Title: Empire of the Sun
Rating: R just in case (K+)
Summary: The agents continue on their quest to find a long lost artifact in Machu Picchu.
Pairings: Myka/H.G.
Disclaimer 1: Warehouse 13 and characters are not mine, just playing around with them.
This story has not been beta'd so sorry for any mistakes.
Thanks again for all your feedback. I've been having a hard time with this story, but we're getting down to the homestretch; well, hopefully...I have to confess, even though I know where I want the story to end, most of it isn't really mapped out; this is probably painfully obvious, but hopefully you're still enjoying it!
Here we go:
/
Myka landed gracelessly on the leaf covered ground, almost toppling over when her vision blurred. She crossed her arms over her stomach, trying to fight back the nausea that suddenly assaulted her. Cold, trembling hands made their way to the small of her back, making comforting circles. "What is it? What's wrong?" Claudia whispered in worry.
"Just a headache…it'll go away in a bit." Myka assured with a wavering smile. Claudia looked her over with uncertain eyes. She opened her mouth to say something but stopped herself when she caught sight of two zombies watching them predatorily only a few feet away.
"I left the sword under the tree." Myka whispered through clenched teeth, not wanting to make any sound that would instigate an attack.
Claudia searched behind them and saw H.G.'s sword plunged into the ground. She looked back at the zombies who were watching their every move; their featureless heads shifting, and their hands clenching in anticipation.
"One, Two…Now, Claudia!" Myka ordered. In a split second, the redhead turned towards the tree but not before catching sight of the creatures making a run for them. She reached the weapon in a few short steps and pulled it free from the ground. She swung around, tossing the sword -hilt first- towards Myka who, despite her dizziness, managed to catch it. The agent swung her arms in an arc, using the sharp weapon to cut one of the creatures head's right off, but her weak hands lost their grip on the hilt in the process. The sword went flying into the air. Myka had no time to see where it had landed; the second creature pummeling her to the floor. The adrenalin pumping through her gave her enough strength to bend her legs under the corpse's heavy weight and with great effort she kicked the screeching creature in the chest. It fell backwards but with surprising agility, quickly got on its knees, ready to pounce on Myka again. The agent heard Claudia yell and saw her running towards the corpse, sword in hand. She clumsily stabbed at it, but her lack of experience with the weapon showed; seeing that she wasn't making any real damage, she positioned herself between the zombie and Myka, the sword held awkwardly in her hands. The corpse snarled angrily at Claudia, baring chipped and rotting teeth.
The Warehouse tech gripped the sword tighter, snarling at the creature in the same fashion, though she knew she probably looked ridiculous doing so. She spread her legs, preparing for the inevitable attack. She jumped and shut her eyes tightly when she heard a gunshot. The creature fell on its knees as Roberto swiftly made his way over to the fallen body, plunging his machete into the deformed head.
Pete ran up to them as he holstered his gun. "Is everyone all right?" He asked as he anxiously scanned the women's faces. Myka opened her mouth to answer but Claudia beat her to it. "I'm – I'm okay…but Myka…I don't think she's doing so good, guys." She replied honestly, knowing that Myka would play down her headache and sudden dizzy spell.
Myka turned to her, giving her an irritated glare before speaking, "I feel fine, Claudia" She said in a clipped tone. "Look, we're wasting time. We have to get down river, Helena and Adriana will be waiting for us there." She exclaimed firmly as she grabbed the sword from Claudia's hand and started to take long strides towards the cliff. Most of the horde had flung themselves over its edge in pursuit of the rifle. Her heart was hammering in her chest. What if the river was too shallow? or there were unseen rocks below? Or if the zombies had dragged them down to the river's depths? All these questions bombarded her restless mind, causing her queasy stomach to churn once more.
Pete instructed Roberto and Claudia to search for Arpasi before he made his way to Myka. He had to run to catch up with her, but slowed down to a hurried gate when he reached his partner. He wanted to make certain H.G. hadn't just killed herself and Adriana with that stupid move. He was pissed off at the inventor, to say the least. She had put herself in danger more times that day than he could count, oblivious to what her injury or death might do to them. He clenched his fists, trying to crack his knuckles and relieve some of the stress and worry.
"Sometimes, I seriously think that woman has a death wish." He mused out loud, causing Myka to look at him with dejected eyes. He instantly regretted his careless words. She didn't reply though, choosing instead to clench her jaw and stare straight ahead. Pete assumed that somewhere deep down she knew that there was at least some truth to what he had said.
"Myka-" he said tentatively as he unholstered his weapon.
"If you're going to ask me how I'm feeling-" Myka started as she plunged the sword into one of the few remaining zombies "-I swear to god, Pete!" She finished in frustration as the body toppled over.
