Matched

Suriani & Halo

It was starting to get much more peaceful now. Hour by hour, day by day more women and their alien partners were allowed to leave the infirmary. But not Halo and Suriani. Though now able to get to his feet without falling over, to eat on his own and manage short conversations, he was far from recovered. He slept almost all the time and Suriani had to persist in forcing him to drink the eight bottles of protein liquid the doctor had ordered.

'Is there permanent damage, do you think?' Suriani had asked Miktar earlier.

'It's possible but I can't know for sure. His body had shut down and it's taking time to recover because of his age—but that's not unexpected.' He gave her a comforting smile. 'You'll be here some time yet but you will leave—and you will leave whole.'

Suriani wasn't so sure.

She was lounging beside Halo as he slept. The room was dark, the lights low. Two people entered the infirmary as she lay awake: a man with a bald head and a beard and a woman with tattoos down her neck. It seemed he'd done something to his hand.

She watched as Miktar attended them, making a firm comment that the man needed to be more in control of his emotions. The man hadn't been happy about that. The woman glanced at Suriani. Suriani had seen her earlier on but couldn't recognise her as one of the abducted.

Miktar treated them quickly and they left.

Suriani turned her eyes back to the ceiling. It was hard to know the time without the sun, without clocks. The only way she could orientate herself was through the routine of the medics. She supposed she should try and get some sleep but she hadn't seen Kylie for a while and she was beginning to get worried. It had been over a day. Where was she? What if something had happened to her?

She got her answer the following morning.

Suriani rubbed at her face as she woke. Beside her, Halo was still sleeping, his shoulder rising and falling as he lay on his side. He was so close to her that their foreheads were almost touching. His hand was on her hip. He must have turned over while he'd been sleeping.

'Mama,' came a voice.

Suriani turned with a start. Halo snorted but didn't move.

'Kylie!' she hissed. Careful not to wake Halo, she sat up. Kylie reached over and then they were hugging. 'Oh my God! You're okay. Where have you been?'

Kylie pulled back with a crooked smile. Suriani pressed a hand to her mouth in shock. 'Your—your eyes.' There was a yellowish tinge to them. 'You're bonded!' Suriani looked around for Lew.

'He's not here. Still tired.' She studied the empty beds. 'It looks like they've started unloading people.'

Suriani hardly heard her, unable to pull her eyes away, feeling both elated and sickened. She was bonded. She was stuck. Just like she was.

'Are you okay?' Suriani said, reaching out to take her hand. 'He didn't ... force you ...'

Kylie jerked her eyes to hers. 'No. I made the choice—I think.' She touched the side of her head. 'I'm just not sure. I'm not sure what my wants and desires are anymore.'

Suriani slid to the edge of the bed. Kylie was sitting in the chair. Suriani grabbed her face and studied her daughter's eyes. It was more than just the eyes. She was different in the way she held herself, in the way she looked back at Suriani. Even her voice sounded a little different.

'Are you happy?'

'Yes,' she said quietly. 'Yes,' she repeated with more certainty. 'I am. I love Lew. It might be just the hormones talking—the bond—but I do love him. Probably too much.'