20 September 2005 - 21 October 2005

We piled out of the Mini-bus and approached the hidden cave area with caution, weapons ready, each of us looking out for any sign of trouble or Elfondso. The Plants ignored us as usual which pleased me. Searching the ground found the grasses at the rocky base of the mountain were pressed down in a used pathway. Someone pointed out that an animal could be living in the cave and that's what made the path... And thinking about what Ford had told me of the cave I could agree with that. Peterson started yelling out Elfondso's name as he walked towards the cave entrance, but then Simmons called out from the northern edge of the mountain base. He had found Elfondso's com unit smashed amongst the rocks, along with signs of a minor landslide from above. We all stepped back away from the mountain and looked up. Rocks and greenery with flowers and trees mixed in. A typical mountain side that had not been defiled by mankind. And then, about twenty-five meters up something white fluttered in the wind.

"Elfondso liked to go rock climbing back Earthside." Peterson ventured to the group. We piled back into the Mini Bus and Peterson piloted us up the side of the mountain.

On a ledge there lay Elfondso, arms spread out from his sides with an Iniri curled up over his chest. The Iniri's hair was hanging over the ledge and flapping in the wild wind the Mini Bus whipped up. His head was resting on Elfondso's chest, eyes turned towards Elfondso's face. If not for the fact that both of them were fully clothed and that there were what looked like grassy bandages on Elfondso's head, neck, and limbs, they could easily have been mistaken for a couple just finished a sexual romp.

The Iniri sat up and watched vaguely as the Mini Bus leveled out and we prepared to dismount. He kept one hand pressed over Elfondso's heart as he watched us. We piled out with the medical gear and were crouched beside our shipmate before I suddenly remembered the scent from The Plant. I opened my mouth to order every one back, but then noticed that the Iniri was not reacting at all like Harry had. His cheeks did not go red and his eyes didn't shift from watching us vaguely, like he was half asleep.

I watched Peterson check Elfondso over, peeling back the patch of green on Elfondso's head. Peterson swore as white bone was revealed underneath, and I felt... ill. And worried about the greenery wrapped around Elfondso's neck. The patch on his head had been crusty with much dry blood, and he still lay in a small pool of it.

After a few moments Peterson declared Elfondso alive, unconscious and breathing. All the team breathed sighs of relief. I turned to the Iniri wishing Harry were able to be with me, or even Ford. But I asked as best I could what happened. The Iniri blinked at me, then gestured to the cliff face above us, tittering away merrily. I thought I understood a few words like "I" and "no", but with out Harry I couldn't be sure. Peterson became very busy organizing shifting Elfondso into the Mini bus without further damaging his spinal cord.

The Iniri silently watched us load Elfondso onto the bus, trailing close behind. He stepped cautiously aboard, then hurried to Elfondso's side where his stretcher was secured against the wall. Then he climbed up and curled around Elfondso just as we had found them. Peterson tried to pull the Iniri off, but the Iniri shoved any hands away from him, snarling and baring teeth like a wild tiger. Some of the others instantly had their hands on their weapons, but the Iniri had settled his head back on Elfondso's chest.

I had a suspicion that Elfondso had been up to recreational activities other than rock climbing... But then again, the Iniri was dressed in gray and had his hair loose, so maybe not.

I radioed ahead to Iris and to get Ford or Harry ready to interpret.

I watched Harry talk with the other Iniri through the superplex, both sitting close around the rounded table and blah-ing in comprehensively. We would have used Ford, but, well. Heh. He wasn't there. Again. Georges said he had followed Ford along the corridor leading to the open air lock, Ford left the ship and then when Georges' eyes had adjusted to the outside light Ford was gone. I just sighed and shrugged.

Georges was beside me, also watching the two Iniri intently. Apparently Harry had gone into the control room looking for me, and had stayed there. Harry and Georges had now become good friends. I wasn't bothered, I thought it would be good for Georges to have someone relatively the same age/maturity as him around. But the way Georges was smiling with delight every few minutes and get excited enough to wave around like a valley girl on speed , before pressing his face to the superplex some more was beginning to... disturb me.

