60. Ell-rom

60

ELL-ROM

B y the time Ell-rom reached the clinic he was exhausted, but he forced himself to stand tall and push through the protesting muscles and the fatigue.

The important thing was that he'd made it without leaning on anyone or anything, and he hadn't stumbled or stopped to rest even once.

Julian looked up from his desk with a knowing smile. "Look at you," the doctor said, his tone warm with approval. "Making the trek all on your own. How are you feeling?"

Ell-rom grinned. "Tired, but I made it, and that's all that counts."

"True." Julian gestured for him to take a seat. "Are you ready to combat your phobia?"

"Yes," Ell-rom said resolutely, even though he was not sure at all. "Did you manage to get the synthetic blood?"

"I did." Julian reached into a drawer and pulled out a small opaque bag. "This stuff is revolutionizing medicine. It does not even require refrigeration. What's more, it was developed entirely by humans."

"Fascinating." Ell-rom tried to keep his gaze unfocused so seeing the thing wouldn't trigger his gag reflex. "Is the synthetic blood new?"

"This type is."

Despite his determination, Ell-rom felt his stomach churn.

Julian had been so focused on what a positive impact this was going to have on the medical community that he hadn't noticed Ell-rom's reaction when he first brought it out. Now, he sensed his discomfort and immediately pushed the bag aside. "Maybe looking at it briefly is enough for today."

But Ell-rom shook his head. "No. I need to overcome this aversion."

He needed to do this for Jasmine and for himself, but he didn't need to explain it to the medic. Julian knew what was at stake.

The medic studied him for a long moment. "There is no rush, Ell-rom. It's better to take small steps in the right direction than to try to leap forward but fall down and break something. Imagine that you tried to run all the way to the clinic this morning. Would that have been prudent?"

"No," Ell-rom admitted. "But that's not a good analogy. Running when I have just learned to walk would have been foolish, but using the walker when I could do without it would have been caving in to fear."

Julian considered this, then put the bag back in the drawer. "I have an idea," he said, standing up. "How about we go for a walk first? When we come back, you can try something more daring. But let's build up your confidence a bit more before we tackle that challenge."

That was an odd suggestion. He was still tired from walking from the elevator to the clinic, which was not a big distance at all. Maybe Julian wanted to show him something?

"Where do you want to go?"

A smile spread across the medic's face. "Outside. I think it's time we got you out onto the street."

Ell-rom felt his heart skip a beat. He had seen the world from the terrace of the penthouse and had watched the bustling life of the city from above, but to actually be down there, in the midst of it all, was far more exciting.

"I would love that."

"Great. It'll be good for you to experience life on Earth as its citizen and not a patient. A change in perspective can do wonders for the psyche." He rose to his feet. "We don't have another walker, but you can lean on me if you feel tired, and we can take frequent rest stops on the way. There are benches every fifty feet or so."

Julian opened another cabinet and pulled out a strange-looking hat. "Put it on." He handed it to Ell-rom. "You need to shield your eyes from the glare of the sun, and I don't have another pair of sunglasses to give you."

Ell-rom examined the hat for a moment before figuring out which side was the front and which was the back. "Like that?" he asked.

"Perfect." Julian led him out of the clinic toward the elevator. "First stop is the lobby. If anyone gapes at you, just smile and keep walking as if you own the place."

"Why would they gape at me?"

Julian snorted. "They just do. Humans love beauty as much as the gods do, and you and I are better looking than most of their males, so they stare. I don't want you to get scared or offended by it. That's why I'm warning you."

Thankfully, there weren't many people in the lobby, and the guards didn't gawk at them or even pay them much attention after Julian waved at them and said a few words of greeting.

The lobby was massive, with soaring ceilings and huge floor-to-ceiling glass windows. When they neared the doors, they slid open automatically, and then they were outside, on the sidewalk.

Ell-rom was immediately assaulted by a cacophony of sensations. The sounds hit him first: vehicle engines, a distant siren, and the chatter of passersby who indeed gawked a little at him and Julian.

Then came the smells.

The air was thick with a mixture of fumes, the enticing aroma of the grass and trees in front of the building, and the artificial flowery and woodsy scents that the passerby left behind.

Ell-rom blinked, his eyes adjusting to the bright morning sunlight reflecting off glass and metal surfaces. The sidewalk beneath his feet vibrated slightly with the passing of a big vehicle, and he instinctively reached out to steady himself against a lamppost.

An elderly human couple ambled along arm in arm, walking into the building they had just left, and the female smiled at him before disappearing behind the self-closing doors.

As they began to walk, Ell-rom found himself marveling at the sheer diversity of the people around him. He hadn't known that humans came in so many shapes, sizes, and colors, and watching them was fascinating to him. It struck him how limited his world had been until now, even with all he had learned since awakening from stasis.

In a way, humans were lucky to be imperfect. Their imperfections were what made each of them unique.

They paused at a crosswalk, waiting for the light to change, and Ell-rom watched in fascination as vehicles whizzed by, marveling at their speed and variety. He had seen vehicles from the penthouse of course, but being this close to them, feeling the rush of air as they passed, was exhilarating.

"Watch this," Julian said, gesturing to the crossing signal. As the light changed, a chorus of beeps accompanied the visual signal. "The auditory signal is to help visually impaired people know when it's safe to cross."

Ell-rom nodded, impressed by this considerate design.

Jasmine had explained that humans were much more vulnerable than Kra-ell and immortals. They suffered from all kinds of ailments and disabilities, but they were making great strides in curing them. She was optimistic about the future of their medicine and believed that in a few decades, everything would be easily curable.

"You can lean on me," Julian offered as they crossed the road. "You can put your hand on my shoulder, or I can wrap my arm around you."

"I'm fine," Ell-rom said, and it wasn't a lie.

He felt energized by being outside. He felt alive.

"Let's sit on that bench over there." Julian pointed to a little green corner where bushes and trees surrounded a lone bench. "We can engage in people-watching while you rest."

That sounded lovely.