Trance took a closer look at her friend and saw that he was white and shaking. "What happened?" Trance whispered knowing that once again something had gone horribly wrong. "Rom." He couldn't get the words out. "Rommie. there was an explosion." Trance rushed to her friend's side wrapping her arms around him trying to comfort him. He sobbed against her shoulder. "Trance I can't do this" "I shouldn't have done this." She whispered guiltily "I just didn't know what else to do." "Make it stop please." "I-I can't only you can. you have to make it stop your self." He pulled away from her his eyes rimmed with red. "How." "You have to do the right thing." "But I don't know what that is." Trance reached out and placed her hand over his heart. "Yes you do." Harper shook his head and swung his feet of the bed. "No Trance, I don't. you don't understand. There is no perfect possible future with out Beka. She saved me from earth. Because of her I had a future, one beyond slavery, Nietzscheans and a slow death from starvation. If she's gone . I mean since." he got up and started pacing and looking in drawer's frantically. "Harper?" Trance called concerned but he didn't reply. After a few moments he found them. Five little blue pills in a clear plastic bag. "No! Don't!" Trance shouted but it was to late he had already swallowed them. Slowly his knees buckled and he sat heavily on the floor. Trance sat in front of him. "Poor Harper what are you doing to your self? You've become so lost."

He didn't reply but only stared back at her with glassy eyes. Slowly he tried to lie down but Trance would allow it. Instead she got him on his feet and walking.

"Trance." he whined. "I'm tired."

"What did you take?"

"Umm." his voice was slurred and he had trouble focusing. "Blue pills. They help."

"Harper what kind of blue pills, what do they do?" She looked at him but he was trying to sit down and she pulled him up again.

"Whoa dizzy."

"Harper, what do they do?" she asked sharply

"They help me sleep. help me forget. I usually only take one though sometimes two. can you get me a beer?"

She studied him and kept him walking. She worried that he had taken too many. Since she didn't know what they were exactly it was hard to tell. Her med. kit was back on the Maru so she had nothing really to offer him that way either. His skin seemed to be covered in a light sweaty sheen and he his breath came in short shallow gulps. "The last thing you need right now Seamus Harper is more pollutants." She was worried even though her voice didn't show it. Harper wasn't dealing with anything well. She couldn't take him off the ship because he would just disappear into another time loop. 'Wait a minute!' she thought maybe that was exactly what she needed to do!

"Harper I need you to concentrate."

"Wuzz?"

"Remember." she paused . damn he said the pills helped him forget. "Harper do you remember Tyr?"

"Who?"

"A very big Nietzschien."

"I hate Nietzschien's" then he looked confused. "Don't I?"

"Not this one. do you remember he carried you to medical when you were sick."

"Tyr? Something happened."

Trance started walking him towards the door.

"Yes, but its okay. just think of Tyr."

"Tyr." He whispered as she gave him a little push out the door.

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Harper blinked twice trying to focus his eyes he was back on the Andromeda. He leaned heavily against the bulkhead for support. He couldn't remember why it was strange to be here he just knew that something was wrong.

"I need to leave." He whispered. "And where would you go little man?" Tyr's voice echoed through out the empty hanger. Harper jumped at the sound. He met the large Nietzschien's eyes they held a concern that he hadn't expected and maybe a touch of their own sadness.

Despite the blue pills these seemed familiar some how to Harper. "Tyr I don't need this right now." Harper felt angered but the emptiness he felt didn't let it rise to the surface. "And what do you need? Do you even know?" "Look I don't feel good okay? I'm tired. Just leave me alone" "You can't run from this." Harper didn't bother to answer. Tyr tried again. "The ship says you haven't been eating. Do you hope to bring her back by killing your self?" Harper's body started to shut down. The room started to spin. "Listen Tyr if you think by trying to make me throw a temper tantrum so everything will be all right!!! Well your wrong! Things will never be all right again! I know, I've done this too many times!" Harper took a staggering step towards Tyr. It was beginning to be difficult telling up from down as vertigo set in. Tyr watched him impassively. Harper continued to rant. "Damn the Nietzschien's for everything! They continue to ruin my life'. He thought viciously, and then out loud, "Why can't you just leave me alone?" The last sentence was a near whisper. Harper stood there shaking for a moment more when his exhausted body gave up the fight. With out a word Tyr caught him before he hit the ground.

Tyr cradled the boy in his arms and carried him to sick bay. Where Trance stood waiting almost expectantly.

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TBC