The Changing Face of Lester.

Here we meet Lester's wife. Continuation from 'Do you remember me?'

Lester has been bitten by a Future Predator.

Becker and Jess looked at each other and both gasped. "ABBY!"

"Raise Matt and Connor on their comms, get them to meet me there!" Becker grabbed his EMD and ran towards the menagerie, adrenaline surging through his veins. The only thought coursing through his mind was 'Don't want to lose another team member!' and 'Not again, mustn't lose Abby again!'

Jess tapped a few buttons on her console enabling her to speak to Connor.

Connor, Caroline and Matt had reconvened in the lab where Caroline was conducting her investigations.

Connor's comms crackled, his mouth fell open and all colour drained from his face as he listened to Jess.

He looked up at Matt, a look of sheer horror on his face.

"ABBY!" he shouted. He ran off as fast as he could with Matt behind him as they made their way towards the menagerie. Caroline followed at a slower pace. She knew something had happened concerning the young girl she had met earlier but could not tell what.

Connor arrived at the menagerie shortly after Becker. He saw Abby slumped on the floor inside Manny the mammoth's pen. An empty bucket of water lay on the floor. She must have filled the mammoth's water trough before collapsing. A knot grew inside Connor's stomach and he could not breathe. Matt edged past him and went further inside the pen. The three men felt helpless as Abby lay between the mammoth and them. Becker stood furthest into the pen, EMD in hand. Matt had drawn his hand gun and stood facing the mammoth. Connor just stood, gaping, not knowing what to do. If the mammoth went any closer to the water trough, it would actually crush Abby.

Manny turned to look at the three humans who had come into his space. The one in the black did not look friendly at all; he had one of those large hurting sticks in his hands. The other human's hair was too short to be this human's partner. Then he saw him. Long, dark, unkempt hair and brown eyes. Yes, the human furthest from him was this human's mate.

He stood for a moment and looked at Connor. 'Well, come and get her then.' He thought. Soon it became clear that the humans were waiting for him. He edged closer. Watching where he put his feet. He didn't want to hurt this human, she was nice. She fed him and made sure he was clean and looked after. He reached into the water trough and half-filled his trunk with water. He positioned his trunk over her face and gently let the water fall onto her face.

The water falling on Abby's face woke her up. She wiped it from her face and took in her surroundings. She gasped as she realised where she was. She saw how close she was to Manny. A knot began to form in her stomach too. She looked past Manny and saw Becker and Matt. She searched for Connor and then gulped when she finally saw him.

"Don't move Abby," Matt shouted as he saw her eyes flutter open.

"I wasn't planning to." Abby squeaked, unsure that anyone had heard her. She watched to see what Manny would do.

The mammoth reached down to Abby's waist with his trunk. Ever so gently he wound it round. Abby paniced and grasped onto the trunk as tightly as she could as the mammoth lifted her up gently off the floor. Manny positioned the bottom of his trunk so that Abby could put her feet down on it. Abby dared not to breath and she became terrified as the mammoth began to walk. Where was he taking her and what would he do?

Becker froze. Even if he managed to fire the EMD, there was a possibility that Manny could drop and kill Abby, especially if he fell on top of her. He gritted his teeth and lowered the EMD. There was no point in taking aim unless the Creature let go of Abby.

"Don't move Connor, stand your ground!" Matt seemed to read Manny quite well and he shouted. "He knows that you're Abby's mate and he's bringing her to you." At least I hope that's what he's doing, he finished in his head.

Connor did as he was told and didn't move. He couldn't move even if he wanted to, he was rooted to the spot. The knot inside Connor's stomach grew and his world that was Abby flashed in front of his eyes. If anything happened to Abby or their baby it would destroy him completely. He tried to swallow the lump that was forming in his throat, managed to do so with great difficulty.

Memories flashed through his head. Memories of when they first met, when Connor had saved her from the Mer creatures, being lost in the cretaceous, Abby telling him that she loved him, making love for the first time, kissing her for the first time, coming back home and lots more tumbled through his head like a clip on Youtube.

