Skin Deep — Kristine Kathryn Rusch

When Cullaene learns the colonists want to question him about a murder, he fears for his life. But he must also think about the daughter of the people who took him in.
She appears sick, and Cullaene soon realizes only he can help her. But helping her might mean sacrificing his own life.
One of Kristine Kathryn Rusch's first published stories, “Skin Deep” appeared on the preliminary Nebula Ballot and on the Locus Recommended Reading List for 1988 as well as two of the year's best collections.
“Kristine Kathryn Rusch is one of the best writers in the field.”
-- SFRevu