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Malignant growths.
How did one translate such a concept?
Malignant growths, subtle and slow, dangerous to try and remove at this stage, likely to induce death soon.
Where was B’synny even meant to start?
How soon was ‘soon’?
Not since their pair of oddlings first came aboard the ship had she felt so out of depth. The bad old days of trying to convince the sentient one they only intended to help, when she didn’t possess even a basic handheld translator. Back when her companion beast still snapped and snarled ferociously, baring defensive teeth.
But- they managed. B’synny, and Ghemik, and Tiil. They put in effort, provided a tablet and stylus, and between learned gestures and simple drawings and lots of trial and error... their little crew of three became a crew of five.
Now, about to become four.
Tiil offered to try and explain, in their best medical capacity. B’synny took the task on instead. Only right, as captain. As the one their oddlings looked to first and foremost for reassurance, every time they came to a new planet or space station.
Kathrin sat in their ship’s rec room. On the floor, as usual, against one of the bench seats, with Theena laying across her outstretched legs. B’synny approached slowly; took her time easing down onto the floor as well. She could have lifted both their oddlings into her lap and still had room to spare for Ghemik and his lanky, multi-jointed limbs.
A tail of gold and faded white fur began to quietly wag.
“Query,” Kathrin rasped, the word coming out of her mouth more oddly than usual.
“Answer,” B’synny murmured. “Tiil... find bad. Inside Theena.”
Two hands with five digits apiece paused in their stroking of gold and white fur. Kathrin made a choked noise. Her head lifted, her own long tresses of fur shifting to reveal eyes gleaming with extra moisture. “A-agree.”
Malignant growths.
Perhaps the concept didn’t need to be fully explained after all.
Over three galactic spans since they found the pair, alone on an illegal Acquisitions ship; alone because they’d killed or else scared off the entire crew that tried to acquire them in the first place. B’synny didn’t know how long Kathrin and Theena had spent together before then - didn’t know what sort of age ranges either of their species would consider normal. Perhaps their unknown homeworld would have been able to deal with Theena’s affliction; perhaps not.
It hardly mattered when they’d never been able to locate the place.
Carefully, B’synny reached down, and stroked one broad digit over a wide black nose. As usual, Theena lifted her head to return the gesture with a lick. Such a gesture used to cause all sorts of anxiety - too many creatures back on Ab’yssyla bore paralytic or poisonous saliva for it not too - but B’synny had become used to the experience, over time. Could appreciate the conveyed emotion, even if Theena’s more exuberant moments of licking all over Kathrin’s face would still make her hide ripple with discomfort.
...there hadn’t been one of those in a while, come to think of it.
Kathrin made another choked noise. She took a deep breath, eyes blinking rapidly, and started to sing in her native language. Soft, slow, a crooning tune quite unlike the battle songs and hyper melodies she usually belted out. Repeatedly, her voice wobbled; a few times, she needed to pause and repeat a phrase in order to keep going.
The moisture in her eyes did not escape.
Theena’s tail continued to wag.
How soon is ‘soon’?
