Page 45 of Alien Healer's Touch

"He won't accept that," one of the security team warned. "He's ordered us to bring you in, by force if necessary."

Phillips hesitated, clearly torn between his orders and the obvious urgency of delivering medicine to the sick. As senior officer on the expedition, the decision fell to him.

Selene pressed her advantage. "How many more have died since I left, Phillips? How many more will die without this treatment? Do you want their deaths on your conscience because you were following orders instead of using common sense?"

The security team exchanged uncomfortable glances. I prepared to intervene if necessary, calculating how quickly I could disable their weapons before they could fire.

"Frakes said twelve more have died," Phillips admitted finally. "The sickness has spread to the secondary encampment."

"Then you know what you need to do," Selene replied, opening her pack and retrieving the crystalline containers. "Take these back immediately. I'll include instructions for administration."

While she quickly wrote treatment instructions on a waterproof material from her medical kit, I noticed one of the security team moving along the chamber wall, sweeping his light systematically across the shadows. He would discover me within moments.

I made a difficult decision and stepped forward into the light.

"She is not alone," I announced, my imposing form causing several weapons to swing in my direction.

"Alien!" one guard shouted, finger tightening on his trigger.

"No!" Phillips ordered. "Hold your fire!"

The tension in the chamber was palpable. I kept my hands visible, my posture deliberately non-threatening despite my size advantage.

"This is Kavan," Selene explained quickly. "He's a healer. The medicine comes from his people. Without him, I couldn't have found it."

Phillips studied me warily. "You're Hammond's Nyxari healer? The one who visited before?"

I inclined my head. "Yes. I provided healing consultation during the early outbreak." The words flowed naturally in the human language, though I hadn't consciously chosen to speak it.

Selene turned to me in surprise. "You understand them? Without your translation stone?"

"It appears so," I replied, equally astonished. "The device must have transferred more than just medical knowledge."

One of the guards stepped forward suspiciously. "What device? Hammond says the markings are alien control mechanisms."

"Hammond is crazy," Selene responded firmly.

"The medicine is what matters now," I added, gesturing to the crystalline containers. "Your people are dying. These will save them."

She handed Phillips the treatment instructions along with the medicine. "Tell Dr. Frakes these doses are precisely calibrated. The blue compound treats the neurological symptoms first, followed by the amber solution for blood purification."

As she detailed the treatment protocol, I found I could understand everything—not just the medical terminology, but all their language. The bond had created a deeper connection than either of us had anticipated.

"The treatment must be administered in sequence," I confirmed, "with exactly four hours between compounds. Premature application of the amber solution will inhibit recovery."

Phillips looked between us, confusion evident. "So you two can... what? Read each other's minds now?"

"Hammond needs to know about this," one guard muttered.

"Yes, he does," Selene agreed, surprising me. "Tell him what you've witnessed. Tell him the markings aren't weapons or control mechanisms—they're interfaces for healing, for communication. They always have been."

She fixed Phillips with an intense stare. "Tell him I'm learning the truth about these markings, and I'll return when I understand enough to help Claire properly. But first, you need to deliver this medicine."

Phillips weighed the crystalline containers in his hands, decision forming in his eyes. "Jenkins, report back to Hammond with the medicine and Dr. Carter's message." He turned to Selene. "The rest of us will escort you back to camp."

"That isn't happening," Selene said firmly. "There's more we need to discover, and Hammond's experiments are too dangerous. He doesn't understand what he's tampering with."

The security team closed ranks, weapons raised again. "Those aren't your orders to give, Doctor."

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