Cowboy Bebop and all its contents are the copyright of Shinichiro Watanabe and Bandai.
Cowboy Bebop: Live and Learn
Episode 35: Trekking the Stars
" In life the risks that matter most are the ones that demand self-sacrifice."
Part 2
Jet raised his metal fist and paused, fighting the urge to slam it down onto the dashboard of the Hammerhead. It wouldn't help matters if he managed to break it. He had enough repairs to worry about back on the Bebop.
With an angry growl he punched the ceiling instead.
The Swordfish was still receiving his signals but there was no response from Spike or Faye.
Something's wrong. One of them should have contacted me by now. He thought to himself, trying hard not to pay too much attention to the growing knot in his throat.
Bebop's dot blipped at him from its position on the radar screen and he stared at it for several minutes. His eyes finally strayed to a small group of dots clustered near the top of the screen and suddenly he had a thought. Snatching his com unit he jacked it into the dashboard and started flipping through trucker channels.
He sensed that time was short. So many years of experience in the ISSP taught him to always follow his instincts.
Readying the com Jet got busy. " This is… this is Black Dog calling any trucker in the outer route. I repeat. This is Black Dog calling any trucker in the outer route. My crew needs immediate help. Over."
A sudden frequency crackle alerted him to someone returning his call.
" This is Red Viking. You say your crew's in trouble Black Dog? Over."
Jet leaned forward, his fingers squeezing tightly to the com. " Yeah! I mean… yes! My crew lost power and needs immediate assistance." He nearly sat back when he suddenly remembered to say, " Over."
" How can I help? Over."
Jet thought on that for a moment. What did Spike and Faye need?
" Spread the word that a civilian ship lost power and is floating past the outer gates. The Bebop has two souls on board that need immediate evac. Over."
Jet frowned. If he had to choose between saving his crew or saving his ship the crew would always be first choice.
" Okay Black Dog. Want me to call emergency crews? Over."
" Negative." Jet replied, shaking his head even when Red Viking couldn't see him do it. " I'll take care of it. Thanks for the help. Over." He replied.
Jet sat back and took in a steadying breath. He had no way of knowing whether-or-not it was already too late but at least he was doing everything he could to save them. There was a small amount of comfort in knowing that there were now other eyes searching for them too.
Reluctantly Jet turned to the emergency frequency and prepared to call in, silently lamenting over the hefty bill that was sure to follow.
Don't think about that right now. He told himself, switching the frequency and sending out the call.
In only a few minutes a steady and confident voice answered through the transmission.
" This is Venus emergency patrol. What is your emergency?"
" My crew lost power and needs an immediate evac."
" Alright sir. I need to ask you a few questions to help us in the search. Please be as specific as possible." And for several minutes Jet answered questions that ranged from the model of his ship to its last known location. And as he explained his emergency the full gravity of the situation began to sink in. Spike and Faye were tough but that didn't mean they couldn't die like anyone else.
" Okay. Emergency crews are being sent to Bebop's last known location." The voice on the other end finally stated.
Jet wished he could be with them rescuing his friends. But never being one to give up he returned to searching trucker channels.
Maybe someone will get there before the emergency crews arrive. Maybe, with any luck, Faye and Spike have already hitched a ride.
No matter what happened Jet was not quitting on them. He couldn't, because deep down… they had become more than just crewmembers. They were even more than friends. To Jet, Faye and Spike were the closest he had to a family in many years.
Meanwhile, back on the Bebop…
Faye watched in horror as Spike tumbled out into the void of space with nothing to hold on to, shrinking before her frightened eyes.
Desperate to save himself Spike yanked his oxygen tank forward, kicking his legs straight out. Jet had once instructed him to do this should he ever find himself floating helplessly in space.
" The quick movement helps counter uncontrolled momentum." Jet had explained.
Spike had thought the idea ridiculous … until now.
Hugging the oxygen tank against himself he felt for the release hose and pulled it free from his helmet with a hard yank.
Squeezing the emergency pump, normally for cases when the suit failed to signal oxygen release, Spike managed to slow down his spinning. Acting quickly he turned his back towards the ship and released oxygen in the opposite direction.
That's better. He smirked with relief as he sailed towards the ship in short bursts.
But suddenly the oxygen tank began to sputter and Spike began to slow down.
