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“C’mon, doc!” Grace groaned, sighing dramatically and rolling his eyes. “I’ve been good this morning! I’m not going sprinting!”
“Have you finally lost your mind?” "Praxidike" replied sharply. The physician balled one craggy hand into a fist and used the other to jab a xenonite-shrouded claw at Grace’s prone body in bed. “You get up and I will sedate you!”
Grace let out an irritated sigh, crossing his still too-thin arms over his chest and sinking deeper onto his pillow stack. “Have I ever told you that your bedside manner is just delightful?”
Prax quirked his taller carapace aside in an equally sarcastic manner. “Hmm. Only about Iℓ times in the last week alone.”
Rocky stifled a puff of frustration. Prax was brilliant—one of Erid’s best senior physicians. But he was, as Grace would say often, a “piece of work.” Lately, Grace was particular to describing him using the word “hardass,” which he then found ironically funny a second later. Prax had not been amused.
It had been five Earth months since the Hail Mary docked at the space elevator’s station. Five months of Grace needing round the clock care while construction of the dome completed, and five months of Rocky speaking to an endless roster of important people with lengthy titles. Turns out that returning home in a ship that wasn’t his, piloted by a literal alien, had caused a stir.
The moment the ship had been within receiving range of the orbital station, Rocky had sent ahead his message that the mission was completed, and that he was arriving with the person who had made that possible. Not one of his original crew, but somebody else entirely. At the time, the communications operator on the station believed that the message had been falsified or damaged. It was only when the observation crew detected the flare from the Hail Mary’s deceleration burn that they concluded that it was not, in fact, the ship they had sent off all those years ago.
The first few moments after the Hail Mary docked via tunnel to the orbital station and went through the process of airlock cycling were some of the longest in Rocky’s life. Perhaps longer than the moments before his official union with Adrian, or the endless moments in the Tau Ceti system when he had eagerly awaited Grace’s replies to his first attempts at communication. The ones on the station had told him Adrian would be present with the welcoming party. Upon seeing his nervous fidgeting, Grace had glanced over and placed a shaking hand on the shell of his upgraded xenonite suit. He had smiled and told Rocky that everything would be fine, and to be excited that he would get to see his mate again. His friend had shivered again, clutching his sweater tighter around his too-skinny frame.
The moment Rocky saw Adrian on the other side of the barrier keeping the Hail Mary’s environment separated from Erid’s, he had lost all sense of dignity and propriety, and so had his mate. They had both run towards the wall and cried out to each other in longing, relief, and elation all at once. In that moment, Rocky had briefly understood why humans leaked when they cried. Feelings sometimes felt far too big to hold in one’s body, building like an over-stressed tank until a valve opened to relieve the pressure.
After all the formalities were over, it had become immediately clear just how dire Grace’s condition was. Even in the microgravity of the station, Grace’s body struggled to maintain equilibrium. He could hardly hold a conversation without sounding out of breath or losing his train of thought multiple times in a row. The leaders in the greeting party had immediately convened to arrange a solution. Rocky had secretly been relieved that his promises to Grace that Erid would take care of him had not fallen flat.
Hours later, a group of Eridian specialists that Grace had dubbed “the Terran Team” boarded the Hail Mary to assess the situation—and along with them, Prax.
Despite his difficult personality, Rocky had to admit that Prax had done his job well. Grace had regained enough strength in orbit to come down the elevator. Still, Rocky bristled every time Prax yelled at Grace or muttered an expletive his way.
“Need I remind you that if we’d brought you planetside immediately, the gravity would have killed you?” Prax continued ranting at Grace. “Getting up and walking around at this stage has got to be one of the stupidest things you could do! And I’ve already heard plenty of your stupidity!”
“Grace is the one who saved us!” Rocky interjected angrily, his vents puffing. “Don’t talk to him that way!”
Adrian, who was in one of the brand new upgraded suits, gave a disapproving grumble in Prax’s direction. “Grace is not stupid. Do not speak so disrespectfully.”
Prax waved a dismissive arm. “Yes, he’s smart enough to solve the star’s dimming, but self-preservation? Complete idiot.”
Grace held his two hands up in a placating gesture. “I’m just saying, if I’m going to spend the foreseeable future in double Earth gravity, I should practice moving in it.”
