Chapter Text
Ryland Grace knew he was not well.
Actually, his current status of ‘unwell’ could be considered an incredible improvement in his overall condition, considering his previous states of being over the last few decades. Compared to ‘doomed to die on a space suicide mission’, ‘clinging on the outside of a burning spaceship’ and ‘actively starving to death with no guarantee of food becoming available’, his current status of being just ‘generally not well’ was pretty great.
The Eridians were not so optimistic.
In fact, his deterioration was causing his alien friends and colleagues a distressingly large amount of concern. No- concern was not nearly a sufficiently strong word. The more accurate words would be devastation. It seemed like every single Eridian on this strange planet he now called home was desperately, harrowingly afraid that he was going to die.
It was quite touching, really.
It was also terrifying.
Grace had a real worry that Erid would not react… well if he died. Of course, he’d explained to them about humans’ depressingly short lifespan in comparison to the Eridian lifespan, but that didn’t really seem to help much. The idea of Grace shifting off this mortal coil wasn’t a welcome thought to Grace himself, but to the Eridians, it… well. It seemed like the worst possible thing that could ever happen. Grace considered how the Eridians had (fairly recently) faced the literal death of their entire species via Astrophage apocalypse and learned that twenty-two of their best and brightest crew had died in space. They were upset about that, of course, with many of them showing visible grief when it was brought up- but their reactions paled in comparison to the horror and despair they showed when Grace had the audacity to mention his own mortality.
Grace didn’t think he could let himself die at this point, lest Erid be thrown into an era of planet-wide mourning, the disruption of which he couldn’t even imagine.
Put simply, he’d accidentally bonded too hard with the aliens and they were now going insane over the prospect of his imminent demise.
The Eridians were furiously working on what Grace had affectionately named the ‘How Grace Not Die’ plan, which was a far-reaching project composed of the smartest and most important Eridians from science hives all over the planet. Apparently, the list of people volunteering to lend their knowledge and resources to help save the weird, squishy human who had saved them was extensive. Eva (yes, he’d named the silvery Eridian who had been chosen to lead the ‘How Grace Not Die’ project after Stratt- it had been funny at the time) had boasted to Grace about the sheer number of Eridians from far and wide who’d come together to thrum and look for solutions to his illness. It had made him a little queasy to think about.
All this work, for him? Because he wasn’t feeling well?
… to be fair, ‘unwell’ was probably an understatement. Grace was pretty sure he was dying.
Which is where he found himself now, waking up to a new day on Erid, with his entire body protesting in pain. He made the mistake of trying to stretch as he woke.
“Ow.”
*Grace!* Rocky’s musical voice sang. *You awake now, question?*
Grace took a deep breath. God, he was sore. “Yeah, buddy. I’m awake.”
*Grace say he is awake but his eyes still closed.*
“Gimme a minute, Rock.” Grace tried again to stretch out the cramps in his legs. They protested loudly, sending shooting angry spikes of pain up his body. “Ow!”
*Grace in pain, question?* Rocky said worriedly. Grace heard Rocky click his claws together in a gesture that he recognised as anxiety. He saw Rocky doing that a lot, lately.
“Cramp!” Grace wheezed out. His calf muscles spasmed.
Rocky let out a distressed whine. Dimly, Grace heard some other Eridians nearby also making similar anxious noises. *Rocky can massage affected area like last time, question? Will fix locked muscles.*
“Go ahead,” Grace said. He tried to stay still, but his muscles had other ideas.
He felt a comforting weight he hadn’t noticed until now leave his chest. Rocky must have been sitting on his chest to watch him sleep, as he often did (especially since he’d become ill). His friend scurried off his chest and made his way to stand next to him so he could reach Grace’s still twitching legs. Grace had been sleeping on the padded floor, so he was low enough that Rocky, despite being barely three feet tall, could reach over and touch him easily. Grace, even after years on Erid, still marvelled at the fact they could touch each other. Rocky’s thin, clear Xenonite suit made the closeness that evaded them for years on the Hail Mary possible.