"Alright junior," I asked saddling a chair beside him. Neither of us took our eyes off the Iniri in the interview room. "What's got you so happy?"

He grinned like a fool. "I... I think I'm... getting it, sir." He said.

I blinked. I raised and eye brow or two.

Georges elaborated. "I've been listening and I think I am starting to understand their language!" He was bouncing on the toes of his feet like a school girl now.

I was shocked/surprised/impressed all at once. "Really." stated like I didn't care. "How well?"

"I don't know yet. I'll have to confirm with Harry. I don't want to tell you something that was wrong. Before, when Harry was helping me, he asked me to guess what he said, and," Georges blushed several shades of red. "I got it VERY wrong."

I chuckled. Then I though that getting Harry or Ford to teach us their language would be very helpful, especially in these sorts of situations.

Harry flung the door open, beaming brightly. "Your friend will be okay!" He announced. "Asari saw him fall and was able to get to him in time. I don't know how quickly humans regenerate, but the herbs Asari used are excellent for healing broken bones and body parts. He really is a very talented healer. Your friend is very lucky. Asari was wondering if he could go see his human yet?"

I blinked. Harry was looking so expectantly up as me. I was still confused. "No. No, hang on." I grabbed his elbow and drew him back into the interview room with m. Asari was staring off at the wall, murmuring softly to himself while he sat at the table.

Now Harry was confused. "What's wrong? Why can't he-"

I put a finger to his lips to silence him, which made Harry gasp and his pupils dilate nicely. "I need to know exactly what happened to Elfondso, how he got hurt. Will you translate for me. Please?" I almost batted my eye lashes at him, but he smiled warmly before I had to do that.

"Of course I will." Harry pulled my head down and rubbed his forehead against mine. I returned the nudging, enjoying the purring noises he made. "I hunger for you." He whispered hotly. I chuckled and nipped the tip of his ear.

"Later," I returned with my own purr, then extracted myself from him and sat on the chair opposite Asari. "Do I understand correctly that this is the missing kid from your village?"

Harry slid beside Asari, who was still eyes elsewhere. "Yes," Harry replied for him. "He saw Elfondso fall and went to help him."

"Alright, so when did Elfondso fall? Day or night?"

Harry spoke briefly, and Asari replied softly, almost dreamily, his head tilted to the side slightly and hands tracing invisible patterns in the air in front of him. Harry said "He says, 'I had been watching the human climbing the mountain side just be fore sleep time. He had been climbing every day for the last few days, always going higher the next time." Harry paused, waiting for Asari to continue. "Then, this time, he climbed on some unstable rock and fell. I knew he was badly hurt, and gathered what I needed to help him." It ended.

"Why didn't you get anyone else to help?" I directed to Asari. Asari tilted his head further to the side while Harry asked.

Harry translated "Everyone was sleeping." Simple, like that would have been obvious.

"Did you try waking them up?" Harry gave me a confused look before asking my question.

Asari smiled slightly. "Have YOU ever tried waking them up?" Harry turned to me looking confused. "What does he mean?" He asked me. "I don't understand."

I sat thinking for a few moments. Then I realised exactly why Asari's eyes had been bothering me. They had no pupils. His eyes were violet with gold specks, but no pupils. "Have you ever seen the night?" I asked Harry. He blinked.

"Kay-night or En-night?"

"En-night."

"'Night: the period of darkness between one day and the next; the time from sunset to sunrise'?" He quoted from our on line dictionary. I nodded, confirming his meanings. He shook his head no. "What is it like?" Eyes wide and head tilted back with his curiosity face now.

Asari said something shortly. I asked what it was. Harry said "He said it is very quiet." Then he frowned, thinking it over.

"He's right." I concurred. "It is very quiet. Here."

"I don't understand why Asari would know about Night when no one else doe. Apart form you, I mean."

