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Finally, finally Erid was within range for the Hail Mary's communication system that Rocky had rigged up for them.
It had taken weeks of tireless work for Rocky to make sure that it was functioning, all while taking care of Grace in between working on it, ensuring that he was getting the taumoeba calories and what little of the coma slurry they could spare for now. He honestly wasn't sure how many meals and sleep cycles he had pushed aside to watch over Grace while he faded in and out of consciousness, too tired from just existing, surviving, to watch over Rocky anymore.
Rocky didn't care though. He didn't care about the carapace-aches he would get from being in the tight xenonite suit for too long. He didn't care about the hunger pangs that occasionally rang through his whole body or the weakness that would leave him unable to stand some moments. What he was going through was nothing. This was nothing compared to what Grace was going through to save him and Erid. He would deal and he would continue to function to take care of Grace and to get him help, no matter the cost to himself.
"Vessel identified as Engineer Rocky of Blip-A, can you hear me?" Broken notes came over the speaker, startling Rocky slightly.
They had been within range of Erid's system for hours, waiting for them to establish a connection as Rocky's message played out on repeat, asking for help and explaining that he was the only survivor from the Blip-A mission and that he had the cure to the astrophage, one that he found with the help of an alien that needed help desperately, one that would die if they didn't intervene.
"Yes," Rocky nearly fell trying to get over to the radio, keeping close watch on Grace all hours of the day as he grew weaker and weaker, making Rocky's fears of losing him grow worse. "Yes, I can hear you!"
"Engineer Rocky," the voice continued, "my name is Shale. State your current situation and proceed to the landing area. We will meet you there with the equipment you need."
"Yes yes yes," Rocky chirped, all of his exhaustion leaving his body as he felt lighter than he had in even the zero G. Grace would be okay, they had made it to Erid and he would get the help he needed. Grace was going to live. "What need know, question?"
Rocky couldn't even speak proper Eridian anymore, the time spent alone and then the pidgin with Grace had taken that from him until he could relearn some of it. The mess of a language he and Grace had made together would have to do for now.
"You're message said you needed assistance," Shale continued, unfazed by Rocky's speech pattern. "Please describe what help you need. Our doctors are preparing for your arrival now."
"No, not help for Rocky. Rocky okay. Rocky fine," he snapped into the radio, letting a claw run through Grace's hair, or at least what was left of it. Majority had fallen out ages ago due to malnutrition. "Need help Grace. Sick sick sick. Bad bad bad. Need help, need care, Rocky cannot give."
"Grace?" Shale questioned. "Is this the alien you spoke of? The one who's ship you are currently on?"
"Yes," Rocky confirmed, huddling slightly closer to Grace, letting the warmth of his ammonia atmosphere keep his shivering at bay. "Rocky Grace on Grace ship."
"Okay," Shale accepted, softly clicking out orders in the background. "What kind of care will Grace need?"
"Grace need food, need medical care, need help help help," Rocky rambled, his legs moving quickly as he ran the programming through the Mary on a nearby computer to dock - a system he and Grace had devised when they first began their trip for this exact scenario of Grace being unable to pilot the ship. "Leaky space blob fragile. No can eat Erid food, no can have metals Eridian too. No can breathe Erid atmosphere, need oxygen. Erid air dangerous. Bad bad bad for Grace."
"Understood," Shale responded after a moment. "How are you in Grace's atmosphere?"
"Suit. Xenonite suit, but will make ship safe for Erid before let on," Rocky responded, his mind already going through the mental process of breaking down the xenonite walls and attaching them to the Mary's oxygen lines, surrounding Grace in his atmosphere while letting help come to them safely.
He had so much to focus on right now, it felt like he was spiraling. Dock on Erid, make the ship safe, make sure Adrian knew he was okay, get help for Grace, give the taumoeba over to the scientists to send it to Threeworld, make sure Grace was healing. Make sure Grace was being taken care of. Make sure Grace was going to live.
There was so much to do and he was running on fumes, energy from the small snack and power nap he took over a month ago back during Grace's last good day. The day before he'd collapsed just trying to sit up and began spitting up blood, teeth falling out with blood pouring out of his mouth, choking in his own fluids.
"Rocky? Can you still hear me?" Shale asked.
"Yes. Sorry sorry sorry, connection issue," he lied.
He berated himself internally. He needed to focus. He could sleep when Grace and all of Erid was safe. This was too important.
"Understood. Our medical team will meet you at the docking area to gather information about Grace and their needs. We will do everything we can to help them while we get the cure to Threeworld," Shale promised. "We will speak more then," they concluded, leaving Rocky alone in the silence of the Mary, only Grace's breathing and heartbeat his companion.