Right now, he was more glad than ever that Rocky could touch him. The massage was blissful. Rocky used just the right amount of pressure, pushing his claws deep into the tissue and soothing the cramp. Having hands made of literal hot rocks made him absolutely amazing at it. Of course Rocky was good at it, though. Rocky was good at everything.
“That’s nice, bud,” Grace slurred slightly, melting into the soft floor. He felt his stiff muscles relax under Rocky’s ministrations. “You really hit the spot.”
Rocky made a pleased sound. He scurried back to sit at his favourite spot on Grace’s chest, his carapace only resting slightly over Grace’s heart. He was always so careful not to put too much pressure on him- fragile, breakable human that he was. Rocky’s five arms bracketed Grace’s torso, almost like an embrace. Grace could hear the rumbling of his carapace against his skin softly.
“You’re like a heated, weighted blanket.” said Grace, opening his eyes to look at his friend fondly.
*Is good, question?* Rocky rumbled.
“So good.”
There was a pause. Rocky clicked his claws again. *Grace have pain anywhere now, question?*
“Not anymore. Guess you fixed me up with that massage, good as new.” He did still have pain, of course, but it was just the general background cacophony of pain that was his new normal since he started deteriorating, so he didn’t really consider it worth mentioning. It would just upset Rocky.
Rocky huffed. *Grace not good as new. You are very unwell. You know this. Grace stupid.*
Grace sighed as well, imitating Rocky’s huff. “Good morning to you as well, Rocky. What day is it?”
*Is now 2,164 Earth days since you came to Erid. Or 10,820 Eridian cycles.*
“I slept for a whole day?” Grace was shocked. Explains why he was so stiff, then. That and six years of living at 2G.
*I watch whole time,* said Rocky quietly.
“Thanks, Rocky,” Grace said. He lifted his head to look around the room. The light was dim enough to not hurt his eyes, but also meant he could only see a few feet in any direction. Fondly, he realised that Rocky had stuck his glasses on his face before he woke.
*Adrian here too.*
*Hello, Friend Grace!* Adrian’s song was high and clear, and they waved at Grace from where they sat in the corner of his side of the room. He couldn’t see past them; the light wasn’t bright enough to extend over the clear room divider to where he was sure there were more Eridians watching.
“Hey, Adrian! Come over here and get in on this. I’m in the mood for hugs.”
Adrian scurried over towards him and Rocky, their blue-green carapace glinting softly under the pressure suit. Grace had been overjoyed to discover how colorful some of the Eridians were, and Adrian was no exception. Adrian sat next to where he lay and gently laid two of their long limbs over his body, with a third arm coming to rest on top of Rocky’s carapace.
Rocky hummed a pleased noise. *Adrian and Grace and Rocky together. Is good.*
*You are sleeping here more often, Friend Grace,* Adrian trilled.
“I guess I like the company,” Grace said. “I can always go back to the house if I want some alone time.”
They were still in his biodome, technically. The Eridians built him some ‘nodes’ into the rock face at the edge of his beach to function as various rooms where he could interact with Eridians. There were three ‘classrooms’ of varying sizes- basically small amphitheatres with a thin clear xenonite wall in the middle separating his desk with his various teaching equipment, laptop, organ, translators and the like from his students. He’d taught there almost every day until a few months ago. Not just kids- although they were his favourite students- but also many, many adult Eridians. They travelled from all over the planet to hear him give talks on relativity, radiation, human anatomy, microbiology… Although Erid was extremely advanced in their science, there were still large gaps that human knowledge could fill. Grace gave it away gladly. It was the least he could do. Plus, he genuinely enjoyed giving his lectures and answering questions from the curious scientists and researchers of Erid. Having the classrooms available near where he lived minimised the need for him to travel across the planet’s toxic (to him, at least) surface. And it made a nice short commute to work from his house on the clifftop.