Asari stood from his seat and started to wander around the room, trailing his fingertips against the walls as he went. I watched him wander, not moving to stop or assist him. His other hand was held out from his body in front of him. But it seemed more of a balance thing, because he avoided the chairs that were pulled out against the wall, and even the low coffee table on the other side of the center table.

"I think," I said slowly. "It's because he can't see."

"What?" Harry looked between Asari and I incredulously. "But... But... How?"

I shrugged. "Ask him why he didn't wake me up."

Harry blinked, but just as he was opening his mouth, Asari spoke. "He said he didn't have time, that the humans injuries were too severe to wait."

"...Can he understand me?" Asari answered yes in Iniri, which Harry translated but I already knew. But then he continued blahing words I didn't understand.

Harry smiled again at the end of it and explained that Asari had to listen for a while first but now could understand me. As I have previously stated, the Iniri are fast learners. When had first met Harry we spoke at each other for a few hours before he suddenly understood me. Like a switch had clicked in his brain. I found it ironic that when we first met it was also due to injury. Me slipping and dislocating my knee, and Harry finding me and fixing my knee. But that's a story for another time.

Asari kept his fingertips to the wall opposite me, stopped pacing, and leaned in to press his forehead against the wall. He spoke slowly, his voice low.

Harry pressed his hand over mine and squeezed briefly to get my attention. His expression was very serious. "You should let him go to Elfondso now."

I took in a deep breath and let it out in a grand sigh. "Alright. But I may want to ask him more questions later. Understand?" Both Harry and Asari nodded their heads. Asari a slow inclination of his head, and Harry an energetic, bubbly one that made me think of an Anime character going "Hai, Hai!"

I let them go. Georges and I followed behind as Harry lead Asari through the station to the med bay. Another irony. Harry had been there enough times to know his way there.

Elfondso was lying unconscious, monitoring equipment attached to his head and chest, breathing and other tubes were also present. His head was bandaged, right arm in a cast, and neck in a splint. Lower than that was under the blankets. Elfondso's face was bruised blue around his mouth and right eye. He looked like he had had the shit kicked out of him. Iris was in the cubicle with him, observing his life signs.

Harry tapped on the superplex to get Iris' attention and permission to enter. Then they rushed to Elfondso's side. Iris didn't comment about Asari right away, but stood with Georges and I and watched as he ran his hands over Elfondso's face, shoulders, chest, all the way down to his toes, and then back to his chest again. Asari's fingers twitched when ever he touched a tube or sensor. Harry asked for him what they were, and Iris explained as simply as she could. Asari nodded his head once to say he understood, then climbed upon the bed to curl around Elfondso in the way he had been when we had first met him. Iris was about to stop him when Georges tugged on her arm.

"Asari knows what he's doing." Georges stated as a fact. "He's a great healer."

Iris raised her eyebrows at him, gently extracting her arm from his hand. "Alright. But the moment there is any indication of distress, I'm tossing him out on his arse." She turned and swept into her office. Georges smiled with satisfaction. I patted his shoulder and shooed him over to our Iniri folk before I followed Iris into her office. I closed the door and leaned back against it.

"So, how bad is he?" I asked after watching her click computer stuff for a few moments.

"Bad." She replied, leaning back into her arm chair with a sigh. "But not as bad as it could have been. He should be dead."

"Head or neck?"

"Neck. His spinal cord was completely severed."

"Oy." And I swore some more. I fell into a chair opposite her. I felt... horrible. I can't really describe exactly how I felt. I knew Elfondso; super active, very much into sports and out door recreational activities. Loves being the center of attention. Now he will be confined to a wheel chair and a breathing tube for the rest of his life. A life like that would be hell. I turned my head away bitterly. He would be better off dead.

"I know what you're thinking." Iris said from behind her folded together hands, elbows resting on the desk top. "And I thought so too... Until I ran some tests." There was a glint in her eyes that made me... nervous. "I will need to run further tests of course, to verify my findings, but... Even though his spine was completely severed at a critical point, he survived and can even breath on his own. I only have the breathing tubes there because I am cautious, but his breathing on his own should be impossible. Also, the scans have already shown signs of regrowth."

