Empyrean Iris Story Collection Vol. 3

Something to Tell You

His skin hurt a bit though as stretched out as it was, though at some point, late in the evening on the second day the pressure on his skin lessened and he was able to sleep better. It was hard to tell what time it was for the next little while as the lights were kept dim and they were urged to keep quiet on the ward so as not to disturb anyone who was trying to sleep.

Ramirez had stolen Conn's handheld and was busy playing games. Maverick was reading a book, and a few of the others were taking this time as an excuse to nap. Dr katie and Krill walked and floated respectively around the ward examining patients and monitoring vitals. A DECOM station had been set up outside the medical bay for other medical professionals interested in visiting and helping. They had at least two of these outside medical professionals at all times monitoring and taking notes on their symptoms and recovery.

They had been poked and prodded in turn but had tried to remain cordial with the doctors. They were just trying to examine the first disease that had managed to cross between two species. Everyone was wearing protective gear including Krill who was likely the least susceptible. Dr. Katie was being quarantined in another room when she wasn't working, but so far she had showed no signs of carrying the disease either despite her contact with at least two of the patients without protective gear.

They weren't sure what caused infection or distribution of the virus. Some thought it could not yet jump between humans, and this particular group had encountered the same strain in the same location. Others seemed sure that it just had a low infectivity rate and did not pass-through air particles.

Either way there were still many questions to ask.

Things didn't get dire until that third night.

Adam was resting on his back half awake and staring up at the ceiling. The swelling had almost completely gone down leaving him whole as a person but still with fading purple, orange skin. He had to say he was a little jealous of Ramirez and Narobi whose discoloration wasn't so easy to spot and not nearly as hideous as him and Maverick.

Lucky bastards.

It was a sound that alerted him first, a sort of wheezing just off to his left that had not been there moments before.

He sat up in his bed and turned over to look at the bed next to him.

It was one of the smaller cots more in size for a Tesraki than a human, and so had a Tesraki lying upon it. This Tesraki was not dissimilar to others, with brown fur though there was a cream patch on the center of his chest. Like most Tesraki he had taken to wearing human inspired clothing, which was the fashion in Tesraki circles. The shirt and bandana he had been wearing had been removed and were lying folded on the side table next to him. His boots too had been removed and were resting at the base of the bed.

What was his name again?

Etium was it.

Adam sat up throwing his legs over the side of the bed and inching forward his head tilted to the side listening.

As he got closer the labored breathing intensified.

A soft gurgling sound echoed up from the Tesraki's throat.

He was no doctor, but that sure didn't sound good.

He reached out a hand and slapped the call button above the bed. Dr. Krill, still awake as always, and one of the other visiting doctors hurried over.

They didn't have to ask what was wrong and Adam stepped back as they hurried to assist the Tesraki in breathing.

Tesraki made machines were brought in, used to evaporate the rising water in the lungs before they could fill up . The machinery was effective, though there was still a certain point at which it would no longer be able to keep up.