Space: 1999
FIGMENTS
(1)
Dr. Russell blamed herself. She should have been far more careful.
Although stressed, in need of a few nights of deep sleep, Cedrick Flemming seemed a reasonable man. He was tall and muscular, a bearded bear of a technician, but well-liked by all, including his wife, Clara.
It was Dr. Mathias who - last week - said Flemming was displaying signs of paranoia and anxiety. It happened after the moon was thrust through another mysterious space warp. This was the third in two weeks and all the Alphans were on edge, not just worried for their lives but the integrity of their moonbase.
Flemming more than most.
He was coming to Mathias for counselling. Everyone on Alpha, at one time or another, displayed signs of pressure and disconnection but Flemming's truly came to the fore-front after the warp. He and others were caught in an explosion in the Eagle Hanger. Yasko had been there too, delivering paperwork, as was Alan Carter. Thankfully, except for a few bumps and bruises none of the three were harmed.
But then Flemming started to talk about how his wife and all his workmates were "changing", becoming odd and somehow unfamiliar. He was brought into Medical for observation and when Clara came in to see Cedrick he became agitated and said he did not want her close. He feared his own wife!
The man should have been strapped to his bed after he was sedated - but he was not.
Helena turned around after dropping the sleep inducer on a tray and there was Flemming, standing in front of her, tall and inexplicable. His expression was so odd. She could not say he was deranged exactly but he seemed so afraid!
"I don't think you're one of them yet, Doctor!" he said, grasping her shoulders. "But you soon will be if you do not listen to me!"
"Cedrick, you're ill…" she started.
"I need to get out of here!"
He then picked Helena up and tossed her aside, slamming her into a far wall.
Helena's head made a hard contact with the window that acted as a partition between units and she thought she heard it break before she lost consciousness.
Thirty minutes later she awakened in a Medical Center bed with John Koenig, Mathias and a nurse looking down at her. Helena sat up quickly and hand instantly touched the back of her neck and head, feeling a large bump. The pain was awful.
"Helena, careful!" Koenig's fingers on her shoulder were soothing as Dr. Mathias shone a light into her eyes. "Dizziness? Nausea?" he asked.
"A little." Helena was honest as she looked over to the unit where Flemming was now strapped in and sleeping restlessly. Clara was by his side, seated and appearing grieved. "Is he okay?" she asked.
"He'll be fine." Koenig replied, appearing slightly irritated. "But he's going to be placed under constant surveillance and medicated."
Helena wanted to tell them all about the extraordinary fear she saw in his eyes but the pain in her shoulders, from the impact with the glass and wall, made her shudder. She felt Mathias apply a hypodermic shot and asked, "Pain killer?"
"Yes." He then handed her a bottle of pills. "Take a couple of these before you go to bed. I'd tell you to stay here tonight for observation but, knowing you, you'll want to go back to your own quarters."
"You know me well." She admitted and slid off of the bed. Helena appreciated John holding her steady and smiled mildly when the Commander told Bob he was going to escort her to her quarters himself.
"I will make sure she gets the rest she needs." he promised.
"What a mess." Helena said as he helped her on with the silky blue pajama top. She glanced at the bottle of pills on her bedside table. Helena just took two and was already feeling fatigue. She tied the front of her top and once again reached to the back of her neck to gently massage an ache. "I'm sorry, John."
"No sorry needed." He had slipped into his own pajamas and told her he was staying the night to keep an eye on her.
"We don't often get time off together and tonight was … Well, it was going to be special." She said, meaningfully.
"It won't be the last." He promised, gently. "Come on."
He pulled the sheet down on her bed and helped Helena slide inside. John then turned down the light and walked around the bed. He lay beside Helena, spooning her and gently slipped an arm around Helena's waist, "Sleep well." He whispered.
Helena awoke at 2am. The lump on the back of her head felt like it was the size of a boulder, the pain excruciating, and she carefully got out of bed. John was still sound-asleep, his steady breathing lulling her to sleep on more than one occasion, and she was glad she did not wake him.
She reached for the pills on her bedside table but the bottle was missing. Helena blinked and tried to adjust her eyes in the dark. Puzzled, she walked slowly to the bathroom and, entering, she turned on the light.
The bottle was sitting on the sink. She did not remember putting it there and could only assume John must have relocated it before they went to bed.
She poured out a couple of the muscle relaxers onto her palm and got water from the sink. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and sighed. She was pale and looked as miserable as she felt.
She took the pills and sipped some water.
But something was wrong.
Helena looked at her reflection again, lifting a hand to her cheek. Something seemed off. The image before her was moving slower, or not quite in the same way she was … That was silly, of course. Helena once again looked at the pill bottle and wondered if Bob had given her the right medication.
With a deep breath, Helena shut off the light and exited the bathroom. She carefully slid in beside John, who was now lying on his back, still deeply asleep. She took the arm closest to her and squeezed it gently. She then placed her head on his shoulder and also fell asleep.
She did not hear the "ping" as the mirror in her bathroom cracked.
(to be continued ...)