Rocky exhaled in a lengthy huff, lowering his posture into something less defensive and furious. This was all they seemed to argue about these days. They already had several different versions of this conversation over the past two weeks.
Grace had assured him and Prax that humans were highly adaptable, and that he would eventually learn to exist more easily in Erid’s gravity, but it was the period in between where things were going to be stressful. For one thing, Grace’s heart was going to have to work twice as hard just to circulate his blood properly and keep him stable. That wouldn’t have been so bad if not for the fact that not getting enough nutrients over an extended period of time severely weakens the human heart.
Rocky would know. He had spent the better part of two years listening to it happen in real time. Even while docked in orbit, Grace could not move too much without triggering another episode of palpitations. Or worse, another dizzy or fainting spell.
“Prax is not wrong,” Rocky admitted, stepping closer to his friend’s bed. “You need more rest.” He really did not want to watch Grace collapse again. It had been terrifying enough the first few times to hear the way Grace’s heart would flutter frantically in his chest, then to watch him crumple to the ground.
Adrian clicked softly, turning towards Grace like Rocky had explained to do in order to signal to Grace that they were interacting with him. “We can help you exercise your leg muscles again while you lay down, if you want. Much safer.”
“Fantastic!” Prax declared, shuffling in the xenonite pressure suit toward the corner of the bedroom that had become a makeshift clinic. “We’re in agreement, then.”
Grace gaped at Prax’s retreating carapace, then gave an incredulous “huh!” and glared Rocky and Adrian’s way, placing a hand over his chest. “Et tu, Adrian?”
Adrian hummed a gentle tone of exasperation mixed with amusement, nudging Grace’s blankets. “You can hardly walk anyway. You can only get to the toilet.”
“Yeah, thanks to Rocky’s over-engineered stick over there,” Grace grumbled, pointing at the steel cane propped up against the wall beside the bed. “I could probably walk farther if you’d all let me.”
Rocky sighed. His friend was admirably stubborn. “If you fall, it could be very bad. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
At that, Grace quieted for a moment, hands playing with the now empty pouch that had contained his morning nutrient mix. The medical team had finally introduced all the necessary micronutrients he needed now that the risk of “refeeding syndrome” had all but passed. Grace’s hands had stopped trembling, and his face had stopped looking so sunken in.
“Sorry,” he finally replied, “I’m just…going a little stir crazy.”
“We are happy to keep you company,” Adrian said, resting a hand on top of the blankets. “Is Grace not comfortable?”
Grace shook his head swiftly, eyes wide. “No! No. It’s not that. I’m very comfortable. You and the others did a really good job on the house and the dome. I’m really happy with it.”
Adrian dipped their tall, narrow carapace a bit lower, long legs bashfully curling inward. “I’m glad. I did my best to make sure the dwelling looks like a human one.”
Grace let out a chuckle. “You did great. Can’t believe all I had to do to afford an actual house was cross two star systems and nearly starve to death.”
“Grace!” Rocky cried, stomping all five limbs angrily. “That’s not funny!”
He smiled wide, tipping his head back a little and laughing again. “C’mon, it’s a little funny.”
Rocky gave a long-suffering groan. Adrian trilled with laughter beside him. He did not enjoy this thing Grace liked, this “dark humor.” He had picked up the habit in the last few months of their journey. Rocky found himself wishing Grace would go back to making terrible puns.
Adrian hopped up onto the corner of the bed and carefully stepped around Grace’s feet. “We can try stretching your legs again. You say it is still good exercise, yes?”
“That’s not it,” Grace said with a frown, shifting to allow Adrian more space. “I just want a break from being in bed. I didn’t even get to see much of the dome coming in.”
Prax hissed from his corner workstation: “Then observe from the window.”
“It doesn’t do it,” Grace replied, shifting to sitting further upright to direct his attention at the older, jagged physician. “I can’t sense in three hundred and sixty degrees like you guys. I’m limited to whatever is directly out the window.”
“It does not matter!” Prax exploded, three of his hands flailing in fury. “Ugh, your brain still isn’t functioning right, isn’t it? No wonder you’re being so stupid about this!”
