Yem was in his quarters at GarZaCorp HQ when he got a summons to visit med bay. It was an annoying trip, the hallways in that area were narrower than the rest, forcing Yem to pause and turn sideways whenever someone needed to move past him. This older part of the station designed with smaller species in mind.
Med bay wasn't much better, Yem was always hunched over while sitting on the exam table or he would hit his head even with the table at the lowest setting. When he was asked to spread his arms, his fingertips could touch both walls.
Hileva set up the scan and waited, her three eyes locked on the monitor until the final beep. "Are you a good news first kind, or the bad?" The words weren't spoken aloud, Hileva didn't have a mouth, but the words were clear in Yem's mind, albeit with a slightly boring monotone.
"Bad."
"Your readings indicate your bone and muscle mass have both shrunk by nearly fifteen percent since your last physical, which was longer than the recommended one year gap between check ups."
"Sorry." Yem shrugged. "So, what shots or things do I need? I've got another run in a couple hours."
"Negative."
"What?"
"Your muscle and bone mass has dropped nearly fifteen percent."
Yem waited a moment before responding. "So what?"
"So it is too much of a drop for the safety requirements."
"Then fix it."
"You have a 90% chance to fix it, but it will not be in a few hours."
Yem sighed. "What do I have to do?"
"Physical therapy. The recommended program is on Planet 354-A or Ges. But if you prefer another program all you have to do is submit your request. Of they fulfill all-" Yem shook his head vigorously in order to drown out Hileva's voice.
"I will go to Ges. How long?"
"It should take approximately two weeks to rebuild your bone and muscle mass with the correct diet and exercise."
"Two weeks? You want to turn me into some kind of land lubber for two weeks! That's a huge chunk of the vacation I've been saving! And I bet it costs a fortune."
"You haven't heard the good news yet."
"Well what's the good news?"
"This treatment will be paid for by GarZaCorp, and your daily salary, and it will nit take any of your personal vacation time."
"Really?" Yem raised an eyebrow, though none of Hileva's eyes ever looked his way. "Then what is the catch? They gonna brainwash me or something?"
"This is a reward for your loyalty and diligence, as well as honoring your species wish to work until they have saved up enough time for a year leave of absence. You have your union chief to thank for that portion of the good news."
"Thanks." Finally those monthly dues may be worth it. "When do I leave?"
"GarZaCorp has arranged for a shuttle tomorrow after lunch service to bring you to therapy."
Word count: 499
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