Once Dead
Sequel is: Hope In The Future, A Crossover
Pain, no, more than pain, agony pure and simple. Don't move. Don't breath. What's that sound. Feeding, something's eating nearby. Alicia Washington forced her eyes open. Only one eye responded and through the darkness of night, an image, clouded with waives of shimmering neon light making the shapes appear psychedelic, her eye to mind connection was so screwed up. Nyco's, they must have been attacked, don't remember. Stay awake. She lay still, trying to remember and knowing if she didn't get away from the dinosaurs, they would eventually find her. Slowly Washington lifted her head, a cry of anguish escaping her bloodied mouth which she quickly bit off by biting down on her tongue. Around her were bits of bodies, some starting to decay and most were nothing more than scraps, a hand here, a foot near her head. The nyco's were at the far edge of the carnage, eating their way towards her.
Move, have to move. With tremendous effort and a throbbing head, she rolled onto her stomach, the simple motion of moving almost causing her to black out again. She pulled herself slowly, dragging her legs as quietly as possible towards the trees, sounds of snarling and sounds of ripping flesh and breaking bones masked the slightest of sounds her body emitted. She could feel fresh blood dripping from her mouth leaving a telltale trail for the carnivores to find. An eternity, and she felt the roots of a tree. Still using her arms to pull over the roots, she slithered on her stomach to the far side She clawed her way upright, grasping the bark for leverage and stability, and then to lean against the bole as dizziness threatened to make her pass out. Finally upright, she peered around the trunk, trying to focus with her one working eye. Two Nycoraptors, but with rotting stench perfuming the air and drifting in the gentle breeze , more would come. Get away. Must get safe. Slowly she stumbled further into the forest, using brush and trees to assist her lurching form away from certain death. Can't climb, too weak. She developed a staggering gate until exhaustion drove her to her knees where she crawled into the roots of a large Banyan tree and pulled dead leaves and twigs around her, hoping it would be enough to disperse the scent and she had gotten far enough away. Try and stay awake.
The next time she regained consciousness, the sun was high overhead. The agonizing attachment she once called a head, but now more closely resembled a broken toe being forced to kick something repeatedly, was still her constant companion. This time, more clarity penetrated her jumbled thoughts, she could focus through the haze of pain. She lost the colony, surrendered, Mira, somehow Mira was involved. Let Taylor down. Shannon, had to help Shannon. Lucas. The last thing she remembered was the angry eyes of Lucas as he pulled the trigger and a flash from the barrel of the pistol. Slowly Alicia sat up, the pain barely more manageable. She had been shot, point blank range.
With dirty fingers, she felt for damage. Her left eye was swollen shut, probably a bloody pulp, felt like the bullet went through it. Left maxilla, shattered. She didn't need to put fingers in her mouth to know the upper back teeth were loose. She couldn't hear anything on the left side and felt for her ear. To her relief, it was still attached, but she felt an exit hole just behind the ear still dripping blood, although most had clotted off. With considerable effort, she peeled her gray short jacket off; then peeled the t-shirt over her head keeping it away from the open holes. She tied it best she could over her left eye, crying out as material touched exposed nerves, but knew the open wounds needed protection. Washington was sure the bullet missed her brain as she didn't find gray matter mixed with blood. Funny she would remember to look for that, second nature for a medic on a battlefield dealing with head wounds. Blood was caked into her sinuses making it impossible to breathe through her nose. She looked at the binders still attached to each wrist, but someone had cut them. She foggily remembered the soldiers binding them before taking her to Lucas. Must have been easier to move an un-bound body she summarized. They were still too tight, but she wouldn't burden her overtaxed brain with something so mundane.
Now, where was she and how long since her body was dumped? Did they keep her in the colony for days before taking her out? She felt like it had been days since eating or drinking. Dehydration probably helped with the slowdown of her bleeding out. Taylor, she would make her way to Taylor's camp. Slowly Washington stood on unsteady booted feet. She was on the side of a hill, not far up, she didn't remember climbing last night. All she was thinking about was run, and the gentle incline was easy going. She looked around until a thick stick caught her eye. It was old and looked like it had lain in that position for years. With effort, she reached down and pulled it from its half buried dwelling among the dirt and dead leaves. The natural place to dump bodies would be east of Terra Nova beyond the portal. Carnivorous dinosaurs often roamed that way. Her people would have buried the dead, but the General didn't want to spare his soldiers to watch the colonist do a burial detail, so she had watched as several trips carting the dead she had been responsible for disappear out the gate and to the east. They combined her civilians and soldiers with their own, no respect for either.