"Will be okay," Rocky chirped, turning his focus over to Grace, sleeping soundly under Rocky's watch while pressed tight against him, still shivering. "Save Erid, save Grace."
~~~
Moving with purpose now, Rocky tore down his xenonite walls after refreshing his suit a final time, building them back up over Grace's bed on the floor, welding them tightly to the walls of the Mary and the oxygen system.
The ship was flying itself and would dock on its own using the program Grace had written and Rocky had done the math for. It was their only hope since Rocky was too small to drive the ship himself and Grace was in no condition to do so himself. Grace hadn't even been awake in nearly a week despite the constant crackles of the radio.
As the ship touched ground, Rocky stumbled over his own legs, falling to the floor beside Grace, the taumoeba sample grasped tightly in his claw as he cursed his own body.
Come on, Rocky, he berated himself. Keep your shit together.
"Rocky?" A familiar voice called through the ship, echoing on the empty walls. "It's Shale. I have help with me. Permission to enter?"
"Yes yes yes," Rocky shouted back, no longer caring if Grace woke up. He'd be getting the help he needed soon enough anyway. "Let in. Give one moment."
Taking one final look at Grace, curled into a ball as he shook and shivered, smaller than Rocky liked him to be and far less noisy than he should be, Rocky made his way to the airlock, popping it open as he was greeted by the sight of Eridians. It was a sight he missed and one that pained him deeply with memories of his crew.
"Here cure," he rambled, holding out the sample to Shale. "Go through xenonite, be careful with. Will eat all astrophage if let it. Follow follow follow. Come with Rocky. Grace. Grace need help. Need need need help."
"Rocky-" Shale tried to explain, but Rocky was already skittering back into the ship, not liking being away from Grace for this long, the sound of his heartbeat quieting terrifying Rocky. He couldn't be apart from Grace. How else would he know his friend was okay, was still alive?
"Here here here," he continued, a small group of Eridian doctors following him. "This Grace. Need help. This have all information on how help," Rocky spouted, pressing his computer towards them, one with a screen Eridians could see without the gun he'd been using. "Have all information on how help Grace. What food need be made. What environment need. All help."
"Okay," one of the doctor accepted, beginning to scan the information. "We will scan this and begin to help the alien. We-"
Hearing that Grace would be helped was all Rocky's body needed to hear, collapsing into a heap of rubble from exhaustion on a system that could take no more, needing to hear that Grace would be taken care of before shutting down.
~~~
Adrian was in shock when the message had come to them, when they were told that Rocky, their wonderful spouse, had come home. That only he had come home. That he had come home with another life form, an alien.
Of course, it was so like Rocky, wonderful and abrasive Rocky, to bring something home with him other than a cure to the astrophage, the sun eater that was slowly beginning to kill their planet.
They hadn't thought twice before racing to where the ship was docked, watching over their mate and new clan member as both were cared for around the clock, doctors deciding that it would be easier to care for both of them together than to spread out their already thin resources to separate locations, especially as both slept for a long period of time under Adrian's careful watch.
Adrian had waited over 400 years, around 434 to be exact, for their mate to come home to them. They could wait, would always wait, for Rocky, no matter how long it took, even if it took another lifetime for them. At least they could see him now, know that he was alive, instead of just hoping it.
"What?" Rocky's warbled notes stiffened Adrian immediately, a symphony they had deeply missed. "Adrian?"
"Rocky," they whispered.
He didn't waste a single moment, jumping onto them with what little strength he did have and holding them close. It had been far too long for either of them.
"Oh my love," Adrian sang, nuzzling into Rocky's body, careful of the wires and tubes connected to him, ones that were providing him with minerals he needed, helping to heal his injuries. "I have missed you so."
"So so so sorry Rocky took so long."
"I would have waited eternity for you to come home. You were worth the wait," they promised, uncaring of his odd speech. It was still Rocky. Even after everything, it was still him. "Now, why don't you introduce me to our new clan member?"
Rocky relaxed immediately. Of course Adrian, kind and sweet Adrian, would have known how much Grace meant to him and accepted him immediately without hesitation.
"This is Grace," Rocky explained, keeping his body pressed against Adrian's as they settled down closer to Grace. "Grace sleeping much now. Need energy. Adrian will love Grace, Rocky know."
"I know I will too, my love. But for now, let me take care of both of you. You have done enough for now Rocky, I'll take it from here," they assured him, helping him to settle back down on the ground. "Rest, I'll watch you both."
Rocky said nothing in response, simply pressing himself closer to Adrian and the xenonite that separated him and Grace as he fell back asleep, content to be under the watch of his mate, his melody, and trusting them to keep that which mattered most to him safe from harm.