Into the Setting Sun

By Oonagh

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The rest of the day passed very slowly for the Eden group. Alonzo lost consciousness two hours after his enforced confinement in the medtent. After that, however, there was little change in the three patients. Julia kept a close eye on them, watching for the deterioration she knew was to come.

Morgan and Danziger never left the medtent and paid little attention to those people who periodically popped in for updates and to let them know that everyone was thinking of them.

Devon spent a lot of her time sitting with Danziger, her recent resolution to be a better friend still resounding in her heart. He paid little attention to her a first but, towards the end of the day, as True started to get worse, he reached out and clutched at her hand. Devon winced slightly at the force of his grip but she said nothing, happy to give whatever support she could.

Throughout the night they sat like that, watching as the young girl grew paler and weaker. Devon wished there was something more she could do but she knew from experience that there was nothing, that the pain of watching your child suffer could not be alleviated by anyone or anything. And so she settled for holding his hand, watching as he talked to True and prayed for her recovery.

Devon believed they had nothing to worry about but she understood Danziger's fear – the fate of his daughter was in the hands of something he didn't understand and his daughter was the very centre of his universe. If things went wrong John stood to lose everything. Devon didn't try to say anything to reassure him; she hoped that her very presence would do that – after all she had been through what True was going through and she was still alive.

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Just before dawn, Bess died. Morgan's terrified sobs brought Julia running from Alonzo's side, diaglove in hand. Devon gently detached herself from Danziger and turned to Morgan.

"It's okay, Morgan. This is supposed to happen. Just wait."

"She's dead, Devon. Dead. This isn't working, she's dead." Morgan put his head in his hands and began to rock back and forth. Julia and Devon stoked his back, trying to comfort him, both a little frustrated by his characteristic panic. Julia had explained to him what would happen; he knew what was going on. Devon tried to explain it again but Morgan's sobs didn't lessen. As time passed his panic increased and his sobs grew more frantic.

Devon winced as she saw the effect that this had on Danziger. With each minute that passed his back became more hunched. He never once looked away from True but Devon could tell that his attention was focussed on Bess and Morgan.

After ten minutes Julia began to look worried and she once again scanned Bess. No change. Julia couldn't stop the frown that appeared on her face. It hadn't taken this long for Devon to come back. Devon saw Julia's look and she closed her eyes, trying to remember some of the prayers that Yale had taught her as a child. In the end she had to improvise. God, we love these people. Please don't take them away. Stay with them. Keep them safe.

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Forty-five minutes later – a lifetime for those clustered in the medtent – Bess was still dead and True took her last, rasping breath. Danziger began to weep silently, tears of fear rather than grief. Devon left Morgan to Julia and pulled the huge mechanic into a tight hug. He clung to her with one arm, the other had still clutching True's. Devon didn't speak – there was nothing to say, not in the face of what had happened with Bess.

Fifty-five minutes was much too long. Bess was truly dead. Julia had stopped scanning her, had given up hope. And Danziger knew all that. He knew that what was currently happening to his daughter had already killed his friend.

The tent was silent except for the irregular sobs of Morgan and the hoarse breathing of a rapidly deteriorating Alonzo. Danziger made no noise as he cried into Devon's shirt. It was all Devon could do to hold in her own tears. But crying now would not help anybody. She could grieve for Bess later. For now, she concentrated on praying that they would not lose anybody else. But she did so with a heavy heart, unsure if the God who had ignored her earlier prayer was really listening. Unsure if he even really existed.

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Before five minutes had passed Devon's faith in the divine was restored. A sudden sound from True drew the immediate attention of everybody in the medtent. The girl coughed and struggled to sit up, only to be gently pushed back down by Julia. Devon tried to move away from Danziger, to give him some privacy with his daughter, but he kept a firm grip on her hand.

"Hey, True-girl. Stay still now. Let Julia check you over."

"What's going on? Why are you crying, dad?" True sounded panicked; she had never seen her father cry before.