That would mean Taylor was south of her several clicks. If her legs didn't give out, she could make it by nightfall.
"Sir," Corporal Reilly stood uncomfortably just inside the command center door. She hated to bother her superior; especially as he was sporting that look once again. He was thinking about 'her'. He looked like he might start crying at any moment as he stared at the floor through the glass table top. How that desk top had survived the shelling, she would never know.
"Report," he finally raised anguished blue eyes that couldn't conceal the redness from grief and lack of sleep.
"The Phoenix commander wouldn't let anyone bury the dead. He said it was a waste of manpower. Instead the bodies were hauled off towards the east and dumped. Nobody was allowed to go with the soldiers, but it was timed to be about an hour they were gone."
The commander nodded, "Take a flatbed and see if there's anything to salvage. Also, I don't want anyone OTG for now without at least six soldiers, understood?"
"Yes Sir," Reilly paused and didn't move.
Taylor looked at her and she back, neither wanted to broach the unspoken name, finally Reilly swallowed, "Wash was on the last truck. They took her out within an hour after Lucas shot her." A barely perceptible jerk of his chin dismissed her and she knew she would never forget the trail of one tear he couldn't hold back that ran down the side of his nose and disappear into his beard.
Three nights, would there be anything left of her to bury. He didn't bother to stop the flow and soon his head was down on the desk, hiding on his forearm, shoulders shaking. He had tried so hard to keep her safe. He had plans.
"Reynolds, Dunham, you're with us," Corporal Reilly motioned them to join her small group of privates. They left the compound with a rover and truck. It was the day after their glorious return to a grateful community.
Half an hour and Reilly slowed the rover down to a crawl, "Stay sharp," she spoke into her radio. The men on the back of the flatbed used binoculars, one soldier scouting each way. "We're here," Reilly relayed again as they came upon the gruesome scene of mostly eaten corpses. It was a small clearing with enough room on each side to roll bodies off the trucks without much effort and left for feeding scavengers. She was appalled that people could treat their fellow humans like this. "Everyone start loading what we can find. Reynolds, Dunham, you're with me." They grabbed their rifles and followed their leader around the parameter. "Look for signs of dragging and bodies in the brush."
"That's odd," Reynolds came upon obvious marks of dragging.
"Find something, Sargent?" Reilly and Dunham joined him. They observed obvious drag marks and started following.
Reilly leaned down and pointed to dark spots, "It's a body for sure. This is blood."
The skid marks ended under a tree at the edge of the clearing. Reynolds walked a little further looking at the brush.
"I'm not sure, but whatever maybe took a body broke branches. Must have picked it up to go up the hill. Look, blood, it's dried, but it's blood," Reynold's pulled stained leaves from a branch.
"Now we know some of the bodies may have been carried off. Not much hope of finding remains from something big enough to put blood that high up. Bring the leaves back and see if Dr. Shannon can get an ID on the poor soul that got carried off," Reilly instructed and turned back to her parameter search, hoping to find Wash's body for the Commander so he could get closure.
After a couple hours and no Lieutenant, Reilly called off the search. They had driven further on and found no remains, so headed back, slowly, searching and stopping often to search dense brush and ditches. It was almost dark when the crew drove through the gate and stopped before their commander.
"Nothing, Sir," Reilly didn't need to further explain, "We have parts of other's, but I don't believe she is among them, but I could be wrong," she hoped not. "Reynolds found blood on a bush. We believe a body got carried away and hope Dr. Shannon could identify who it was." Reilly held out a bag containing the leaves.
Taylor had to accept his corporal's report; another sleepless night waited. "I'll take it to Dr. Shannon. Take the bodies to the morgue. I hope we have something from everyone to bury," he took the bag without waiting for an answer. She had been shot four nights before, hope was fading fast.
"You heard him, move," Reilly got back in the rover.
Washington hobbled on at a steady pace, both hands gripping her staff, her one eye on the un-even terrain. Once she had fallen when her foot slipped in some mud. It took her several minutes to recover and attempt to carry on. She had fallen back to her soldiers mantras and cadence, repeating every one she knew, official or not. At a small stream she knelt and cupped hands for water. Like a good soldier, her head remained up, one eye observant as it could be. She wouldn't make Taylor's camp tonight, but she was getting close. When Shannon uncovered the coordinates, she knew the area. It was a good place to defend, and in caurno territory to boot. Dangerous for her. She started keeping an eye out for a tree.
