Each human has their own fitness level. Don't judge all by the few you have met. And remember, everything in moderation, even getting into better shape. -- Anon Guest
Humans were supposed to be unstoppable. They were meant to be relentless. Witnessing one sitting and wheezing was alarming. The mobility aids were even more alarming. The exo-frame and the cane in combination made Kar initially believe this might be a low-grav Human adjusting to Standard Gravity. They were sitting on a bench and evidently in medical distress.
The frame only supported their legs and spine. Not their arms and head. The cough sounded like a large dog barking. It was the sickly sheen of their skin that gave Kar the final hint.
This was a Deregger expatriate.
"Are you in need of a Medik?" Kar asked. "I can call Central on your behalf."
Bark, bark, bark, wheeze. "I'm... under doctor's orders..." cough, bark, cough, cough. "To walk five kilodu's[1]... a day." Wheeze. "For my health."
"Is that a total through the day, or in addition to your normal movements?" Kar asked.
They fished for medication, checked their chrono, and counted down some seconds before taking it. This gave the poor deregger enough time to consider Kar's question. "Oh. Oh dear. I... think..." cough cough, "I might need that Medik after all."
Kor at least got their first name - Min - and gave the location of the bench to Medik central along with the details of Min's visible symptoms. It didn't take long for the ERT's to arrive with Min's assigned Medik.
"I told you that you're allowed to call with questions," said the exasperated Medik Splynt on arrival. "Why did you think you had to tough this out?" All this while administering medication and checking Min's vital signs.
"I didn't want to be a bother?" squeaked Min. "I know you're busy and... I might be wasting your tax money."
Kor and Splynt shared an eye-roll. Dereggers...
[1] Kilodu - One thousand Standard Distance Units. Roughly equivalent to a kilometer.
[Photo by Paul Pascale on Unsplash]
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