One of the other ‘nodes’ in the rock face led to a room with a well stocked medbay and an airlock so the Eridians could come inside with their pressure suits. This had actually been the first place for him that had ever been built, well before the large beach biodome project. It had made sense- building him a hospital had been the priority when the Eridians had learned that a half-starved, half-dead and half-crazed alien would shortly be crashing down onto their planet (he had used the space elevator of course, but ‘crashed’ seemed the appropriate word anyway).
Just off the medbay was the room Grace was currently in, the one he’d happily dubbed the ‘hangout room’. It was one of his favourite places on the entire planet. After learning about Eridian ‘nests’, Grace had tentatively asked for them to make him something similar that both he and the Eridians would be able to access.
The Eridians, especially Rocky and Adrian, had been ecstatic about the idea.
Basically, an Eridian nest was a large area with comfortable bedding that could be shared by both sleeping Eridians and their sleep partners, but also anyone that just wanted to… hang out, he guessed. He’d been told that the padded surface of the bedding muffled some of the sounds they could perceive which helped Eridians to relax. Rocky had described it as ‘lowering sensory input’ which helped him to ‘chill the fuck out’. Rocky’s words, not his. It was essentially a large living room with the floor covered in beds instead of chairs and sofas.
They built it right off the medbay so it would have easy airlock access. Apparently it was incredibly exciting that the human wanted a nest similar to an Eridian, with many people offering their services to help design and furnish it. Adrian, being the architectural and structural genius that they were, had led the project. The final result was about a eight-by-ten meter space split down the middle with a clear xenonite panel, the floor furnished on both sides with soft cushions, pillows and blankets. Adrian had come to him with fabric samples so he could pick the colours for his new nest. He’d picked soft oranges and yellows. They’d even brought in some warm lights scavenged from the Hail Mary to complete the look. It bizarrely reminded Grace of those nineteen-seventies conversation pits sunken into the floor- but the whole room was a comfy floor.
He loved it.
Grace hung out in here quite a lot. He brought his laptop and notebooks in sometimes to chill out by himself, but there was also a rule that if he was in here, his friends and any other curious Eridians (ones that had passed the application process and security checks, of course) could sit or talk with him if they wanted to. And someone always wanted to, Grace found. If he was in the big biodome, only Rocky or Adrian could come and disturb him unless it was an emergency, but if he was in here, then it was his signal that he was up for socialising.
The panel down the middle meant that one side of the room could be pressurised and heated to be comfortable to Eridians, but the other side of the room was Grace’s decidedly colder and thinner atmosphere which had the great benefit of not killing him. Eridians could choose to don a pressure suit and visit his side via the airlock in the medbay, or just sit on their side of the wall and still be able to talk to Grace.
Grace slept in here a lot, too. It was a room with a floor made of beds, so why not?
…and if sleeping in here meant that Rocky or Adrian or any of the other Eridian volunteers could watch him sleep, then that was just an added bonus…
…especially when they could cuddle now…
He really, really enjoyed the cuddling.
*Grace sure he can get back to house, question?* Rocky said nervously.
Grace paused. There really were a lot of stairs to climb up to get there. “I’ll manage. And if not, you’d get me up there if I asked, wouldn’t you?” he said.
Rocky ‘nodded’ his carapace softly- a very human gesture he’d picked up from Grace over the years. *Yes. Many Eridians would volunteer to carry Grace if needed.*
“You could make me an Iron Man suit. Maybe you could remote control it to get me up there. Puppet me up the hill.” Grace didn’t doubt Rocky could do it.
*Hmm,* Rocky trilled. *Lot of effort to go up some stairs. Carry is better.*
“S’pose you’re right,” yawned Grace. “Less fun, though.”
*And if Iron Man suit crash, Grace will be mush on floor. Biohazard.*
“Nice. Thanks for that image, Rocky.”
*Rocky and Adrian could carry you up now, question?* Adrian asked tentatively. *Can sleep in private if Grace prefers.*
“No, I’m all good, Adrian. The watching-sleep thing has kinda grown on me, yanno.”
