Chapter 8 - Stuck with you

"Kwame this is going to take days to fix!" Gi sighed. "That's if I can fix it at all!"

Catching the eco-villains actually hadn't been difficult at all, since the local authorities had been investigating Sludge and his illegal dumping operations (thanks to Gaia) and were waiting for them when they returned. Fortunately - since the polluters had been only too pleased to implicate them - the officers had recognized the planeteers, otherwise they would have been arrested as well, and all of Dr Blight's equipment seized.

Even retrieving their rings from Blight had been easy. The problem… was that she'd already trashed her machine and they couldn't re-open the portal!

"Perhaps we could ask Dr Derrick to assist you?" The African responded to his friend.

Gi nodded "That's a great idea! The mechanics aren't too bad, it's pretty obvious where things came from, though we are going to have to replace a few parts. Ma-Ti and I can put it back together but I'm no computer expert... We really need Linka here to fix the programming, I can't believe she didn't make it through in time!"

Kwame remained silent.

"Yes," Ma-Ti agreed, "It was very bad luck... But perhaps it will give Wheeler and Linka the time they need to talk. I did not need my ring to see how unhappy they have been the last couple of days."

As the youngest member of the group wandered away to collect more scattered parts Gi leant towards Kwame and said in an undertone, "Neither did I. Any idea what it was about? Linka wouldn't tell me."

Once again Kwame felt extremely uncomfortable as he was compelled to relay his theory.

The Asian looked at him in stunned silence for a moment and then burst into laughter. "Well that's nonsense for a start!"

Kwame shook his head, "Wheeler as much as admitted it."

"Oh I didn't mean that, that doesn't surprise me at all! It's just like Linka to take offence at it too, but you can't blame him really, she hasn't exactly given him much of a reason to be faithful or even to think she wants him to be, though I'm very sure she does." The water planeteer declared blithely, and then returned to the point. "I meant that the legend is nonsense."

Again Kwame shook his head, "The evidence suggests..."

"What evidence? Putting aside the fact that all of the Elders people could see the unicorns, including the parents..." the Asian girl was interrupted before she could finish.

Not willing to give in Kwame said, "They let Wheeler see them after the attack on the village there's no other explanation for it, so they can obviously choose who sees them if they want to. That doesn't mean that the initial reason he couldn't see them wasn't..."

"Kwame..." Gi stopped him impatiently, a blush creeping across her cheeks. "Trust me, that wasn't the reason."


Wheeler had just seen Jaiden locked up when Linka's group arrived back at the outlaw's village.

The beautiful Russian hurried over to him and immediately went to check his wound. "Bozhe'moy Yankee you are still bleeding! Come with me."

He began to protest, "It's not that bad. I'll get it seen to in a minute, you don't have to…"

"It is not that bad yet, but once it gets infected… and it will get infected here… you will be in a lot of pain. Now come with me!" she ordered in response.

He let her lead him over to where their wounded friends were being treated, including a couple of the Valde'cornu. "Bastards just shot randomly at everyone, we're lucky no one was killed."

Linka nodded and ever compassionate she had to fight back the tears from her eyes, but she still managed to say, "Mind your language Yankee, and take your shirt off."

Wheeler removed his slashed and now bloody shirt, as she directed and asked, "Where are the others?"

He winced as she began to clean his wound but she continued anyway. "They followed Blight and Greedly through the portal... just before it closed."

"You mean we're stuck here?" He sounded alarmed.

"Da, I am sorry." Linka replied not meeting his eyes.

The American shrugged, making himself wince again. "Not your fault Ba... Linka."

All of a sudden Linka found it hard to swallow, but she reminded herself that he was only doing what she asked by keeping things on a 'friends' basis… except that it still felt like she was losing his friendship altogether. Clamping down hard on her feelings and turning back to the task in hand, Linka said, "Luckily it is not deep, I will bandage it now."

Wheeler raised his arms to let her wrap the bandages around him. Lucky Nivea thought to bring plenty of supplies! He thought. I wouldn't want to use anything these jerks have handled. He tried not to think about Linka's proximity, or the way her soft hands caressed him as they ministered to his injury. He especially tried not to think about how it felt when she reached both arms around him to pass the bandage between them, bringing her even closer against him, close enough to smell her hair in fact. How can she still smell so… perfect, after all that's happened here?

"There, I am done." Linka announced, but there was a frown creasing her brow.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Nothing." She replied quietly.

Wheeler glared, "Oh sure." He was clearly unhappy about her reticence.

Linka lowered her head, "I have made things awkward between us and you are stuck here with me, and if that is not bad enough, now I see that you are covered with cuts and bruises… I am so sorry Wheeler, I cannot tell you how much."

"You don't need to apologise! It wasn't your fault!" He told her, aching to pull her into his arms but still hurting too much to go there.

Linka looked away, "It was still because of me that they hurt you."

"Look it's nothing okay? I've had worse from my old man, I don't even notice anymore." He stood up hoping to escape. "Thanks for the patch job but we should really start organising the clean up and stuff… it's gonna take days so we might as well be prepared for when the others return." He hesitated a moment longer and then turned and walked away.

Linka didn't move immediately, she was trying not to cry. It was my choice, and it is for the best! He might resent my rejecting him but he doesn't care for me like that, not really… not the way I… She pushed the thought aside once more. It will get easier, we just need time.


The two planeteers spent the rest of the day organising and helping clean up teams, while avoiding each other as much as possible. When they did have to speak to each other they kept it very polite, brief and to the point.

By the time it started to get dark, Elder Nivea had organised a rota of guards to keep an eye on their prisoners and ordered them all back to the valley for a well deserved rest.

Once they'd all cleaned up, the wounded had their injuries checked and re-dressed by some of the women that hadn't accompanied them on the raid.

The fact that Wheeler was treated by a very pretty brunette was not lost on the Russian, neither was the fact that the young girl was obviously very attracted to him and doing her best to captivate him. It was in vain however, since he excused himself straight after dinner and headed off towards his favourite spot on the outskirts of the village.

Elder Nivea watched Wheeler as he left, then glancing over at his companion, shook her head and rose quietly to follow him.

Linka was surprised by her friends behaviour, she thought he would have let the pretty native cheer him up. That he hadn't was worrying but she couldn't quite bring herself to wish it otherwise. The Wind Planeteer sat by the fire in the main hut and stared into the flames feeling chilled. For some reason the blaze seemed to make it worse rather than better but she was tired and confused and couldn't work out why.

She was also unaccountably afraid.