Psy (Alien Castaways #3) - Cara Bristol Page 0,35

his hand and nearly crushed his fingers in her grip. I am in control, and I am calm.

That’s right. Breathe. You’re doing fine. Just a little longer.

She squeezed her eyes shut as the bright beam shone in their faces. Moments later, the robotic arm swiveled out and delivered an injection into her arm.

She grunted. Ow!

It’s almost over. Just a few minutes of quarantine. Keep breathing.

The machine hummed again as it verified the treatment had worked. He could feel it had. Muscle stiffness, headache, fatigue—all were easing.

Minutes later the hatch rolled back. She scrambled out, and he followed.

Shadow squinted at the screen. “The mumps are gone. It worked.”

“What about her voice?” Psy asked.

“Um…you’d better see for yourself.”

Psy moved to the readout, and Cassie scooted close. What is it? What are all those symbols?

“It’s your full health status in the ’Topian language.” He shook his head, struggling to comprehend the unexpected results.

Her shoulders slumped dejectedly. I knew it! It didn’t fix me, did it? I’ll never be able to speak, will I?

How was he going to explain this to her? He hardly believed it himself, but the proof the med pod was compatible with human anatomy and physiology glowed on the screen—and stood beside him. The report said the contagion had been eliminated, and, through the mind link, he could feel she had recovered. The pod had healed her; therefore, everything else it reported was true as well.

Psy turned to face her. “You definitely had caught the mumps. According to the scan, you had no antibodies to the disease—so you were never vaccinated. However, the med unit treated you, and you now have full immunity. With respect to your vocal cords…there wasn’t any repair needed. Your vocal cords are normal and always have been. There is no physical reason you can’t speak.”

Chapter Fourteen

Cassie gaped in disbelief. Multiple doctors examined me. I have a congenital birth defect.

Psy’s brows pulled together in a grim line. No, you don’t.

The gibberish of symbols on the screen meant nothing to her. Not a single character resembled any letter of any alphabet she’d ever seen. Who can say what that says?

The ’Topian language is as clear to me as English is to you. The medical report is conclusive.

You said yourself the machine might not work on a human. The irony struck her—she argued against good news. But it couldn’t be true. If she were capable of speaking—she’d be talking!

The fact the med pod cured you proves it works.

She fingered her throat, no longer swollen and painful. Aches and pains had disappeared, too. She’d never felt healthier or more physically fit—but just because an alien medical machine had eradicated a viral infection didn’t mean it was right about her vocal cords.

Shadow cleared his throat. “Uh…I can tell from your expressions you have a conversation going on. If you don’t need me anymore, I’ll get working on finding the terms of the guardianship.”

“Thank you,” Psy said as Cassie nodded.

“I’ll need some basic information—your legal name, your mother’s name, the Earth province where the guardianship would have been awarded, your birthdate, and any other identifying factors.”

She pantomimed scribbling across her palm, wishing she hadn’t forgotten her notebook. She’d been so sick, she hadn’t been thinking straight.

“She needs paper and a pen,” Psy said.

“I’ll see what I can find.” He left.

She could hardly comprehend the stunning news. Could it be true? Doctors did make mistakes—one had misdiagnosed her as developmentally disabled. But, multiple physicians had agreed her vocal cords had failed to develop. They couldn’t all be wrong. Swinging her arms, she paced the floor. If the machine is right, why can’t I speak?

Could it be you never learned how?

How could I not learn how? All babies learn to speak. It’s automatic, natural.

Shadow returned with a long white strip. “I couldn’t find any paper, except for a grocery receipt. Can you use it?” He handed her a felt pen.

She turned it over and jotted the information on the blank side.

“Only your mother has legal guardianship? Not your father?” He eyed what she’d written.

She shook her head and instructed Psy, Tell him I never met my father. My mother was single when she got pregnant by a married man. He gave her money to go away.

That’s terrible!

She shrugged. I didn’t miss someone I never knew. In one vision, she’d caught a glimpse of a smiling green-eyed man with a five o’clock shadow. Could he have been her father? By then, she had been hiding her episodes, and Rosalie had been disinclined to discuss