Kai was unable to move; that was the first observation he made as he opened his eyes; his head was dizzy, spinning, and a dull pain washed over his entire body; he clenched his fists and groaned in horror. He was in so much agony, especially in his chest, that was probably because that was where someone had just finished performing open heart surgery. He tried to move, and that dull pain exploded into unforgiving pulses in his legs, and the pain in his ribs returned; he drew in unnatural gasps of air. In the dim light, he could see that he was hooked up to all sorts of machines, all kinds of tubes and probes running into his body. Now that he was more aware, he could see that his leg was in a cast, suspending from the ceiling in mid-air, his right arm was bandaged up in a cast and crossed over his chest in a sling, his regular clothes were replaced with a dull blue hospital gown, he could feel nodes from an EKG monitor attached to his chest around the scar, and in the hand that wasn't bound by the constraints of medical bandage, there was an IV line stuck in his wrist and the back of his hand. Because he was part of a tribe, he'd never been to the hospital, only the small medical clinic on the island.
He hated doctors. The memories did not return to him, but he slowly reset his mind. His name was Kai, he was Omeocoon, he has a person, a brother... What's his name? It started with a B, his head was aching continuously, his mind refused to grant him the name, he had a concussion, bandages were wrapped around his forehead, but gave way for the hair on the top of his head— it was so painful. "Help! Someone help me!" He shouted without hesitation; he did not recognize this place; he could barely recognize himself, and he squirmed uncomfortably. Sure enough, a pink and yellow Omeocoon mouse burst into the room, and he quickly came to Kai's side and grabbed his hand, which was free of casts, comforting him. "It's alright. You're safe! Just don't panic anymore than you have to. It's okay." His voice was firm but comforting. He appeared harmless; the cross across his chest indicated he was medical staff. "Where am I?!" Kai forced through the pain.
"You're on a space station." The medical mouse said in his soothing voice; he moved off and opened a drawer, shuffling through something and coming back with a sizable menacing needle and a glass bottle containing clear fluid. Kai stared in horror; he bit his lower lip and tried to push as far away from the mouse as possible. "N—no!" He managed, "No needles! No needles! Help!" Kai shouted at the top of his lungs, no matter how painful. This stranger shushed him, "I'm trying to help you; calm down." His voice was still in a constant state of calm, but now he was growing more firm. Kai did not buy it. "Just relax." Why do people always say 'relax?' When they're about to do something terrible? Kai thought; he wanted to say it, but his voice would not work anymore.
"Cam! What are you doing to him?" Another new voice came from the same doorway; it was Tommy. Kai didn't know his name, but he seemed to be in charge. Kai could remember he'd gone without seeing his people for a long time— to see new faces was... beautiful. "He needs painkillers. But..." He put the cap back on his intimidating needle; the squirrel seemed horrified, "Cam, what are you doing? Give it to him!"
"But Tommy, he said no! I have to—"
"He's in no position to make that choice, Cam! Just do it!" Tommy's voice carried a sense of urgency as he approached, his bushy tail twitching with agitation. Cam hesitated, glancing between Kai and the needle, caught in conflicting instructions.
Kai, still breathing heavily.
Frustrated by the delay, Tommy quickly snatched the needle from Cam's grasp. "Move. I'll do it myself."
Cam protested, putting his arms up like a bird to block Tommy's path. "Tommy, he doesn't want it! The oath!"
"He doesn't know what he wants right now. I can't stand seeing him like this," Tommy growled, a mix of concern and determination etched across his features. He pushed Cam out of the way gently and moved closer. He cautiously approached Kai, reassuring him, "Kai, it's just a painkiller. It'll help you feel better." That needle came out again; the gleam was slight, but the silver caught a glimpse of reflection in the light. Which only made it look more menacing.
Kai was still spooked, but he had no choice as Tommy quickly but gently grabbed hold of his wrist and injected him with the medication. Kai winced as the needle entered, performed its duty, and then exited his skin. Cam crossed his arms in disgusted horror. "How dare you. You aren't a doctor!"