From her vantage point within the Bebop Faye leaned forward. " Spike..." She gasped, wishing there was something she could do to help. And then she remembered her com unit. Quickly switching it on she hoped Spike hadn't turned his off. " Spike! Spike if you can hear me just turn yourself around and I think you could reach the rope from where you are!"
Twisting around to see how much further he had to go, Spike was relieved to discover that she was right. He was close enough to grab the rope. Releasing the oxygen tank all together he snatched the safety line and pulled himself inside.
With a sigh of relief Faye waited as he finally closed the outside hatch and collapsed to his knees, pulling his helmet off and wheezing like an old man deprived of his ventilator. Searching for the emergency kit she suddenly spotted her oxygen tank sitting on the floor amongst her space gear.
Guess I forgot to put it away last time I went out. She realized and grabbed the tank in a hurry. Rushing over to Spike's side she was pleased when he didn't resist her efforts to help.
" Just relax." She instructed with a calm voice that betrayed nothing of her frayed nerves while gently placing her mask over his mouth. " You're going to be okay." And she rested a hand on his back, watching him carefully as he gasped in deep breaths.
Voltaire, man-made satellite between Earth and Venus
The atmosphere in the 24-hour diner was lazy and unhurried. Red Viking looked up from his coffee as another trucker headed outside, returning to his rig for another day in the gate routes.
Returning his attention to the news broadcaster, he frowned.
" And yet another meteorite shower has closed all direct routes for the next two hours. Civilian and commercial drivers are being redirected."
The TV screen flashed to a commercial break with annoying sounds and colors. Red Viking wished he could reach through the glass tabletop and turn the volume down. A crazy part of him briefly imagined smashing the tabletop, complete with TV screen. But instead he simply took another sip of his coffee and scanned the sullen remnant of truckers still present in the diner.
One of them turned to look his way and shook his head.
" Wouldn't it be nice if they actually checked for meteorite showers before they hit and destroyed our chances of making deliveries on time?" He quipped.
Red Viking snorted. " Yeah but we all know that won't happen any time soon."
" Since when have meteorites stopped either one of you from completing a job?" Chimed in a third trucker. She was a woman of sturdy build with short, blond hair and a set of bright, baby blue eyes.
" Its just that you would think, with the technological advances we have now-a-days, that forecasters could tell when one of those massive meteor showers would reach active routes." The second trucker continued.
" I hear you." The woman replied. " I sure wouldn't want to be caught out in that mess. There ain't no ship that could handle a collision with one of those rocks."
" Damn straight." Red Viking chimed in. " And I sure hope there aren't any civilian ships wandering around out there."
" Huh? Why would they?" The woman asked, perplexed by his odd comment. " When a shower of this level shows up warnings are sent through all the frequency channels. Civilian or not, everyone gets the message loud and clear."
" Yeah. But what if they couldn't control their ship?" He countered.
" What are you talking about?" The second trucker asked, now curious about where Red Viking was going.
" See, I answered a distress call today from some guy who called himself, Black Dog. Apparently his crew is floating around that area as we speak."
" Huh? Why would they do that? Are they crazy?" The second trucker asked.
" Must be." The woman muttered to herself and shook her head at the waitress who offered to refill her coffee mug. " Or it could have been a prank… or a trap to get some poor good Samaritan type close enough to rob."
" I don't know…" Red Viking continued. " The thing is he sounded genuinely concerned. Said something about his crew losing control of the ship and needing an emergency evac."
" Huh. Well… let's hope then that they got that evac before the shower found them."
Red Viking sighed. " Yeah. But just-in-case… keep an eye and ear out for any fishing trawlers turned spaceship and called the Bebop."
" Did you say… Bebop?" The woman asked, her eyes as wide as saucers.
" Yeah. Why?"
But the woman didn't answer. She had already left her tip and was heading out the door in a hurry.
" Guess she got tired of the conversation." The second trucker concluded.
" I don't blame her." Red Viking sighed. " I'm bored of it myself." And with that he returned to sipping his coffee. Glancing down he watched with mild interest as the news reporter turned things over to a sports broadcaster cheerfully giving highlights on interstellar sports competitions.
" I don't get it." Spike sighed, resting both fists on either side of his hips.