It was considered a great honour to watch him sleep, apparently.
Grace didn’t fully understand why, and for a while it creeped him out a bit. However, he’d realised pretty quickly how big of a thing sleep-watching was in Eridian culture and that all of his hang-ups about it were just because of his deeply ingrained human need to be embarrassed about almost everything. Sleep watching was just so normal to Eridians, and after living on the ship with Rocky for four years and then on Erid for another six, Grace had realised it had become his normal too.
It was something that made many Eridians happy and it was easy for him to just let it happen. All he had to do was literally lie there and sleep. So what if there were ten or twenty Eridians watching him? They were happy, and he was asleep, so why should he care? If he wanted a private sleep he just went up to his house on the cliff. Simple.
They got a lot of volunteers to come and watch him sleep. Presumably Rocky did, as well, although Rocky chose to sleep with Grace or Adrian watching him most of the time anyway. There was an application process specifically for wannabe sleep-watchers, he was told, but people that Grace knew were usually allowed to jump the queue.
It was… nice, actually. He felt safe. Wanted.
“Do we have any sleep-watchers today?” Grace yawned again.
*Many, many volunteers,* said Rocky. *Over one thousand. But only seven allowed to watch today. And me and Adrian. And Doctor House and Doctor Wilson. Did not want to stress you with more than that.* House and Wilson were the affectionate names Grace had given to his primary doctors.
Wow.
“Over a- a thousand? Why so many?” Grace whispered, utterly shocked.
*News of Grace illness spreading all over Erid,* Adrian sang softly.
Huh. So he guessed lots of Eridians were curious to see the strange human blob before he kicked the bucket. At least he hadn’t woken to the news that one thousand people were on the other side of the divider watching him sleep. That would have been… overwhelming.
“C’mon then, buddy,” Grace said, tapping the side of Rocky’s suited carapace gently. “I want to go say hi to my adoring fans.”
*Rocky comfy now. Rocky want to stay cuddling with Adrian and Grace.*
“Tough. Let me up.”
Rocky grumbled and moved off him.
Grace pulled himself up, piece by agonising piece. He leant on Adrian’s sturdy carapace to do so, using one hand on them and the other on the helpful handles that had been bolted into the walls of the hangout room specifically to help him get up from the floor. Rocky hovered between the cushions around his ankles, arms already raised in order to catch Grace if he fell.
“Relax, bud. I’m not an invalid.”
*Rocky not think Grace is an invalid.* Rocky trilled. *Rocky think Grace is something that means same as invalid but without negative connotations of word.*
“That’s not better, Rocky.”
*Is not insult. Is truth.*
Grace was pretty incapacitated. Standing had been a success, but now all the blood seemed to be rushing from his head down to his feet. His heart was going a million miles an hour.
*Fast heart rate,* Adrian said, concerned. *Need to fetch Doctor House, question?*
“No,” Grace said, eyes closed. “Gimme a minute. It’s just gravity.”
Rocky looked unconvinced. Grace didn’t know how a rock with no face could look unconvinced, but Rocky did it.
A moment passed and Grace felt marginally better. “Right. Time to greet the family! Get the lights, will you Adrian?”
Adrian did so, singing as they went. *Of course. One of your students is here, and her parent.*
“What? Really!?” Now that made him feel better.
***
Ashley observed, transfixed, as Friend Grace slowly hobbled over to the dividing wall. He was using Adrian’s outstretched arm as a crutch, making his way slowly over.
*Friend Grace is coming, Riley!* Ashley trilled excitedly.
Ashley had been applying to volunteer to watch Friend Grace sleep for a while now, ever since he’d stopped teaching classes. Her daughter, a thirty-year old pebble called Riley, had been one of his students.
(Ashley internally cringed at herself for not using Erid Saviour Brave Special Friend Grace’s full title, but the honorific seemed to make him viscerally uncomfortable the first few times she’d said it and he’d quickly asked her to call him Friend Grace or Teacher Grace instead. Or just Grace. But Ashley would rather eat in public than call Erid Saviour Brave Special Friend Grace just Grace, so Friend Grace it was.)