The door to the bedroom swung open as Prax’s colleague shuffled in, xenonite suit rattling. “Oh, this again?”
Grace lamely lifted a hand in greeting, his scowl softening. “Hey, Apollo.”
Apollo raised his wide, squat carapace. “Good waking, Grace!”
“It’s ‘good morning’, but close enough,” Grace said with a small smile.
“Still trying to negotiate?” Apollo asked, giving a small trill of amusement. “I would say that is becoming ‘an exercise in futility.’” He lifted his carapace higher. “Did I use the human saying right?”
“Yep,” Grace muttered, “Good job, doc.”
Prax shifted toward his colleague, several hands still clenched in fury. “Don’t mind the idiot human. He is being unreasonable again.”
Grace threw his hands up. “Well maybe—and I’m just spitballing here—it’s because I’m slowly losing my mind under house arrest with the meaner crab version of Dr. McCoy.”
Apollo wiggled, tapping one leg on the floor. “You really shouldn’t be trying to strain yourself. Your cardiac health is still poor…”
Rocky fidgeted nervously, rubbing his claws together out of habit. Grace was much better these days, but he was still a human with human needs. Humans needed mental stimulation, perhaps far more than Eridians did. Rocky visited often, sometimes with Adrian, and sometimes Adrian was here without him, but it was not enough to quell the restlessness and agitation that he had often observed in Grace during their long journey home.
“Perhaps,” Adrian said slowly, tilting toward Grace, “You may walk to just outside the door? Maybe stand there for a bit. No excessive walking.”
Grace’s posture immediately straightened, the skin around his eyes going wide. “I’ll take it.”
Apollo made a thoughtful hum. “I suppose that could work, as long as you are properly assisted, and—”
Prax emitted a deep growl, stepping closer to Apollo and corralling him into the corner workstation, where they continued in tones inaudible to Grace. Grace sighed through his nose and shook his head with another “eye roll.” Rocky clenched a hand in agitation. He had told everyone countless times to not converse outside of Grace’s range of hearing when in his presence, and especially not when speaking about him instead of to him.
“This is not a good idea,” Prax was muttering, “We are no longer in low orbit. Falls are far more dangerous now.”
Apollo regarded his supervisor with a soft click. “It would be beneficial for Grace. He will not stop asking to leave bed anytime soon. Strengthening the muscles while stationary will only go so far.”
Grace vaguely gestured at the two with a raised eyebrow. “Seriously?”
Adrian idly rocked back and forth on their corner of the bed, the combined weight of their body and the suit leaving deep impressions in the soft foam. “Senior Physician Praxidike is considering the idea.”
Grace glanced at the two physicians eagerly. He crossed two of his fingers on each hand and held his breath.
Finally, Prax and Apollo broke apart from their conversation, and Prax marched up to Grace’s side with his usual stiff, irritated posture.
“I have conditions,” he stated firmly, lifting a hand and counting off his claws. “One, you will take appropriate time to safely transition from sitting to standing. Two, you will only go as far as the threshold of the front exit, assisted. Three, you will return immediately if you experience any dizziness or light-of-head sensations.” He thumped his hand on the ground and pitched his carapace forward. “Am I clear.”
Grace smiled wide, releasing his held breath. “Crystal!”
Prax paused. “We are not discussing crystals.”
“It’s a figure of speech,” Grace replied swiftly, pushing his blankets back and shifting toward the edge of the bed. “It’s because certain crystals have more translucency, which…” He stared at Prax’s silent carapace for a moment. “You know what, never mind.”
Rocky positioned himself right beside Grace as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed, planting his feet on the floor and flexing the muscles in his calves to get his blood to stop pooling. Adrian hopped off the bed and waited beside Apollo. Prax, still muttering to himself, retreated back to his workstation.
“All right,” Grace took a breath. “I think I’m good to stand now.”
Rocky eagerly offered Grace his walking stick, watching and listening carefully as Grace braced against it and slowly pushed himself upright. Adrian’s legs tensed, as if readying to assist at the slightest wobble.
Apollo cheered. “Less shaking this time!”
Grace let out a huffed laugh, his expression one of triumph. “Okay! Let’s do this!”
