Curiosity Kills Part 15

Posted on Tue Oct 27th, 2020 @ 9:22am by Patricia Crow & Lieutenant Aemilia "Millie" Stepanova

Millie wrinkled her nose, working the bite of melon around in her mouth. Working a seed to the tip of her tongue, she took in a breath and launched the seed into to the air. "See?" she said with a grin, looking at Knn over her shoulder. "It's not that hard."

Knn's branches rustled in frustration, which made Millie chuckle. She could not understand the meaning of what he said, but after almost two months, she was starting to catch the sentiment of what the locals would say.

Knn took a bite of the melon, took in a breath, and then sputtered fragments of melon, seeds, and juice into the air. He shook his head, the frustration rustling louder through his leaves. "Nooo." He rumbled out the human word, wiping juice from his chin and brushing the melon from his tunic.

"But you almost had it!" Millie gave a glance out into the woods from their post in the tree, and seeing nothing, turned back to Knn. "Again," she said, adding in the hand sign.

Knn shook his head, his branches rustling. "Nooo."

"Yes." Millie folded her arms across her chest, knowing it was their sign for finality.

Knn gave a huff, signing to Millie before extending the middle tendril on his hand.

This made Millie laugh. "I am not as bad as Banks!" she signed in return, still amused at what the locals had assigned as the word for 'Patricia'.

Suddenly, Knn held up a hand. He stood on the thick branch, turning back towards the village.

Millie likewise stood, keeping careful balance. "What is it?"

Knn's branches rustled, and he quickly slipped his harness on over his head. Looking to Millie in concern, he extended a middle digit before quickly scooping her into the harness.

"Damnit, Trish!" Millie slipped her arms into the harness, and signed "Go!"

************

"Put me down, I can walk!" Banks felt helpless and frustrated as one of the locals carried her towards the healer.

One of the other locals, keeping pace, rustled its branches before making the hand signal for 'fire-skin' to Banks.

Banks sighed. "I tripped, it happens, I'm fine. You don't have to bother her."

The local carrying her gave a huff, and three juveniles went dashing off to the edge of the platform, disappearing up into the branches of the canopy.

As they approached her hut, Taan stood, as did the elder that had first bathed Banks upon their arrival to the platform community. The elder's branches rattled in disapproval as she waddled forward.

Banks wouldn't look up, feeling like a child being scolded. "We're wasting time. I have another group to teach."

The elder set her jaw. She gave the splint around Banks' broken leg a light rap with her fingers.

Banks steeled her jaw not about to show anything from that. "See, it's fine. I need to go, I need to help your people fight."

The elder folded her arms across her chest. Her brow furrowed as she stared down Banks.

The feeling of childhood came back again. "May I...please...go get back to work?" She asked with sugar on top.

The elder unfolded her arms, and taking one of the spears from the assembled trainees, she gave the splint a solid knock.

That Banks held in the howl from the pain was almost a point of pride. "See.....it's a-okay." She slowly let out a hissing exhale.

The elder gave the trainees a silent look that sent them all scattering. She looked back to Banks with a questioning eye, and folded her arms across her chest again, the spear still in her hand.

Banks finally raised her eyes to meet the elder. "If I don't train your people they'll all die when that thing comes back." She used a few sign language pantomime pieces as she spoke.

The elder didn't make a sound. She simply gestured for Banks to be put down.

Banks stood before her, leaning on the large branch which had been fashioned as a crutch. Normally she didn't use it so openly but her little accident that morning had her leg aching pretty bad.

In one quick motion, as if from decades of practice, the elder spun around the spear, knocking the crutch out from under Banks' arm.

Before she could even recognize what happened Banks was on the ground, her leg screaming at her. For a moment her instinct took hold of her mind and she saw red. What came next was worse...helplessness..she couldn't get up and she knew it. Slowly she looked up at the elder, her eyes a mix of anger and frustration.

The elder knelt, helping Banks into a more comfortable position. She reached out a hand, the tendrils of her fingertips brushing the hair out of Patricia's face before cupping the woman's face in her hand. "Nooo." Her voice sounded more like creaking wood as she gave the command.

"Trish!" Millie's voice sounded almost desperate as Knn emerged from the canopy. She was almost out of her harness before they reached the edge of the platform, and she came tearing through the community as fast as she could. She came sliding to her knees at Banks' side and threw her arms around her friend. "What happened?"

Banks kept her eyes on the old woman. She'd begun accepting them as people weeks before but this one was especially poignant. "I fell trying to demonstrate and this one rushed me up here. I think I just got word I'm on the shelf for awhile."

The sound Millie made came out like a mix between a sob and a laugh. "Good. I've been trying to tell you that for weeks, but you don't listen to me." She pulled back enough to see Patricia's face. "Don't lie to me...how bad is it?"

"Hurts like a bitch."

Millie took one of Banks' hands. "Just from the fall? Or has it been like this for a while?"

"I don't really have to answer that, do I?"

Millie opened her mouth to say something, but the words caught in her throat. She looked away, blinking to keep any tears at bay. "You--you have to let it heal, Trish."

"Patience is not one of my virtues." Before she could say another word a horn sounded in the distance to the west.

A noticeable tension filled the air as the branches down the head and crest of all of the locals began to shudder. Knn hurried to the edge of the platform, looking out into the canopy.

The horn sounded again, but briefly this time.

"Battle stations!" Banks called out.

"I need you to stay here." Millie grabbed Banks' hand firmly. "Protect the elders and the children, but stay here."

It wasn't the time to argue. "Keep it in front of you...follow your gut."

Millie gave a brief nod, and a hard squeeze of Banks' hand. There wasn't time to say everything she wanted to say. She took off running, meeting Knn at the platform's edge. Millie grabbed onto the harness, pulling herself in as they disappeared into the forest.

Without saying a word, the elder reached an arm around Banks' torso and pulled the woman to her feet. Taan handed Banks the crutch, and motioned for them all to hurry quickly to the safety area.

Lieutenant JG Aemilia "Millie" Stepanova
Chief Counselor, USS Mercutio

Patricia Banks
Chief Intelligence Officer, USS Mercutio