Riley talked about him non-stop. ‘Teacher Grace’ as she called him was the coolest, bravest, funniest teacher that had ever existed, ever. He’d somehow managed to reignite her passion for science that had waned as Riley had grown and now she had her sights on becoming a biologist herself. Or a global popstar- it seemed to oscillate between the two day by day.
Ashley had thought it a wonderful gift that her daughter’s teacher was going to be Friend Grace himself. Yes, it was exciting that her daughter was going to be taught by an alien, of all people, but it was more important to Ashley that her daughter had a teacher who was fundamentally kind and good. A role model. A hero, even.
Who else was more kind and good than Friend Grace? Ashley knew the story- the whole of Erid did. So long as there was life on this planet, the story of ‘Grace Rocky Save Stars!’ was never to be forgotten. Ashley had sobbed when she had found out that this strange, alien creature had given up his life for a planet he had never even been on. For an Eridian that he’d known for less than a year. The sheer scale of the sacrifice- the selflessness of the choice- had been enough to send her to the floor with gratitude.
Knowing that Erid was now able to provide for him- to keep him safe, protected, loved- made her incredibly proud.
So, when Riley had come from school distraught over the lack of Teacher Grace in her classroom, Ashley had worried.
Friend Grace loved to teach. It had been plainly obvious to her from Riley’s instant adoration of him and the rapid improvement in her grades. Ashley knew that if Friend Grace wanted to live a life of rest after his and Friend Rocky’s ordeal at Tau Ceti then he would be more than welcome to do so here on Erid. Erid had an obligation to cherish and protect him after his sacrifice for them- he could live his days out in the environment that had been built for him, free from the stress of jobs and responsibility.
But Friend Grace had decided to teach anyway.
So when she heard he had stopped, Ashley had known something was very, very wrong. Looking at him now, she knew she’d been right to worry.
Adrian helped Friend Grace to sit down on the padded floor by the xenonite divider so he was level with her carapace. He seemed to squint his eyes- presumably adjusting to the light. Ashley couldn’t see the lights, obviously, but she heard the low hum of electricity and presumed they were on. Friend Grace seemed to focus on her.
“Hello!” he said brightly. “Ashley, right? You’re Riley’s parent.”
Gosh! He remembered her! *Friend Grace! I am honoured you remember. We only met once, many years ago.*
“It was my first parent-teacher conference. Can’t forget that!”
Ashley found herself flustered. As a fully grown Eridian, she rarely experienced this anymore. She just trilled some nonsense happy noises, hoping the general message got across. Friend Grace smiled so she must have succeeded.
“Is Riley with you?” he asked. “Getting into trouble, no doubt.”
*She is here!* said Ashley, nudging her daughter lightly with an arm.
Riley had nervously hidden herself behind her parent’s wide carapace, momentarily shy when faced with her teacher. She scurried out and bounced nervously on three arms, the other two clicking their claws together. Her multiple bracelets jangled as she did so; Riley was going through a jewellery phase.
“There you are, Riley!” Friend Grace beamed. He tapped the barrier softly.
Her daughter tapped back and Ashley saw some of her nerves quickly evaporate. *Teacher Grace! Did you sleep well?*
“Like a baby. Did you watch?”
Riley pushed up her carapace proudly. *Yes! It was fun! Riley very glad to be allowed to watch! But- Teacher Grace sleep for veeeeeeeeeery long time.*
“You were bored, weren’t you?” Friend Grace said, faux accusingly.
*No! Is not boring to watch Erid Saviour Brave Special Friend Grace sleep!* Riley challenged loudly. She then shifted her carapace guiltily. *But Riley brought homework to do as well. Not because of boredom! But because homework due tomorrow.*
“Okay, okay!” Friend Grace laughed, hands up in defeat. “I believe you. But remember not to leave your homework so late next time.”
