Jack regained consciousness and at first he thought it was night because he seemed to be in complete darkness. Then he realised that he was still hanging from whatever he had been attached to. At least this time he could remember who he was and what planet he was on. Still he could not hear or see anything and he found that unnerving. He wiggled his fingers and found that the cocoon was now dry and becoming brittle. He wondered briefly how many times he could be cocooned like this and actually heal. Thinking about his previous encounters with healing devises Jack decided he preferred it to the Sarcophagus; at least Zzzig ministrations didn't steal your soul.
As he hung there trying to work up the will to struggle free he heard a low hissing sound above him. He hoped it was Zzzig but could not understand why she did not speak to him. A sense of unease gripped him and he began to try to struggle free. Suddenly a gurgling scream cut through the silence around him and he froze. 'What the hell!' He remembered another time being trapped in a cocoon with a bear using him like a punch bag and he began to struggle frantically to tear open his prison. He finally managed to free an arm and tore at the casing around his face. As his eyes cleared he realised it was late evening and he strained to look around. His small prison was hung high in a large tree, the ground at least twenty feet beneath him. Above him a clear darkening sky could be seen through the thin canopy.
Gradually he became aware of the hissing sound again and looked along the bough he was attached to. The large dark shape of his friend sat a little away from him. She appeared to be preoccupied and it dawned on Jack that she was feeding. No one had ever accused Jack of being squeamish but he looked away from the sight. 'No one should die that way,' he thought. 'Not even them.' It dawned on him that he really had not believed Zzzig was capable of such savagery and told himself she was only following her natural instincts. The rationalisation didn't help. After a while he felt rather than heard her moving towards him and turned. A red glow emanated from her eyes and seemed to trickle around her body. It was her aura he decided and his unease increased. "Zzzig?" he called questioningly and when she did not respond he stayed perfectly still. 'She's reverted. If she doesn't remember me,' he thought a little desperately.
A leg stretched out and swung him toward her and he found himself firmly grasped in her front mandibles and staring directly into her eyes. His hands were now free and he knew how to stop her but was reluctant. To hurt this friend who had twice saved his life before and was trying to again was difficult. "Zzzig, say something buddy. You are making me nervous."
Jack's half joking tone seemed to reach her. "Jack…" She released him and he swung away from her. To jack she appeared confused and he tried to reach out with his mind unsure if he could now that the stone no longer pressed against his forehead. 'Zzzig what's wrong. What has happened?'
"Jaacckk… I cannot… hisssss… Where are we?" Zzzig asked disjointedly.
"Get me out of this and we'll find out." It was then that he noticed the patch on her carapace. "Zzzig you are injured. Why did you not cocoon and sleep?"
"I could not leave friend unprotected. Now I will… ssleep."
"Wow there fella. Get me out of this first so I can take my turn in watching over you." Jack responded and after a moment Zzzig hooked him to her again and began tearing at the cocoon walls. She seemed to be having difficulty and Jack struggled to free himself. Suddenly he slipped out of the bottom and caught at the branch. A sudden sharp pain in his chest made him gasp and his grip began to slide. Two legs wrapped around him and pulled him back until he sat astride the branch. Jack ignored the gory remains close by and put a hand beside her injury. "I can manage now Zzzig. Let's wrap you up and get you to sleep," he said roughly. Jack realised that her injury was much worse than she had realised and the delay could have serious consequences for his friend. "Why do you protect me when your instinct is to think of us as food?" Jack asked her curiously.
As Zzzig spun her web and began to cocoon herself she hissed softly. "I am one of a kind, created for you by Mother. I could not have young so they could not eat me. On my planet now there isss no other like me. I am too big," she finished somewhat plaintively. "You and the She are my friendsss, my only family who understand Zzzig and forgive my strangenessss. I am so tired."
"Sleep my friend," Jack responded. "I will watch over you."
Jack moved back along the branch and watched the cocoon gradually hide her and then began to look around his perch. It was all very well telling Zzzig he would be fine but he was still in pain, weak down one side and had to get out of the tree. Then there was the remains of that corpse. He looked at it with distaste and moved carefully along the branch until he reached it. Turning around he kicked at it until it slid off of the branch and fell to the ground below. When he looked a little higher up the tree he could see Zzzig's web slung between two of the branches. He stared at it for a moment shook his head and carefully climbed to his feet. He managed to reach it and found that it was sticky. He grabbed the edge with his good arm and carefully hauled himself into it. The web took his weight and when he turned over it wrapped itself around him securing him in place. He checked he could see Zzzig's cocoon and with a wire smile he settled back and closed his eyes. Briefly he wondered how long he had been missing before he dropped off to sleep.