"I'm just glad you're okay, kiddo." True looked puzzled.

"Of course I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be? I never get sick." Danziger merely nodded, finding it difficult to speak. Devon squeezed his hand and he squeezed back, grateful for her support. He choked back the tears that were still threatening and focussed on the fact that, even though he had nearly lost her, True was alive and talking. Julia finished her scan and moved away, nodding. Danziger laughed. His daughter was okay. He let go of Devon's hand and swept True into his arms. He hugged her tightly until she began to struggle.

"Da-ad!" Danziger laughed again. He should have remembered that she hated to be cuddled in public now. But he didn't put her down.

"Let's get you back to our tent, True-girl." He stood up and strode away, pausing only to cast a smile at Devon.

Morgan's eyes followed Danziger, envy and something darker shining out of them. Devon saw this and she understood and sympathised. She couldn't imagine how Morgan must be feeling. Julia moved away to check on Alonzo – it was clear from the sound of his breathing that he wouldn't last much longer – and Devon placed and arm around Morgan's shoulders.

"Come on. Morgan. There's nothing you can do here now."

"I'm not leaving. Not now. Not ever. Not without Bess. Never without Bess." Morgan still held his wife's hand firmly in his own. He was staring down at her intensely as though willing her to wake, as though his love should be enough to bring her back.

"Morgan, it's been too long."

"No! No. You can't know that. Bess will wake up. She wouldn't leave me – she knows I can't cope without her. She'll wake up soon." Morgan's words were confident but his tone was laced with panic. Julia walked over and joined Devon in her attempt to move Morgan away from the body of his wife. They didn't want him to be present when Alonzo's time came. It was bad enough that he'd had to watch True's recovery and Danziger's unrestrained joy.

"I'm afraid not, Morgan. Bess is gone. I'm sorry."

"I don't believe that. I won't believe that. Not Bess. She will wake up. And I'll be here when she does." Devon and Julia exchanged looks, despair writ large on their faces. There was nothing else they could do. They couldn't force Morgan to leave. And so they continued to keep vigil over their two friends, over Bess and Alonzo, the dead and the dying.

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Alonzo died at noon. Julia and Devon sat by his side, hoping and praying that he would react like True and not like Bess. Morgan had stopped sobbing but he still refused to leave his wife. Julia kept her eyes fixed on Alonzo's face but she didn't shed a single tear. She kept her professional mask firmly in place – right now Alonzo was her patient, not her lover. But as the moments ticked by the line between the two began to blur and Julia could feel her emotions begin to overwhelm her. Just as she felt her walls collapsing, Alonzo took a long, loud breath. Then he gave opened his eyes and gave one of his lopsided grins.

"I told you there was nothing wrong with me, Doc." Julia choked out an almost hysterical laugh and then she flung herself into his arms. Devon glanced away from their increasingly passionate embrace, slightly embarrassed. Her gaze came to rest on Morgan just in time to watch him collapse.

"Julia. Julia!" To the doctor's credit, she snapped back into professional mode almost immediately. She ran her diaglove over Morgan.

"He's just fainted. Exhaustion and stress, I suppose. I should have expected it. He's been through a lot today." Devon nodded sadly and then gave voice to a truth that neither woman wanted to speak.

"And the worst is still to come for him. Once the shock fades, he has to face life without Bess." Alonzo looked shocked and Julia briefly explained what had happened. Grief filled Alonzo's face. He'd always liked Bess. And, for once, he could sympathise with Morgan. He didn't know what he would do if he ever lost Julia. With this thought playing in his mind, Alonzo helped Devon lift Morgan and carry him to his tent. On the way they passed the excited crowd that had gathered around the door of the Danziger tent. Happy voices and laughter rang clearly through the air and Alonzo winced, glad that Morgan could not hear it. Clearly, nobody had broken the news of Bess's death. He glanced at Devon and she shrugged.

"Let them have a last few minutes of joy. It won't change anything." Alonzo and Julia both nodded and, sombrely, the three continued on their way to Morgan's tent.