Chapter Text
Aboard the Hail Mary, it’s about a week since Mary and Rocky met. They’ve gotten simple sentences down, greetings, emotions. Basics though.
So when Rocky sees blood in the crotch of Grace’s sweatpants, he starts freaking out. Not Eridian speech just general yelling, it sounds like a very angry wind chime.
Ryland feels the uncomfortable wetness, he grimaces knowing exactly what it is. He was trying to ignore it and get on with translating, now Rocky notices he has no choice but to deal with it. He groans at the Alien who’s rolling towards him in his carapace, bumping his chair.
”I’m fine, bathroom. Remember that?”
”Grace stupid, Grace hurt. Statement.”
”I’m not hurt, just give me a second okay?”
Ryland gets up and walks out the lab door, Rocky follows worried. He tried to close the door but Rocky starts up the worried noises again, he leaves a door stopper in. Just a crack open, Rocky grumbles, stomping anxiously maybe impatiently around the hallway outside.
He Shouts out to Mary.
”Mary! Can you get Armando to get a thing of pads for me? The night ones, they’re in my bathroom!”
They answer with a ‘mhm’ then he can hear far away whirs. The noises from Rocky have stopped.
“what is pad?, question.”
Oh god.
”it’s to.. catch blood? Humans sometimes bleed, I’m one that does. Usually I take medicine, pills everyday. Fucking forgot to take them on time and.. yeah.”
”why do you bleed? Grace said only bleed if hurt. Question.”
”Well yeah, it DOES hurt but there isn’t an injury, like.. remember when I got that stomachache when I wasn’t eating? When I was trying to translate more stuff so I can understand you.”
”If solution for that was eating, what solution for this? Question?”
”Pads, food, painkillers.. it depends on the person really. I’m going to have change, my pants are ruined..”
”Can help? Question?”
”you want to.. grab me new underwear and pants? Really?”
”be back, statement.”
Then the telltale sound of Rocky rolling down the hallway, bumping into various things.
Armando hits the door open slightly to throw the packet of pads into the room and retreats, Ryland sighs and sits on the toilet finally taking the clothes off. In his boxers sits various clots, he groans. Tugging them off and putting them into a wash basket next to the toilet. When he goes to the toilet it hurts, a lot. Somehow that is what causes the cramps to come, they’re sudden, sharp. For ten seconds then stops to a dull throbbing, he hears Rocky’s carapace again, the throws in black boxers and orange sweatpants. He opens the pad, securing it in his boxers, pulling them up then sweatpants. He flushes and exits. Rocky is standing right in front of the door. He quickly rolls back.
”Grace okay? No blood? Medicine? Question?”
“I’m fine, no more blood.. on my clothes anyway.”
“Still leaking? Question?”
”the pad catches the blood, it doesn’t stop it from happening. It’s just so my clothes don’t get ruined or dirty..”
He retreats to the lab, taking two ibuprofen and lying on the sofa Ava thought of putting there- or one of the designers. Whatever. He curls up hugging a throw pillow.
”why grace lying down? Sleeping? Question?”
”hurts, this helps.”
”what else helps, question?”
”Um, it doesn’t- Rocky just go and do whatever you were doing okay? I’m not dying, I’ll be fine.”
”Human nest, statement.”
”my bed?”
”Yes, statement.”
A wave of pain rolls over his body, he curls tighter and yelps. Rocky chirps loudly, Mary’s voice comes over the speakers.
”you need to get into bed grace, you are not well.”
”I Would but I can’t fucking move Mary.”
He answers through gritted teeth, Ryland rolls to his other side making the pain worse. He ends up on his back, muttering curses. Armando ushers him up, he’s in a deep slouch groaning all the way. He feels like crushing something with his hands, all this because he can’t remember his stupid medicine he’s been taking for years. Rocky follows behind, practically on his heels he’s been silent. This isn’t usual for Rocky unless he’s busy with something, it’s oddly comforting to have 100% of the aliens attention, he feels very vulnerable though.
Grace slips off his bunny slippers outside the door, the floor inside is carpeted, extremely soft. He stumbles to his bed falling into it.
Oh shit, he’s still in his shirt and binder. Ryland gets under the blanket for a moment to yank off both items and throws them at the wall next to the door. He gets back out, the duvet covering his chest.
The bed is a twin size, headboard, side and back against the walls. Piled with pillows, he hasn’t bothered with and of the fancy cases so the blanket, pillows and bottom sheet are crème. The pillows are stacked in a way which makes it look oddly like a nest to be fair to Rocky, who chooses this moment to come in Rylands bedroom. Rocky has a ramp to get into the bed, since he can’t bear to be away from Grace when he sleeps. At least the pillows keep Rocky from scratching up the walls.
Ryland pulls the duvet up, turning to cuddle a long thick pillow.
Rockys voice comes over the translator.
”Mary, we need pain medicine. Statement.”
Grace groans, giving Rocky a thumbs down tiredly. Squeezing his pillow and stuffs his face into the cool case, Rocky comes closer, knocking Rylands upper thigh. He chirps softly, like a bird trying to soothe their chick.
“Rocky, what the fuck are you doing.”
His voice is muffled, still stuffed into the pillow. There’s an angry chime.
”soothing, is this not soothing, Question? You should be soothed, statement. I listened to audio Mary play, animal make noises to other animal when they are in pain to show concern, Statement.”
He feels like a dick now, he drags a hand down his face.
”you can just say you’re concerned, but thank you Rocky. All I want right now is.. that medicine and to stay in here and watch a movie I’ll inevitably fall asleep to.”
”Good plan, statement.”
Rocky curls up next to Grace in his carapace while Ryland cocoons himself up, both in their personal safe atmosphere. When gets hit with another set of cramps Rocky chimes anyway, it helps, a little bit. Armando throw a bottle of pills on the bed, Grace takes two putting the bottle on the floor on the only available side of the bed. He curls up cuddling his pillow as some movie drones on, he closes his eyes.