"Huh? Regrowth? In his spinal cord?" I ventured.

"Yes." Simply said, then she smiled with excitement. "I think those plants the Iniri wrapped around his neck have fantastic pharmaceutical properties that could revolutionise how we treat spinal injuries back Earthside! Imagine, no needing to go with stem cells and the controversy still surrounding that issue. We could just apply the appropriate flora and the nerve cells regrow and reattach all by themselves. This could be the very kind of thing Pharmcor have been looking for!"

I was stunned. "But..."

"Don't you see? Elfondso is going to walk again. He'll probably even feel healthier than he ever had before! Why is it the Iniri live so long and look so young? Because they live in a paradise of herbal remedies that actually work! That flower you brought in here? It doesn't just fix an upset stomach, it also eases stomach ulcers, kills off worm infections, gastric flues, and I bet it would even help with preventing appendicitis."

The excitement was rolling off her in waves, I could almost see it. "How do you know? Especially about the worms."

She gave me a secretive little smirk. "Doctor-patient privilege."

I slapped my hands down on the table and stood. "Alright then. I accept that the plants here are great. What I want to see is that the Iniri are not wiped out and their planet ravaged due to an over excited chemical company or six bent on increasing their profit margins even more to buy it's own little planet."

"A bit late for that." She quipped. "But I think Pharmcor would be more interested in trying to synthesis the specific effective compounds and patent that rather than buying this planet."

"Tselzry is not for sale." I growled with a protectiveness that surprised us both.

"I know," Iris replied quietly. "I know."

Harry was waiting outside Iris' door, looking very meek with his eyes lowered submissively. I reached out and took his hand, which made him smile and flick his eyes up before going down again. I drew him along as I walked away from the medbay.

"What is it?" I asked when we were out in the corridor.

"Martin was talking about playing a game in the mess hall tonight." Harry replied. "Cards, I think he called it."

For a second I had no idea who he was talking about, then I remembered that Martin was Georges' first name. I nodded my head, smiling as I recalled fondly various games Elfondso, Rodgers, Iris, Peterson and I played on our way here. Strip poker was fun until Iris revealed she was a card shark. I still think she cheated. No way all she could loose is a hair tie when all the rest of us lost everything but our underwear. The fact that Elfondso wore a thong still thoroughly disturbs me.

"Could we go watch please?" Harry's eyes were big and round, now all he needed was to flutter his eye lashes. I kissed the top of his head.

"Of course. Did he say when the game was?"

"Twenty-hundred hours." He quoted, eyes going cross-eyed as he remembered.

"You know, that's after dark."

Harry's shoulders slumped, his ears drooped, and he even pouted in his disappointment. "Oh." He said quietly.

I grinned wickedly. "I can think of a few things that could keep you awake."

He perked up, blinking hopefully at me. Then it clicked in his mind what I was referring to and he gave my arm a playful swat. "That wont work. You wear me out!"

I drew him close, facing me. "Oh, I don't know. There are ways to draw it out. Instead of Hard and Fast," His eyes dilated at those comments, I could feel his pulse quicken and his interest stirring against my thigh. "we can go Looong... and Slooow." I breathed the last into his mouth, and pushed him back against the wall, ravaging his mouth with my tongue. He made a pleasured noise, wrapped his arms around my neck, fingers sliding through my hair making my skin tingle. He hooked a leg around my hip, bringing delightful contact. We were moaning, preparing to toss clothes right here in the hall...

"Get a room." Peterson quipped on his way past us to the medbay. Harry and I froze in our position, panting heavily, watching Peterson calmly enter the medbay doors.

"Shall we?" I grinned down at my Iniri. He licked his lips slowly.

"Mmm-hmm. Besides, I know I like it Hard and Fast. Long and Slow may need some practice."

"Damn right!" And we ran giggling all the way back to our quarters.

To be continued...