Page 2 of Alien Healer's Touch

The chamber's entrance curtain rustled. I turned, expecting another patient, but found Phillips standing awkwardly in the doorway. The young man looked haggard, dark circles under his eyes and a nervous twitch to his movements. One of Hammond's messengers, though never a particularly enthusiastic one. His presence here couldn't mean anything good.

"Dr. Carter." He glanced at Teyrin, then back to me. "Commander Hammond requests your immediate return to the human settlement."

"Phillips, I've made it clear that I'm needed here. The Nyxari have shared their healing knowledge, and I'm?—"

"People are dying," he interrupted, his voice cracking. "Some kind of sickness. Spreads fast. Already lost four."

My stomach dropped. "What symptoms?"

"Fever. Bleeding from the eyes. Confusion, then coma. Nobody lasts more than two days once it starts."

I cursed under my breath. "How many infected?"

"Eleven showing symptoms. Maybe more by now." Phillips shifted his weight nervously. "Commander said... he said he knows you've gone native, but if you're still a doctor, you'll come."

Gone native. Classic Hammond rhetoric. The commander's paranoia about the "contamination" of marked women had only worsened since Mirelle and several others had chosen to stay with the Nyxari. I had to go. Lives were at stake.

"I need to speak with Kavan," I told Teyrin, who had lingered near the entrance.

"The illness affects only humans?" Teyrin asked.

"Unknown," I said grimly. "But I need samples of the vashkai fungi and the fever-reducer Kavan showed me yesterday. I need to understand their properties before I can adapt them for human physiology, if it's even possible." I gathered my primary medical kit, mind racing through infectious disease protocols. "Tell him I'll meet him at the central gathering space."

Phillips sagged with relief. "You're coming, then?"

"Of course I'm coming." I fixed him with a hard look. "I'm still a doctor, regardless of what Hammond thinks of my markings."

Outside, the twin suns beat down on the settlement, casting double shadows across the vashkai structures. The "living stone" buildings gleamed with an iridescent sheen, their surfaces rippling occasionally. Even after two months, the organic architecture filled me with wonder.

Across the central clearing, Mirelle and Lazrin coordinated a team of Nyxari reinforcing one of the larger structures. The approaching seismic storm season. I'd almost forgotten.

Mirelle caught sight of me and waved. The silver markings on her face and neck caught the sunlight—far more extensive than my own. Whatever connection she shared with Lazrin through those markings, it went deeper than anything I'd experienced.

"What's Phillips doing here?" she called, breaking away from the group.

"Disease outbreak at Hammond's camp," I answered as she approached. "Sounds bad."

Her expression darkened. "And suddenly he's willing to trust a marked woman? Convenient."

"My thoughts exactly." I adjusted my pack. "But if people are dying..."

"It could be a trap," Lazrin said, joining us. The Hunt Leader's copper braids caught the light as he moved, his midnight-blue skin making the golden lifelines across his chest stand out vividly. "Hammond grows increasingly unstable. His messages to the settlement have become more threatening."

"Risks aside, people are sick,”I replied. "If there's an infectious disease spreading, I need to contain it before it reaches both settlements."

Mirelle frowned. "At least take an escort."

Lazrin nodded, his expression firm. "Mirelle is right. It is unwise to approach Hammond's territory entirely alone. I will assign Teyrin to accompany you—he can remain hidden, observe from a distance."

"No." My refusal was immediate, directed at both of them. "Absolutely not. Teyrin, any warrior—if Hammond's patrols spot any Nyxari near me, it confirms his worst suspicions. It could jeopardize everything, even prevent me from treating the sick." I met Lazrin's gaze directly. "I appreciate the concern, truly. But this initial approach must be made by me, alone. I need to go in as Dr. Carter, period. I'll assess the situation and return with samples for analysis."

"The approaching storms will make travel between settlements difficult," Lazrin cautioned, clearly unhappy but respecting my decision. "If you leave now, you may be trapped there for several cycles."

A concerning thought, but not enough to deter me. "All the more reason to address this quickly."

I turned toward the healing chambers, needing to consult with Kavan about the medicines, but stopped at the sight of him standing across the clearing. The healer's emerald skin caught the twin sunlight, his tall frame commanding yet somehow graceful. The golden lifelines beneath his skin seemed to pulse with unusual intensity. And in response, the silver patterns on my arms tingled, a subtle but unmistakable resonance.

Kavan approached, his movements fluid and deliberate. "You intend to treat the human illness," he stated. Not a question.

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