Quietly Faye chewed on her bottom lip, her arms crossed over her chest as she tried to ignore a growing sense of dread.
" Well isn't there some kind of emergency button or something that would work in situations like these?" She asked.
Spike glanced at her. " And what kind of situation are we in Faye?"
" The kind that could have a bad ending if we don't play our cards right."
Spike shook his head. " Its no use. The only way to get things working is to fix the mess outside. But I can't do that because of all the stardust floating around."
" Then we just have to wait for it to pass and then you can go out and fix whatever's wrong." Faye concluded and turned to walk away. But suddenly the entire ship rocked violently and sent her tumbling back into Spike. Unable to find their balance they both fell to the floor in an ungraceful heap. A second later another impact nearly turned the whole ship upside-down. Faye and Spike looked at each other, startled.
" What just happened?" He asked.
" Did someone hit us?" Faye asked.
And suddenly a loud screech broke their silence. Spike and Faye looked towards the sound as it traveled from one end of the command deck to the other. And they watched in astonishment as a massive chunk of rock crawled into view, scraping by on the other side of the glass.
" A meteorite shower!" Spike gasped and he leapt to his feet, rushing over to the window for a better look.
" Are we…" Faye gulped as she hurried over to join him on wobbly legs. " Are we going to die?"
Spike didn't answer as he craned his neck back at an odd angle trying to see what else was floating around them.
Faye continued. " When you were outside I heard what sounded like rain hitting this side of the Bebop just before the power went out."
Spike turned to her in surprise. " What? Why didn't you say something?"
" I was about to when the power died. Besides, I've never been in a meteorite shower before." She replied, feeling defensive under his scrutinizing gaze. " How was I supposed to know there are warning signs, uh, sounds before a meteorite shower hits?"
And then he looked away, suddenly lost in thought. " Have you noticed any other ships traveling this way lately?"
Faye shrugged. " I don't think I've seen anything since Jet left. Why?"
" I wonder if this shower was broadcasted… it would explain why there doesn't seem to be any other ships on this route except for us." And he headed down the stairs in a hurry.
" Where are you going?" Faye asked, following close behind.
" Maybe Jet can help us figure things out." He called over his shoulder, breaking into a full-fledged sprint towards the hangar.
Rushing to the Swordfish II he hopped in and turned on the dashboard. Within moments he was screening frequencies and frowned. He hadn't bothered to shut the pilot bubble so Faye had a clear view of what he was doing from the floor.
" What's wrong?" She asked.
Spike shook his head. " I don't believe this." He muttered to himself and he raised his voice so she could hear. " It looks like we're not gonna be calling anyone. I can't get our signal past the meteorites." He turned to look down at her. " Everything bounces back."
Faye hugged herself, suddenly feeling chilled, and watched as Spike hopped back down. He looked at her with mild concern.
" You okay Romani?"
Faye nodded but couldn't suppress a shiver and finally pulled her sweater on right. " Is it just me or did the temperature drop a couple degrees in here?" She asked.
Spike shrugged. " I don't feel any different."
" That's because you're still wearing your space suit, Goujo." She smirked.
" Oh yeah." He smiled and glanced at the O2 meter hanging from the collar of his suit. He lifted it up, intending to remove it before slipping out of the suit when he suddenly stiffened.
No… it can't be! He thought to himself in shock.
Faye was already heading back when she sensed he wasn't following and turned around to stare at him.
" Maybe I should be asking you if you're alright. Spike, you look a little green."
Spike looked up at her then, a serious tension evident on his face. Faye only saw that look when they were facing bounties that had just raised concealed weapons at them, or when he came looking for the woolong card she had swapped from his pocket when he wasn't paying attention.
" What?" She asked, completely flabbergasted.
" We're in trouble." He stated and hurried over to her, lifting his O2 meter for her to see. " According to this we're running out of oxygen. Fast."
" What?" Faye gasped. " Spike! That's not funny."
" I'm not playing with you, Faye! Look at it! According to this we're down to only six hours."
Slowly, Faye looked back at the meter and felt her stomach drop to her feet. " Wh-what are we going to do? What can we do?" She asked, feeling a sudden and unfamiliar desperation.
" One of the meteorites that hit us must have created a tear somewhere on the ship. We need to find it."
" Okay. And then what?"
