CHAPTER 12
The green-tinted coolant filled the room swirling around her as she disturbed the air. It curled around the suit, sweeping into the creases as if seeking entry. They had taped her pant legs and cuffs to minimize contact as long as possible. They'd also wrapped tape tightly around the waist.
The small amount that had entered the suit while she was phased made her skin tingle where it wasn't protected by clothes. The tingle was indication that top layers were regenerating. Alista trembled at the thought of what was coming. She turned back to the wall. She wanted to run through it so bad; wanted to refuse to do this.
"You might want to move." Rodney snapped over the radio causing her to jerk in surprise.
She swallowed back tears and turned back into the room. She tried to focus on that mind-blowing kiss instead of the agony that was minutes away. Unable to see more than a few inches ahead she cautiously made her way into the room relying on Radek to inform her if she drifted off course.
The suit was heavy and hard to move in, but if she phased which would make moving easier she would compromise the suit's protective nature. Awkwardly, she moved across the room listening to Radek voice which he was trying to keep on an encouraging level. He counted down the distance and gently directed her when she wavered off course in the soupy air.
The further she moved into the green fog the thicker her fear and dread got. It was going to hurt. It was going to be agonizing. She didn't want to be in here. She didn't want to go through this. She wanted to go home, to her mountain where no one would ever dream of asking her to do something like this. She'd be explaining mushrooms and root vegetables to ignorant city dwellers not estimating how much longer until corrosive acid hit her skin.
She was a third of the way across when she felt the first hint of full strength coolant against her leg. She hissed in pain as it made contact with her skin. Searing. Burning. Flesh dissolved and reformed and dissolved again. Her stride caused the coolant to eddy away and the pain faded.
"Alista?" It was Radek's and Rodney's voices full of worry. "What's going on? Where's it hurt? Are you healing? Talk to me." Rodney overrode Radek and babbled desperately at her.
"A tiny hole. I'm fine. Don't worry…yet." Her voice was grim, but she managed to keep the pain out of it. I don't want to be here. I don't want to do this.
She moved quicker pushing the limits of speed without risking falling. She was going to do this fast. She had sodas and chocolate waiting on her back in her quarters.
"The suit is developing holes." Radek murmured as ragged holes appeared in the suit.
"Really?" She asked acerbically as fire raced along her hip. She whimpered a little as coolant licked along her skin. "Sorry."
"Do not apologize." Radek snapped.
"Can you go faster?" Rodney murmured.
"Not without risking overbalancing and falling."
The radio was silent for a moment then Radek said in a subdued voice, "Angle a little to your left. It is not much further."
She shifted course slightly. "Good. I have plans for tonight."
"Yes. Package from Earth. I believe you have chocolate you are not sharing." His voice was thick with tears and remorse.
"An unsupported guess. My friends could have sent me tea and sugar wafers."
"I am genius." Radek huffed. "My guesses are quite accurate. You have chocolate – I think perhaps Dove."
Alista laughed softly. "Perhaps. Maybe Lindor truffles."
"What flavor?"
"Variety. Bags of them."
"You are cruel woman."
Half way she gasped letting loose a string of curse words as coolant reached places nothing like that should ever reach. Molten lava couldn't hurt worse than that did. She stopped and pressed a hand against her belly.
"Lista? Ally! What's your status?" Rodney's voice sharp with worry replaced Radek's.
"Can anyone else hear?" Alista asked through gritted teeth as her abdomen spasmed in protest. She was not going to add humiliation to her agony.
A pause. "No, we're private."
"Let's just say the lower half of the suit is definitely compromised and coolant is getting where it never should get." She whimpered. "It hurts, Rodney. Kids may be off the table for awhile." She breathed in harsh pants as fire ripped through her nerves.
"I'm so sorry." His voice was thick with emotion. "I never should have let them talk you into this!"
She took a few steps trying to regulate the pain so she could function. She had to finish this. It was just going to get worse.
"Not your fault. Ahh! There goes the top." She stopped, bent over with pain for a moment as coolant licked across the soft flesh of her breasts.
Rodney looked up into the cloudy view of the room. He could see the holes in the suit and knew that soon she'd decide to phase out of it. "Stay in as long as the helmet is holding secure." He ordered sharply.
She didn't answer, but she didn't phase either.
She was almost there before she felt coolant licking the nape of her neck. She whimpered at the thought of the pain that was about to hit her when the coolant reached the sensitive nasal membranes not mention her eyes.
"The panel is straight ahead. The panel opens from the left."
"'Kay." Her voice was tight with pain and dread. "The helmet's about to go. Remember I get the excellent drugs." She whispered in a shaky, scared voice.
