Chapter 23

Darah

"This can't be happening!" I cried as they took Terrek away and Flame transformed into her she-devil battle-form. Ember held Flame against her, grabbing Flame from behind. Flame was genuinely terrifying at that moment.

I sank to the floor in my despair. Candy was on me, trying to soothe me. I was seized with fear. I could not lose any more family. I wanted to be there for Flame, too.

‘Please, Harmony, save him!'I Prayed so hard in my haze of shock and fear.

I hugged Candy and sank my face into his furry shoulder. I felt his scratchy tongue licking me. I took a deep breath of air that burned my lungs, and then another and another.

I was relieved we were on the refugee ship. I knew this ship had infirmaries and medical units on every level. Finally starting to get my bearings, I looked up and saw Ember struggling to keep Flame from escaping her hold.

I needed to be here for her, strong for all of us. I stood up and rushed to Flame. I cupped her face to help her calm down. He needs us." I softly pleaded with her.

I just held her in my hands and softly repeated my plea. I felt the tension in Flame melt away as she relaxed. Ember released her, and Flame hugged me tightly as she sobbed in my arms. Moments passed, and I slowly pulled back to look into her sad red eyes. I caught the tear that fell on her cheek.

He will fight to stay with us,? I promised because I couldn't face anything less.

Flame softened, and her form morphed into her usual self.

"Yes, you're right. We need to go check on him." Flame said sadly.

Holding my hand as we went to see how Terrek was doing. Ember and Candy trailed just steps behind us. Everyone around us had fallen eerily silent as they watched us walk.

I can feel them worry for us. All this energy was too overwhelming. I squeezed Flame's hand as we walked. She gave me a silent look, her red eyes swollen from crying.

"We look a mess, you and me. I am just glad we are together. Terrek must be okay. He will survive this. Our healers are the best of the best." Flame reassured me.

We walked past a window where I got a glimpse of my reflection. My nose was swollen, and I was sure I had broken it. Blood and grime still smeared on my cheeks.

"I did a number on myself," I mentioned as we came to a small crowd of medical personnel who blocked the door to the following medical room.

"A little blood and dirt are expected in a battle. I think you are brave and beautiful, my Earthling." Flame let go of me and wiped at my dirty cheek. She gave me a quick kiss before we went to be with Terrek.

"How is he?" Flame demanded in her commander's voice, back to business.

A male with half of his face humanoid and the other was mechanical. He looked robotic, standing over seven feet tall. He broke through the people standing at the infirmary door.

"Make way. I want the mates to enter." I heard his deep, robotic voice boom.

I pushed my intrigue to the side. My whole focus was on Terrek. This man was the healer holding my mate's life in his hands. Flame gave the man a nod as we came to Terrek's bedside.

I choked up, holding back my tears as I looked at him. Such a vast male was lying there, fading right in front of us.

"I am a healer, C-MD, in the 1st class, Major Zako, a doctor. I have stopped his bleeding and given him fluids. He is under a constant scan. His readings show that he has fractured ribs.

A laser wound has nicked the arteries located in his upper thigh. I have clamped his artery for now. We must act fast to give him blood. We have females from Laverian claiming to be his cousins who wanted to donate their blood to save him.?

Two robed Laverian females entered the room, interrupting Doctor Zako.

Excuse me, no time to explain.? The doctor swiftly turned his attention to the females, scanning them with a handheld device.

"Miss, please lay on this bed so my nurse can start the blood withdrawal." He picked one female to lie down.

My heart was worried and grateful for all these people trying to save my big purple mate. The females teared up, looking at Terrek.

He is my cousin. I am willing to do whatever it takes to save him. I am unsure if my blood is clean after . . . my imprisonment. Please save him, doctor."

The female said with tears. The emotions in the room were swamping me. Taking a deep breath, I tried to control my feelings. I was grateful for this team working to save Terrek.

"We are forever in your debt for saving our mate." Flame said to Terrek's cousin.

"Of course, he is family. You are family now, too. No need to repay me." The female said.

I looked at the bruises on her exposed body, and my heart hurt for her and what she must have endured. Here, she was offering her blood to save Terrek when she hadn't even been treated for her injuries yet. These people were truly phenomenal. The cyborg doctor robotically listed off the reading of his scan to the female.

"Your blood is low on vitamins. You've been malnourished. You have internal damage. Tearing, and you have been severely beaten in your stomach. The implant to sterilize you was damaged by the beating of your stomach. You carry a positive pregnancy. There is damage to your throat due to strangulation attempts. Your retina in your left eye is damaged."

The female's purple skin darkened, and her eyes teared up with fear.

"Excuse me, Doctor. Stop!" I said, interrupting his vocal evaluation. I walked to the lady and asked,

"Can I hold your hand?" She reached for my hand in answer.

"I am Darah. This is my mate Flame. What is your name?"

"Tinah." The female choked out. She looked at us with panic in her teary eyes.

"Tinah, we are so grateful to you for helping us save Terrek. You are our family now. I am so sad we had to meet like this. Just know we are here for you, and you are safe. Don't be scared. You will be okay. We will get you the support you need."