" Depending on its size… try to find a way to seal it and buy us as much time as possible."
" How big of a tear are we talking about?" She asked with a frustrated frown.
Spike shrugged. " Don't know. It could be as big as a door or as small as a strand of hair."
" What? Spike, how are we suppose to find it if it's that small?"
" Easy. There'll be suction wherever it is. Just listen for a whistling sound, or look for objects that are moving up against a wall."
Yeah right. Easy he says. Faye thought to herself. And then she thought about Jet.
" Do you think Jet already sent help for us?" She asked hopefully.
Spike nodded. " You know Jet. He always follows his instincts. I think if he hasn't heard from us in as many hours that it's a pretty safe bet he's already got people looking for us."
" Even if he sent people will they reach us in time?" Faye asked as they hurried back into the hall.
Spike didn't know what to say. And as he looked at her he was struck with the sudden flashback of a timid, little girl with bright, green eyes who had won his heart inside the world of a beta tape.
" Don't worry about what might happen." He tried to reassure her. " The best thing we can do is be positive. Let's stay focused and find the tear."
Faye nodded, even when she looked unconvinced.
Spike reached out and rested a hand on her shoulder. " Hey. It's okay to be afraid. But that doesn't mean we can't do something to help ourselves."
This time Faye gave him a smirk. " I'm okay, Spike. Let's do this."
And as they reached the end of the hall they both took off in opposite directions agreeing to regroup in an hour.
Spike checked his O2 meter again and felt his heart race. There was nothing he could do to improve their situation. And as he stepped into the hangar he realized that by the time they found the tear there would only be enough oxygen to give one of them a fighting chance.
Faye shivered. But she couldn't decide if it was due to the dropping temperature or her growing dread. Her heart was beating hard and in the silence of the ship she could hear the rush of blood pumping in her ears.
Thirty minutes and eight storage rooms later had Faye ready to punch a whole in the ship herself. And as she opened a ninth storage room with no sign of anything amiss she fought back frustrated tears.
This is impossible! She thought to herself. Even if we find the tear how would we stop it?
And she stepped back into the hall, stomping down to the next storage room and pausing to look through the porthole.
This will go faster if I just glance through the windows and stop wasting time stepping inside every room on the ship.
Peering at the room beyond the glass she sighed in frustration and was about to walk on when something suddenly caught her eye.
Wait-a-minute, what was that? She wondered and craned her neck to see a small paint can rolling to the opposite wall. Faye blinked. And suddenly she saw a wrench skid across the floor heading in the same direction. A moment later a trashcan, an empty canister, an old picture frame, and a metal watering can followed the same path.
Hey! That's my picture frame! I was wondering where that went to…
Quickly scanning the rest of the room Faye suddenly realized that this storage room housed all their oxygen supplies both for individual and general use.
Well that figures. She thought bitterly. Its not like we could ever use any good luck around here.
Without missing a beat Faye turned and bolted down the hall, taking the corner so fast she nearly slipped. Jumping into the anti-gravity chamber she pushed herself off the opposite wall and reached the hatch for the common room in a blink.
Spike had just entered from the opposite side of the ship and looked up when she stepped inside.
" Spike! I found it!"
A few minutes later they stared in dismay at the growing collection of random junk sucked up against the furthest wall of the storage room.
" Of all the rooms on the Bebop…" Spike began
" Tell me about it." Faye muttered.
" Well we can't open the door. If we do the tear will get bigger and feed off whatever oxygen we have left."
" Then what do you suggest we do?" Faye asked, frowning at him. She leaned against the wall, arms crossed against her chest in a show of frustration.
For a long moment Spike said nothing and quietly stared through the porthole. But at length he finally turned away and looked at her.
" What?" She asked.
" You have to get off this ship."
Faye blinked at him in confusion. " Huh? You mean we have to get off this ship."
Spike shook his head, double-checking his O2 meter. " No. Only one of us is getting off, Romani."
" Wait. What are you talking about?" She continued and stepped away from the wall to stand with her hands on her hips. " Since when do you get to tell me what to do?"
" Since Jet left me in charge of the Bebop."
Faye opened and closed her mouth for a moment. " Yeah, well… if he were here right now he would say we have to find a way to get everybody off the ship."
" And what would you suggest we do, Faye?"
