The lights were too bright. Een's body told him it was night and Serjeh's dwelling should have been pleasantly dim by now. Serjeh was beside him, his arm wrapped over Een's chest, his scent comforting and familiar. But everything else was wrong. Steel and antiseptic, this room smelled more like a space station. Had they taken a shuttle off-planet? No. That didn't sound right.
Humans moved about the room, purposeful, nearly silent, the purpose of their hurried movements a mystery. One of them was familiar. He remembered that one. Her? Did he recall Serjeh speaking of this person using the female pronoun? Yes. Her. Dr. Franks. She had spoken to him about the mechanics of mating. A scientist, he was certain. He was happy to discuss differences in reproductive biology…
Wait, no. Serjeh had brought him to a medical facility. Dr. Franks was trying to discover a way to save him. He remembered. But remembering was so difficult.
Serjeh sat up beside him now, speaking softly. Struggling to focus on his words, Een lifted a hand to stroke Serjeh's face. "Slow. I don't understand."
"Dr. Franks has…this is hard to say." Serjeh closed his eyes tight. They were wet when he reopened them. "Your mates, their bodies are here in this building. They were frozen. Preserved, right? Dr. Franks hopes they've been able to get the right…parts for you. The seed, I guess. And the…the spores. So with them you can pollinate. Maybe."
Een hummed a bit, thinking that over. He wished his Aal and his Laiin were there to hold him. Then he could. Without hesitation. Perhaps, though, just perhaps, he could do this last thing for them. Mate one last time in absentia, without chemical prophylactic interference that would prevent the gametes from joining.
"I will try."
"That's all we can ask." Serjeh performed that odd ritual where he touched his mouth to Een's, but this time it was comforting. Simply another way Serjeh showed how he cared. "They're going to put both on your chest. I know that can't be quite…right. I'll help you any way I can."
"I know. Serjeh. Lie down with me."
No, it wasn't right. Laiin should be nestled close on one side, Aal on the other, stroking him, nuzzling at him. Aal's pleasure came first, as was proper. His spores were the catalyst to release Laiin's seed, and ultimately, Een's pollen. Serge lay beside him, at least. Though his body was too warm and smooth, his hands were gentle and soothed some of Een's worry.
"The spores first, Een?" Dr. Franks was asking. She might have said it more than once. It was difficult to concentrate through the pain.
"Yes. Aal. His name was Aal. His spores." Een moved Serjeh's hand up from his chest. "Serjeh, like before. What we did."
Serjeh understood and began stroking the tender lim, nestling closer when Een slid an arm around him. With gloved hands, Dr. Franks placed a cake of some organic substance on his chest, and from the scent it was saturated with Aal's spores. Een's lim waved and yearned toward it, picking up the particulates, the uniquely flavored molecules that had been Aal, his bright, clever Aal.
"That's it," Serjeh encouraged softly. "You can do this."
Keening notes rose from Een's throat, mourning his mate even as he reveled in this strange, disjointed reunion. Then, oh, then, Dr. Franks placed the seed on his chest, the scent opening a flood of memories, of Laiin, fearless and strong, who had kept them safe, who had led them through every crisis. Laiin…Laiin and Aal. His every cell cried out for them in desperate longing, his need so great he felt as if he might fly apart. But then Serjeh moved closer, his scent mingling with those Een had lost. Serjeh, Serjeh, holding him here, striving to keep Een together. His need for Serjeh was just as great, major cadences soothing over the minor.
"I've got you," Serjeh whispered, both hands stroking his lim. "I've got you. Let go, Een. It'll be all right now."
The need rose to a shriek, his lim stiffening, all pointing down toward his chest. He cried out, in agony, in pleasure, in a devastating mingling of grief and joy. His lim released their pollen in sticky violet strings, raining down on his chest to cover both Laiin's seed and Aal's spore cake, mingling the three as they were meant to.
He knew he whimpered, fading in and out of consciousness, Serjeh still beside him, murmuring comforting words, his line back to the light. Couldn't sleep. Not yet.
"Serjeh, help me," Een whispered, gesturing that he wanted to sit up to see. It seemed too much to hope for but, yes, the gametes were bonding, forming the pod as his pollen hardened around the seed. "It needs…I need…"
"What do we need to do?" Serjeh asked, pointing to the pod. "The…is this an Aalana young person now?"
"Water. For young." Een tried for words. "To…to be in."
"We need a container? With water for it to float in?"
Een nodded and lay back again, exhausted. "It…germinates now." He recalled that word from reading about the holly's reproduction. "Please. It must be soon."
With swift gestures, Dr. Franks sent younger humans scurrying and one brought a container of water with room for the pod to grow and a lid with regularly spaced circular openings. Whether this planet's water was suitable or not, Een had no way to know. But he couldn't simply let the youngling die, the only youngling he and Aal and Laiin would ever have since Een was certain he wouldn't survive the night. Serjeh helped him since his hands shook so badly and together they secured the pod within the container, floating just beneath the surface, confirmation that the pod was viable. If it had sunk like a stone, any hope of it developing would have been crushed. The youngling would require mineral supplements and light, and he told Serjeh so, but for now, it was safe.
"Thank you," he murmured to Serjeh. "Thank you. I am…tired."
Serjeh smiled for him. "Go to sleep, then. I'll be here. Me and the baby."