It’s been a few days now since I crashed on earth and I’ve become something like friends with Rick. His weird breed of plants tastes awful but my body seems to accept it. I’m also getting more and more used to the gravity, although I won’t ever be as adapted to it as the humans are.
And I won’t be able to fly here.
Rick comes over to my glassy home every day to chat for hours. He asks many questions about my planet, about space, about space travel and about other intelligent races. As I’m incredibly bored, I happily provide him with all the info he asks for. I don’t think he’ll pose a danger to my kind in the future.
”Does everyone have such pretty wings where you come from?” Rick asks. I chuckle.
”Pretty? I wish the available mating partners on my planet would have your appreciation for my wings. I wouldn’t have become a scientist if anyone had ever considered my wings pretty.”
”Ha! That sounds familiar. I never found a female who liked me much either. Guess we’re both not the most beautiful individuals.”
I join his laugh but suddenly start to cough and can’t stop. Gasping for air, I try to repress it but fail miserably. I just cough and cough. When I finally manage to stop, there’s blood on my hands. I look at it in shock.
”Fuck, are you alright?” Rick asks.
”I … I am not sure. I suddenly don’t feel so well.”
”Hold on, I’m coming in!”
While I sit down on the floor and try to breathe slowly and controlled, Rick puts on a special lab suit with an oxygen tank. He has been using that outfit to come in and bring me water and food the past few days but generally prefers to talk with me through the intercom, as it’s much more comfortable.
As I start coughing again, he finishes dressing up and comes in.
He says something but because of the fact that my translator is still integrated into the intercom system, I don’t understand him. But the sound of his voice is somewhat soothing and he gently places a hand on my head, probably trying to determine my temperature. The look on his face isn’t too optimistic.
Then, he pulls out some cotton swabs and gestures me to open my mouth. It feels weird when he drags the swab across the inner membrane of my mouth. Carefully, he places the sample in a container and heads back to the exit.
Outside, he starts talking to me again.
”I’m going to check if you contracted some kind of pathogen”, he says. ”Please have some patience, this is going to take a bit. And please don’t die in the meanwhile.”
I give him a weak smile.
”I’ll try.”
Some hours pass and my condition just gets worse and worse. My body feels like it’s trying to burn out whatever is causing my discomfort, making everything just worse. Finally, Rick returns with a worried expression on his face.
”It seems you got aspergillosis”, he says. ”Aspergillus is a kind of mold that’s very common on earth. A healthy human usually doesn’t get sick from it but especially immunocompromised people can’t fight it. I’m not sure how you contracted it but I’m not surprised your body can’t handle it. Your antibodies, if you even have any, don’t know what to do with it. You need special treatment as fast as possible.”
Despite the raging fever, I suddenly feel very cold.
”Can you give me that treatment?” I ask. As expected, Rick shakes his head.
”You need antifungal medication. Caspofungin or posaconazole or something else, maybe all of it. I’m not experienced enough in this field, I can’t help you. We need to move you somewhere else.”
”But where? Who could help me? Who would help me?”
Rick seems torn. He obviously has an idea but he doesn’t like it.
”There is a government facility a few kilometers from here”, he finally says. ”It’s secret, of course. I worked for them for years and when I retired they gifted me this land here so I could continue my personal research. They hoped I’d provide them with some breakthroughs for free, obviously.”
”And they could help?”
”I’m pretty sure they could. But I don’t think they would let you leave after. And they might experiment on you. It’s not safe.”
The violent cough returns and it’s even more blood this time.
”I’m afraid I don’t have much of a choice.”
Rick just nods.
”I’ll get you your helmet.”
Fascinating, how fast Rick can remove the translator from the intercom and put it back into my helmet. He seems to be very gifted with electronics. A mind like his would cause quite a buzz back at home.
He comes in and hands me my helmet, together with the air tank.
”I re-filled it for you. It should last long enough to get to the facility. We’re taking my car.”
The drive isn’t long but uncomfortable. I don’t know what kind of legal limitations humans have when it comes to vehicles but I’m sure Rick exceeds them all. I’m too sick to care. In fact, everything becomes more and more of a blur.
I feel how Rick lifts me out of the car and carries me somewhere. Voices around me. The sharp prick of a needle in my arm. Rick’s soft hand on my head.
”You’ll be fine”, he says. ”You’ll be fine.”
References:
Immune response to fungal infections
Immune defence against Candida fungal infections
Picture taken from pixabay.com
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