Coral

"You're doing really well," I say to Jem as I finish up with her consultation.

She's around two months behind the first human to get pregnant in the Kirakos, Amber, the human mate of the leader of the Sarkarnii, Draco. But now Amber has had her baby, we can know the gestation period is ten months and the babies are big.

Which is why Jem is sick of her life.

"I'm eating nearly a whole tralu a day. This can't be normal, can it?" She sighs.

"I don't think it's that bad," I reply. The tralu, huge hairy beasts a bit like cattle, are not exactly a snack for a pregnant lady, but they are nutritious. "And you're growing a Sarkarnii. They like meat. Just as long as it's not giving you indigestion or making you sick, you'll be fine."

"I thought all of that stuff was an old wives' tale." Jem narrows her eyes at me.

I wonder, once again, how all these wonderful women ended up abducted by aliens. It was almost as if they were going after the brightest and the best.

"It is." I sigh. "But the stuff about indigestion and making you sick isn't. Eat what you like, in moderation of course. I'd rather you ate than you didn't."

It makes me think. Not a single one of my human friends has reported any of the more unpleasant side effects of pregnancy. At least not in any sense they've struggled. In fact, all of their pregnancies have been, other than the babies being big, straightforward.

I'm also well aware, mostly because my friends have zero filter (something I'm sure they must have picked up from their Sarkarnii mates), and they happily tell me, how well their "needs" are attended to.

I am not going to shudder at what they've told me. It's not like sex is something I don't know about, obviously, I'm a doctor. It's just…I've never experienced it. And at thirty-three, it is probably not going to change. I've had my fair share of anxiety about my lack of experience in the past and yet, as time has gone by, it's got harder and harder to even consider popping my cherry.

I think I'm probably destined for nothing to ever happen and I'm fine about it. Just fine.

"Thanks for the pep talk, as always," Jem says with a hint of sarcasm.

"I aim to please," I reply, infusing my words with the same emotion. "You could always ask Drega."

"Draxx would tear his head off. It's not worth the paperwork." Jem laughs.

She's not far wrong.

"Take care of yourself," I call out as she makes an exit like a gorgeous stately galleon in full sail.

Outside I hear the low rumble of a Sarkarnii male, and I guess it's Draxx waiting for her. From the room adjacent to mine, there is a deep growling groan.

Having finally gotten rid of the two malingerers yesterday after some sort of incident, Drega declined to tell me what, we're left with one Sarkarnii…Drasus.

As well as suggesting the transfusion, I also assisted Drega with him a little afterwards. Drasus needed to be sedated, and the only way this is possible with a Sarkarnii is a drug called paraxio, to which Drega is allergic.. Eventually we worked out a method of delivery where I make up an infusion so Drega doesn't come into contact with it when he gives it to his patient via an inline port I suggested too. Apparently, this is best all round as Drasus is not safe while he cannot control his shift.

I'm not entirely sure what to believe. After all, the Sarkarnii physiology is completely different from a human's in ways I can't even imagine. Plus without texts to work from, what little I know has been gleaned from being in proximity to injured males.

And it seems Drega is not quite ready to let a human get involved. I'm battling the feeling it's to do with male ego and telling myself he just wants to be sure a species from a backwater, technology deficient planet understands what she's dealing with.

However, today, Drega is supervising the transfer of more supplies and the readying of the Golden Orion for the moment when they can leave. Today, there is only me.

And I can't exactly ignore the groan of pain. What sort of doctor would I be if I did?

I get hesitantly to my feet. Then I throw my shoulders back. If Drasus were really a threat, he'd have a minder, like the Sarkarnii did with Daeos when he was more of a liability. As a mated male, Daeos is marginally less of a liability now. Although there were some explosions the other day which I'm pretty sure can be attributed to him.

Maintaining an air of confidence, I walk through from my clinic, then into Drega's healing room to where Drasus is being kept separately. Immediately, as I approach the open doorway, I can see he's half in and half out of his bed, clawed hands grasping weakly at anything in order to gain purchase.

"What are you doing?" I race over and, putting my shoulder to it, heave the huge purple scaled male upright, back onto the bed.

Drasus growls, the noise running through me like water.

"Female," he says.

"Well spotted," I reply. It's become my stock response, given how many aliens seem to use it. "It's Coral."

"Coral." The way he says my name in a rumbling baritone makes my stomach dip.

It's a shame it's followed by a lip hitch which shows a sharp fang, and not in a good way.

"Why are you trying to get out of bed?"