This doesn’t make any sense to me, but she’s annoyed with my confusion and makes a sound of frustration, then leaves my small room.

I’m still coughing up a storm, but it’s getting better. I look over at my bedfellow. He’s unconscious and coughing as well. As I try to calm myself and hope he doesn’t die, my mind runs a bit delirious, and I can’t help but smile at the fright he’s going to have when he wakes up next to an alien. After about an hour, my curiosity gets the better of me, and I get out of bed to stand over him.

I know that just like on Earth, these Silvers have a modesty culture, so I’m reluctant to remove too much of his clothing which is a silver and black uniform like everyone else’s that was taken from the transport. I do take the initiative to undo his tight collar and check for any wounds through his clothing. Thankfully, his body seems fine, and I can’t help but notice he’s in excellent physical condition. He’s not like the other Silver farmworkers that are slim and wiry from a life of malnutrition and backbreaking work. This Silver has had good food his entire life and must exercise every day as his whole body seems to be pure, beautiful muscle.

I finally inspect his head gently. He has blonde, almost white hair like all the Silvers do, but then I notice he’s bleeding. His blood is a blueish purple, and I look at it on my hand. It has the same consistency as human blood. I bring my fingers up to my nose, and the blood also smells like copper. I wonder how genetically different these Silvers are from humans. I wish the doctor weren’t a psychopath so I could ask him, but he’s the last person I want to see. I would rather have my fate tied to this stranger than owe the doctor anything.

I’m brought out of my thoughts by the male below me stirring. As I’m supposed to be caring for him, I say in my broken alien language, “You are safe.”

He opens his sharp blue eyes and tries to speak but ends up coughing instead, which brings more blood from his head all over the pillow. I give him some of my juice, but he’s coughing so much I don’t know how much he drinks. It seems like most of it has gone all over him and the old yellow bedsheets.

I’m not sure what to do. I rub my hand across his forehead like a human nurse would do and say again, as comfortingly as I can, “You are safe.”

The Silver male looks up at me but doesn’t try to speak again. After a while, he closes his eyes.

Either he has passed out or gone to sleep. I hope it’s the latter. I continue stroking his head like a nurse and saying softly, “Sleep. You are safe.”

When his breathing becomes slow, and even I stop stroking his forehead and go in search of one of the Silver female farmers. When I find one, I say, “Male in my bed. His head broken. I need…” then make what I hope is a gesture for medicine and some kind of bandage.”