By Kay (AKA: Sp00kyfile)
Disclaimer: I don't own Ax or the Animorphs or Erek or Jordan. I own Tobi, though. Thanks. Please do not sue me.
Notes: The 7th story in the "A New Chapter" series. Jordan is hurt badly in a car accident, and Ax has trouble coping with it... Will he lose the girl he loves? And if he does... how will he go on?
March 11, The Future
Alex Isthil looked up, shading his eyes with his hand. The sky was turning a dark, faded blue. Faint stars appeared in the sky, but they seemed dimmer tonight somehow. Even though the light was vanishing quickly, he believed that if he ran, he could make it to Jordan's before it became to dark.
Jogging lightly, he started down the block, his shoes hitting the cement rythemically. It was not long before he ran out of breath- even after months of living as a human nothlit, Ax still had not mastered running for long distances with human legs very well. As an Andalite, he was used to running- but his human legs were both fewer and weaker than his old ones, and it still took some getting used to.
Ax slowed as he neared Jordan's house, and started to walk. The darkness had fallen quickly, but there was still enough light to see by in the dusk. There were lights on in the house, Ax realized in relief. He had not come to late. Though Jordan's mother was a very nice human, sometimes she disliked it when Ax came unexpectedly at unopportune times...
"Hey, Alex!"
Ax stopped, and turned in confusion at the sound of a female voice behind him. The tone had been to... bubbly... for Jordan- she usually greeted him with "Jeez... what a day- you wouldn't believe what happened, Ax..."
A teenage girl with large, impish brown eyes and long curly hair ran up to him, carrying a couple books under one of her arms. Ax nodded to her, smiling in recognition. Her name was Amy... Amy with a last name he could not recall. She sat beside him in his Biology Class after he started High School earlier this year.
"What's up?" Amy asked, smiling her usual mischievious grin.
Ax glanced at Jordan's house and nodded to it. "Visiting a friend before the lighting conditions worsen."
Amy giggled. "'Lighting conditions worsen...' That is so smart sounding." She looked up at him, a sly smile tugging at her mouth. "You must be really smart, huh? I heard the Science teacher saying that you were, like, genius material." Ax shook his head, feeling faintly embarrassed.
"Well, I-"
"That's so cool," Amy interrupted, tugging on his arm so he'd completely face her. "So... I was sorta wondering..." she trailed off, nervously twisting a curl of hair around her finger. Ax watched, interested in yet another trait and habit of humans. Amy caught this and grinned, moving closer to him. Ax moved back, slightly uncomfortable at how she was practically leaning on him now. Amy continued, looking up into his face. "I was just wondering if you'd like to-"
"Ahem," a voice said behind them. Ax turned, recognizing the annoyed tone. "Jordan," Ax said, smiling at his friend... and more than friend.
"Ax," Jordan said flatly, pushing a lock of her hair back. "Hi." She looked from Ax to Amy, who was still hanging over him, with a cool, calculating look. "You look busy," she added.
"Hi Jordan," Amy said tightly, smiling falsely. "It's good to see you." Jordan didn't answer, and she moved away from Ax slightly.
Ax almost sighed in relief- he was afraid that Amy was going to ask him something that might reveal the truth or something about his past...
Jordan smiled at Ax tightly. What the HELL was he doing with Amy? she wondered in annoyance. What a bad day- first she failed her math test, then her track coach practically benches her for the next game, and now she catches Ax- HER Ax- outside with this blond bimbo?
"I was waiting for you," Ax said as a way of explaination. He wasn't sure what was going on, but the hostility and tension in the air was apparent even to him. Amy took one glance at Jordan's cold face, and backed completely away, a nervous look on her face. "Um... I should go. Yeah- I have to get home." She took one look at Ax, and smiled. "Bye, Alex... Call me sometime..." After that, she didn't look at Jordan- just ran off into the night, holding her books like a sheild.
Jordan glared at her retreating back, and at Ax when he called goodbye. Gritting her teeth, she stomped to the house, and flew open the door without a word. She threw her books and her coat on the floor, and would have slammed the door- but Ax followed her and was standing in the doorway.