"Neither are you," Tommy shouted smugly as he capped the hypo, the prejudice being held. Kai observed bad blood between the two. "Get out! And don't come back until you can control your temper!" Cam ordered Tommy, and he pointed toward the door with fury. Tommy backed off, his anger still seething, and he dropped the needle on the ground. As the door closed behind him, Kai watched him depart. He disappeared into the bright void, well beyond Kai's vision scope. Cam recycled the needle that Tommy defiantly dropped onto the floor in a receptacle, his face still marked by the conflict between following medical ethics and his frustrations.
Kai, now under the influence of the painkiller, felt a gradual easing of the throbbing pain in his body. The room's stark white walls and medical equipment felt less intimidating in the softened glow of the overhead lights.
"Sorry about that," Cam mumbled, avoiding eye contact. "Your... he means well. He's... confused."
Kai, still wary but feeling the physical relief, nodded weakly. Now that he wasn't bothered by pain. Kai's eyes darted around the room. He drew a shaky breath as he realized his bed was the only one. "W— I'm not alone... my brother... Where's my brother? He was right behind me. I have to find him!"
Cam sighed, pulling a chair closer to Kai's bed. "Easy." Cam warned, "You were both injured pretty badly. He's fine physically. But he's absorbed a lot of smoke."
Kai's eyes narrowed as he tried to process the information. "What do you mean, physically?"
Cam hesitated, choosing his words carefully. He rubbed his hands together. "Well... he needs surgery; he's being prepared right now. And I assure you, we'll do everything we can to help him."
"Surgery? Bodi is a generation one. He doesn't have internals!" Kai was babbling that he didn't even realize that his brother's name had returned to him as he'd never forgotten it. "I know. But whatever you did? He lost a lot of vitallium, and his nervous system has been almost destroyed. We have to replace both. Donors from all over the station are willing to give their samples."
"Replace..? You can do that?" Kai asked; the tears flew down his cheeks. The only person he sorrowed for was his brother; he was the only family he had left; he could not lose him. "Yes! At least... we hope so! With the help of my droid friend and a medical assistant, she mentioned knowing you. Narr? She's helping me develop a new procedure that will save his life. And there's a Dynamic Patrol ship here lending its resources— I can't promise he'll survive... but the chances are high. He's still being prepared for the operation. But I'll send my other friends to check on you while he's in the OR."
Kai nodded. Cam was honest but hopeful; that was all Kai wanted him to be. A side effect of the killers was sleep, and plenty of it; Kai blacked out shortly after they took effect. He woke up hours later to find Bodi peaceful. After his accident, it was determined that he'd taken a massive blow to multiple areas of his body, which knocked his morphogenic properties out of alignment, his nervous system was shot, and nearly all of his blood needed to be replaced. All of the various 500 Omeocoon who were on the station donated as promised, and Narr and the Droid's procedure worked. He could hold solid form, but... he was in a comatose state. He was connected to various machines; two medical suction cup-like readers were attached to his cheeks, monitoring different impulses displayed on six monitors, three on each side of his bed. An IV was inserted into where the cephalic vein would be if he were a solid. And he rested peacefully; his bruises were healed. Kai respectfully requested Bodi be moved beside him now that he was more lucid. And sure enough, they shared the same recovery room; Kai would not let him go.
The incident with Yar occurred nearly two weeks ago. By then, Kai advanced onto some circulation exercises; Cam was elevating his casted leg; he grimaced, but he wouldn't take his eyes off Bodi. "Is that normal? Is he supposed to be asleep that long?" Kai asked if he was still suffering from discomfort, but he wasn't dying. "Hm?" Cam hummed; he looked over his shoulder to his other patient, "Oh! Your brother? Yes, he's fine. It's a medically induced coma; he could come to in a few days... a month at most. You have to remember he's just been through an extensive surgery. But his status as a G1 puts him in a better standing for recovery." Cam replied, chipper. He allowed Kai's leg to rest; Kai flexed the fingers in his cast.
"I like to talk to him... I hope that helps?"
