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Not-so-gentle saving Grace

Summary:

A ficlet about an Eridian space expedition to a "leaky moon" bringing back a new kind, and very feral, human. Someone stuck mid metamorphosis between man and something monstrous. An incident involving him and an Eridian surgeon brings out a very protective and intimidating side of Grace.

Notes:

Inspired by https://www.tumblr.com/dotstronaut/818071389496066048/they-were-just-trying-to-help-simon-this-is-my?source=share
I did my best to put to words what the art in this post shows. I added a few things here and there but tried to stay as close to the source material as possible. I hope you all enjoy!

Work Text:

       Grace ran through his bio-dome to the main entrance/exit the Eridians used whenever they came in to visit or do internal repairs. Rocky skittered after him as fast as his five legs could carry him. He'd come in a few minutes earlier doing his species equivalent to screaming.
“Space expedition found new human! A different kind of human! Badly hurt but being cared for by Grace's medical team! Currently in quarantine.”

       Grace could hear the chirps and hums from the Eridians outside of the bio-dome as they set up a tunnel to the much smaller dome they'd built for Grace before his new home was complete. They still kept it just in case Grace ever needed to leave his dome for whatever reason.

       A large blue Eridian, Doctor Lazuli as Grace called him when he was under his care. He was at the door the second it opened. His voice was much deeper than Rocky's and had more of a rumble to it. The doctor was speaking so fast that Grace could hardly understand him.

       “Found while the expedition was orbiting a very leaky moon that had fallen out of orbit from its dead planet. Liquid matches human blood exactly but is from an uncountable amount of humans. Was trapped in a metal vessel pulled up while the team was collecting samples. Inside was the new kind of human made from exposure to mutagens from the moon's blood, and radiation. New human has already gone through decontamination so he's no longer a radiation risk. The moon's blood was somehow turning him into something predatory but was stopped mid metamorphosis."

       Grace hardly heard any of it as he turned the corner where a whole plethora of Eridians from most of the science departments were gathered watching the new human being worked on. They made room for Grace who looked at the man on the medical table in horror and awe.
       The man had shoulder length black hair with a slight wave to it that was still damp from being washed. His face was a mangled mess of yellow pustules, splits in his normal skin that showed new bumpy and discolored skin growing underneath, the worst of it was the jagged teeth that grew out of his cheek with the skin underneath disintegrating to widen his mouth on that side.

       The medical team had just finished hooking him up to the heart monitor when his hand twitched. There was a short lived murmur that turned into screams as the man sat bolt upright. The monitor alarm blared as he ripped the wires off of his chest.
       “Please, stop!” One of the surgeons, a small olive green Eridian named Dori whistled. “You're going to hurt yourself!”
       The man looked at the little Eridian skittering towards him with a small syringe in one of their claws. The little surgeon heard the man's heartbeat speed up the second he saw them.
       “I know the needle is scary. Grace hates it too. But I promise that you'll hardly feel a thing. And the medicine inside will make you feel calm and relaxed.”
       The man's eyes widened in fear that quickly turned into aggression. He slammed down with as much force as he could with the shoulder of his torn off arm onto Dory. There was a loud crack followed by high pitched whistling screams. The syringe fell from their claws and rolled several feet away.

       Grace didn't think. He sprinted to the door and flung it open with enough force that it made a loud crack as it hit the protective wall. He tackled the man off of Dory with enough force to knock the wind out of the man. He quickly grabbed the syringe from the floor and uncapped it while the man was still stunned.
       Grace crouched over him. He held the man's bloody shoulder down with his free hand and raised the other to jam the needle into the man's uninjured arm. Said arm was raised in defense. For a split second Grace heard his own voice in the man's desperate pleas in a language that almost sounded like English. He swallowed any guilt he felt as he jabbed the needle into the man's arm. The man wailed something that Grace could barely recognize as “I don't want to die!” before his expression softened and his eyes closed.

       Without a word he lifted the unconscious man back onto the table and glared down at him. He then turned back and saw that Dory was outside of the bio-dome getting their front legs looked over. He heard the heavy steps of Doctor Lazuli behind him.
       “Do you have any restraints that could work on him?” Grace ignored the shock he felt when the words left his mouth. He heard an Eridian equivalent to a sigh.
       “It's already being worked on. I don't understand. Grace was never like this.”
       “It's in part due to me knowing none of you were going to hurt me thanks to Rocky.” Grace turned to follow Doctor Lazuli out of the dome. “I don't think he had that.”
       “He didn't.” Both looked over when they heard a small whimper and saw two other Eridians from the medical team help her walk. Grace felt his anger begin to rise. He calmed down a little when he felt Doctor Lazuli lean against his leg and felt the vibrations of the Eridian's hum.
       “Dory will be ok.”
       Grace nodded. He and Doctor Lazuli walked the rest of the way to his bio-dome in silence. Just as Grace was about to pass through the door when he felt a nudge from behind.
       “I'll send blood and tissue samples for you to study as soon as we can. For now, sleep. Rocky and Adrian are waiting for Grace. Don't make them wait.”
       Grace gave the doctor a soft smile. He heard the biome-door close as he started walking towards his house.