The cyborg, the doctor, was oblivious to the room's emotions as he focused on his patient.

"Female Tinah of Laverian, you require medical assistance. I will not take your blood. Nurse Jax is a female who specializes in fertility counseling. She will take you to another physician to attend to your injuries and offer different medical options.

Termination of your pregnancy with counseling is offered to help you cope. You can Donate your fetus to be held in cryo freeze for a later pregnancy or adopt the cryo fetus out. You can carry your pregnancy, keep or offer your child up for adoption. You will be healed, and treatment will be your choice." His robotic voice was explaining to Tinah.

"I am your nurse. My name is Jax. I am going to wheel your bed to your room. I will give you updates on your cousin Terrek." Tinah looked relieved to have Jax take her.

"We will come to see you as soon as we know Terrek is stable," I said as she was wheeled out of the room.

My heart broke for her and her situation. The second female was already lying on her bed, being scanned. I looked at her as she looked scared seeing Tinah leave the room. I wished that this Cyborg Doctor had better bedside manners.

"What is your name?" I asked as her bed was moved closer to Terrek's bed.

"I am Tam." She said as the Dr. was in his scanning analysis mode. "I can hold your hand if you are comfortable?" I offered.

"You have the infertile implant like your sister. However, yours is in working order. You are negative without pregnancy. You are malnourished, have internal tearing, and have bruises. You are stable enough to donate blood."

"After we collect the blood, we will send you to another physician to guide you through the treatment. You have the option for your implant to be removed and your injuries worked on in the way you choose. You will be assigned your nurse for counseling and aftercare needs. Thank you for your assistance."

This cyborg guy had a terrible way of approaching his patients, but I was so worried about Terrek that I knew I had to endure it. As long as everyone gets the best care. Blood was drawn, and Tam was moved out of the room.

"Thank you, Tam. We will check on you and your sister soon." Flame said, and I gave Tam my grateful smile.

"Can we reprogram this cyborg doctor so he is not so traumatizing to people who have been through so much already? "I asked Flame in a whisper.

"I have never met one so blunt and emotionless before. I will look into it once things settle." Flame assured me.

The doctor started to give Terrek the blood, and as soon as the blood hit his veins, he started convulsing.

"Oh my God, what is happening?" I cried as Flame pulled me close for a tight hug as we watched the doctor work on Terrek.

"His body is rejecting the blood. My analysis shows he has been altered."

"What do you mean altered?" Flame demanded.

The doctor turned to face us and pointed his handheld scan at us. After a moment, he spoke.

"Commander Flame, you have marked your mates, and with your venom, you have altered their DNA so they can have reproductive compatibility with you.

He needs fire blood, but you have nanos that complicate donations. Gias fire blood won't work, and yours is too hot for his system."

I am beginning to dislike this doctor. He was blunt, robotic, and not helpful with all this bad news.

Flame melted into me, crying on my neck.

"I have doomed him with my altered blood." She sobbed softly.

"No, Flame, you mated to us. He would never change that. There has to be a way."

I held her as I heard Ember push her way into the room.

"Move. I am needed." Ember made her way to us.

"I have enhanced hearing. I have been pacing in the halls with Candy. I can smell things better than you can. I have fire blood. I smelled your blood the moment I met you. See if my blood will work. Take what I offer freely."

Ember held her bare arm out to the cyborg. Doctor Zako scanned her.

Intriguing. I have never seen your blood type before.?

He proceeded to take her blood and transfuse it to Terrek. The blood hit his veins, and he took her blood without reaction. Once, he was given as much blood as Ember could spare.

His body started to heal from the inside out. The wound pushed the clamp out of his thigh, and his body became whole. Flame and I pulled Ember in for a tight group hug, "You did it. You saved him." I said.

"I owe you, my dragon friend. Words cannot say what this means to me." Flame said.

"It was a simple thing to offer my blood. Please, I am just glad it worked." Ember hugged us back and exited the room to wait with Candy.

I went to one side of Terrek's bed while Flame went to the other. We each held his hand and leaned down to kiss him.

"Her blood healed him . . . It is like magic. I have never seen such a thing." The doctor said in his robotic voice.

He conveyed genuine shock, the first emotion I could detect from him.

"Yes, our gal Ember is something made of magic," I said, not taking my eyes off Terrek.

I heard Ember laughing in the hall. "These beings are silly, right Candy?"

Terrek opened his sleepy eyes. He looked at me, then Flame, "What happened?"

He said, confused.

"It doesn't matter. All I care about is that you are well and alive." I said, happy to see his black eyes.

"Darah of Earth, I need to attend to your nose." Doctor Zako interrupted my perfect moment.

"I am fine, don't worry about me," I said.

Terrek sat up and demanded, "Doctor, heal my mate."

Flame said, "Your turn, babe."

"Fine!" I gave in and turned to face a new device placed over my face.

My nose was set straight, and we were finally left in the medical room to be alone.