Unbecoming Humans

Chapter 23

Content warning: This chapter contains mild adult themes.

It was Friday, and treatment day. It had been two months since Nima's arrival, and it seemed like things were finally starting to normalize. It was time for Nima to undergo her second treatment. Now that her genes had had time to change, the second treatment would be different. Her body would process the treatment more quickly, and she would recover more quickly. However, they would give her full doses this time, instead of partial doses. She might come out fine, or she might feel awful again. Hopefully, she wouldn't wind up in a coma this time.

I rolled out of bed, put on my scrubs, and went out to join the others. Nima was already standing in line. She turned around to give me a flirty wink and a sultry smile. I felt the heat rise in my cheeks. Fortunately, no one else was looking.

We filed down to the laboratory, a lifeless, dreary mass of grey. We shuffled through the stations robotically. When we were done, we shuffled back to our rooms. When we lined up for breakfast, I immediately noticed that Nima was missing.

"Where is Nima?" I asked to everyone, but no one in particular. Pirro, the 12-year-old, made a nervous squeak from the front of the line. We all looked on his direction.

"They kept her in the lab to monitor her," he said in his pre-pubescent voice.

"Hey! Let's go," Andrew commanded from the front. We followed him silently to the dining room for breakfast. I couldn't make a scene about Nima's absence without drawing attention to our relationship, but I was worried. I tried not to let it weigh on me too much. Nima had already proven herself time and time again. The doctors were probably just taking extra time to run tests on her for curiosity's sake.

By the end of morning class time I was turning into a nervous wreck, but I was doing my best to hide it. After lunch, I ran straight to laboratory to check on Nima. She was sitting on the familiar exam table arguing with a doctor.

"You can't just keep me in here!" She was agitated and flushed. I'd never seen her worked up like that. It was incredibly sexy.

"I told you, Miss Barrett, we have to keep an eye on you this time around. We'll release you in the morning," the doctor was fighting a losing battle, and he knew it. In their passion, neither of them had noticed me enter.

"I'll keep an eye on her," I said smoothly. Nima's demeanor visibly shifted at the sound of my voice.

"Oh. Miss Sekin, I don't-" I held up a hand to stop the doctor from rambling off half a dozen excuses.

"Come on, Doc," I said, trying to play the friendly, cool kid. "Everybody wins. Nima gets out of here, and you get to get back to more important work." The doctor tried to argue with me, but I cut him off.

"It's settled then. Have a great day, doctor. Come along, sicko," I teased Nima, offering my hand to help her off the bed. She took it and mouthed a silent "thank you" as we walked out together.

"You are my hero," she gushed, once we were alone in the hallways. "Thank you so much."

"Anytime, my lady," I joked. "How are you feeling?"

"So so," she waggled her hand. "I've felt better, but I've definitely felt worse."

"Hmm, let me feel," I gave her a thoughtful, doctor-ly look, before reaching over and squeezing her biceps, as if testing their viability. "You feel pretty great to me," I told her conclusively.

"Ha ha," Nima forced a sarcastic laugh. "Can I get a little more cheese with that, your royal smooth-ness?" I shrugged.

"Hey. You can't blame a girl for trying. But seriously, is there anything I can do for you? What would help you feel better?"