"Oh yes! And he can most certainly hear you." Kai blinked, and Cam continued to explain, using his hands as a makeshift diagram. "Well, the Omeocoon sensory system-nervous system is quite sophisticated. While we don't have brains, in a traditional sense, we have what someone would describe as... a neural network! It's still active and alert— even when sleeping or unconscious. So Bodi can hear everything you say, and he does have a rudimentary feeling. Look." Cam grabbed a pen from his workstation and then moved over a few inches to Bodi's bedside; using the back of his pen, Cam gently rubbed the pen around Bod's palm as if he were reading it as part of some palm reading done by those people with the glass balls. Bodi's eyebrows furrowed, and he silently pulled his hand out of Cam's grip as if he were utterly awake and went back to being a lifeless-looking body. Kai starred in wide-eyed amazement. "That's cool!"
"Mhm. And he might even remember some of what you say." That put Kai at ease; it put him at immense ease. "Where's Narr these days?"
"Oh, she's aboard the Trinity, giving her statement. Additionally, I hear she's been offered acceptance into the Dynamic Patrol officer candidate program."
"Good. She deserves it." Suddenly, a soft knock on the door directed both Cam and Kai to look toward the doorway. It was the orange and black squirrel from earlier. Tommy politely had his hands behind his back, like an eager child waiting for a treat, "Hi." Tommy said.
Kai weakly offered Tommy a wave. Cam was prepared to scuttle away but met Tommy in the doorway. "Can he see visitors?" Tommy asked sheepishly; he was upset about the previous interaction between them. Cam, noticing the change in tone, nodded and smiled at Tommy. "Of course, he's awake. Just be mindful that he might need to be more disoriented. So, as long as you try to control your temper, you can see him briefly. But don't tell him about the—" Cam lowered his voice, "Familial connections... it could shock him."
Tommy nodded and entered the room with a mix of apprehension and genuine concern; Cam exited, the door shutting behind him. He approached Bodi's bedside first, glancing at the various monitors that displayed his vital signs. Kai watched the interaction, curious about Tommy's intentions.
"Hey... you?" Tommy greeted softly as if afraid of disturbing the comatose Omeocoon. "His name is Bodi." Kai introduced themself with furrowed eyebrows. He was a little annoyed that Tommy didn't know beforehand, and he was surprised that Narr didn't give them any names; maybe she didn't trust them, or perhaps she was being pulled into too many directions to introduce the crew of the yacht formally, Cam did mention that she was submitting a statement, was that still going on? Kai observed the sincerity in Tommy's eyes, sensing that the squirrel genuinely cared for Bodi's well-being. The tension that lingered between them seemed to soften at that moment. "Oh, it's nice to meet you, Bodi," Tommy said again; Bodi's face was unchanged, and the rhythmic beeping of the machines echoed in the room. So Tommy focused on the awake and aware cousin; he pulled up a chair and came down to Kai's eyeliner. "Hey... I'm Tommy. I... I'm sorry about earlier. I let my temper get the best of me; it happens often nowadays."
Tommy sighed, running a hand through his fur. "I should've controlled myself back there. It's just... I care about this station and everyone in it, you know? And when I thought Cam might be doing something to hurt you or Bodi, I lost it."
Kai, understanding the protective instinct, nodded. "I get it. We all want to protect the ones we care about. No hard feelings, Tommy."
Tommy looked relieved, his shoulders visibly relaxed. "Thanks. And if there's anything I can do for you or Bodi, just let me know. We're all in this together. You're home now."
"What exactly is this? Why do you live on a station?"
"Because our planet is still mostly positioned, but we speculate by this time... the surface will have cleared up, and we can pick one of the larger islands. You've come at the right time."
"It sounds like you aren't going to let me go."
"To be honest, Cam told me not to tell you, but we're related. We're cousins, and I don't have any real family left. Not after what my brother did... so I want us to be as close as possible." Kai didn't go into shock as Cam predicted; as usual, he was overreacting. "Just stay here for a minute, don't take off so soon..." Tommy grabbed Kai's hand, feeling the warmth. "Did Cam tell you you had open heart surgery? About 40% of your heart is silicon. So... that means it'll probably have to work harder to perform. Please, stay. Let me keep you safe." Tommy looked toward Bodi and continued, "Let me keep you both safe. I didn't know there were poachers... now this is much more dangerous than I thought." Tommy's eyes were pleading, and Kai couldn't refuse. He was so weak, and this place was the only one in the universe that could help him. "I'm Kai. It's nice to meet you."