" Let's use our space suits and live off the oxygen in our tanks until the emergency crews arrive."
" No good." He replied. " Remember that my oxygen tank is floating in space right now? And the rest of our oxygen supplies are in there." And he jutted a thumb at the storage room.
" Okay, okay." Faye muttered, turning around to think again. " Then let's forget about waiting here. Let's just take our ships and get off the Bebop."
" That would work except the Swordfish is shot up and needs engine repairs. I can't control her. And that second-hand spacecraft of yours can only carry one adult." Spike countered, leaning against the wall. He watched her as she began to pace back and forth.
" Well there has to be a way to make this work, Spike. I am not leaving you behind to die!"
He smirked at her, his eyes softening. " Who said I was going to die?"
Faye stopped pacing long enough to pin him with an angry glare. " Well what do you think would happen, huh? If I leave that means you would have to open the hangar doors, which would let out more oxygen and give you even less air to live on."
" You're thinking worst case scenario, Faye." Spike replied nonchalantly, trying to lighten her mood a little.
" Would you stop that?" She snapped.
" What?" He asked, the smirk never leaving his face.
" Acting like there's no real risk of you losing your life when we both know that's not true! I already lost people I loved in the shuttle accident fifty years ago and I don't want anyone else dying like that."
" Faye-" Spike began but she interrupted him.
" I told you once before that I remember everything now. I meant it Spike! I remember what it felt like to watch my family die and I remember what it felt like to die that way myself!" She suddenly stopped talking, here eyes shining with tears and her bottom lip quivering.
" I can't do it again." She whispered. " If we die here like that… I…"
Without saying a word Spike suddenly stepped away from the wall and pulled her into an embrace. Faye found herself pressed to his chest, her hands trapped between them.
" Don't give up on me, Romani." He implored her softly. " Things are gonna work out. I need you to believe that."
And he rubbed her back gently, shifting one hand up to her neck where he pinched a nerve, rendering her unconscious. Immediately her entire weight fell against him and he tightened his embrace to keep her from spilling onto the floor.
Carefully hoisting her up over his shoulder he carried her to the hangar and lifted her up into her spacecraft. After making certain her safety harness was in place Spike quickly punched in a new set of coordinates.
" You're going to be okay, Faye."He found himself reassuring her even when she couldn't hear him. " I reset your coordinates so that you head back to Venus and I turned on your emergency beacon. Someone will help you."
Pulling away he took one last, cursory glance over the control panel and nodded to himself in satisfaction. His gaze then fell back on Faye and he stared at her for a few moments, gently brushing aside dark locks that had fallen over her face.
" I'm sorry I knocked you out." He whispered. " But this is for the best." And he leaned in, pressing a lingering kiss to her forehead.
Turning the engines on he climbed out of the pilot bubble and shut it with a firm tug. Hopping down he hurried to the hangar entrance where he had previously left a coil of cargo rope and Faye's oxygen tank at the ready. Grabbing his helmet he twisted it into place and hooked himself up to the oxygen. It only took him another minute to pick up the rope and tie it securely around his waist.
" Here goes nothing." He muttered and turned to the control panel, pressing the release button that opened the hangar doors.
Immediately strong wind rushed inside forming a vacuum that pulled at everything in its wake. Spike gripped tightly to a pair of handle bars against the nearest wall and watched Faye's spacecraft inch closer towards outer space. But the sound of something clanging caused him concern and he glanced around looking for the cause. His gaze finally settled on the Swordfish and he soon spotted one of the cables, responsible for holding the wheels to the floor, flailing about in the wind.
Taking a steadying breath hereleased his hold on the handlebars and allowed himself to be sucked towards the Swordfish. Twisting around he grabbed his makeshift safety line with both hands and brought himself to a sudden stop with so much force that he briefly feared his helmet might fly off. Gripping tightly to the cord in one hand he reached for the cable with the other. But as he did so the cable whipped down in his direction, driven wayward by the weight of its metal latch.
" Crap!" He gasped, barely moving out of the way and narrowly missing a direct impact.
One hit to my helmet or the oxygen tank and it's all over.
Bracing himself for a second attempt he waited until the cord arched high and in the opposite direction. Gripping the floor grates with his fingers he managed to pull himself closer to the wheels of the Swordfish. Behind him and only a few feet away Faye's spacecraft was steadily rolling towards the open hangar doors. He could hear the roar of its engines over the rush of wind and feel the floor vibrate as it passed by.