"The best that Keller has." Rodney swore and watched in mute horror as she finally phased out of the suit. The suit fell to the floor and he could barely make out her passage by the eddying coolant. There would be no more communication between them without the helmet's radio.
They all clustered around the camera-feed as she made it to the panel. Even phased they could see her bowed over in pain then she straightened placed a phased hand near the panel and became solid.
The coolant was thick on that side of the room. It was designed to funnel the coolant toward the vents on that side. Her clothing fell to the floor as the coolant ate the threads. The skin sloughed off her hand as she opened the panel. Blood dripped as she reached blindly for the switch with skeletal fingers. In macabre fascination they watched as her body fought to heal itself trying desperately to stay ahead of the corrosive power of the coolant. They watched as she fumbled for the switch unaware that her sight was gone. Her screams silent because her vocal cords had gone several breaths ago.
Muscle and skin appeared only to slough away over and over again. Her hair dissolved only to reappear as stubble and then melted away again. Bone flickered in and out of view as the switch slid down and the coolant began to be sucked into the vents.
She slid to the floor succumbing to the fiery pain enveloping her body and searing her lungs. Comforting blackness enveloped her. Her body regenerated. She jerked and inhaled; coolant seared her already burned lungs. A scream ripped from her before darkness descended again.
Everyone watched horrified, tears streaming down their faces as they watched her die and jerk alive only to go still again. Twice more the grisly scene repeated before Rodney lunged for the door release unable to stay away from her any longer. He scrabbled at the release needing to get her.
"No. We can't yet." Sheppard grabbed him and held on as he struggled frantically to get loose.
"Let me go, John. She's dying. She's…." Rodney sobbed openly not caring about his tough rep or appearing manly. He only knew he died every time she did. He bent over and threw up. John held onto him as he heaved.
"I know, buddy. I know. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." John whispered raggedly. "You won't heal though."
"Two more minutes." Radek murmured apologetically, crying himself.
As soon as it was marginally safe, Rodney slapped the door and rushed in coughing on the wispy remains as he made his way to her. He dropped to his knees beside her knowing he couldn't touch her without causing her more pain. He reached out anyway stopping mere inches from her ravaged body.
In horrified silence, he looked down at her. Very little of her body had muscle left much less skin. Her body raced to repair eroded veins and arteries so that blood would flow. A cheek bone stood out glaringly white. Her entire body was pitted and eroded, down to the bone in many places. Blood continued to flow as her body raced to produce enough to keep her alive.
He watched helplessly as her body sluggishly healed just what it needed to survive. Now that the coolant wasn't eroding her efforts, veins and arteries slowly developed over her frame followed by a thin layer of muscle. Layers of tissue appeared over the exposed expanse of her spinal column.
He knelt next her, weeping and whispering her name like a mantra that would keep her tethered to the world of the living as the healing process slowed even further as her body exhausted itself. It was like horrific special effects in a bad sci-fi movie only it was real and it was the woman he loved.
Keller and her team raced up behind him and searched anxiously for someplace to put an I.V. "I need a good vein for the I.V." Keller muttered desperately to herself then gasped as the back of the hand nearest her became whole and healthy. The fingers twitched slightly.
"Alista?" Keller wondered if she was conscious as she immediately began inserting an I.V. and started the glucose drip and the morphine. "Get her wrapped." Keller ordered curtly. The three med techs expertly began wrapping the burn gauze around her. the thick gel full on lidocaine and antibiotics.
A painful gagging sound and instinctive twitches alerted them to the fact that she was aware of their agonizing administrations. They quickly lifted her onto the lowered gurney and swiftly raised it. She went limp as they lifted her from the floor; comforting darkness once again enveloping her.
They started for the door at a fast pace. A moan alerted them that she was with them again. Rodney was leaning over her in an instant. "It's over, Ally. You did it. I'm here. Just rest. I thought you were giving her morphine." He snapped in an aside to Keller.
"I am." Jennifer snapped back as tears streaked down her face.
Alista blinked up at him unable to see anything. "Peege?" Her voice was raspy and rough.
He drew back horrified at her ravaged eyes. The bloody orbs gouged deep from the coolant. He gagged at the thought of how that must have felt. "Yeah, baby." He managed to choke out praying that she'd be able to heal all the damage.
"Don't…leave...me" She whispered painfully. "Please, please don't..." Her hand twitched in his direction.
He laid his fingertips gently on her bandaged hand. "Never." Rodney promised, blinking back tears that blurred his vision. "I will never leave you again."
Her eyes fluttered shut as she drifted into unconsciousness.