Manny walked straight past Becker and Matt, closer to Connor. When he reached a metre away he stopped. He let Abby's legs down gently until she was standing. He loosened his trunk from around Abby. He let Connor reached forward and take her from him. He stood for a moment and blew hot air into Connor's face. He let his trunk down gently and swept it ever so gently across her forehead. It looked strangely like a mother caressing her sick child. Everyone took deep breaths as Connor pulled Abby closer and hugged her, the danger now having passed. The mammoth ever so carefully retreated. Connor watched the mammoth as it withdrew.

There were three men in the room and yet the mammoth had brought Abby to him.

Were these creatures capable of thought?

Its actions had seemed very gentle too.

Were these creatures capable of caring?


Abby leaned into Connor and closed her eyes, relieved that everything was now over.

Connor took another deep breath and kissed Abby's forehead and picked her up. He looked into her face, pleased that she now seemed to be resting. He carried her up to the medical bay, with Matt, Becker and Caroline following closely behind.

He set her down on a gurney.

"Do you mind if I do an examination" Caroline asked Abby. Abby shook her head, still too shocked for words. She held Connor's hand firmly. Caroline noted the clasped hands.

"Are you two a couple?" She enquired looking at Connor and Abby in turn. Connor and Abby simply nodded. Caroline asked if Matt and Becker could wait outside.

Caroline took out her stethoscope and inserted the ends into her ears. She checked Abby's heartbeat. It was raised but not too much. Anyone's heartbeat would be raised if they had been through what Abby had been through just now. Caroline frowned as her attention focused on something else. She adjusted the stethoscope further down Abby's body, and listened, she moved the stethoscope further down again until it rested in her abdomen and listened. Caroline smiled.

"Did you know that you are pregnant?"

Abby finally found her voice. "Yes, I realised myself a week ago" she grinned.

"Have you been to see your GP yet?"

"No"

"So you haven't heard this?" Caroline positioned the stethoscope again on her abdomen and gave her the ear pieces to listen.

Abby gasped at the most wonderful sound in the world. She looked at Conner as she listened and her heart melted.

"What's wrong?" Connor wondered if there was anything wrong with the baby.

"Here have a listen." Abby handed the earpieces to Connor.

Connor's mouth fell open; a slow smile began to spread across his face.

"Baby? … Our baby?" He looked at Abby who nodded and then to Caroline who spoke.

"It's very early, but it's there" Caroline smiled. She loved watching parents listening to their baby's heartbeat for the very first time. The awesome sound always melted the hardest of people.

"It's like a little train" Connor bounced on his knees and squealed.

They heard footsteps which stopped outside the door and then a gentle tapping. Caroline walked over to the door and after a nod from Connor and Abby, she opened it. Jess came into the Medical room first, followed by Matt and Becker.

"Abby!" Jess had been watching the events unfold on a screen of the ADD, and had been terrified for the safety of her friend.

"I remember going into the pen to give the mammoth some water, and then I don't remember anything until it sprayed water in my face. I must have passed out."


Caroline took Matt aside for a moment and suggested Abby being sent home, she would benefit from the rest. Matt agreed, with Phillip gone, Lester out of action, he would be the one in charge of dealing with staffing.

Abby shook her head. She wanted to stay here until things had been resolved. "What time is it anyway?" she asked to anyone who could answer.

"3.30" the answer came from three different directions.

"Oh god, I need to give you this." Abby unsuccessfully tried to reach into her back pocket. Then she held onto Connor and rolled towards him. Once she had clear access to her back pocket she pulled out an envelope.

She passed it to Matt who opened it immediately. She explained about the ADD's alarms that morning and how she had been asked to pass it on by Matt. The team knew what had to be done now.

Matt passed the letter to Connor, who upon reading his scribbled formula had nodded and giving Abby a quick kiss, set off for his lab.


Hope you like that.

For once I thought I'd have no cliffhanger!