Rocky observed his friend slowly make his way out of the bedroom of the house, keeping close to his side with Apollo and Adrian following behind. Grace was getting much better at using the walking stick, and the muscles he needed for remaining upright and balanced were getting stronger. The time he spent completing all those rehabilitation exercises was showing results. Rocky could not stop the whirr of pride rumbling through him. His friend was walking better already!
By the time they reached the door, Grace was whistling an upbeat melody from the sun song Rocky recalled him listening to just yesterday. It was a recording Grace had often played during their journey, especially when he became too despondent. Human music often sounded strange to Rocky, but he and Grace were in agreement that the “sun arriving” song was one of the best ones.
Just before Grace fully opened the door, Apollo took the chance to scoot through the secondary, smaller door flap at Eridian height, what Grace had jokingly called the “doggy door.” Grace chuckled and fully swung the door open, the light breeze from the dome’s air circulation system ruffling his hair. He stepped further out onto the doorstep and stood still, taking a slow, deep breath in before exhaling with a satisfied gasp.
Adrian stopped in front of Grace’s foot, raising their carapace in anticipation.
“Well,” they warbled, tapping an excited rhythm with a tall leg, “Is the air circulation system to your liking?”
Grace nodded. “Yeah, it’s really nice.” He turned his head to stare down at the constructed beach and its water basin, and his smile grew wider. “I don’t think there’s a way to thank you and the others enough.”
Rocky bumped the side of Adrian’s suit, causing his mate to chirp in mirth. “Grace will not stop thanking people, even if he sees them several times in the same wake cycle. He has thanked Prax ten times since the first meeting, and you, twenty-six.”
Grace frowned in his direction, but he laughed. “Were you actually counting? Adrian, did you know he was counting?”
Adrian chittered. “My mate pays attention to everything.”
“Of course,” Rocky scoffed, “I remember everything you say.”
“You know this, Grace,” Rocky replied, playfully patting his friend’s knee. “This is how I kept you alive on the way here. I made sure you ate the gross coma drink, made you go to bed when you got too tired and stupid, and gave hugs whenever you got too sad and leaky!”
“Okay, that’s a bit tiːɛmˈaɪ!” Grace retorted, nudging Rocky’s hand back with a swift kick. “New word! Too. Much. Information! As in, doesn’t need to be said in front of Apollo or Adrian!”
Apollo snickered from his place just to Grace’s left. Adrian gave Rocky a disapproving hum.
“That is no way to speak about your good friend, love,” they lectured, but the way their voice stuttered betrayed their failed attempt at holding back laughter.
“I told the truth.” Rocky trilled. “Grace often gets leaky. He’s gross.”
“All right, that’s it!” Grace took his weight off the walking stick and lightly swatted the xenonite tip at Rocky’s legs. “You cut that out, or face my over-engineered cane!”
Rocky leaped back, chortling as Grace took another swipe. “You can’t catch me, space blob!”
“Oh, you little-!” Grace barked a laugh and lunged to try sweeping at him again. “I am the apex predator of Earth! Fear my pointy stick!”
Adrian sighed. “All right, that’s enough, both of you.”
Rocky skittered back from the doorstep, and Grace stepped off after him, mouth wide in unbridled joy even as he jabbed at the space around the xenonite suit. He laughed again, and it was the best sound Rocky had heard so far that day.
Grace stopped abruptly mid-stride, body trembling as he began coughing. He braced himself on his walking stick, sinking low onto his knees. Apollo clicked in concern, scuttling closer and steadying him from behind. Rocky halted, immediately switching directions, all thoughts of continued teasing gone. He ran back to where Grace knelt in the gravel path with a hand over his sternum.
“Grace!” he cried, terror flooding him, “Grace, what’s wrong? What happened?”
Grace panted, patting his chest with a grimace. “It’s…I’m fine. Just grayed out for a second.”
Rocky shifted closer, anxiety mounting as he zeroed in on the sound of Grace’s heart. Before, it had been its usual slightly weakened but stable pace. Now it pounded feverishly, like it did during a dizzy spell. His breath had shallowed, and a film of sweat had formed along his brow.
Adrian sprinted to where their mate and Apollo circled the human, their posture rigid with concern. “Is Grace all right?”
Apollo gently patted Grace’s back. “Just another dizzy episode. He will be all right.”
