change, but Seth didn’t worsen.

I rested on my side with my head on his chest and an arm around his waist. I took a deep breath, but instead of his usual citrus scent, Seth smelled of antiseptic and sweat. His skin was warm against mine, but not blazing hot anymore.

“Please, Mate,” I whispered. “Stay with me.”

His breathing remained steady.

Someone knocked, and Doctor Qinlin stood in the doorway, screen tucked under her arm. She wore an extremely kind expression, and my gut tightened.

I cradled Seth closer. “What?”

“The latest test results are in.”

“It’s not good, is it?”

“No.”

“How long?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

“I don’t know.”

“He could still recover.”

“He could, but he’s falling into what amorians call the long death. They sleep, everything holds steady, not recovering or worsening, then they suddenly die.”

“He’ll survive.”

“I hope so,” she said. “I truly do. In the meantime, I’m arranging for everything he needs to be placed in your quarters for privacy. I will stop by several times a day to check on him.”

“Privacy,” I repeated. I knew what she meant. In case Seth passed, she wanted me to have space to deal with my grief.

“You should meet the technicians there while I prepare Seth Harris.”

I placed a kiss on his forehead before standing. The world tilted and my arms went out to catch myself. Doctor Qinlin’s steady hands caught my shoulders, stabilizing me until I found my bearings.

“You need to sleep.”

I hadn’t stolen more than a few moments of sleep since Seth had fallen sick. What if something happened when I looked away?

“I will return,” I whispered to him. When I reached the doorway, I hesitated, nervous to leave him for even a moment.

“I will stay with him,” Doctor Qinlin said, “until we get him back to you.”

With heavy steps, I returned to me and mine’s quarters. Lucy raced toward me, crying frantically in her squeaking voice. I pet her, but when I tried again, she didn’t remain in one place. Headbutting my leg, she wound around me and cried.

“I know,” I whispered, tears threatening.

After I fed her, I waited for the technicians. When they arrived, I directed them to Seth’s room. When Seth awoke, I wanted him to recognize his surroundings and he hadn’t been in my room, except the one time.

Once everything was ready, the technicians departed, casting sad glances in my direction, which I ignored. Doctor Qinlin came with Seth not long after; she didn’t tarry, leaving as soon as he was stabilized.

Lucy headbutted Seth, and he didn’t react. She cried, then curled up against his side. I settled next to him, holding him close.

The next three days passed with very little change, but his temperature returned to normal and his breathing eased. Doctor Qinlin said the changes were in line with what amorians called the long death. Despite that, I took it as a sign of hope. It was all I could do to hold onto hope.

My father, mother, and brothers had tried to speak with me, but I’d refused their pings. Monqilcolnen and Talvax had stopped by, and I ignored them. I didn’t want to see the pity on their faces. Seth would make it. I would not lose him.

Exhaustion was my closest companion as I took care of Seth and tended to all of his needs. He never reacted to my presence or Lucy’s. It seemed insane to me that days ago he was so alive, laughing, smiling, and kissing me, but now, he was completely unresponsive.

“Stay with me,” I begged Seth, listening to him breathe.