"Is this a bad time?" Ax asked in concern.
Jordan whirled, and trained her rock-hard glare on him. "WHAT were you doing out there?" She put her hands on her hips and set her face in a cold mask.
Ax looked surprised, and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. The entire house was silent- everyone must have been out. "I was talking to Amy."
"Why?!"
Ax raised an eyebrow quizzically. "I thought I was aware that when someone talks to you, you should be poliet and talk back on this planet. Was I misinformed?" He stepped farther inside, a puzzled look on his face. "I was only talking to Amy- she was walking by, and stopped to have a conversation."
Jordan snorted. "Conversation? More like a make-out date! She was all over you, Ax!" She let out her breath loudly. "I can't be-leaave you just let her do that!"
"Do what?" Ax asked blankly.
"Talk to you!"
Ax was beginning to feel slightly irritated. "Is there a human law against talking to someone I know? I wasn't aware of one," he said cooly.
Jordan's eyes widened at his tone. "That's not the point, Ax- you were just letting her hang all ov-"
"I was not," Ax interrupted, looking hurt and confused and annoyed all at the same time. "I was merely attempting to act normal by means of conversation." He frowned. "You were very rude to her."
"I was rude," she snapped, emphasizing "rude." "Me?! What about her! For God's sake, she's a slut! She was trying to get you to go with her, Ax. There IS a difference between that and 'attempting to act normal by means of conversation.'" "Are you saying it's MY fault?!"
"Yes," Jordan said crossly. "It's your fault. You should have just left or something." Jordan knew that was unfair- but she had taken all she could today, and was in no mood to forget the incident outside.
"I cannot believe this," Ax muttered. "All I wanted to do was talk to you, and now I am being apprimanded for talking to an aquaintance from school!" He looked at Jordan in frustration. "What is your problem today?"
"MY problem?" she said, her voice dangerously low. "My problem is that you just don't GET it! Anything!"
"Get what?" Ax shouted, yelling at her now. "What am I supposed to get?! That I cannot talk to others?"
"NO!" Jordan shouted. "Listen- guys around Earth here don't go around letting girls flirt with them and practically hang on their neck when they have a girlfriend! And especially in front of their girlfriend!"
"Do not tell me what I can and cannot do," Ax snapped in anger, his emotions highwire, and his adrenaline racing. He wasn't sure why he said what he did next- he was just confused, angry, and hurt all at once and was not even thinking properly. "And it is not my fault, certainly. You're just like Rachel- always jumping to conclusions! Always never listening!"
Jordan stared at him. "And that's a bad thing?" she said, in a surprisingly soft tone. Ax stopped for a second, his breathing uneven. He closed his eyes briefly, as he ran over what he just said, and ran his hand through his hair with a soft sigh.
"Yes! I mean- No, I am sorry, I-"
"WHAT?! Was it bad that I sounded like her?! TELL ME- WHAT'S SO BAD ABOUT IT!" Jordan screamed, tears running down her face all of a sudden. Ax realized what a sensitive spot he had touched right then.
"Jordan- please- I did not mean-"
"No," Jordan forced out. "I don't want to hear it. Just leave- get OUT of here." She glared at him. "You are not welcome in this house any more. GO."
Ax shook his head. "Not until you listen-"
"I don't want to listen- I want you gone," she said coldly, wiping the tears from her face. "Get out of here." Jordan met his eyes, her own icy and expressionless. At that moment, Ax was struck by how much, indeed, she looked like Rachel. "You don't belong here," she said. "Go." Ax stepped back a few steps, feeling overwhelmed. How had things gotten so bad so fast?
"I am sorry, Jordan."
"Me too," Jordan said tightly. "But I guess you can't win them all, huh? I may be like my sister- I may not listen and I may jump to conclusions- but at least I don't leave all my friends dead when I should have found someway to protect them."
Ax stumbled back, shocked and horrified at her words and the hate in her tone. "I..."
