Mama and the Alien Warrior (Treasured By The Alien #1) - Honey Phillips Page 0,60

well, Mekoi,” Hrebec ordered.

“Of course. They are my patients.”

“I will escort you,” Hrebec said.

“But the girls…” Abby protested.

“They are fine with Pravit. I will escort you and make sure that conditions are satisfactory. Then I will return to the ship.”

“Thank you.” She couldn’t help but be glad that she wouldn’t be alone on a strange planet.

Hrebec’s communicator beeped, and he checked the message.

“They are sending transport for the females. I will meet them at the landing ramp.” He stepped closer and lifted her chin. “Do not worry, Abigail. They will have the best of care.”

He pressed his lips to hers, just a brief touch, and then he strode away.

Chapter Twenty-Six

When Hrebec returned, a small group of Trevelorians accompanied him. Abby did her best not to stare, but she hadn’t expected such obviously birdlike aliens. A crest of brightly colored feathers covered their heads and ran down across their shoulders. Their arms also were covered with feathers, much like wings, although they wouldn’t have supported the plump bodies that hopped along on twiggy little legs.

The lead Trevelorian stopped and bowed to Abby. “I am L’chong Sardma, Chief Medic of the Wiang Birthing Center. Thank you for allowing us to render assistance.”

“Thank you,” she managed, but looking at his alien features, she wondered how much he could know about human births.

Something in her expression must have given away her concern, because he bowed a second time, his beaked nose quivering. “Do not worry. We have assisted with many births from many species.”

“Oh, yes, of course. I’m sure you’re… qualified,” she said quickly.

The thin lips twisted and small black eyes twinkled at her. “You do not believe so presently, but you will see.”

With swift efficiency, he reviewed their cases with Mekoi and arranged for Amber and Molly to be placed on the floating stretchers that he had brought with him.

Ribel stood next to Molly’s stretcher, his jaw clenched. “I’m not leaving her.”

“You may come,” L’chong said.

Amber begged TeShawna to come as well, and after making sure that Cassie and Inzen could take care of Vanessa as well as Angel and Lily, she agreed.

As they followed the stretchers, TeShawna edged closer to Abby. “Never thought I’d end up on an alien planet. What you think it’ll be like?”

“It didn’t seem that different from space,” Abby said.

Although she was a little nervous herself, Hrebec was on her other side, and she knew he’d never let anything happen to her.

But when they stepped outside the ship, she realized that the view from space had been deceiving. This place was nothing like Earth.

The sky overhead was blue, but not the familiar Earth blue; instead, it was a brilliant turquoise. The trees were more like incredibly tall grasses, multi-trunked and swaying gently in the soft breeze, and in an array of colors that, again, were not like Earth colors. Overhead, she could see swarms of brightly colored birds or insects flying in dancing patterns across the sky.

“It’s… beautiful,” she said.

L’chong bowed. “Thank you. Trevelor is a hospitable planet.”

They were all loaded into a bus-like ambulance, but unlike Earth ambulances, it had a ring of windows through which they could see their surroundings. The attendants fastened the stretchers into place and monitors began emitting a stream of data, none of which Abby could read. She hoped that the fact that no alarms were sounding was a good sign. Looking back through the windows, Abby noticed a vehicle emerging from the ship with several Cires onboard.

L’chong saw it too and smiled at Hrebec. “Once a warrior, always a warrior?”

“How did you know?” Hrebec demanded.

The medic shrugged. “As I said, we have treated many kinds of people here.”

“Have you treated Cires before?”

L’chong gave him a considering look as the ambulance accelerated smoothly. “I suspect you are here because you are aware of that. However, I would never breach a patient’s confidentiality.”

“I see,” Hrebec said grimly.

As they moved away from the landing area and into the city proper, Abby watched in fascination. The buildings were painted in an eye-catching display of bright colors that should have clashed but somehow managed to combine into a harmonious whole. The smaller ones, apparently residential, were topped with thatched roofs, and she had the sudden urge to giggle as she realized that they reminded her of birdhouses.

The ambulance pulled up in front of a long, low building that was painted in shades of pink. As Abby followed the stretchers inside, she just had time to notice that the building was surrounded by an abundance of flowering