Food, she needed to eat or she couldn't climb. A rotten log provided grubs. She had to smash them with her palms before shoving them to the right side of her mouth. She thought back to her field survival training she insisted civilians and soldiers alike learn. While contemplating her skills, she saw something move under the log. A centipede, a juvenile, only about a foot, but it would provide enough nutrition until reaching Taylor. She grabbed it around the middle so it couldn't get away and crushed its head with her stick. She ate and buried the rest under the log. Climbing the nearby tree was challenging, but determination had long since taken over and she wanted to live now. Live to seek revenge on those who did this to her and her community. She settled on a large branch and relaxed against the trunk, dozing, but not dropping into a deep sleep. One, she was scared she would fall out and two, the carnivorous nightlife was starting to stir.
She had time to think back to the night before the eleventh pilgrimage.
They were prepared, or so they thought; every detail from supplies to soldiers triple checked. Nothing left un-done, just un-said. Washington had been pissed all day. His orders, his command, his fears. She had pleaded, reasoned, cajoled. Nothing moved him. She retired to her quarters for a few hours down time although sleep probably wouldn't come. After yelling at her commander in a last attempt to drill some since into his thick skull, she had stalked out of command to a lonely night. She had crossed a line, insubordination in front of Guzman. Taylor let her rant until finally finished. With nothing left to say, she spun on her booted heels and stomped off, pushing by Guzman as he had moved back to stand in the doorway if needed to run for his life.
As she lay in the dark still fuming, she heard her door close and footsteps find their way in the dark to her bedroom. Firm steps of boots who knew the way. Without a word, he had stripped and slid in beside her. His mouth found hers and his tongue demanded entrance. They kissed for a long time, just mouth on mouth, his arms holding himself off from her. Sometimes they went straight to lovemaking, but not that night. He spent a long time trying to make it up to her, but they both knew he wouldn't relent. Slowly Alicia moved her hands down his back around to his hardness. His queue to start sucking on her neck, working his way down to her breast. He tugged her tank top off and removed her restraining panties. They were both too tired for more than normal sex. He rolled on top and she guided him to her place. He used his finger to massage her spot until she came. No prolonging, as soon as she contracted around his hardness he started the age old rhythm and soon spilled himself into her. He had no sooner wilted in her when he pulled out and rolled on his back drawing her to him. Neither moved until the alarm woke them before light.
Washington touched her makeshift bandage. Nobody would want her after what Lucas did. All she would have now would be his memories, get used to it. It was getting cold and her tank top not adequate on a chilly night. She didn't want to take a chance of exposing her wounds by pulling her lightweight jacket off her head. She heard something approach and held herself very still as a young slasher sniffed the tree she was holed up in. After an hour searching the area, it moved off, back tracking her trail.
"Dr. Shannon, what do you have?" Nathaniel asked. Her summons came about an hour after the soldiers returned. Jim entered with him as they were together when she summoned the Commander.
"I have an ID on the leaves. I thought you should be first to know," her face softened, never getting used to giving bad news, "It's Washington's."
Taylor couldn't swallow the lump and said nothing. He felt Shannon's hand on his shoulder as his wife continued, "Without a body, I'm not ready to declare her dead. I think the area should be searched again." A small hope, which he grasped like a drowning man just thrown a lifeline.
"Thank you," the Commander croaked and abruptly left with Shannon on his heels.
"Maybe we should go out in the morning," Shannon owed her so much.
"Simmons," Taylor raised his voice to a private on guard.
"Sir"
"Go find Corporal Reilly. Tell her I want to see her immediately," he and Shannon mounted the steps of the Command Center.
"Reilly, tell me everything you saw around the blood on the leaves. Don't leave anything out," she noticed Jim Shannon leaning against the wall.
"It was Wash's blood, wasn't it?" Reilly wished it were anybody but her on the floor before her Commander.
She started to talk at his nod.
In the distance to her right, Washington saw the telltale signs the commandos had been here. Sharpened stakes dug into the ground still pointed outward. Five hours of steady walking got her in the area. She started seeing signs of human activity and her spirits lifted. Perhaps the Shannon's made it and the doctor would have pain killer. She slowly made her way down the slope to a deserted camp site. She checked the ashes. They haven't been here for at least two days. Her heart sank and she followed it to her knees.