"Go," she said.
Ax stared, pale with his eyes wide with pain. He felt like someone had stuck a shard of glass or a blade straight into his stomache and twisted it. Feeling the familiar, bitter rush of guilt and pain, his face contorted in sorrow.
"I am sorry," he said simply.
Jordan didn't answer, and without looking back, Ax turned and walked out into the cold night, tears started to fall in soft waterfalls down his face.
The rain that started to fall in light sheets echoed his pain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FOUR HOURS LATER...
Jordan sighed and looked out the blurry window of her mother's car. The rain was falling in buckets outside, running in small streams and rivers down the windshield and windows. The road in front of them was unclear through the rain, but the lights shone a path through the haze. The night was dark tonight, with no moon to light up the sky. Jordan didn't really notice any of it- her eyes were far away, her mind even farther- thinking of something that happened that very night.
"Honey?" her mother asked. Naomi looked over at her daughter in concern. "Are you okay?"
Jordan blinked, pulled back to reality. "Hm? Oh, yes, I'm okay." She continued to stare gloomily out the window.
Naomi frowned. "You've been quiet this whole time." She paused. "Is this because of your fight with Alex?"
Jordan scowled. "No," she lied. "I'm just tired, I guess." Her mom didn't believe her, Jordan knew she knew the reason for Jordan's mood, but she wasn't about to get into a long, depressing conversation about Alex Isthil and her.
Not that she could get more depressed.
Jordan pressed her forehead against the window pane, and closed her eyes. God, things weren't going good for her today. She woke up late, missed lunch, and to top it off she and Ax had a huge fight. Their first, actually- they had never really fought over anything before.
"There's always a first time for everything," she muttered under her breath.
"What, hon?" Her mother looked over at her in confusion.
"Nothing- just thinking," Jordan said. Her mother turned back to the road. They drove in silence for a while.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hey," Derek Finell said, a slur in his voice. "Les get outta 'ere..." He grabbed his drink, leering in a drunken stupor. "I got m' car... Les go." Frank nodded, feeling dizzy. "Maybe we should sober up a little, man." He grabbed the counter of the bar and closed his eyes. "I don' feel so good." Derek snorted. "Big deal... Les go." He grabbed his friend, who just stumbled around a bit. Dragging him across the bar, he weaved through the people and outside. The cold air of the night seemed to clear Frank's head slightly, and he jerked away from Derek.
"Come on, Der- let's walk. It's nice out, an I don't think you should be drivin' a car," he said gently.
Derek blinked and frowned. "Nah... I wanna drive. You can chicken out if y' want." He reeled slightly, then giggled. "I'm gone, man." Waving crookedly, he walked over to his car and jerked open the door. Frank hesitated.
"Man- don't be drivin' like that," Frank said, walking over with worried eyes. "I think you should just wait it out."
"Shaddup- don't tell me what to do!" Derek snarled. He practically fell in and closed the door. Frank backed up.
"Your own funeral, Der," he muttered. Sticking his hands in his pockets, he walked out of the parking lot, his head hunched down slightly between his shoulders.
Derek muttered to himself and started the car.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jordan shivered and pulled her jacket tighter around her. She couldn't wait to get home and into some dry clothes. They were nearing the house, thankfully.
The fight stayed in her mind, whirling around her thoughts. Had she been to hard on Ax? she thought guiltily. She hadn't been very nice- some of her insults were pretty low. Especially the one about the battle...
She squeezed her eyes shut. Now that the adrenaline was faded from her body, and her mind was clear, she realized that she had probably hurt him more than he'd hurt her. In fact... she had probably hurt him terribly. The look on his face made her wince with guilt and pain. The whole entire fight was idiotic. She shouldn't have said those things- not over such a small disagreement.
"Mom, can you take me to Ax's?" she asked suddenly. Naomi looked over at her daughter in surprise.
"But it's so late!"
"I know," Jordan said, turning. "But I really need to talk to him," she pleaded. Naomi sighed.
