Beyond the Stars (24 page)

Noah jumped back. “Sami … you’re burning up,” he said emphatically.

I wiped my brow. “No, I’m okay,” I replied. Just then a burst of heat flushed throughout my body. Sitting up seemed to be more than I could handle. The heat surged up into my eyes, making them sting and water. I blinked to quell the burning. Without further notice, my arms and legs started to shake uncontrollably. I broke out in a full-blown sweat, like I had just finished running a marathon.

“Urit, hurry,
come here, now
!” Noah shouted frantically. He rushed to the door to retrieve the doctor. “She’s getting worse!”

Urit was at my side in a blink. He had to have the quickest reaction time I had ever seen. He touched my forehead with a little metal probe. “Oh my, where’s my Remi-Scan,” he muttered to himself. Urit abruptly went to retrieve the same glass panel he had used on me the first day I was on board. He frowned as he frantically scrolled his hand along the side several times until it was a glowing deep blue hue. He lowered the device over me. I could feel a rush of cold rays penetrating my hot skin. It felt like I was standing in a freezer. My initial shivering at the extreme temperature difference was quickly converted into full body convulsions. Noah held me down so I wouldn’t fall off the bed. Finally, the intense burning through my veins seemed to weaken. Urit wouldn’t stop, despite my assurances that I was feeling better. I finally gave up trying and fell asleep during the treatment. I was in and out of consciousness while I endured several more treatments to extinguish the internal flames.

I thought I would never get better. The fever raged on and on. My temperature kept spiking to the point where I imagined my blood was boiling. Even my teeth felt hot. I stayed in the hospital for four or five more days. I lost count. I mostly slept, only to be reminded of how sick I felt when I awoke. Two other doctors, Bryson, who specialized in dentistry, and Hayden, my friend from the café, were there occasionally, but Urit seemed to care for me exclusively. He was there every time I opened my eyes. Once, I awoke to find him washing my hair. I remembered him pouring water through my scalp. Its coolness felt like heaven. I think he worried about prematurely injecting me with the vaccine. He seemed determined to see me recover. At last, the fever seemed to lose steam, and I was able to maintain 102 degrees Fahrenheit at rest. Urit finally agreed to release me as long as I checked in with him twice a day.

***

“You’ve escaped.” Gaelan’s face lit up when I walked in through the door of his quarters. He immediately jumped up from his desk chair and rushed to my side. He seemed truly happy about my return. He said he missed having my company. I missed being around him as well. I couldn’t get him off my mind. I longed for his daily conversations. I wanted to tell him how I much I dreaded it when he left for his shifts and how I wished I could spend the entire day with him. He was amazing. He was beyond smart, but humble. It didn’t hurt that he was incredibly sexy. It was difficult not to stare at his toned body or beautiful face for too long. I had never met anyone like him. I was able to totally relax when I was with him and be myself. He made me feel so safe, like he was my guardian angel aboard the ship.

“Yes, I’ve made bail,” I answered.

“
Bail?
” Gaelan was confused by the term. “Urit was supposed to call me when you were ready to go. I was going to come and get you.”

“He walked me over here,” I confessed at the risk of sounding helpless. Gaelan pursed his lips in response. It was hard to ignore the unspoken competitiveness between them.

“Urit warned me that I had to make sure you drink enough water to keep your temperature down. He threatened to
take
you right back if you relapse.”

“He did? So, did you tell him that I would drink gallons and gallons?” I muttered.

Gaelan grinned. “Yes—sort of. I told him I would make you drink and that I was planning to give you a cold shower every hour on the hour.”

“Really? You said that to him?” My jaw dropped open in disbelief.

“Yeah, I did, and he wasn’t too happy when I said it, either.” He chuckled with an impish grin on his face.

“Hmm.” I shook my head in disbelief.

“Well, he’s been keeping you all to himself,” Gaelan said jealously. “I was afraid that you’ve become one of his experiments. He really gets carried away sometimes. He should have released you days ago.”

“Days … oh no, how long was I there?” I rubbed my head, trying to reconstruct my gapped memory. I lost my concept of time. Everything was a blur.

“Ten days. You slept through most of it.” He frowned.

“
Ten?
I can’t believe it,” I groaned. “I don’t remember being there that long.”

He took my hand. “Okay, let’s go. You’re looking kind of hot,” he teased and motioned for me to join him in the bathroom.

I firmly planted my feet and pulled my hand away defensively. “Hmmm … that sounds interesting,” I mused. “Maybe later—I’ll let you know.” I fought to stop a smile from taking over my face. The proposition made my body flushed with heat. Just the thought of sharing a shower with him embarrassed me. I would never be able to control myself if his hands were touching me while I was naked.

“Fine, just say when.” He raised his eyebrows. “A promise is a promise,” he said playfully.

“Are you kidding? I really can take a cold shower?” I asked out of curiosity.

“Yes, of course. Why?” I saw his eyes perk up. “You’ve reconsidered?” He grinned.

“No—not yet. I just didn’t know that it was possible to adjust the water temperature. I tried everything but couldn’t figure out how. I’ve been enduring some really hot showers ever since I’ve been here. I wish you would have told me that before,” I confessed.

He seemed amused by my apparent struggle with their technology and let out a quiet laugh. “You shouldn’t have suffered like that. All you had to do was ask for help. I’m at your service.” He bowed shamelessly.

Gaelan joined me in the study to watch the passing stars. It was one of my favorite things to do with him while we talked. Tonight’s view was breathtaking. The stars appeared to be even brighter than usual. He sat down closely beside me on the sofa. His thigh
almost
touching mine.

“Gaelan, how do you feel about me?” I asked bravely. I held my breath awaiting his answer.

“I like you,” he answered casually.

“I like you, too,” I muttered back. We sat silently for a moment.