Pete placed his foot on the twitching corpse's chest and shot it between the eyes before his annoyed gaze landed on her. "Mykes! You just got your skull bashed in, we're in the middle-" he aimed and steadfastly shot at an approaching corpse"-of nowhere starring in an episode of the 'Walking Dead' and H.G. just flung herself off of a cliff!" His voice had grown in intensity as he finished. "Excuse me for worrying about my partner!" He was fuming now; his nerves getting the best of him. They were nearing the cliff's edge but Myka stopped, looking around for anymore corpses and then forced herself to take a deep, calming breath before saying in acquiescence, "My head hurts…a lot and I'm dizzy as hell…but, I'll live. I'm sorry, Pete. I know you're just looking out for me. I – I just need to look over that ridge and make sure they're not dead." Her voice took an almost pleading tone, wanting desperately for Pete to forgive her, needing his strength for what they were about to do.
Pete nodded in understanding, his frustration and anger dispelling almost at once. He put a hand on his friend's shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
"Come on" He prompted as they started walking again "-I'm sure they're okay. H.G. can be brash but she's not crazy." Seeing Myka's wry smile at the comment, Pete couldn't help but smile back in return. "Okay, she's nuts…but, in a good way...She wouldn't risk Adriana's life if she wasn't sure they could make it." He reasoned.
Myka felt a wave of relief at his words. He was right. They were alive and in a couple of hours they would reunite with them. She pictured the self-assured smile H.G. would greet them with when they reached her and she quickened her steps. When they got to the ridge though, she had to take another breath to steady her nerves. The agents looked at each other before leaning over to peer down, scanning the area. The sun shone brightly now so they could see their surroundings clearly. A giddy, almost maniacal laugh escaped them when they saw a large tree that had grown at the edge of a nearby cliff; a rope had been tied to one of the thick branches, obviously being placed there with the intention of swinging from it and jumping to the waters below. If the locals could manage the jump than so could H.G. The zombies were another factor to take into account, but the agents didn't want to consider it. If they had made that jump, then they would make it out alive; there just wasn't any other option.
"You think she saw the rope before she decided to jump?" Pete asked as they made their way back to the others, his eyes on the lookout. He directed his gaze to Myka, and after a few seconds they both shook their heads.
"Naaah"
"Nope"
They replied in unison; the dire mood they had been in for the past couple of hours had improved exponentially.
/
The water was freezing, sending a much needed shock to her tired muscles. She shifted her left arm, repositioning it to get a better grip on Adriana's waist. She started to swim, guiding them to the surface and away from where they had fallen; positive that at least some of the zombies would be close behind. As they broke the water's surface, she looked up. Sure enough, the horde had jumped right in after them. She used the water's current to swim away, noting with relief that the creatures weren't able to swim; most passed them right by, trying in vain to grab on to them.
"Can you swim?" Helena asked Adriana.
The young woman's teeth were chattering preventing her from speaking, but she managed to give several affirmative nods. Helena grabbed the rifle from her and placed the strap across her shoulders, leaving both hands free to maneuver more easily through the waters. "Follow me." She instructed. They had landed in the middle of the vast river, the shore looked to be miles away, although her tired eyes were probably playing tricks on her. The current was taking most of the corpses there so, swimming towards it wasn't an option.
She guided Adriana further away; the water getting rougher as they went. She looked back to see if Adriana was following behind and as she turned, she felt herself being pulled under. For a second, she thought it had been one of the corpses dragging her below though she soon realized she had been swept up by an undercurrent. Dread filled her; she could have at least fought a zombie. She struggled to get free, but couldn't get her bearings. Her legs kicked and she prayed she was moving towards the surface, if she was heading to the water's depths then there was no way she could hold her breath long enough for the swim back up. She felt a hand clutch at her collar and pull up. Adriana had found her somehow and was guiding her to the surface. As she broke through the water, she filled her lungs with the sweet, cold morning air, sputtering out some of the liquid that had made its way into her lungs. The fast current had led them into a rapid filled section of the river. They had no way of fighting against the harsh waters.
She saw stars behind her eyes when her back hit a large boulder; then she thought about the rifle and cringed again-she hoped it hadn't broken in two with the force of the impact. They had to get out. She saw several trees that had fallen, their long branches extended towards them as if offering help.
"Try to reach one the branches!" She yelled, the water's white noise making it almost impossible to hear anything else.
Helena took off the rifle and motioned for Adriana to grab on to it. She extended her arm to maneuver the woman closer to the trees; her other hand held achingly fast onto one of the crevices in the large rock. Adriana stretched out as much as she could and was barely able to grab onto one of the sturdier twigs. As soon as Helena saw that Adriana had gotten a secure hold, she let go of the rock, pushing against it, propelling herself towards the tree. With some difficulty, they were able to climb onto the large trunk and lay down on it, completely exhausted. Helena could see her breath in the morning light. She was shivering and she crossed her arms over her chest to try to keep warm somehow. The wound on her neck was throbbing. She placed her fingers over it and as she pulled them back, she saw they were covered in blood.
"I can't believe we just did that!" Adriana exclaimed as she got on her knees and slid over to where Helena was. "Here, let me look." Adriana prompted as she lightly turned H.G.'s head in order to get a better look at the injury. When the woman took off the make-shift gauze, Helena saw her cringe; "You could be a bit more careful with your bedside manner, darling…I assume that it looks about as good as I feel?" She half-heartedly jested.