*When are you coming back to class, question?* Riley trilled. *Substitute Teacher Chrissy not as fun as you.*
“Hey! Chrissy is not so bad. And she knows her stuff. I hope you’re all being nice to her.”
*Of course!* Riley said indignantly. *But she is boring.*
Friend Grace opened his mouth in an expression Ashley could recognise from context clues was supposed to be mock outrage. Damn- Friend Grace was really good with kids. “I hope it’s not just because she’s Eridian and I’m human,” he said, hand on his chest.
*No!* cried Riley. She waggled her little arms in frustration. *Maybe a little. Is not as cool to have Eridian teacher instead of human teacher. But you are more fun.*
“Thank you, Riley,” Friend Grace smiled. The smile itself was an odd thing to watch, having no Eridian equivalent of such an expression. But it looked kind.
*But when are you coming back, question?* Riley pressed on. *Dennis says Teacher Grace will be back in two weeks but Dennis is a liar so we not believe.*
“I don’t know, bud,” Friend Grace said softly. He looked down, but then back up to Riley. “I’m sorry.”
*Why not know, question?* Riley stamped one of her arms impatiently.
*Riley!* Ashley chastised her. *Be nice to Friend Grace.*
“It’s okay! I know it’s frustrating.” Friend Grace said softly. “I’m- I’m not very well. Human thing. And we’re trying to fix it, but we don’t fully know what’s wrong, so it’s hard. So I don’t know when I’ll be back. If I’ll be back.”
*Erid helping Teacher Grace, question?* Riley’s voice wobbled.
“Yeah! Loads of people are helping me. In fact- do you want to know a secret?” He leaned in against the xenonite wall conspiratorially. Riley perked up immediately and leaned in as well, so that they’d be touching if the barrier weren’t there.
Ashley leaned closer as well. Friend Grace was talking to her daughter, but Ashley was just as invested in the conversation as she was. Ashley wanted to know the secret.
“There’s going to be a thrum later,” said Friend Grace. “Lots of people who know about human biology will be there! Rocky will be there, and Adrian, and lots of very, very smart Eridians.”
Riley whirred with delight, her voice like bells. *Smart Eridians fix Teacher Grace!* she sang happily.
“Let’s hope so, pal,” said Friend Grace. “Lets hope so.”
Riley scurried around the room, unable to contain her excitement anymore.
*You don’t look well, Friend Grace,* Ashley trilled sadly.
“Aw, are you worried about me too, Ashley? I got enough of that with Rocky and Adrian.”
Ashley dipped her carapace. *Yes. All of Erid very worried about Friend Grace.”
Friend Grace dipped his head. It looked very similar to her carapace dip- maybe he’d picked up some Eridian body language. “I’m not sure I’m worth all that,” he said softly.
Ashley thought she’d misheard him. *No understand. Of course Friend Grace is worth all that.*
“No- I just don’t want people to worry.”
*People are worrying,* said Ashley flatly. *Worry worry worry. Is ok. Not your fault.*
Friend Grace seemed to look even more uncomfortable. “It doesn’t matter.”
*Does matter,* said Ashley, trilling higher now. *Friend Grace cannot die. It will be tragedy. You are only few years older than Riley. Is not enough. Not nearly enough for Erid Saviour.*
“Er, Ashley, I’m going to go speak to some of the other Eridians who are waiting. It’s really nice to see you, and Riley of course. I really hope I can teach her again soon. Thanks for watching me sleep.” Friend Grace gave an apologetic goodbye and waved to Riley before Adrian helped him up again.
Ashley was slightly baffled by the interaction, but her overwhelming feeling was that Friend Grace was incredibly kind. He’d spoken to Riley like she was an equal, and even when he was upset with Ashley he still spoke kind words of farewell.
*Come on Riley. We go home now.*
*But I want to stay with Teacher Grace!*
Ashley wanted to stay with Friend Grace too.
*Friend Grace will be back to teaching soon, Riley. You see him then.*
Ashley knew it was a lie.