A Kobliad male appeared in Sickbay with a Kobliad female in his arms. One of the nurses, Syeda Castillo, recognized Sair’s mother, Kel, from the time Kel had helped out Sair during the strange aging thing. She rushed over to help them get to a biobed.

“Sair is on her way,” Sal said and the nurse nodded. She had given the counsellor her deuridium injections a couple of times and while she wasn’t going to get in the way, she also knew just enough that she should stay close.

Sair appeared, rushing in with a bag. She said very little as she adjusted the biobed monitors and then pulled out items from the bag. The first was the soft thick blanket that her mother preferred and she draped it gently. She took Kel’s hand. “Hey, we have you, okay?” she said with all the certainty she truly felt.

“She’s right,” Sal said, taking her other hand.

Kel nodded, even as she struggled to take in fuller breaths.

Sair’s eyes flicked to the readouts and she had been correct: her mother’s neurological responses were deteriorating rather quickly. It meant that her brain was having a hard time controlling her body and everything would begin to shut down. “You let me know what you feel you need.”

“I will. Not yet. But I am in some pain,” Kel said.

“I can give you something for that.” Sair moved over to grab a hypospray.

~Sair Songz, CNS