The oxygen in the hangar had dissipated and the wind died down, causing the cable to slow until it stopped all together.
" Finally!" Spike grumbled as it floated above him.
Snatching it he pulled down with a hard yank and quickly re-attached it to the hangar floor. Looking back over his shoulder he caught sight of the spacecraft as it slipped out of the hangar and took off on its predestined route.
" Go Faye… you can make it…" He whispered as her spacecraft shrank into the distance, its engine flames blending into the light of the many stars.
Time in space ordinarily had no meaning. Everything happened in the here and now. And days could be weeks or months or years. It was impossible to tell without a calendar or a clock.
As Spike stared out the command deck windows he wondered how many years of his life had been spent floating amongst the stars. Did it mean anything that he might die surrounded by them? He supposed that Laughing Bull would say it meant something… probably along the lines of how his spirit would always be aware of the years he had wasted. And then Spike frowned. Was it even possible to know you were dead once you died?
After Spike had sent Faye on her way he had suddenly found himself with time to spare as he waited for help. But if help was on its way it was taking its jolly time finding him. What little air was left in the Bebop was significantly thicker and the ship was getting very cold. He could feel it now, even through his space suit. Faye's oxygen tank had run empty about forty minutes earlier and floated forgotten near the floor of the control deck.
" So much for going out with a bang." He muttered to himself.
And as he watched the endless glow of the stars around him he was surprised to realize that it wasn't Julia's face he remembered but Faye's. And it wasn't the threat of death by Vicious or an army of mafia that frightened him but the thought of dying alone. Was he really ready for this? Could anyone ever truly be ready to die?
And if he wanted to be philosophical about stuff Spike had to ask himself… Wasn't it true that in the end everyone died alone just as they were born alone?
Even so it would still be nice to have someone nearby. He acknowledged to himself.
And suddenly he was overcome by a wave of dizziness. Closing his eyes for a moment Spike pushed away from the windows and towards the captain's chair even as he fought a rising nausea.
No one ever told him that nausea was something you had to contend with when you were about to asphyxiate. But perhaps that was because anyone who did asphyxiate didn't live long enough to tell anyone exactly what it felt like.
For a moment he thought he heard something… someone calling out in the bowels of the ship. And he opened his eyes, looking around with bleary vision.
But it can't be… I'm here alone… He reminded himself.
And then his vision wavered as darkness nearly overwhelmed him. His limbs were suddenly heavy and Spike couldn't stop his head from lolling backwards, the faceplate on his helmet fogging up with every desperate gasp he took. And a moment later he began to writhe; his body twisting, his muscles cramping, and his hands clenching into fists. Nothing could have ever prepared him for the agony he was experiencing. The pain was excruciating and he could even feel the saliva on his tongue begin to boil. But even this close to death his aching lungs strained to fill themselves and he heard the odd sound of a high-pitched whine emanate from his own lips.
And then, out of the edge of his darkening vision, he saw someone standing at the doorway of the control deck seconds before his eyes rolled back. Any lingering thoughts quickly dissipated from his consciousness, the image of Faye's face being his last cohesive thought.
He remembered. Or he dreamed. He wasn't sure yet which one… maybe both. But he was aware of random things: bright lights that shone through his eyelids, a cat 's meow, many voices speaking at once, rhythmic pressure on his chest, and the odd sensation of moving without any effort. He remembered a soft voice from a dying memory. " Its just a... dream…"
" I think he's coming around."
Slowly Spike became aware of quiet beeps and the feeling of warm sunlight on his eyelids. Instinctively he turned his head away and stretched his toes, too tired to lift his arms yet. With great effort he opened bleary eyes and fought for several moments to keep them open long enough to see.
" Waking up is a hard thing to do."
The voice again… he recognized its timbre and inflection. It made him feel safe and comforted. It made him remember feelings of belonging. But mostly, it made him want to open his eyes and see who wouldn't stop talking so he could sleep.
Jet was looking down at him with a smirk. Spike blinked and looked up at him in recognition. The feeling of being safe flooded him again. And then his gaze settled on Faye who was also looking down at him. She seemed relieved and he was filled with feelings of comfort and an inexplicable longing. It confused him. So with a weary sigh he allowed his gaze to wander again until it settled on VT. She filled him with feelings of… w-wait. VT?