Adriana forced the muscles in her face to relax and then gave the inventor a feeble smile. "It's – it's deep and it looks like it's getting infected but, you'll be fine. We just have to clean it and once we get to a village, they'll be able to patch you right up."
Helena groaned at the thought of having to walk any further, but she had a promise to keep. She forced herself on her knees and let Adriana carefully wash away the blood and use the handkerchief that Amaru had tied around her injured hand to wrap around her neck, covering the wound as best she could. When she was satisfied with her work Adriana moved to get up, but was stopped by H.G.'s hand on her forearm.
"Let me have a look, then." Helena said, her hand already grabbing Adriana's boot and stretching the bended knee.
"It is just a scratch." Adriana assured, although she let the inventor examine the bite.
It wasn't as deep as Helena's and the injury didn't seem to be infected as of yet, but having an open wound in a damp jungle was never good, no matter what the size.
Helena ripped the bottom half of Adriana's pants up to the knee, "Hope you weren't too attached to them." She commented off-handedly, as she cleaned the wound and wrapped it in the straps she had made with the material.
"There…all done. Now we can go."
They stood slowly, the trunk's slippery surface making it difficult to walk on.
"We have to head down river. I believe there's a village somewhere in the area…It isn't too far off, if I remember correctly." H.G. said, recalling she had seen the village in Roberto's map when they had stopped to rest a few hours before, though she had barely paid any attention since she had been completely exhausted and Myka had been curled up beside her, sleeping soundly, head pillowed on her stomach;
'A cause for distraction if ever there was one' She mused to herself as she climbed off the tree.
/
It had taken them closer to four hours to get to their destination. Helena's condition had worsened considerably. About an hour into their trek, H.G had tripped on some loose shrubbery. Her weak legs, unable to hold her weight, had simply given out on her and she had fallen soundly to the ground. Adriana had run to her aid, kneeling beside her and helping her turn on her back. Her breathing was coming out in rapid, wheezy puffs and she couldn't seem to get warm.
"You- you're burning up." Adriana stammered, exceedingly worried about the writer's condition. If she didn't get up, she wouldn't be able to carry her and leaving her defenseless in the middle of the jungle while she went looking for help wasn't an option. She placed a cool hand on Helena's forehead, trying to sooth away the pained lines that had appeared on the usually flawless skin.
"Helena, you have to get up…we're so close now." Adriana urged, her hand moving to H.G.'s wound, sliding the bloodied cloth to one side to get a better look at it. The skin around the bitten area was bright red, and there was puss along with blood coming out of the mauled opening, but what scared her most were the red lines that were spreading from the infected area like deadly, crimson spider webs. The infection was spreading quickly to the rest of her body. The lines had already made their way down past her shoulder and were spreading across her chest. She quickly placed the handkerchief back, making sure not to give anything away with her face.
Helena slowly cracked open her left eye, the sun's rays assaulting her aching head. She took a few moments to compose herself, before she brought her hand up and gingerly patted Adriana's arm. Adriana smiled in relief as she helped the writer up.
"Nothing to worry about, darling. I do hope you don't think I'm a complete dolt; I assure you I'm not usually this uncoordinated." The inventor said somewhat embarrassed at her clumsiness.
Adriana just shook her head as she positioned H.G.'s right arm over her shoulder, not wanting to make the woman even more uncomfortable. After a few seconds of silence, she began to speak. "Gustavo is dead." She informed H.G. quickly; the time traveler looked up in shock at the younger woman; her heart sank at the thought of a world without the sweet man.
"I'm so sorry for your loss, Adriana…he-he was a wonderful man." H.G. offered sincerely, thinking of the strange, striking blue eyes and the proud smile he had bestowed her with when he had handed her her father's sword.
Adriana shook her head again, wanting to continue her train of thought. "I found something in his jacket. I knew he was working with some of his artifacts to try to save his plants and crops from dying. A plague came down on the Hacienda a few months ago and almost ruined us….He was making a formula to heal them, I don't think he got it to work, but I believe he was close." She explained as she unzipped a pocket from her jacket and showed H.G. the strange liquid.
"That is a very dangerous thing he was doing." H.G. claimed, though her eyes were staring at the small flask in fascination.
"I know, but maybe if we could find a way to make it work…well, it can help with your wound." Adriana countered hopefully.
"Ah, alas…I had hoped the rotting smell was coming from some dead animal and not myself…do-do you think we will turn into one of them? Peter made us all watch a ghastly show once; anyone bitten turned into those frightful creatures…I'd make a horrible zombie, if I do say so myself...all that groaning and mindless fumbling about...though I do know some people who would barely know the difference." Helena kept her voice light, though it was clear she was very worried about the possibility of them and her friends turning into those monsters.
"I don't really think they were zombies to tell you the truth. There's a valley near where we were that used to be a small cemetery for some of the Incan nobles. The tradition was to mummify them. I'm not an expert, but I think a mummy is somewhat different from a zombie; they don't pass on their condition to the living so I don't think we should be worried about turning into zombies - I can't believe these words are coming out of my mouth." Adriana finished in Spanish.
