“He is… really quiet, isn’t he?”
Teekay and Enkay sat at the table, delicately sipping their frozen ice cream smoothies, while they watched Elkay drift about the kitchen. The three of them had initially planned to go out for a fast food meal, but Elkay had changed his mind at the last minute, claiming that he didn’t want to go outside today.
“More so than usual, actually…” Teekay muttered, turning his attention to the vok in the kitchen. “Elkay, is something bothering you?”
“Yes, but it is not a discussion for now.”
“I can go outside if you need to talk now?” Enkay suggested, getting ready to leave his seat. “I don’t mind.”
“No, it is fine…” Elkay grunted, flicking slices of thin, smoked meat across a frying pan.
Enkay glanced at Teekay in a “I want to help” sort of way. Teekay rolled his eyes, then turned back to Elkay.
“Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it now?”
Elkay shook his head, continuing with his cooking. He couldn’t quite remember what he had planned to make and was just making things up as he went along.
“What’s bothering you?”
Suddenly, Elkay threw down the plastic spatula he was holding, making both Enkay and Teekay jump just a little.
“I DO NOT KNOW! I do not know… I wish I did know what was wrong… I know I have my identity issues… But over the last week, all this… trying to settle in…” Elkay’s shoulders dropped He stopped talking and started clearing up the mess he’d made. As he did so, he spotted a lump of pastry wrapped up in clear film and sighed. “I cannot even remember what I am doing properly…”
Enkay got up from his seat, despite Teekay’s silent protests, and wandered over towards Elkay, being as friendly as could be. He put a hand on Elkay’s shoulder, pausing to admire the strange Rethan’s amazing muscles, and attempted to talk to him.
“You’re not doing well, are you? Do you want to talk, get it all out?”
Elkay shook Enkay’s hand away, going back to the cooking he was supposed to have been doing. “I do not even know you.”
“You don’t really know yourself, do you, Elkay? You’re having memory issues.”
Elkay hesitantly nodded. “Yes… I am… My body is changing, reacting… adapting…”
Enkay glanced at Teekay, not sure what Elkay was talking about.
“Dear, is this because of what-”
“Yes. Yes it is!” Elkay snapped slightly. “Teekay, I am physically and mentally a mess! It is as if I am slowly changing into a Skyavok!”
Again, Enkay glanced at Teekay, not sure what was going on.
“Do you… want me…”
“No…” Elkay rubbed his eyes, sighing. “You just do not know… sounds ludicrous when said out loud, but the Allbirther… cursed me with the ability to adapt to new environments. So here I am, adapting to this new environment… and it is messing with my mind and my emotions…”
“So you… are turning into one of us?” Enkay asked.
“Yes…”
Enkay turned to Teekay, who was shaking his head. Elkay grunted then went back to cooking, almost as if nothing had happened.
“Have you taken him to a hospital?”
“I did and they said he was fine. Physically at least. But we’ve had no luck finding a therapist who can… well, it’s not something you can openly talk about.”
“I get that, but I think he needs help.”
“I know, and I’ve been looking into it…” Teekay sighed as he and Enkay headed back to the tabke. “I don’t think anyvok can help him though. A deity did this to him, a deity has to fix it…”
“I guess…”
Suddenly, three plates arrived on the table. Elkay stood above them both, teeth bared in that strange, ever so slightly threatening Rethan smile of his. The stress he had shown mere minutes ago had completely faded away.
“Dinner is ready!”
Enkay eyed Teekay. Teekay eyed him back, then tutted and relented.
“Fine. But not today. Tomorrow.”