" What the…" He managed to croak out and blinked away any sleepiness that had been lingering only moments before.
" How many lives have you got, man?" Jet asked him with a chuckle.
Spike struggled to sit up. " I thought… I thought I died but then I saw you guys." He replied as if his odd statement was enough to answer all their questions.
" That's it? That's all you've got to say for yourself?" Faye answered in astonishment.
" Now is not the time Faye." Jet warned.
Spike's attention was on VT. " What happened?" He asked as if the others hadn't even spoken.
VT took in a deep breath, taking a moment to collect her thoughts. " Uh, well… there was a trucker talking about a crew that was trapped in their ship and heading beyond any of the gate routes. He mentioned the name Bebop and I knew it had to be you guys." And she motioned to them with a sweep of her arm.
" I headed out right away, swapped routes with another trucker who was heading in your general direction, found your distress signal, entered the Bebop, and found you unconscious. Not long after that emergency crews arrived and took over."
" She kept you alive until emergency crews arrived." Jet explained, taking a moment to give VT a grateful nod. " The emergency crews took you to the nearest ER and retracted the Bebop from the outer edge of the Milky Way. I had to use all of our savings to get Bebop operational again and start payments on the medical bills."
" We had a savings account?" Spike asked dumbfounded.
" Not anymore." Faye growled.
" Faye." Jet warned her for a second time.
" Man..." Spike sighed with defeat. " We can never win."
" Ain't that the truth." Faye agreed.
" Just be thankful things weren't any worse." Jet reminded them.
" Hey VT?" Spike started as she prepared to leave. Pausing for a moment she turned back to him.
" Yeah?"
" Thanks for saving me. I owe you. Big."
VT smirked. " Naw! Don't worry about it. I actually have to give Zeros some credit too because he kept me on my toes about whether-or-not you were still breathing. Take care now, alright? I've got another shipment to make."
" Let me walk you out." Jet replied and stepped in front of her to open the door.
" Okay… thanks." She replied, accepting his offer with a polite smile.
As they left the room, the door shutting quietly behind them, Faye sat down on the bed beside Spike's hip.
" You know, you're lucky to have Jet and I." She began. " There aren't a lot of people who would put up with you."
Spike stared at her intently and Faye fought the urge to fidget under his gaze.
" And I don't appreciate you making life and death decisions for me." She continued. " Don't do that again. Ever."
Faye made a move to get up but Spike suddenly grabbed her wrist and made her pause. " I'm sorry Faye." He replied. " You're right. I can't make those kinds of decisions for you or anyone. And I promise I won't do it again."
Faye stared at him in surprise, listening quietly to his honest admission.
" And…" He continued. " I'm sorry about what happened to your family in the shuttle accident."
Faye quickly looked away, her breath catching in her throat. She had forgotten about the conversation they shared back on the Bebop. Her family's death was something she had never told anyone except with him. And she had to wonder why.
For several moments she didn't speak. She was aware of Spike's grip on her wrist and could sense his intense gaze on her but she didn't know what to say. She wasn't expecting him to be so… so transparent. But maybe she could still recover and hide the fact that his kindness had taken her by surprise.
Shaking her head she released a dramatic sigh. " Looks like I owe you one, cowboy." She replied looking back and gave him a small smile. Carefully she pulled at her wrist and he released his grip, having forgotten that he still held her. " I'm going to go see what Jet's doing with VT. He's probably smothering her with thank yous." She replied standing up.
Spike nodded. " Okay. I'll be here." He reassured her and leaned back, folding his hands behind his head.
" Lunkhead." She smirked before heading out the door.
After a few minutes Spike stared out the window of his hospital room in silent contemplation. He couldn't be sure but he thought he saw tears in her eyes. And then he thought about Jet's words. They, as a crew, did have a lot to be thankful for. And Spike knew that this last " near death experience" should have been the end.
He was glad it wasn't. He was glad he had friends like Jet and Faye. But mostly… he was glad he could get some sleep now. And he turned onto his side, closed his eyes, and slipped back into the world of dreams.
Count Your Blessings
Opening Quote: Unknown