Helena gave a dry bark at the comment, her body leaning into Adriana's a little further, the effort from laughing making her feel weak and light headed. "And I can't believe I'd ever be pleased to hear a mummy bit me." She joked despite herself.
Now, they were nearing the village. They had passed a large waterfall about an hour before and once they had descended a small foothill, the river had split into dozens of different forks. They had chosen the one that led them west; this significantly smaller river was shallow and tranquil.
"I think we should stop and rest here." Adriana suggested, she was practically dragging H.G. along. They had stopped talking a while ago, and all that could be heard was the sound of their slow footsteps against the rocky surface, the water moving swiftly to their left and H.G.'s wheezing and strained breathing. "No, we musn't. I'm…I'm afraid if I stop now I won't be able to start back up again…and we're so dreadfully late as is." Helena protested in a weak voice, her eyes glazed over. The younger woman's muscles were cramping up painfully and her calf hurt more than she'd care to admit, but if H.G. didn't want to stop then she would keep going until her own body gave out. Helena had saved her life today and she would never forget that.
She saw movement up ahead and for one frightful moment thought it might be one of the undead corpses but, as she squinted to get a better view, she saw Pete standing at the river's shore. He had taken off his jacket and his red t-shirt was easy to spot from where they were. She tried to call out, but her throat was parched and her voice broke. She moved H.G.'s body to get a better grip on the almost completely limp form and as she moved closer, she could make out Myka pacing frantically beside her partner. She leaned against a tree and took a deep breath before yelling,
"Heeeere! We're over heeere!" This time her voice reached awaiting ears. Both agents turned instantly to the sound of her voice and raced towards them. She could see Claudia, Roberto and Arpasi now, following the partners close behind. Her eyes filled up in relief as she slid to the floor, careful not to jostle the injured woman in her arms. She felt H.G. give a start and try to get up and so, she tightened her arms around her.
"Easy…we've made it…we found them" She was speaking in Spanish, her weary and relieved brain automatically reverting to her mother tongue.
Myka and Pete were beside them in a matter of seconds. "Wha-what happened?!" Myka's voice was urgent as she got on her knees and carefully moved Helena from Adriana. She was burning up, her skin was clammy and a fetid smell was coming off of her. She delicately placed Helena's head on her thighs and untied the scarf around her neck.
"The bite...it's infected." Adriana explained as Pete unburdened her from the rifle. Myka gave a loud gasp when she saw what was under the cloth.
"H.G…" Pete said in a meek voice; appalled at what he saw.
"Oh god.." Myka cried out as she placed her hands over H.G.'s cheeks, cupping her face and brushing away the sweat soaked hair that clung there. "You'll be all right, you'll be all right" She repeated hoarsely, though she didn't know if it was for Helena's sake or her own. H.G. opened her heavy eyelids with great difficulty and stared up at Myka.
"I'm so sorry I'm late, Myka." Her voice was weak and cracked and it was devoid of any of its usual haughtiness. She looked like a small child, Myka decided. She was gazing up at her with such guilt, it made her heart ache for her. "Shhh…You're here now…that's…all…that…matters." She said the last part between small kisses she pressed unthinkingly all about the writer's face. "Just-just stay with me, okay?"
"Arpasi! Get over here!" Pete called out to the Doctor as he helped Adriana stand.
"H.G!" Claudia barked when she saw the blood and drawn features on her friend's face. She practically leaped over to the prostrate form and placed a slightly callused hand between both of her own, rubbing it to try to warm up the ice cold limb.
Arpasi crouched on the other side of H.G. and leaned over her; his dark, intelligent eyes scanning the deep wound. He reached for his small bag and opened it.
"Agent Lattimer, come here beside me." He instructed. Pete handed the rifle to Amaru and ran over to the group. Adriana was covering her mouth, letting the tears run freely down her cheeks. 'What if they hadn't gotten there in time?' She thought to herself.
Roberto put a comforting arm around her, and Adriana leaned heavily into her friend's side. "I'm so sorry I handed you the rifle. When I saw you go over the cliff…I-I have no words for what I felt." He confessed, his words coming out in their native tongue, as he wrapped his arms around the crying woman.
"It's okay, this isn't your fault…I thought I could lose them...if this ever happens again, please remind me never to try to outrun a mummy." She said as she remembered having been attacked out of nowhere by one of the creatures; the motorcycle and Arpasi falling behind her as she flew from her seat. With a shudder, she placed her head on the tall man's shoulder and returned concerned eyes over to the group tending to H.G.
"You must hold her down; this will be very painful but it is necessary. We need to try to clean and dry out the wound." Arpasi said as he looked intently at each one of them. He placed Pete's hands over Helena's shoulder and upper arm and silently instructed Claudia to do the same.