"Okay, but don't stay there to late. Call when you're done, and I'll give you a ride." She shook her head. "There's the turn anyway... I wish I could see better- this rain is so thick..."
Jordan sat up straighter as her mother started to turn onto the King's street. She fumbled with her seat belt, anxious to get to Ax as soon as possible to apologize. She clicked it off, and pulled it away.
Suddenly...
"Dear God!" Her mother gasped, pressing down on the breaks hard. A screech of tires and rubber sounded, and the car slid.
Jordan caught sight of another pair of headlights- the sound of screeching tires- and then...
A horrible sound of twisting metal and shattered glass followed.
Jordan screamed as pain exploded in her head.
Everything went black.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Erek frowned in confusion and slowed the car down as he neared the intersection on the street. Red and blue flashes of blurred light showed through the windshield's watery glass. The rain was dense, but he could still make out the cars and the ambulance on the street corner. Feeling a little apprehensive, he hesitated before stopping. The whole street corner was sealed off. The rain was still pouring down from the heavens in a stormy torment, as if it were echoing the newest tragedy in humanity. The newest evidence of the cruelness and unfairness to life and it's players. A fierce reminder of the cold hard grip of death and it's hold on humans all alike, no matter their status or race or gender. Erek peered through the rain, holding his hand above his eyes to shield them, as he walked toward the police cars.
An officer glanced at him, and moved toward him as he neared the yellow tape that surrounded the corner. Erek could see the ambulance loading something- someone?- onto a stretcher and starting to carry it to the nearest ambulance.
"Move on, son, there's nothing to see here," the officer said loudly, trying to be heard over the pounding rain and thunder.
Erek glanced at the area. The air once again lit up brightly, turning the world into a cemetary colored shadow of white and black. In that flash of lightening, he made out a car of twisted metal and broken windows that was slammed right into a tree. Officers and paramedics were all around, shivering from the cold, with their raincoats and jackets soaked down and flat against their skin.
"What happened?" Erek asked softly. In his time on Earth, he had seen many deaths, but it still greived him to see such things. His masters had created him to be a peaceful android- and the mere sight of death always managed to make him remember of the terrible end to his people and his masters. His friends...
"Car accident," the officer said, looking back at the area grimly. "Drunk driver made a car swerve off the road."
Erek looked sorrowful. "That is a bad thing." The officer nodded, somehow surprised and yet honored by the respect and sadness Erek was showing.
"Are the people in the other car alright?" he asked.
The officer hesitated. "Well, the woman's okay... Nothin' but scrapes, I think. But the girl that was in the passenger seat..." He sighed heavily. "They're loading her up now, but it don't look good."
Erek turned and followed the officer's gaze. The paramedics had just pulled someone from the wreckage. They lowered the form onto a stretcher and quickly but carefully adjusted some things. Erek squinted as they finally picked up the stretcher and began to move toward Erek and the officer on their way to the ambulance.
Erek looked carefully at the victim. She... yes, it was a she... looked young- a teenager. That was especially sad- she had such a large, wonderful life in front of her, and now it was dashed to peices. Who knew if she even lived? It didn't look very good. Her face...
He froze.
"No," he whispered in horror.
Jordan.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ax stared moodily out the window at the rain that still poured from above from where he sat on the couch. He could not see very well past the glass pane, but he suspected there was a large quantity of debris on the streets already. It had been raining percipitaion for the past few hours. Every now and then, a flash of sudden bright light would impale the sky, and he could see the vivid, lonely street.
Tobi whined and padded over to her master, her blue eyes hopeful. She jumped up on the couch and waddled over to him, snuffling, as if asking 'Will you pay attension to ME?'
Ax did not smile, although his puppy's antics usual did not fail to create some sort of rise in him. But, even if he did not smile, he still put his hand upon her golden fur as she settled her head in his lap and whined again. Tobi wiggled her head impatiently until he began to pet her, running his hand over her hair absentmindedly.
