Page 4 of Dealing With Drak
I tune out their encounter in favor of staring at the hu-nim who interests me the most. An-nana, one of them has called her this quietly, it is her name, I believe. She does not seem to enjoy it when Marrec helps Stee-vee off of the ground, holding her as if she is the most fragile creature in all of the worlds.
I wonder if An-nana would let me hold her in such a way. Does she need to faint first? I do not think I could scare her into shutting down like Marrec accidentally did with Stee-vee. No, the Mean One seems much too angry to be scared.
“Lucky bish,” a hu-nim comments, watching Marrec handle her friend with care.
At her bold comment, someone gasps. “Megan! She hit her head.”
“Yeah, Cayte, and now she’s being held bridal style by the beefiest of dudes I have ever seen. It’s been almost nine months without men. A girl can dream, damn.”
“More like a nightmare,” An-nana grumbles.
A disappointing but not surprising comment that tells me she does not long to be held by a male. Or perhaps, just by Marrec.
“You can set me down now,” Stee-vee whispers. “I’m okay,” she insists when Marrec hesitates.
Reluctantly, he sets her on her feet. B’rook takes her hands and stands in front of her, offering a smile. “Take your time if you have to, you hit your head on solid wood, hun.”
“I think I’m fine,” Stee-vee tells B’rook. “The cut stings a little, but my head doesn’t hurt all that much.”
“Stomach ache? Any other pains?”
She slowly shakes her head from side to side. “No, I think I’m okay.” Turning to Marrec, she adds, “Um, thank you. For patching my head. I guess you’re real then, right? This isn’t a fever dream?”
“I do not know what a fever dream is,” he says to her. “But there is no need for thanks. I simply put a bandage on your head.”
“We also eliminated those pesky unliving-carcasses for you as well,” Rem chimes.
The hu-nim with silver hair gapes at him. “Those what?”
“Zombies,” Stee-vee tells her.
Mean One narrows her eyes at Rem. “We didn’t ask for your help.”
“You did not ask,” I agree, smirking at her. “And yet we have done it. I believe hu-nims call this a gift. Gifts are normally reciprocated, are they not?”
“No.” She scowls. “They’re not.”
“Mean One…” I scold. “You are a poor liar.”
“And your head is too big for your neck,” she shoots back. “Worry about your own problems.”
Her quick insult makes my heart race. She is incredible.
Eventually, the leader of the hu-nims thanks us and tells us we may leave. It makes my stomach twist uncomfortably. I do not wish to leave my Mean One, I have just met her. Luckily, the leader called Ca’ate does not have the agreement of all of her peers.
“You’re sending them away?” Meg-ham protests. “No way. Aliens show up, save our asses, and you’re sending them away? Fuck that.”
This hu-nim has a silly name but I am beginning to like her. If she helps us stay, she will have my thanks.
“Take a cold shower,” An-nana growls. “Obviously, we’re sending them away.”
“Won’t we be safer with them around though?” Stee-vee suddenly asks quietly. “I mean, if they wanted to stick around…”
An-nana begins to storm away, muttering, “Un-fucking-believable.”
I wish to follow behind her, but I know she will not like it.
“Where are you going?” Ca’ate calls after her.