H: Taking advantage, after long resisting the idea, of their friend's offer, they quietly go into their companion's quarters and crawl in the giant, pillow-filled, nest next to them.
A: Startled, but speaking softly with a tired tone "Hey! What's going on?"
H: "I can't sleep, I had another bad dream, can I stay here tonight?"
A: Gently spoken they smile. "Sure, no problem, I said you could before, didn't I?"
H: "Yeah you did, but I didn't want to bother you."
A: "Hey, we're friends, remember?"
The human falls to sleep, the companion dozing soon after, and after a few nights of this, the nightmares start going away. -- Anon Guest
Another fun-filled night in the lengthy occupation of Deregger Rehab. Rescues, escapees, or abductions by the kind of ships who didn't want to wait for a Ships' Human via legal means[1]. There was a lot of material on how to heal a broken Human.
This was just one of the many options available. Sleeping beside the Companion, so that they have company in the night. Some Humans did not trust that easily, and Human Sal was one of them.
Having her crawl into Companion Rask's nest was a momentous step forward. Rask would not betray that trust by doing anything they didn't want, so they offered a spare blanket and tucked themself in where they wouldn't drift towards Sal in their sleep.
Choosing a position where anything else would wake them up was a bonus.
Rask was a light sleeper, and woke from near-dreams at every sound that Sal made. It was going to be a long day, hence, but that was the price a Companion paid for trust bonding.
Given that many Deregger Rescues were children, it was hardly surprising that much of the advice paralleled Parenting Lessons.
Sometimes, all a Human needs is something to watch over them while they sleep.
Somehow, Human Sal managed to sneak out of the nest without waking Rask. At least until the smell of cooking delicacies alerted them to the facts.
One: Humans were apex predators, and perfectly capable of sneaking up on their prey.
Two: Human Sal had enough muscle tone to easily kill Rask and anyone else on board.
Three: She chose not to.
Four: Even if she messed it up, this was going to be the most delicious breakfast of all time.
Human Sal was laying out a spread of Rask's favourite foods. Printed ingredients, but artisanally cooked.
"Good morning, sleepyhead," chirped Human Sal. "I've never seen you eat breakfast, so I made you some of your favourites. I called ahead to Ships' Duties and let them know I gave you a rough night. What's your morning stimulant?"
Rask watched carefully as Sal moved one offering from pan to plate. It was the subtle tremula that gave it all away. This was a peace offering. Human Sal had come from a realm where domestic abuse was normal.
"I usually have a mug of half Teskin Nectar and half Velloth milk. Gently warmed. Thank you." It was now Rask's job to appear as nonviolent as possible. No threat signals at all. Not hard, given that they were halfway ready to crawl back to bed. "This is impressive art," they said. "I did not know you knew how to cook."
"...had to," Sal was shaking as she busied herself with the beverage. "Women's work. And I ate everything that was unsatisfactory."
Which may have been an entire feast like this one. "How odd," said Rask. "It is my custom to share food with those close to me. Will you help me with my food?"
It would do her no harm. Indeed, it may yet break her old associations.
But carefully. Always carefully.
[1] There's always someone who thinks they're a special snowflake for whom the rules do not apply.
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / michaeljung]
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