What now. Go back to Terra Nova, where they would surely finish the job, track down the commando unit, stay here and die. She was exhausted again and needed rest, so made a fire and settled down for a more comfortable night with warmth. Finishing off her centipede, she slept not caring if the caurno's found her, she had to sleep. The morning brought more intense pain and Washington had serious doubts that she could make another journey.
You didn't come this far to quit now, a mental chastisement and Washington struggled to her feet and started searching for food. She found discarded fruit that resembled bread fruit. Knocking a green fist sized melon against a tree trunk; she ate hungrily as it split. For once she tried to shove the pieces to her mouth to chew, painful, but feasible. Satisfied, she went back to the road looking for tracks to lead her on. Tire tracks with footprints between the tires told her the camp had moved both in vehicle and on foot. Strange, they were heading towards Terra Nova. With renewed determination, Washington gathered up three melons. She looked around for something to carry them in. Knowing she couldn't handle the fruit and walking stick, she sat by the stream and gently lowered her head into the water just enough to soak one side, keeping her good eye peeled for predators. Working her jacket off, she ripped a sleeve and tied it around her head, not tight, just to keep insects and dirt out of her scabbing wounds. The rest went into a sling to carry her fruit. Staff in hand, she followed the tracks. She noticed a smaller set of tracks mixed with adult sized ones. Must be Zoe Shannon's. The Shannon's making it to safety made her ordeal more bearable and sacrifice acceptable.
"This is the area, Sir," Reilly, Reynolds, Dunham, Shannon and Private Simmons accompanied the Commander as daylight gave just enough light to see. Taylor and Shannon led the way up the hill. Nathaniel, an expert tracker soon found more broken branches.
"Look, a track," an excited Reynolds hollered out. Everyone rushed over.
"Impossible," Reilly couldn't believe her eyes, but the truth was visible in the mud before them, a woman's size and shape. They had ventured quite a ways into the forest, losing the blood trail, but seeing a single hole at an even space impossible to have been made naturally or by wildlife.
"She's got to be alive," Jim Shannon wanted to believe so much. He didn't want the continued guilt that he hadn't been able to shake. This woman had sacrificed her life for his family.
"Where would she be heading?" Taylor spoke to himself, not even aware he had voiced the words out loud until Reilly suggested their camp. He looked around, "That seems to be right," he swung back to the group, "Reilly, take your soldiers and head around to the camp. Shannon and I'll keep tracking. Stay in radio contact. Let me know if you spot her."
"Get going," Reilly turned with an order and headed at a dead run back to the vehicles, followed by the others.
She and Reynolds each driving one rover, spun them around and tore off. Reilly pushed the little rover as fast as it would go, sliding around corners. Reynolds struggling to keep up until he muttered, "Screw it," and threw caution to the wind. Reilly threw the rover around another corner, spun the wheel to the right, skidding to a stop. Reynolds on her heels slid around the corner behind her and cranked his wheel to the left. Both vehicles slid to a stop, one on each side of an amused Lieutenant Washington, leaning on a gnarled stick standing and smack dab in the middle of the road.
"Wash," Reilly screamed, bailing out, along with the others to rush her. They mobbed her, each touching. Only then did reality sink in. They had their 'Wash' back.
"Oh, God, I forgot," Reilly screamed into the radio, "We have her, we have her, do you hear, Sir?"
Taylor grabbed the radio from his pocket while Shannon pounded him on the back, "What's her condition, Reilly?"
"Took a bullet to the head, Sir," the amused, pain tinged voice of his woman filled the air. Shannon started whooping and dancing around Taylor.
"We're about three clicks from the camp. She was following us. She's injured bad, Sir. I'm taking her right now back to Terra Nova." Reilly didn't care what order Taylor had for her, Wash needed a doctor. She closed her radio and helped Washington to the rover.
"Sir, Reynolds here. Work due south and you'll hit the road. Dunham and I'll wait for you guys," he watched the women leave in a hurry with Simmons in the back.
"On our way," Taylor and Shannon took off in a reckless race, jumping logs and streams with ease. Within half an hour they popped out of the forest onto the road. Taylor looked at the road, saw the telltale round hole in the dirt heading towards Terra Nova and took off at a run with Shannon hot on his heels. "Let me drive," he hadn't stopped as he reached the rover, just dove in behind the wheel. The others hustled so not to be left. Reynolds had a new respect for his commanders driving. If anything he was going faster than Reilly.