"Agent Bering, don't let her move her neck after I apply this." He told the agent as he took out a brown glass jar and unscrewed the cap. Myka took off her jacket and moved back, guiding H.G.'s head to rest on the soft material she had placed on the ground. She then turned Helena's head with great care, giving the Doctor better access to the injury. Arpasi took out his drinking flask, a blue glass jar and a clean cloth. He wet the cloth and cleaned the area around the wound before pouring a red liquid from the blue jar over the bitten area "This is an antiseptic…it'll sting her a bit." He explained as the liquid seeped into the wound. An unconscious Helena tried to move her head away but Myka's hand over her temple prevented her from doing so. Myka moved soothing fingers over dark hair in an attempt to calm her down.
After Arpasi finished pouring the red liquid and washing the area, he looked back at the group.
"Are you ready?" the Doctor asked and waited for the three to nod.
He grabbed the brown jar and poured its contents on Helena's injury without any further preamble. It was a white powder which instantly started to bubble when it hit the damaged area. Helena's eyes shot wide open and an agonized scream escaped her. Claudia, Pete and Arpasi held her down as Myka leaned down over her, one arm protectively covering her temple to hold her in place. They were all quiet while they watched helplessly as Helena struggled against them, her loud, pain-filled cries seemed to go on forever. Finally, she quieted as she passed out from the pain, though her breathing was still labored and wheezing. Arpasi let go of her legs and hurriedly put gauze over the wound and wrapped her neck with a white cloth.
"We need to get to the village. She needs to rest and we need to get that fever of hers down." Arpasi stated as he got to his feet.
"Is she going to be okay?" Myka asked, her eyes were red-rimmed and she was trembling almost as much as Helena.
"She is strong; if we can get the fever to come down, her chances will improve considerably." He said as he moved to Adriana and bent down to get a look at her bitten shin.
"Arrrgh! I hate it here!" Claudia snapped as she stood and kicked at a nearby tree. She paused and cursed under her breath as she jumped up and down in pain. She then looked down at H.G., her demeanor changing all of a sudden. Turning quiet and contemplative, she crouched and placed her hand over H.G.'s once again. "Wha-what if she doesn't make it? Look at her! I've never seen her so-so helpless before." Claudia's voice broke on the last word.
Pete looked up at Myka who was trying and failing to keep her tears at bay. "She's going to make it, Claude. You can't think like that."
Pete searched for Roberto "Amaru, Where's that village you've been talking about?"
"It is a couple of miles North of here."
"Good. Doc, how's –" He began to inquire about Adriana, but the young woman's scream halted his words. Arpasi had just put some of the white powder over Adriana's injury. After a few seconds, the screaming stopped and the Doctor placed a comforting hand on the woman's cheek, giving it a light, encouraging pat.
"She's fine." He said and smiled at her death stare.
"Mykes…Myka!" Pete called out to his partner who was staring unseeing at some far off point in the distance, her hands clutching H.G.'s upper arms. She blinked slowly before turning to Pete. She had stopped crying and her eyes were now blank and detached. "We're going to the village now. Are you with me?" He asked, his voice becoming softer, his tone worried and reassuring all at once. Myka pursed her lips together and gave a shaky nod, but held onto Helena tighter when Pete bent over the still form and slowly put his arms under her.
"Mykes, let me carry her." He voiced, his earnest eyes breaking through to her. She exhaled loudly and loosened her grip on the writer as she stood.
"Um-Roberto, do-do you know anything about the villagers?" A high-strung Myka asked him as she watched Pete scoop up Helena.
"The people who live around here mostly keep to themselves, but they're friendly…they'll help us." He assured as he helped Adriana keep her footing.
They walked swiftly, wanting to get to the village before noon. The sun was beating down on them and they had to back track a few times since the river blocked their way as they headed further into the jungle. By the time they reached the first humble adobe houses, the group was about ready to pass out. Two villagers saw them coming and ran over, speaking rapidly. Roberto answered as best he could, his Quechua rusty. The two men nodded and then beckoned them to follow them into one of the small houses. A middle aged woman was standing over a small fire, boiling water in an old but well-kept pot. She turned to the arriving group and after sharing a few words with the men, seized the group up with a critical gaze. Then her eyes landed on Helena's unconscious form and her demeanor instantly softened. She went up to Pete and placed her hand over H.G.'s forehead as she said something to the agent. He looked at her dully, not understanding a word. Thankfully, Roberto answered for him.
"She wanted to know what happened to her." He explained after speaking to the woman.
"And you told her…." Pete let his sentence hang, wanting to know what possible explanation they could give for all their scratches and bite marks.
"I told her she was bitten by an undead Incan corpse." He said simply.
"Of course you did." Pete deadpanned as he followed the woman into a small bedroom. She pulled the sheets down and motioned for Pete to place the unconscious woman on the bed. He gingerly placed her on the cool sheets, not liking the pasty, greenish tinge to her skin. The woman immediately set to work on H.G. as the two men who had guided them there handed them wooden cups filled with water.
Myka and Claudia couldn't bring themselves to drink any of it, their stomachs tied in knots at the sight of their friend. The woman turned to them and flailed her hands about her, walking towards the men in the room as she spoke loudly.
"She wants the men to leave the room." Roberto translated as he chanced a glance at Myka who was looking down at Helena, her right hand plucking nervously at the clean sheet around Helena's head.