Finally he sighed. This was not working very well- it would not help anything if he just sat around and moped all night. The words Jordan had uttered still stuck in his mind, whirling over and over again, though. The sharp bitter taste of pain and betrayel? Or was it guilt? For a short while, hadn't he begun to stop his mourning? Now this- this new pain that hit him hard was mixing in with the old feelings of sadness.
"You still like me, don't you, Tobi?" Ax asked softly, picking up the puppy and hugging it to his chest. Tobi yipped as if answering him, and licked his face eagerly. Ax sniffed sadly, and buried his face in Tobi's fur, crying quietly.
"Do not ever leave me, Tobi," he whispered against her fur in grief. "I do not think I could take another loss... Not another..."
Tobi, sensing distress, buried her nose in his shoulder as he held her, gathering warmth. She yawned.
Suddenly the door burst open, and rain splattered on the threashold to the door. Erek stood, dripping wet and gasping in his holographic form.
"Ax," he panted. "I ran all the way here..." Ax stared in confusion, and Tobi jumped nimbly to the ground, annoyed her master's attension was now else where.
"Erek?" Ax asked, blinking. "What is wrong? You seem distressed."
Erek closed the door hard, and jerked off the hood to his coat. "Ax... I have something to tell you. It's very important." His holographic face was pale and disturbed.
"What is it?" Ax asked numbly. The look on Erek's face shot a cold sliver of fear up his spine, and he stood from his spot of the sofa.
Erek looked at Ax, not answering. "Erek, what is it?" Ax repeated, his breath feeling caught in his chest.
"It's Jordan," Erek finally said, his eyes grieving. "There's been an accident."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Next Morning...
Tobi Hamee peered outside the cavern where her family had stayed for the night. The air was damp, and cool, but the rain had stopped sometime earlier that morning. Birds were singing lightly in the distance, and the grass was still wet.
"It is fine to go outside now," she told Jara Hamee and Ket Halpak with an alien smile. "The rain has stopped."
"Healing water gone?" Ket asked with the natural innocence of her people. Toby nodded.
"Yes- healing water is gone. Now we may rejoice in the green growth it has left us with." She paused, glancing at the wonderful trees still clutching droplets of dew. "And the trees will be excellent for a while now. The healing water has nutured them."
Ket and Jara may or may not have understood it, but they knew that the healing water was good, and that the trees would be good now too. They walked outside the cavern, to go eat breakfest and harvest more for dinner. Toby watched them go, and walked calmly down to another cavern where another family of Hork Bajr lived. She poked her head in.
"Time to come out," she said. "Come."
Within a small amount of time, the free Hork Bajr came out from many of the caverns in the area. Every since the end of the war, more free Hork Bajr came to live in the peaceful valley, while some also attempted to get home to fight for their own planet back. Toby was practically in charge of the large colony now, and she was extremely proud of how they had grown in strength and number.
Toby sat by a large evergreen, and closed her eyes while she rested. She would eat later, after many of the young ones had their fill of bark.
"Toby," a voice called.
Tobi snapped open her eyes, and looked to the south in surprise. A figure was walking through the trees, heading for her. She tensed for a moment, then relaxed as she saw who it was. She rose to greet her friend as he stopped in front of her.
"Good morning, Erek," Toby said polietly to the Chee. "What brings you here?"
Erek sighed. His hologram kept the appearence of him being untidy and tired. Perhaps he was. "I came to tell you... I don't know if you know, but do you know Rachel's sister? Jordan?"
Toby nodded slowly. "Yes- Aximili mentioned her frequently on his last visit."
"Well, there's been sort of an accident," Erek said softly. "I wasn't sure if you wanted to know... but Jordan was hurt badly in a car accident last night." Toby's eyes widened.
"I am very sorry... Is she alright?"
"We don't know yet," Erek said, shaking his head. "They won't let us in to see her. Jordan's mother still hasn't come out of her room. But she IS alive. At least we know that."
Toby nodded gravely. "Something tells me there is something you are not telling, my Chee friend."
Erek nodded. "It's Ax. He's... not taking it well. He's convinced it's all his fault."