“Sorry,” Grace mumbled, “Forgot…to be careful.”
Rocky let out an exasperated groan, relief flushing through both his bloodstreams. “Grace…”
Adrian nudged one of Rocky’s limbs, their carapace level. “Perhaps we should take Grace back inside.”
Apollo hummed in agreement. “Grace, can you stand?”
Grace swallowed, his throat clicking. “Yeah…I can make it back inside.”
He braced against the walking stick again, pulling himself upright much slower than he had done before. Adrian offered two limbs to help steady him. Once he managed to get upright, he leaned on Apollo’s outstretched limb as well. Rocky followed from behind, guilt and anxiety and worry all swirling inside him like poorly mixed binding compound.
He had forgotten too. Grace had just looked so happy to be out and upright. He had sounded so alive in a way that reminded Rocky of simpler times, back when his friend still needed the computer to translate and he got excited over every mundane thing that came up in conversation.
It had been nice to pretend he was all better, just for a moment.
Grace decided that he hated gravity with the passion of a thousand suns. And he hated his still half-starved body even more.
By the time Apollo and Adrian had managed to drag him back inside without him keeling over, his heart had mostly stopped throwing a tantrum in his chest. He supposed he should be happy that he recovered from these episodes more quickly now, and that he at least didn’t faint again and crack his skull on the ground. He did not want Rocky to see that.
Rocky’s awful, terrified squeaking had pained him in ways entirely unrelated to his pathetic cardiovascular health.
Grace sighed through his nose. Dr. Prax-House-McCoy was going to be so pissed at him.
As prophesied, the moment the entourage returned to the bedroom, Prax scuttled over and seemed to be giving him a highly critical once-over. For a being without eyes or a face, Prax’s ability to shoot daggers was unmatched.
“You.” the physician snapped, pointing at him, then back at the bed. “Bed. Now.”
Apollo shifted forward. “Come on,” he said, his tone trying for nice and encouraging. “You must be tired.”
Grace groaned, too exhausted to argue. Apollo wasn’t wrong. He let himself be led back to his bed, where he clumsily fell into it, dropping his cane. He buried his face in a pillow, sighing in relief as the pressure of standing in 2g eased up in his spine and shoulders.
The heavy thumping of Prax stomping over in xenonite-gloved hands interrupted the brief moment of bliss. Right.
He rolled back over, staring up at Prax’s displeased carapace at his right. “Heya, doc.”
Medically righteous fury radiated from the physician. He leaned over with two limbs and settled his claws over Grace’s sternum. “I told you this was a stupid idea!”
Grace glared as Prax muttered to himself while aggressively clicking. He shifted his hands over Grace’s chest, probing for the exact rhythm and form of his heart and the turbulence of his blood pressure. Apollo watched his superior work in respectful silence. Rocky and Adrian huddled close to his left, where Rocky watched Prax work with his posture held tight. Adrian leaned against the shell of Rocky’s form-fitting suit, murmuring something Grace couldn’t make out while tapping softly on the ground.
Prax finally removed his limbs and balled a hand into a fist. “You’ve recovered faster this time,” he growled, “Don’t take that to mean you can run around like a stupid pebble.”
“Love you too, doc,” Grace replied hoarsely. “I’ll be a good human and stay in bed.”
Prax vibrated with fury. “Now you listen to me!? Are all humans morons or just you!?”
Rocky stomped angrily, letting out an enraged rumble. “Do not speak to Grace that way!”
“Guys! Guys.” Grace limply held a hand up, too fatigued to do his whole arm. He used his best “teacher voice” despite how exhausted he felt, and was pleased to see it still worked. Both Eridians shifted their attention toward him.
“Relax. I feel better now.” He pointed at Prax. “I’ll rest up good today,” – he pointed at Rocky, still tense with agitation – “And Rocky, don’t yell at Prax. You know he’s a jerk to everyone equally.”
His friend whistled and grumbled, but he shut up. Prax finally lost his momentum and scuttled back toward the bedroom door, where his colleague waited.
“Good,” the old physician huffed. “We will check in later.”
The two walked out, leaving Adrian and Rocky at Grace’s bedside. Rocky’s posture was still slightly hunched, his legs tense in a way that made him look like he would start punching things. Adrian cooed softly at their spouse, patting one of Rocky's limbs.