With one final glance at Myka, Claudia and H.G., Pete turned and walked out of the room thinking he'd never felt so useless in his life.
/
His heavy eyelids drooped down despite himself. Pete was leaning against the far wall, the smell of the chicken soup heating in the fireplace and the regular tapping of Roberto's nervous foot against the wooden floor, dulling his tired senses. The women had been tending to H.G. for almost an hour now. Some of the local girls had heard about the new visitors and had come to Achiq's – the name of the woman who they had first encountered- home and began to prepare the soup.
He looked at a nearby chair, debating whether or not to take a seat. He didn't want to fall asleep while he waited on news of his friend. He gave a start when the door opened. A haggard looking Claudia walked out, her eyes searching until they landed on him.
"She's doing better. She's still unconscious though." She informed them wearily as she walked back in. Pete straightened, feeling his spine pop as he stretched and followed her; Roberto, right behind.
H.G. was as pale as ever, though the greenish hue had gone down some. She was covered with a homespun quilt, its bright colors making her seem all the more sallow. Her neck had been bandaged with a clean cloth, her shoulders were bare and he could see the deadly red lines that crisscrossed over the skin of her neck and made their way down her body to somewhere past the quilt's protective covering. He examined the small room out of habit, looking for anything out of place and saw that her clothes had been folded and placed neatly on a nearby desk. Myka was seated in a chair at the head of the bed, her eyes searched his gaze and he nodded at her, forcing a smile for her benefit. She smiled back, though her eyes welled up in the process. Not knowing where to look, she turned back to H.G. and removed the damp cloth from her forehead, placing it in a wooden basin on a stool next to her, she let it soak for a few seconds before rinsing it out and placing it back on the fevered forehead.
"Arpasi left with Adriana awhile back." Claudia croaked as she motioned with her chin at another door in the small room.
Pete placed his hands on his hips and looked around. Achiq was nowhere to be seen either. "Okay. Artie is waiting for Claudia to arrive late tonight. Once he realizes that she didn't get on the plane he's bound to do something, right?"
"Pfff yeah…hunt us down and kill us. I'd rather try to negotiate with the zombies slash mummies out there. I think they'll let us live as long as we can each spare a couple of fingers…who's with me?" Claudia returned sardonically; though her heart felt lighter at Pete's words. Artie would find them and he'd know what to do.
Pete nodded in agreement, offering her a sympathetic smile. After a beat, he continued tentatively.
"There's still the artifact to think about. Whoever's after it has recourses. If they don't find the rifle, then they'll find another way. I think you two should stay here with H.G. and wai-"
"No, Pete"
"No way!"
Myka and Claudia protested at once.
"We go together. All of us." As Myka said this, she placed her hand on Helena's forearm and took a breath. "We have no idea what we're going up against, but what I do know is that we are stronger together. Don't ask us to stay behind, Pete…If something were to happen to you too..." She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.
Pete looked at her in frustration.
"What about H.G., Mykes? I don't see her walking much less trekking up a mountain any time soon." He returned, trying to make his partner see reason.
"She'll get better." She said confidently. "If we leave her behind, she'll just come looking for us, alone, if she has to. You know she will. We just need to give her some time." Myka countered, her eyes pleading with Pete.
Roberto, who had been listening quietly near the door, decided this was a good moment to intercede. "Listen, everyone. We all need to get some rest and plan out our next move. I say we wait a day or two to see how H.G. does. If she doesn't improve – let me finish Myka- if she doesn't improve then we'll decide what to do then. What do you think?" He finished hopefully.
A tense silence followed as Myka, Claudia and Pete eyed each other. After a few beats Claudia answered for them. "Okay. H.G. will be fine soon anyway so, we won't have to decide. We'll all go together." She repeated Myka's words, convinced that together they'd be able to do get out of this mess.
/
She didn't dare open her eyes; she could feel the world spinning, feel it was off-kilter somehow. She concentrated instead on her other senses, trying to assess her body and her surroundings. The most obvious and immediate thing she noticed was the searing pain in her neck. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before. It was deep and constant and it seemed to travel through the right side of her body in pulsating waves with every strained, wheezing breath she took. The second thing she noticed was that she was completely nude, though a quilt of some kind had been placed over her. Her throat was painfully parched yet she knew she would not be able to swallow, let alone keep down any liquids. She felt the heat of a low burning fire, but instead of soothing her it only served to stir the dread that was slowly rising within her. She could feel the fever winding its way through her body, taking a hold of it, shutting it down. In a moment of clarity, she knew she would not be leaving this place alive. The infection had spread too far. With this realization, the feeling of dread receded giving way to a deep sorrow. She was surprised to be feeling this way; she had always assumed she wouldn't last long in this new world and she had been positive she would accept death with open arms when the time came, but she realized now that she did not want to leave just yet.
Something stirred beside her, delicate fingers traced invisible lines down her forearm and stopped when they reached her hand; slowly, shyly, those same fingers intertwined with her own and Helena felt soft, dry lips press lightly over her injured knuckles. A warm, powerful tide washed over her, starting at her chest and spreading like warm honey through her entire body. The pain which had been overwhelming became almost bearable. She tried calling out Myka's name, but her throat refused to cooperate. Instead, she willed her hand to move.