"Why would he think that?" Toby asked, blinking in confusion.
Erek sighed. "Because he and Jordan had a... disagreement... before the accident." He ran his fingers through his "hair." "And he is convinced that it was his fault she as even in that car. Don't ask me why- it certainly couldn't have been his fault- but he's going nuts with worry and grief down at the hospital."
Toby's face immeadiatly flooded with worry. "Is he alright?" Erek shrugged. "I don't know... I really don't know. He won't talk to me." He hesitated. "I was hoping..."
"Yes?"
"I was hoping," Erek continued uncertainly. "If you would talk to him... I don't know- help him out a little. He won't listen to me. I know you two are close..."
Toby nodded slowly. "Yes," she said simply. It was true- ever since the death of the Animorphs, the Hork-Barj seer and the Andalite nothlit had mended their differences and found something of a friendship. For a long time until Ax started to recover, she visited him and talked with him. It never mattered what it was about- the whole point was to keep Ax from being depressed very long. They healed together- and now something was disturbing that, Toby realized. She knew Aximili- this may destroy him.
"I will come."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The white, clean tiles reflected Ax's face as he stared blankly down at the floor of the hospital. Footsteps echoed around him, and occasionally he caught a glance of a pair of shoes, but he never looked up. His entire face was expressionless, showing nothing but empty hollowness where there used to be life. The clean, yet suffocating stench of disinfectant and rubber made him wince- the only sign of life in him.
"Aximili?" Erek's soft voice pierced his thoughts, and he felt Erek touch his shoulder. Numbly, Ax glanced up at him, slightly surprised at the use of his true name. Erek had only called him "Aximili" once since he became a human nothlit... The night he grew ill with a dangerous fever...
Ax shivered, remembering how he himself had been in this very hospital- but at least he had not been in such serious condition.
"Aximili?" Erek repeated, sitting down. "You okay?"
Ax shook his head, more as if trying to clear it than answer him. "Jordan... They say she's in a coma..." His breath caught, and tears misted up in his eyes, but he struggled to control his emotions. Crying would not solve anything.
Erek looked sad. "I'm sorry." Ax looked at him questioningly, and Erek smiled weakly. "I know it must be... hard."
Ax shook his head. "I... yes, it is." He closed his eyes, and bowed his head. "Her mother... she said Jordan might not..." He trailed off, unwilling to continue. Erek didn't say anything, so he continued forcefully. "That she might not survive."
Erek nodded slowly. "She was hurt bad. I saw her- she looked really badly injured..."
Ax let out a long, soft exhale of breath. "They were talking about brain damage... The human doctors were... They claimed that if she does live through the coma, there is a great chance that her mind may be damaged from the accident." He looked down at his hands, and was surprised to see them trembling. "I... I..." Erek put a hand on his shoulder, which surprised Ax even more. Erek was never the type to show him emotion. Yes, they were friends, but neither Ax or Erek had really ever had to mention it or show it in some way. "Ax... I was up in the valley this morning." Ax gave Erek a blank look, so he continued. "Toby says she's coming by tonight... just to talk... you know..." He trailed off uncomfortably.
"You wanted her to get me out of this mood," Ax stated flately.
Erek sighed. "Ax- you can't blame yourself-"
"I can, and I am," Ax snapped. He clutched the sides of the couch, feeling the scratchy cloth press against his hand. "It was my fault, Erek, there is no other logical way to explain it. I should never had argued with her- or said what-" He broke off, and glanced toward Room 198, where Jordan was staying. Still no visitors allowed except immeadiate family. The sight of the closed door to the room where she must be struggling for her life made his chest tighten with pain.
He felt Erek sigh and give up, then stand. "Want me to go see if visitors can come in yet?"
Ax nodded silently, keeping his eyes fixed on the door.
Erek walked away, leaving him there, still intent on the room where the most important thing in the world to Ax was hovering between life and death.
Leaning toward death.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THE END: To be continued in #8! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!!! Beg for another one, I tell ye, beg!!!! ;)