He winced and nervously licked his lips. “No,
what
am I saying.” He ran his hands through his thick brown hair. “I feel much more strongly about you than that. You are
very
important to me. Sami …” Gaelan grabbed both of my arms. His hands made me shiver; they felt like ice next to my feverish skin. “I could never forgive myself if you didn’t get better. I hated seeing you so sick. It was like losing a part of me.”

I looked into his eyes. They were bursting with determination. I could tell he was speaking with sincerity. Without delay, he leaned forward, reached up to my face, pulled me to him and kissed me passionately. I felt a surge of heat flow through my veins. I couldn’t control myself. I pulled his hard body closer to mine and kissed him back. We barely came up for air. Gaelan released me when he noticed my face getting flushed. My cheeks were radiating heat and probably burnt the skin on his face. He excused himself for a moment before he returned with two large drinks.

“Drink,” he insisted, handing me one of the glasses. “I meant it when I said I’m tired of sharing you with Urit. I want you all to myself.” He sat back down and put his arm around me.

“As you wish. I think I like it better here, anyway.” I happily obliged and gulped down the ice water. I put down the glass, leaned him back on the sofa, and rested my head on his chest. He smelled so good. Gaelan had an indescribable quality about him that was secretly driving me wild. Maybe it was the way he held himself or the way he saw the world. Whatever it was, it made him completely irresistible. “It’s nice to know I wasn’t the only one holding back,” I confided in a whisper.

Gaelan shifted up onto his elbow and stared at me. He seemed to be searching for the right words before he spoke. “Sami, you … you have been making me
crazy
ever since I met you. At first, I was worried that you were from Earth and wanted to stay far, far away from us aliens. You seemed so homesick. Then, you fell ill. I was afraid of letting myself feel this way about you. It’s been a real struggle trying not to become too involved. But I can’t control it anymore. I can’t stay away from you.”

“Good, then don’t,” I replied. He smiled brilliantly at my response.

I rose up on my arms and lowered myself down to kiss him gently. He exhaled strongly before he rolled me over, pressing my back into the soft sofa, and hovered above me. I looked into his intense blue eyes. He kissed my forehead and moved down the side of my face and neck before returning to my lips. I loved how he laid his lips delicately against my skin in an unhurried manner. His fingertips lightly brushed up and down my arm and then leg. Every stroke of his hand was filled with complete tenderness. His incredibly soft touches excited my whole body. I was really getting aroused, but he pulled away and leaned down next to me. He told me that he didn’t want to push his luck and get me overheated. I couldn’t argue. I could tell my temperature had risen. I was a burning inferno. “I think I’ll take that cold shower now, please,” I said with a laugh. He smiled back at me, pulled me into his arms, and held me lovingly against him.

CHAPTER 18

RENEW

I had to lay low for the next five days. Urit estimated the vaccine’s reaction would burn out by then. I had no choice but to comply. Anytime I moved around too much, I would become immediately overheated. I had never been more aware of how my body was my number one mode of transportation. I’d never take it for granted again! When I sat perfectly still, I still had a 102-degree fever. My temperature climbed to 104 degrees Fahrenheit just from the walk from my room to the ship’s hospital. Urit offered to visit me in my room, but I told him I would go crazy if I didn’t escape for at least a few minutes everyday. He obliged but insisted on hitting me with a blast from his Remi-Scan the second I stepped foot through the hospital’s door. I drank so much water. I couldn’t help reminisce about Jack’s insatiable thirst. Azil, Noah, and Gaelan took turns bringing me food from the café. The walk there was even farther. It was down two levels and took twice as long as it did to get to the hospital, making my going there totally out of the question. Gaelan and I seemed inseparable. We were becoming extremely close. I could imagine his face perfectly when I closed my eyes. It was difficult to keep our hands off each other. Although we were both trying not to push our luck with my health, he always seemed to be the one who pulled back first. I wished he couldn’t feel how hot he made me. It probably felt like he was sitting too close to a fireplace when he was next to me.

I started to get very homesick. I missed Leah and Jackson terribly. My initial awe of the Spaceship had completely faded. The order, structure, and routine had become painfully predictable. The confinement of its walls seemed so limiting. I wanted to go home, to go outside. I couldn’t believe how much I missed the stupid things. I wanted my television, my computer, my clothes, and my bed. I wanted variety. It was the small things in life that brought us pleasure. I eyed one of the woven blankets I had on my makeshift bed. I pictured unraveling it and knitting it back together again. After a few hours, I became weak, gave in to my yearning, and turned it into a giant ball of yarn. I spent all day knitting it back together with stirring sticks I had Noah retrieve from the cafe. Gaelan was speechless when he watched me. He just shook his head in disbelief as the garment grew. Gaelan told me how people on Kataria knitted with poppy fur. They were animals similar to our sheep but had soft fur like a rabbit. He told me about how he remembered watching his grandfather knit in the evening to relax. He said that, not unlike me, his grandfather found it physically impossible to sit still without doing something. It was one of his only memories of him since he died when Gaelan was just a boy. He said it was comforting to be reminded of him.

Day five had finally arrived. I awoke after hearing Gaelan close the door when he left to take a morning shift. Just as Urit had promised, I noticed that I wasn’t hot at all. I felt normal—actually
great!
I jumped out of bed with exhilaration. Amazingly, I wasn’t even weak from lying around. Instead, it felt like I’d just downed a cup of espresso. My body felt powerful and strong. I showered and got dressed. My clothes hung loosely on my body. I had lost some weight. Urit had explained that it was to be expected. He said the fever increased my metabolic rate by about 24 percent, a 7-percent increase for every degree my temperature was above normal. I looked in the mirror and I brushed my teeth. I wasn’t sure if it was my imagination, but I thought I looked younger.