Page 33 of Cozy Prisons
The unexpected answer and rumble made Nataly blink her eyes open. The first thing she saw was a Talin chest so close she could make out every seam between the keratin plates. The familiar voice and blue plating made Nataly smile.
“Daxus,” she murmured, rolling her head so she could look up at his face. That’s when she realized they were outside. Huh, that’s weird! “What’s going on?”
“I’m taking you to Healer Falkilm,” Daxus said. He was purring, but his voice was remote.
“Why?” she asked, her fuzzy brain trying to understand.
“You're ill,” Daxus answered. “You’ve been masking and pretending, but I can't ignore it any longer. You hurt yourself. It was mild, but what if I said nothing and something worse happened?”
By now, they were at the entrance to the medical building. When he walked in the front doors, Falkilm was there, waiting for them. “I have a bed ready. Bring her over here.”
The degree of Daxus’s betrayal finally hit her. Anger and hurt chased away the last of the sleepiness.
“Put me down!” she demanded.
As expected, Daxus ignored her and crossed the room to place her on a bed. The moment he stepped back, she moved to get down. Both Daxus and Falkilm rushed up to block her, almost as if they’d practiced it.
“I know you’re upset,” Falkilm said. “But this is for your own good.”
Nataly focused on the healer because Daxus was dead to her. “You will let me walk out of here, or there'll be consequences.”
Falkilm let out a quizzical rumble. “I’m sorry if you feel the need to cry or scream. I promise I won’t do anything to hurt you.”
“I’m not going to cry. I’m going to walk out of here and back home. Maybe I’ll visit you later, but nothing is happening tonight.”
She gave them one last chance, but they blocked her again.
With deadly calm, Nataly pointed a single finger at the healer. “You will regret this. Not me.”
Pulling a small round device out of her pocket, she tapped in a sequence. She was lucky she hadn’t changed into her sleeping clothes, or she wouldn’t have had the emergency orb with her.
“What’s that?” Daxus asked. She ignored him and watched the lights on the orb go from white to blue. Then she held it up to her mouth.
“Attention, attention, Daxus and Falkilm are holding Nataly in the medical building against her will. She’s tried to leave twice, but neither of them will allow it. She is perfectly healthy and doesn’t need medical intervention.”
Her voice echoed through the displays on both the front door and the door leading to Falkilm’s quarters.
“Why would you do that?” Falkilm asked.
“How did you do that?” Daxus asked.
Again, she ignored both of them. It might be the middle of the night, but she’d sent out the distress call. Her friends would be here any moment.
“Please understand that we only want to help you,” Falkilm said. “I know you might be upset by us taking control, but sometimes individuals can’t adequately judge their own health or needs.”
She slowly shook her head at Falkilm. “Am I a child?”
“No, you’re a human adult,” Falkilm answered.
“Am I dying right at this moment?” she asked.
“Not any faster than the rest of us.”
His answer was so typical of his literal brain that she almost smiled. It was too bad she was so angry; otherwise, she’d enjoy teasing him.
“Then why would you think I’m incapable of knowing what I need? Unless you believe I’m mentally inferior to you.”
Her words hung heavy in the air.
