Colonies of U'u'kata

Chapter 16 - An Understanding of Insects

"Yeah. Thanks. I know that," she bit out.

Behind them, Xal-ii and Thenta were speaking in low tones she couldn't make out and she suddenly felt very alone... alone with Kovich.

"What do you want?" she demanded when he didn't go away.

"I'm sorry for what happened to you in the camp, Cali," he said softly.

She swallowed hard and licked her lips, holding herself tighter as the memory of hanging painfully from that pole for what felt like hours flooded into her head and she felt her heartbeat speed up as her chest tightened. If she hadn't been holding onto herself, her hands would be trembling. She stepped away from him, closer to the wall. There was nowhere else to go.

"We may be stuck together for some time, Cali. Hating me is going to make that harder. I don't expect you to like me, but we need to—"

"I don't hate you," she said, her voice a whisper. "I just can't look at you without remembering..." her voice cut off as the memory of being bound and looking up at all the cruel faces with metallic eyes staring down at her, talking about the terrible things they planned to do. She'd never been so scared in her life.

"I understand," he rumbled.

Cali took a deep breath and slowly turned around.

Kovich towered over her and the room suddenly felt darker, closed in, trapped. Her eyes darted, looking for escape as her chest heaved, tiny breaths that halted somewhere halfway into her lungs and left her ears oddly ringing. Suddenly, she was plunging into the cold water as it heaved with the force of the massive creature moving beneath her. Her head came up and she heard screams and smashing sounds and then she was in the dark, hanging in that tent...

Kovich took a step back and put his hands up as he crouched, and looked into her face.

"Oh, Cali. It's okay. You're safe. No one is going to hurt you here. I was never going to let anyone hurt you."

It didn't matter. His words didn't matter. Her vision was going dark around the edges and she couldn't breath. Her back pressed against the wall and she grabbed the collar of her shirt and pulled at it to get it away from her throat because it was strangling the life out of her...

***

Kovich backed up another step as Cali panicked. He knew her mind was taking her to dark places. He'd seen enough battle sickness, and survivors of trauma recognize this for what it was.

"What's going on?" Thenta asked, coming up beside him.

"I think everything that's happened in the last few days just caught up with her," Kovich said, glancing around the little cavern. His eyes fell upon the wounded Tilith and he said, "Perfect."

"What—what are you doing?" Xal-ii demanded as Kovich dragged him to his feet and hustled him to where Cali was on her knees, hyperventilating, eyes wide and fixed on nothing.

"Bugs. She likes bugs. See any bugs?" Thenta asked looking about. Kovich rolled his eyes. Thenta was one of the smartest people he knew but he could still be dense as a wall sometimes.

"She doesn't need bugs, Then," he growled as he pushed on Xal-ii's shoulder, forcing him to the ground despite his questions and protests.

"What are you doing? I don't know what to do for her. Ow! Stop!"

"Cali," Kovich rumbed. "You are the only person who understands insects. Xal-ii's wing is injured and his wings are like a bitterfly's. Have you seen those? With the lacy wings? Can you look at his wing? Maybe you can help him. He needs help."