✈ - eye opening memory
Drathus often avoided interactions with the rest of the crew if he could, the less he talked to them, the better. Besides, he couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable talking to the same beings that he used to eat.
His morning cup of hot water was interrupted by commotion as Igrok stepped out of the elevator carrying Eli in his arms. Drathus was about to excuse himself from the situation until Igrok called on him.
“Quit sitting on your ass, I need some help.” Igrok grunted, kicking the elevator door with the heel of his boot when it threatened to close on Eli and himself.
There was a familiar smell in the air, thinking back to the moment, Drathus was ashamed to admit that it made his mouth water. When he stood from the couch he understood what it was, Eli’s leg looked like it was snapped it two. He could see the bone, the sight made him feel faint.
“Oh no plant boy, now’s not the time to wilt. Clear the pillows off the couch.” Igrok hurried over, Eli was sobbing, clutching on to the Engineer’s tanktop.
“What happened?” Drathus asked, tossing the pillows aside.
“Gear shit. Tryn’s fixing it. Where’s 03?” He carefully lowered Eli onto the couch.
“I-I don’t know?” Drathus couldn’t stop staring at the blood, there was a trail on the floor, it was soaked into Igrok’s pants.
“You’re going to have to let go of me, kid.” Igrok’s tone was surprisingly soft until he spun to face the Coric. “Well? Go find her!”
Drathus kept staring at the wound, watching the blood ooze past the makeshift oil-rag tourniquet; it brought back memories.
“God!” Igrok yelled, snatching one of Adelaide’s embroidered pillows (the one that annoyingly said ‘A happy sleep is just a good pillow away!’) he placed it carefully beneath Eli’s leg. “I have to do everything on this ship! Drathus if you’re going to stare at it, at least try to be useful, be comforting or some shit, I don’t know.” He looked to Eli who was writhing in pain. “If he tries to eat you, fuck, scream louder or some shit. Somebody will hear.”
Drathus ignored the comment, he didn’t expect any less from the Engineer. He came to Eli’s side. “Take my hand. It’ll help if you have something to squeeze.” Drathus offered her his non-mechanical arm.
Eli appeared as terrified as she felt. She didn’t know whether or not she had to fear a blood thirsty Coric or her own blood loss. After some hesitation she grabbed his hand.
“It’s not too bad.” He tried to sound encouraging.
“I’m bleeding out!”
“No, it looks like it’s slowing down. The tourniquet is working, you’ll be fine.” He smiled but with his carnivorous teeth, he was certain it would make her feel worse- even he didn’t like the sight of them. Yet much to his surprise the girl seemed to relax, at least Coric comfort was better than none. With his free mechanical hand he brushed away a tear from her cheek. “You’re holding up better than I did when I lost my arm.”
Eli let out a short huff, it was as much as she could muster for her typical dry laugh. “You’re just saying that.”
“No really, it’s true. I was hysterical.”
“How did you lose your arm?”
Drathus hesitated. “You wouldn’t believe me.”
“Try me.” Eli said, relaxing further now that she had a distraction from her pain.
“Corician cannibals.” He admitted, he didn’t like to think of it, but he could tell that the conversation was helping.
“You’re bullshitting me.”
“I know, it sounds like it, right?” He agreed. “I was working in the jungle and they attacked my camp. They held us hostage to eat us alive.”
“Fuck!” Eli’s face twisted in disgust. “That’s fucked!”
Drathus thought over her reaction, then he laughed. “Yeah, I suppose it was pretty fucked.”
“So they…?” Eli nodded her head towards his mechanical arm.
“Bit right into it, they said it was better fresh.”
“Fuck!” She dropped her head back. “I can see why you were hysterical.”
Drathus couldn’t explain his behavior, but he laughed about it again. “What happened to you?”
“I don’t know- fucking gear burst from one of the engines- the thing that stopped it from breaking the wall and probably shooting out into space was my leg.”
“Hey, that’s a pretty cool story.” He reassured. “Every tough girl needs a,“ he searched his mind for the word, “badass injury like that.”
Eli perked up. “Think so?”
“Absolutely.”
At that moment Igrok came back into the room, followed by 03 and a far more worried Enelden carrying supplies. “She’s on the couch if Drathus hasn’t eaten her yet.”
“Thank you for your assistance Drathus.” 03 spoke coolly as she assessed the wounds, pushing an IV into Eli’s forearm. “You should go and find Mr. Grelek so that he may get started on this mess, then you should clean yourself up.”
Drathus gave Eli one last reassuring smile, watching as the drugs kicked in. Retrieving his cup he made his way to the kitchens, the Vikril was usually in there.