“Well,” Grace muttered, shivering at the first wave of chills of the day, “That was a disaster.”
Rocky rose up, shifting restlessly. “I need to go meet with the dome engineering team,” he stated.
Adrian dipped their carapace. “Of course. I will stay with Grace.”
Grace smiled and gave a tired wave with a trembling hand. “See ya, ‘Senior Engineer Rocky.’”
His friend waved back, then seemed to give Adrian a long look. He scuttled out of the bedroom without another word.
“You two are so perfect together,” Grace chuckled, wrapping his arms tighter around himself as another wave of chills hit him. The constant feeling of being cold had to be one of the worst symptoms of malnourishment. He really should get under his blankets.
Adrian clicked with worry. “You are having cold shakes again. You need warmth.”
“Yeah, okay.” He shimmied under his double layer of quilted blankets, curling up on his side to face Adrian. “’M sorry, Ady,” he murmured.
A hum of confusion. “Why do you apologize?”
Grace pulled his blankets tighter around himself, the shakes starting to ease up. “Y’know…” A small lump formed in his throat. “For constantly freaking Rocky out. For taking up so much time and attention from him because my body’s such a wreck.”
Adrian leaned closer, tilting their jade-green carapace. “You think I am upset with you?”
Grace swallowed hard. “I mean…you guys were apart for so long…then he comes home and spends most of his energy on a stranger.”
Adrian did not say anything for a long moment. Grace finally stopped shivering. He stared just past Adrian, watching the reflected light from their xenonite suit dance on the opposite wall.
“Grace,” they finally said, their tone soft. “Do not apologize.”
He opened his mouth to reply, but they held up a spread claw. He shut up. Adrian shifted this way and that, as if figuring out how to proceed.
“When the observers on the elevator reported that the ship was coming back,” they said quietly, “I was so happy. I was so happy happy happy. Even if our reunion was from the other side of a wall. I am so happy my mate came home.”
They fidgeted again. “And then we all saw you, and we saw how sick you were. Rocky was so afraid that you would die while the others tried to help you that he stayed with you on the ship. He would use the radio to speak to me, but he would not come home.” Their carapace lowered. “I did not understand. Why did he not want to come home?”
The obstruction in Grace’s throat had reached a painful size. It hurt to swallow.
Adrian subtly shifted their carapace toward him. “I went up to the station, and I planned to not leave until Rocky came home with me. And then…I meet you. Not The Soft One, not Savior Grace. I meet Dr. Grace, and I learn about you and about everything you did to save everyone and save Rocky. I could not be frustrated anymore. I could never be again.”
They reached over and patted Grace’s hand with such gentleness that it made warmth prick behind his eyes.
“Without Grace,” Adrian murmured, “Rocky would have never come home, and the rest of us would have died. I am so happy you are a friend of my mate’s.”
A tear finally escaped containment. Grace gave a small, shuddering breath as he scrubbed at his cheek. Adrian balked, looking alarmed as Grace sniffled and wiped his face on the blankets.
“What is this?” they asked, limbs going tight. “Pain? Why do you leak now?”
“No,” Grace choked out, “It’s fine, it’s just…geez, Adrian, you’re allowed to be upset! I can’t even-” he gulped “-I can’t even imagine…”
Adrian tapped two fists together. “No, Grace. I am not upset. I could not stay upset.” They chortled. “Even if I try, I do not think I could. So, no sad leaking.”
Grace gave a watery laugh. “Okay. I’ll try.” He squeezed Adrian’s hand. “I’m so happy we can be friends.”
Adrian gave a careful squeeze back. “Me too. Now, please stop leaking and rest or Rocky will explode.”
Grace snorted. “He still worries too much. Been trying to talk to him about that.”
Adrian bobbed in agreement. “We can both talk to him after you’ve slept. I will watch.”
He sniffled, shut his eyes, and settled deeper into the bed and the blankets. The activity earlier and now the brief crying jag had left him utterly wiped. He really was not doing a good job of shaking the “leaky” label either.
As he heard Adrian settle down to quietly observe, his weakened heart clenched. He truly didn’t know what he did to deserve having someone like Adrian around.