I apologise for leaving this story for nearly a whole year, I guess I lost my muse for a bit and was busy with college :(
But good news! The chapters will be uploaded more regularly now I have more free time!
By the way thanks so much for the follows, favourites and reviews!
Taylor went back to the ship's crew quarters but couldn't sleep. Captain Aya kept spinning around his mind.
In the end, he gave up sleeping and went up to the cockpit where navigator Mari Lee was checking over the controls.
"Hello, Taylor. How's your captain?"
"Still asleep, but the medics say she'll be fine. I can go to see her again tomorrow."
"You should sleep. There's no use worrying, she is in good hands."
"I have permission to be worried, since I nearly died rescuing her."
Mari sighed. "Well at least try getting some rest. Artesa wants to check you over for radiation poisoning in the morning."
"I feel fine." He specifically left out the part about having green spit and green tinted puke.
"Well you don't become ill immediately, so it's best to get tested now than wait for the symptoms, isn't it?"
Taylor didn't want to agree, but he knew she was right. It could be too late to do anything by the time he exhibits symptoms.
He sighed, "Fine. I'll see you in the morning."
"Goodnight."
Taylor left the cockpit and headed back to the crew quarters. He passed the door to the cargo bay, too tired to notice the faint blue glow around it.
Taylor went to bed not realising how tired he was, falling into a restless sleep.
The next morning, Taylor woke up. It was strange, after three days on that moon he would've thought he had gotten used to the sunlight, but he guessed he had been on the White Star longer.
He rubbed his eyes and got up, dressing into non pajama-type clothes and headed to the galley for something to eat.
Dr. Joseph Artesa was fixing himself some toast when Taylor walked in. "Morning Taylor. How you feeling?"
"Fine. I'm going to check on Captain Aya today."
"I need to check you over for radiation poisoning, since you said you slept next to a faulty nuclear reactor?"
"Yeah, but after I'm checking up on her first."
"It's not a good idea to put it off. Sym-"
"Yeah, I heard it all from Mari. Symptoms don't show themselves up at first. I'll be fine, it's just a quick visit."
Artesa sighed. "Fine, eat something at least."
"I'm not hungry." Taylor would have left it at that, had Captain Shepard not come in.
"Have you eaten something, Taylor?"
"Yeah."
"No he hasn't and he refuses to be tested." Taylor hated Artesa right now. He just wanted to check up on Aya.
"Eat something, Taylor. I'm not having you faint because you're in a hurry."
"I just want to check up on her." Taylor tried side stepping her, but Shepard stopped him.
"Aya's going to be fine. She isn't going anywhere. Just have some toast and let Artesa do some tests, it won't take longer than a few minutes."
Taylor could tell the Captain wasn't going to let up on this, so he sighed and buttered a piece of bread and ate it quickly.
"Come to the Med Bay." Artesa led the way and Taylor reluctantly followed quickly.
In the Med Bay, Taylor sat down on the chair and fidgeted nervously.
"Have you been vomiting?" Artesa asked.
"I thought you were taking blood tests?"
"A little patience goes a long way."
Taylor groaned. "No."
"Have you been exposed to radiation before?"
"Dentist." Taylor could feel his impatience getting worse.
"Have you experienced any abnormal signs, since you slept by the reactor?"
"Can you do the blood tests now?"
"Fine. But don't blame me if you faint or drop dead because you didn't let me test you beforehand."
"Whatever." Taylor rolled up his sleeve as Artesa prepared the needle and stuck it in his arm. "Ow."
"Wuss."
"Hey, it's a sharp pointy needle you're sticking me with, I'm allowed to be in pain."
"Whatever." Artesa took the needle out and typed something on the computer. "You'll be pleased to know you're free to go."
Taylor was out the room before he could finish his sentence. He walked along the corridor to the door that led outside.
As he around the corner, he let out a scream which he really hoped no-one heard. There standing in front of him, which he was 100% sure was impossible was Colby.
But Colby had died when the Varia had hit the moon and she had been occupied by the green aliens. But here she was standing right in front of him, with her auburn hair falling around her shoulders.
"Taylor. I thought I'd never find you. You'd never think this was a big ship, did you?"
She was speaking. To him. She was literally defying all the laws of physics and science standing her and talking to him.
"Taylor? You okay?"
"Y-Y-You're dead." It was the only thing he could get out of his completely perplexed brain.
"What are you talking about? Well, I guess I remember us crashing on the moon, but then I must have somehow survived and it was just by luck I got onto your rescue ship before it left. I thought it was strange no-one saw me, though."
Taylor's brain needed downtime to process this information. He fainted.
He next woke up in the Med Bay with Artesa and Elaina Shepard talking. Taylor rubbed his eyes and sat up.
"What did I tell you." Artesa said, rather than asked.
"I bet you've waiting ages, to say 'I told you so.'"
"He's serious, Taylor. How long were you out?" Shepard asked.
"A few minutes maybe?"
"What were you doing?"
He thought back. Right before he fainted, he could have been sure he saw his dead crew member Colby. It must be from the lack of food or something. He thought. "Walking along the hall." The alternative would be too much to believe.
The door opened and Mari brought in a plate of toast and a cup of orange juice. "Eat up. Can't have you fainting again."
"I don't feel-"
"Eat." Shepard cut him off with an obvious order. So he sighed and ate the food. "How's his blood, Doc?"
"Just mild radiation. He'll live."
"Makes sure he eats that and check for concussion." Shepard ordered again, which Artesa nodded, then she left.
"Does radiation make you see things?" Taylor asked.
"Why?" Mari asked.
Movement from the door caught his eye. Aw man, I really hoped I was dreaming. Colby walked up to him looking concerned.
"Are you alright?" Mari asked, looking to where Taylor was staring, but she couldn't see anything.
"Uh, yeah I'm fine." I knocked my head, that's why I'm seeing her. Or something grief related. She's not here,she can't be.
But there she was, as real as she was when she was alive.
"You don't look it." Artesa grabbed a little torch and tilted Taylor's head up, shining it in his eyes. "You don't have any signs of concussion. I think you should rest for a while, at least."
"No, I have see Aya." Taylor got down, but Mari pulled him back. "Shepard said you have to eat."
"Is Aya alive?" Colby asked. "I tried looking for her but I couldn't get to the cockpit from where I was."
"Yeah she is."
"What are you talking about?" Artesa asked.
Taylor took the orange juice and drank it in one go and took the toast with him. "I'll eat it on the way. I'll see you later."
He left the room as quickly as possible ignoring Mari's and Artesa's calls to come back.
"Why can't they see me?" Colby asked, catching up to Taylor.
"You're not real. You're not real. You're not real." He guessed if he said it enough times, he would stop hallucinating dead people.
"Taylor!"
Taylor stopped and turned around. He cast a glance up and down Colby then hesitantly reached out and took hold of her wrist. He expected his hand to go right through like a ghost, but she was solid. "You died on the Varia and you got occupied by the glowing green aliens. The ship left you on the moon, how can you be here?"
"Glowing… What are you talking about? I survived and tried to find the others but when I couldn't I left and walked… south-west I think until a ship came down and you got on it. I got on too, but no-one noticed me."
"You didn't survive, I know that for a fact, I saw your body."
"Taylor?" A familiar voice nearly made him faint again. He turned around and by some impossibility Captain Aya was standing there.