Orik gently carried Jada to his home, trying not to move her too much, fearful of opening up her wounds. He knew that she wasn't his mate. All he knew was that someone needed to prevent her from being experimented on, and since her mate rejected her, someone had to take his place. He chose to be the one to do it. It helped that he was drawn to her.

It had impressed him that she sacrificed herself to save the others she was with. It told him that she was a very caring and honorable person. She didn't deserve to be experimented on. She had been through enough.

Many of those in the clinic had asked him if she was his mate. All he could think of was to tell them that her mate rejected her, and he claimed her. It was the only way to protect her. It was the truth, just not all the truth.

Opening the door to his small dwelling, he carried Jada inside, carefully setting her on the bed. "Are you hungry?" he asked her.

Her stomach growled in response. She giggled softly. "Yes," she told him quietly. Her voice was still subdued from the injection that Medic Kaul had given her to keep her in place. It made it difficult to speak above a whisper. She felt that the injection she was given was cruel. She never wanted to experience such helplessness again. Ever.

Orik went to the small kitchen and found a cream soup for her to eat using the replicator. It was from the human food menu. He had tried it before and enjoyed it. He hoped that she would as well.

Pulling a small table next to the bed, he set the bowl of soup down with some soft crackers. He figured she could dunk them in her soup if she wanted to soften them up. The medic told him to only give her soups, preferably cream soup, due to the nutritional value. He said that it would strengthen her faster due to the nutrition.

"This is called 'cream of mushroom,'" he told her. "Council Leader Vorik has been programming human food into the replicators. His mate has been giving him a list. This was one of them," he explained. "Do you need help to eat? Do I need to feed you?" He was worried that her injuries and the injection Medic Kaul gave her would weaken her enough that she couldn't feed herself.

Jade picked up the spoon, only to drop it back down immediately. Because of the injection, she wasn't even strong enough to hold the spoon. For someone who normally had enhanced strength, it was devastating. "Yes," she told him quietly. "I can't hold anything yet."

Orik picked up the spoon and filled it with some soup, blowing on it to cool it down before giving her the spoonful of cooled soup. He watched as she moaned in pleasure. It appeared she enjoyed the cream soup. Her enjoyment made him smile.

"You like the mushroom soup?" he asked, smiling. It was more that he had chosen well than the fact that she enjoyed it.

Jade nodded, smiling as best as she could. He fed her all the soup, even dipping the crackers in it to soften them for her. She ate all of it.

"Thank you," she told him quietly. "For helping me. I was afraid the medic was going to experiment on me." She wanted to clarify which help she was referring to. She was grateful for all the help he gave her, but keeping her safe from the medic was the main thing she was thankful for.

Orik nodded. "I couldn't let that happen. I must confess that they believe that you are my mate. You are not. At least, I don't think you are, anyway." He wasn't sure. He was drawn to her for some reason, but didn't think it was for them being each other's mates. He wasn't sure.

"I don't think so either. I know you worded things to mislead. I'm grateful. I normally wouldn't condone something like that, but I think it was for the best," she told him quietly. Something about him drew her in, but she didn't want to tell him that. She didn't want to get his hopes up. She wondered if, after a while, a mating bond would form.

Orik, relieved that she understood, smiled. "I'm glad you understand. I have to tell you that they will take you away if they find out otherwise. I don't want them to find an excuse to experiment on you without your permission. When you are healthy enough, we can figure out what to do from there. In the meantime. Anytime someone comes here that you don't know personally, you may want to stay close to me."

Jada nodded. "I understand." Unless it turned out to be one of her cousins, she would stay close to him. She didn't think she really knew anyone else in the dome. Except, of course, for those she led here.

"Are you still hungry? Do you want more soup?" he asked her, smiling.

Jada nodded, her eyes lighting up. "Yes, please." She watched him as he left to retrieve her more. She smiled. She liked Orik. She liked him a lot.

Orik immediately got her more cream soup from the replicator. Once she was done with her second bowl, then the third, she rubbed her stomach. "I'm stuffed," she giggled softly. "I haven't eaten in a couple of days. Travis tried to feed us that nasty, demented stew. I refused."

Orik nodded in understanding. He didn't particularly want to know any more about the stew. He heard about it. The entire subject made him sick. It was disgusting to think they would attempt to eat their flesh.

Orik attempted to change the subject. "Now we need to figure out how to give you a bath without getting your wounds wet," he told her. "Unless you don't want one yet."

"I want one. I'm pretty sure I smell, so yeah, I want one," she told him. Her voice was rough as she struggled to get volume into her voice. She was doing a little better. She wasn't sure if it was the soup, the passing time, or both.

Orik went into the bathroom and set up the bathtub. He set a row of cleaning products that he thought she would like, as well as a clean gown. It opened in a way to maintain privacy when Kaul came to check her bandages. Once he was ready, he came in to get her.

Picking her up gently, he walked her to the tub and set her on the bench inside the water. He had put a box on the bench to raise her high enough to keep the wounds out of the water.

He quickly undressed and got into the water with her. She blushed at seeing him naked.

"I won't touch you without your permission," Orik assured her before gently pulling off the gown that Kaul had dressed her in, then looking at the bandages. "We will have to be careful around those. The bandage on your shoulder will be easy, but not the one on your side."

Still blushing, she nodded, covering herself with her hands. She wasn't used to being naked around men. Orik ignored her gesture, trying to make her comfortable. Soaping up two washcloths, he handed her one. "Do you have the strength to hold this?" he asked. He wanted to give her a chance to try so she would be more comfortable.

She tried, but it fell, Orik catching it before it hit the water. Gently, he cleaned her and carefully washed her hair. He maintained as much privacy for her as best as he could. She didn't have the strength to hold anything, so he had no choice but to do it for her. Once he finished, he carefully picked her up and took her out of the water, drying her off and dressing her in the gown he had brought in for her, then dressed himself.

Once he was done making sure she was cleaned and ready, he took her back to the bed. "You will sleep in the bed. I will make a bed on the floor," he told her. "If you need me or want something during the night or need help to relieve yourself in the bathroom, wake me up. Okay?"

Jada nodded and watched him make up a bed on the floor. "Orik?" she called as best as she could.

Orik looked up, wondering what she needed. "Do you need something more?" he asked her, smiling.

Jada shook her head slowly. "Thank you for helping me," she told him. "I appreciate your kindness and for not calling me an 'it' as they did in the clinic."

Orik, touched by her words, got up and kissed her forehead. "You are not an 'it,'" he told her. "Sleep well."

Jada just nodded, then closed her eyes, falling asleep quickly.

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