Myka straightened in her chair, her eyes roaming the prone figure on the bed. "Guys! Helena…she-she just squeezed my hand!" Myka blurted out, laughing despite the dire situation.
Pete stood from his low cot beside the fireplace as Claudia kicked the covers that had managed to get tangled between her legs. Achiq had placed them in a somewhat larger room and had tried to accommodate them as best she could. There had only been two beds so a friendly neighbor had provided them with a rickety cot. Pete had happily accepted it while Myka had insisted Claudia take the extra bed. They had agreed on taking turns to keep an eye on H.G., but Myka knew she would not be getting any sleep as long as Helena was unconscious so she decided to not wake the others…until now.
"Are you sure?" Claudia asked excitedly as she walked over to the bed and carefully sat down on the bumpy mattress near the inventor's left knee.
"Yeah, see?!" Myka exclaimed in relief.
"I'm going to get Arpasi." Pete said as he bolted out of the room and ran next door where Arpasi, Adriana and Roberto had been offered a place to rest.
"This means she's getting better, right?…I mean, I was kinda hoping she'd be up building a steampunky rocket to get us to Machu Picchu by now, but this is also good,right?" Claudia words fled her mouth rapidly; she was jittery from lack of sleep and the constant anxiousness that had taken ahold of her ever since she had left Rosa's.
"I-I don't know…I think so?" Myka said unconvincingly, as she stood from her seat and bent over Helena, brushing the hair that clung to her fevered forehead. "Helena, hey…can you hear me? I need you to open your eyes for me…can you do that?" She cooed as she cupped the writer's cheeks in her hands, applying some pressure, silently willing H.G. to open her eyes. If she could look into those eyes, she'd know for sure.
They heard loud footsteps outside of the room. Pete unceremoniously opened the door, his eyes bright with reawakened hope. Behind him Arpasi, Adriana, and Roberto slowed their footsteps, trying to make as little noise as possible. Achiq had opened the door to her room and leaned against the threshold, waiting patiently by in case they needed any help.
Arpasi entered the room and closed the door behind him while signaling for Adriana and Roberto to wait outside. He saw the young redhead seated on the ailing woman's bed and the curly haired one bent over the motionless body, her fingers lovingly brushing away the hair on the pale woman's face, an intimate gesture she did regularly and for the most part unconsciously, the Doctor noticed with some interest. As he took a step closer, the tall agent turned and rested hopeful eyes on him.
"She squeezed my hand." She said as she stood upright, making room for the doctor to examine Helena.
Arpasi held the bag he brought with him tighter and walked up to the bed. He took out his old stethoscope and carefully examined her lungs and heart. The silence in the room was painfully tense. Myka started rocking on the balls of her feet as she grabbed the back of her neck.
The doctor pulled back and extracted his stethoscope from his ears. He turned to the room's occupants, giving them a sympathetic and sad gaze.
"No…I mean, she was doing better...she squeezed her hand." Claudia's voice was forlorn and barely audible; Arpasi's silence clutching at her heart and stomping all hope from it.
Pete placed both hands on top of his head, his gaze wandering aimlessly around the room and for a moment he looked like he was about to scream. Instead, he raked his hands through his hair in frustration and with one final look at Helena, he turned and walked heatedly out of the room, slamming the door shut in his wake.
Myka sat disconsolately back down on the chair, her gaze far away as she waited for Arpasi to speak the words she already knew to be true, but couldn't quite believe.
"I am sorry. The infection has spread to her lungs and-and they are failing her...I'm sorry." He repeated lamely.
"Doc, you seriously can't be telling us there's nothing we can do" Claudia's tone was unintentionally accusatory and she bit her tongue from saying anything else when she saw the helpless look Arpasi gave her. She placed her hand on H.G.'s knee and squeezed it, imagining her life force flowing from her own body into her friend, giving her back her strength, her vitality….if only. A strangled sob interrupted her fruitless thoughts and her eyes searched for the source. Myka's face had contorted into a pain filled grimace. She sniffed and wiped angrily away at the tears that streamed unchecked down her cheeks. She then leaned down and rested her head on the pillow, her face right above H.G.'s shoulder. She continued to cry silently as her lips brushed against the smooth skin under them. Her whole world had been reduced to the shallow, wheezing breaths coming from H.G.
"How-how long?" Her voice croaked as she lifted her head and turned to the doctor, trying as best she could to compose herself and knowing she was failing miserably.
"I really can't say…maybe a couple of hours." He deduced, though based on what he had heard in her lungs, two hours was a somewhat optimist assumption.
Myka's face crumbled at his words once again and she turned desolate eyes towards Claudia who immediately started sobbing.
"I'll leave you alone to be with your friend...please, let me know if you need anything." Arpasi said respectfully as he turned and walked out.
"Could – could you ask Pete to come back?" Myka asked, needing her partner to be there with them. There had to be something they could do. H.G. couldn't just leave them…couldn't leave her like this. Arpasi nodded as he opened the door and walked out.