"Open the gate. Have Washington, alive. Clear path to clinic," Reilly's clipped instructions broke radio silence, "Coming in hot, clear that damn path." Soldiers came running from every quarter, pushing people back as word spread. Soon the camouflaged rover punched through the open gate and veered towards the clinic. Reilly slammed on the brakes throwing Washington forward, "Sorry," Simmons was holding her shoulders from behind, preventing her head from slamming into the window, "Don't tell the Commander I almost did you in." The door was thrown open and Guzman scooped Washington from the seat, turned and ran into the clinic while soldiers kept bystanders back. He had posted several at the door so the clinic wasn't overran with gawkers. Reilly instructed Simmons to move the rover and hurried after Guzman.
"Alicia, Alicia, do you hear me?" a worried Dr. Shannon leaned over the biobed, flicking on switches.
"Can rest now," somehow Washington knew it was over. She had been fading in and out on the drive back to the colony. Reilly was talking the entire time, but nothing resonated, just snatches of words; Cut off, Taylor stabbed, Phoenix group gone….
She felt a pinprick and Dr. Shannon telling her to sleep for now. Blessed darkness and for once no pain.
Surgery was started immediately. "Call Malcolm," Elizabeth Shannon wanted his expert opinion for reconstruction. He appeared as she stopped speaking, being one of the few allowed inside the clinic.
"Malcolm, look at her ear," Dr. Shannon indicated a mass inside the left ear on the scanner hovering over Washington.
"Not good," he studied the path the bullet took.
"Can we reconstruct the cochlea, Malcolm?"
He shook his head, "I don't think I can build anything comparable, it's gone. Even if I could, what would we attach it to. Too much damage."
"Over all, she got lucky. I can fix the maxilla. The fractures around the eye socket will heal normally given time. I see a few bone fragments imbedded in the eye, but it's undamaged. But she will lose hearing in the ear and most likely have vertigo problems. I don't see her going back on duty." Elizabeth was getting focused to start repairs. Soon she had the face repaired and eye cleaned out. A worried Malcolm stayed at Washington's side waiting to assist if needed.
"Wash," Nathaniel Taylor pushed his way to the bed moving Malcolm to the side. With a shaking hand, he gripped Washington's upper arm, rubbing his thumb over her soft skin. He looked down at her, shock starting to overwhelm him. The shock of her dying, followed by the shock of her being alive. He was starting to see black around the edges.
"You're bleeding, Taylor," Dr. Shannon's firm voice caused him to look down. A fresh flow of blood was running from his side under the armor.
Taylor barked a short laugh, "Wash would let me have it about now. I can count on one hand the times I didn't need to be re-sewn."
Jim Shannon gripped his upper arm, "Let's get you stripped down and on a bed. Wash is in the best hands I know of."
With Shannon's help, he removed his armor, jacket and t-shirt. A junior doctor stopped her assistance with Washington long enough to remove the dressing and shake her head ordered, "Lay down Commander." She indicated the bed just behind him, the closest to Washington, "I'll be with you in a moment," she told Jim to hold a pad to stop the blood.
"Sorry," Jim Shannon apologized.
Never taking his eyes off the next bed, Nathaniel asked, "What'd you do to be sorry for, Shannon?"
"I forgot you were wounded when we took off running. We could have gone slower…." He trailed off at the incredulous glare from the Commander, "Or not."
Elizabeth Shannon quickly looked at the Commander and ordered a syringe for him. As an orderly injected it into his arm, he knew what she had done to him before the fluid was fully out of the syringe, "You drugged me, Shaann," and he was out.
Jim couldn't believe that once again his wife knocked a man out, "You enjoy that way too much, I'm going to watch my back," he grinned.
"I need him not moving, and I need you to leave. I'll let you know how it goes. Tell the crowd, she's in surgery,"
"Right, good luck," they exchanged a smile as he departed.
"Sir, are you in charge again?" Corporal Reilly asked as soon as they left hearing range of the commotion behind them.
"I guess so. At least until the Commander wakes up. I don't know how long Elizabeth will keep him out. Depends on how mad at him she is," his smile was infectious and she returned it. The first real expression of joy she had felt in days.