The galactics aboard the station were freaking out. The human was coughing, a lot, and wore a mask to cover their face. When asked what was wrong, they simply said "It's just a cold. I'm wearing this for your protection." Unfortunately, the medics were... overreacting a bit. -- Fighting Fit
It was a small station in the middle of nowhere, relatively speaking. There was only one Human on board as part of the regular staff. Most of life on the station was routine and the crew of OneHorse Station had become accustomed to Human Mak's odd little ways.
Well. Most of them.
This particular local morning[1] had Human Mak wearing a covering over the lower half of hir face. Ze was repeatedly making an odd barking sound and imbibing more fluids than usual.
Companion Zzol noticed first, and checked the Unified Human Calendar[2] just to make sure it wasn't something she hadn't heard of before. The second step was curious enquiry.
"Human Mak, is this a new fashion from home?" which was a logical conclusion, given that Humans changed their body decorations by mass whim.
"Naw, this is for all of y'all. Last stopover here gave me a virus, so I'm doing what I can to stop it spreading," more barking noises. "This keeps my ejecta becoming your problem."
"You are sick?"
"Yeah. Nothing that fluids and an easy work cycle won't solve. I'll be fine."
Zzol knew the Last Lie when she heard one. "No!" She stamped her foot. "You are putting down your work and coming with me to Medical. We shall be certain of your health."
"I'm fine," Mak grumbled as ze obeyed. "I just need t' take it easy f'r a--" bark bark bark, "li'l bit."
"I refuse to accept," insisted Zzol, all but dragging the much larger Mak to the medical bay, where Medik Syce had been reading up on interesting cases in their news feeds. There, Zzol announced, "Human Mak is sick and has uttered a Last Lie."
"Oh Powers," Mak mumbled, and began barking again. "It's just a cold. I'll be fine."
"You see?" said Zzol. "You see? That's a Last Lie if anyone's heard one."
"Quarantine," said Syce, pointing the way into the habitat. "We'll check your indicators and deliver everything you need. Including remote companionship. You're off duty until further notice. End of argument."
"Fine, but I'm gonna complain the entire time," Mak lurched into the quarantine booth and submitted to the regime. Half of it, ze endured while mostly asleep.
In the end, ze was right. It was a problem easily solved by lots of fluids and rest.
[1] Station and ship times are largely based on the times of the locality of their origin, since they generally lack a local star to make such things definite.
[2] A living document of assorted Human-centric holidays, which polities celebrate them, and which ones go extra about it. This is vitally necessary for any group who lives with Humans.
[Photo by Julia Kicova on Unsplash]
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