After only a few moments, she heard unintelligible muttering from outside the closed door. Arpasi was speaking to Adriana and Roberto. Adriana's voice boomed loudly, she was obviously upset and Myka felt ashamed and disappointed with herself as an unfounded and pointless bolt of jealously burned through her. The door opened and Adriana walked determinedly into the room.
"I- I think there's a way we can help her." She stated breathlessly.
Arpasi and Roberto had followed her in.
"Adriana, don't be foolish!" Arpasi warned. Neither Claudia nor Myka had ever heard the doctor speak this way in the short time they had known him. His tone was low and angry, but beneath that it was also frightened. Myka barely noticed; all that kept playing in her mind were Adriana's redeeming words, but Claudia had heard and she pushed back the hope that threatened to resurface.
"Let her talk." It was Pete who uttered these words from the door. He had come back inside and had heard Adriana and Arpasi. If there was a way they could save H.G. then the least they could do was listen. His face was serene and his voice calm; his demeanor almost the complete opposite of what it had been only a few short minutes ago. Myka and Claudia's distraught faces had helped ground him to the here and now. He cared a great deal for H.G., but he did not share the connection that Myka or Claudia shared with the time traveler. If things were to take a turn for the worse, he would have to be there for them, for he was sure that H.G.'s death would probably mean the end of something intrinsic in both women and he would do anything to save them from that fate.
"I-I found a serum on Gustavo right before his house was burned down….he-he was trying to create a formula that would heal his ailing plants and crops—"
"Yes, but he was no scientist, my dear and what's more, he used artifacts on the formula. You've seen the side effects." Arpasi interrupted and turned to the agents.
"Adriana only told me about this today. We've been testing it on sickly plants and animals all afternoon…the results have not been optimal." He revealed.
"What happened to them?" Claudia inquired darkly from across the room, her hand still holding on to H.G.'s leg, trying to physically tether her to them.
"They're all dead or dying…it's gruesome to put it bluntly…we'd essentially be curing her lungs with poison…may-maybe if I had more time and some specialized equipment there would be hope…but, we'd just be prolonging the inevitable and giving her over to a horrible fate." He finished almost beseechingly.
Myka stood from her seat and walked over to the corner where H.G.'s clothes were folded over the back of a wooden chair. She grabbed them and turned to Claudia.
"Help me put these on her…we're-we're getting her to a hospital" Myka exclaimed. Her tears had dried and she had a determined gleam in her eyes.
"Myka…There is no hospital around these parts." Roberto's gentle voice interjected.
"Then-then we take her to Cusco." Myka insisted as she handed Claudia Helena's jacket and placed her shirt and jeans carefully over the bed.
"You know we can't go back. Calderon will have all the roads blocked, he'll get us before we even get near the city and he'll have us all killed." Roberto reasoned further.
"Then, what?! tell me what I'm supposed to do because if you think I'm going to just sit around and-and watch her die—" Myka hollered at Roberto as she raked her left hand over her tussled hair, her eyes red rimmed and desperate. She was beside herself with worry.
"No...Myka! I'm not saying that and you know it." Roberto looked at Myka steadily and then his gaze scanned the others before landing on H.G. His eyes widened and he unthinkingly stepped closer to the inventor. Myka took a step forward, blocking H.G. from Roberto's advance, her eyes staring him down defiantly. His heart dropped a little at the mistrustful gesture, but he simply clenched his jaw and ignored it the best he could.
"Look!" He gestured over to Helena. Myka looked down and crouched next to the bed. Helena's left hand was turned upwards, her fingers clenching and unclenching slightly as if trying to grasp something. Myka immediately placed her hand over H.G.'s and the time traveler's fingers instantly clasped around the offered limb. Myka smiled at this and her chest constricted with a bitter sweet ache when she saw Helena open her mouth and close it again. She was trying to speak.
"Helena…what-what is it?" Myka leaned closer to the lovely yet ashen face, placing her right ear close to the chapped and bloodied lips.
Pete, Arpasi and Adriana circled the bed and watched Myka lean over Helena. After a few seconds, Myka slowly straightened; her eyes traced unbelievingly over the stark planes on Helena's haggard face.
"What did she say?" Claudia asked softly. She had been close to the two women, but she could not discern H.G.'s slurred whispers.
Myka looked up as if just remembering she was not alone with Helena. She gulped down the queasiness that had decided to settle at the base of her throat.
"She wants us to give her the serum." Myka informed the others. She felt Helena's weak fingers apply pressure to her hand in gratitude.
"She doesn't know what she's saying…the formula will kill her!" An agitated Arpasi warned once again.
Myka looked down at Helena and her chest constricted painfully. She had managed to open her eyes and she was staring sadly yet peacefully back up at her. Myka saw the truth in their dark, infinite depths and she gave a hitched cry before placing her free hand on Helena's cheek and turning to the others.
"She knows…she wants the serum" Myka repeated dryly. She had seen into Helena's eyes and had come face to face with a horrifying truth: No matter what they did this day…there was no hope left for Helena G. Wells.
/
