I can't sleep well no matter what I do. Even medicine doesn't help half the time. Can you please help me think of a way to get some rest? -- Anon Guest
Companion Throk could clearly see the shadows under Human Zyr's eyes. She could detect the slump in Zyr's shoulders and the slowness of their movements. She was worried. "Human Zyr... are you suffering another sickness?"
"No, I just had a rough night. I'm having trouble getting settled down, and when I do settle down, I have trouble staying asleep. It's awful."
Throk was instantly alarmed. "This is not acceptable. For good health, response time, and efficacy, you must have adequate rest. You must have extra rest time assigned at once."
Zyr reached out to prevent Throk from composing a message on her datareader comms. "No, it's all right. I just need to get used to the new environment. I'll be fine. You guys need me."
Throk knew better that to protest that the crew were not all male. This was the gender-vague use of 'guys'. "We also need you to be at your best," she said. "That requires full health in all indicators." She then said the three little words that were the core and soul of the Alliance. "Let me help."
Zyr must have been tired. They closed their eyes and sighed, bowing their head. "Okay. Let's see what we can do about this mess."
It was a long experiment, almost an entire Standard Week[1]. They both began with exercises to help Zyr relax and wind down. With substances to help Zyr ease gently towards sleep. Throk got Engineering to add soundproofing to Zyr's habitat, then when the results were 'too quiet', added tailored white noise through Zyr's local speakers.
The real kicker, according to Zyr, was a thicker mattress, a heatpack teddy bear, and a weighted blanket.
Throk would find out what soft furnishings had to do with pedal attacks after Zyr finally got all the rest they needed.
[1] Ten days.
[Photo by Sandy Millar on Unsplash]
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