Chapter 25

In the launch, Nathan tried to get near Kristin, but Doctors Smith and Levin wouldn't have it. They asked for as much room as possible as they worked, using the little medical equipment available in the launch until they returned to the seaQuest. All Nathan could do was watch helplessly, noticing that Kristin's face had gone from the lovely tawny color to ashen grey due to the loss of blood; this fact scared him.

Wendy must have either noticed the look on his face or sensed his feelings because she took her attention away from Kristin for a brief moment, and said, "She is breathing, Captain, although it is shallow. And her heartbeat is faint, but there for the moment." She hoped that this would console him a bit, at least give him hope that Kristin might be alright. From the medical standpoint, Wendy knew Kristin's chances of survival. Of course, it would obviously depend on whether or not the bullet entered any major organs. If that did happen, Kristin wouldn't be with them much longer. But, if it did not, her survival was definitely possible. They would just have to monitor her for infection, something that is very likely and would ultimately cause death if not watched.

A few brief moments later, the launch arrived back at the seaQuest, and Levin and Smith worked quickly to rush Kristin to medbay. Another launch was sent for the other scientists at the Manifest; under the circumstances, neither of them wanted to stay there. They would be sent where they needed from the seaQuest. All the scientists were extremely concerned about Kristin's condition, especially Hannah and Carly. When their launch arrived, they were greeted by Lucas. Lucas hadn't gone to the Manifest himself; although he was an adult, Nathan still felt the need to protect him. Nathan felt the mission was too dangerous for him, so he chose to have him stay behind.

When Nathan and the rest of the crew arrived, Lucas was willing to help in any way that he could. Under the circumstances, Nathan asked Commander Ford to take over for the moment, so he asked Lucas to greet the visiting scientists and show them to the guest quarters. So, Lucas did just that.

Carly recognized the young man from Kristin's descriptions of him in their conversations. Carly and Hannah were assigned a room together. They were the last to be shown to a room. As they entered the room, Lucas said, "And these are your quarters," he said to Carly and Hannah. "Now if there's anything else you need, please ask. Um, well, I guess that's all. I'll just be-"

"Um, can we see her?" Carly asked, knowing that the answer would most likely be 'no', at least for the time being.

Lucas sighed. He was equally worried, but didn't let on. He noticed how upset the captain had been, so he was trying to remain strong. Besides, he was going to have to contact Kristin's daughters yet, and he was dreading doing so. The truth was, he had no idea what was happening in med-bay at the moment, and no one probably would besides Wendy and the other medical staff for a while. "I really don't think anyone will be able to see her until later. As soon as I hear anything, I will let you know."

Carly nodded, almost in tears. She glanced at Hannah, who looked just as worried.

Lucas said, "I'll see you later."

"Thank you," Hannah and Carly both answered quietly. After Lucas left, they both tried to console each others' fears and concerns about the condition of their friend.

Meanwhile, Nathan paced outside of med-bay. He knew that as soon as she got the chance, Wendy would let him know how Kristin's condition was. He hoped that he would see her once again, and, although he didn't pray very often, he made a silent plea to a God that he didn't always believe was there. He did, however, want to believe that it this moment, that there was a higher power of some sort listening. He made so many promises, vowing that if Kristin lived, that he would never hold anything back with her again.

After what seemed like hours, Wendy finally came out to find Nathan. He was sitting on the floor, his head in his hands. She approached him gently.

"Captain?"

Nathan jumped at Wendy's voice, but he was grateful to know how Kristin was.

"I-I didn't mean to startle you," she said quietly, "but I know you've been waiting."

Nathan nodded. "How is she?" he asked, standing up.

Wendy sighed. "She's stable for now. The bullet entered her diaphragm on her right side, which isn't the most serious injury. However, it explains her shallow breathing. She did lose a lot of blood, causing her to go into shock. We gave her laproscopic surgery and a blood transfusion. We are going to have to monitor her very closely for infection, which is a common risk with these type of injuries. However, as long as there are no more surprises, I don't see any reason why she won't survive."

"Is she awake? Can I see her?" Nathan asked eagerly.

"She's not going to wake up anytime today, maybe not even tomorrow. Her body's been through a lot, and the more sleep she can get the better. However, you can go see her for a while," Wendy said.

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Nathan entered the recovery room quietly. The lights were turned down low, and Kristin was hooked up to so many machines and monitors that it was a bit overwhelming. She looked so small and fragile. Nathan sat down next to the bed and gently took her hand in his. He squeezed it gently and gave it a kiss.

As he held her hand, he said, "Sweetheart, I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm right here. I know I haven't been in the past, but I promise you that I will always be there for you from now on." His voice began to falter as tears stung his eyes, but he continued to speak. "I've known from the first moment we met, that first night, that we were meant to be together, that we connected. I don't think that was an accident, and you know that."

Nathan hoped that by some small miracle that Kristin's eyes would flutter open and she would smile when she saw him. But, of course, that didn't happen. Instead, she continued to lay motionless, still looking pale and not knowing what was going on around her. He stayed in the room for a long time, holding her hand, and talking gently to her.

Soon, there was a knock at the door. "I'm sorry, Captain," said Wendy, "but I'm going to have to ask you to leave. I need to check her vitals."

Nathan nodded. "Can you give me a second?"

Wendy nodded and left him alone.

Nathan stood up and leaned over Kristin and kissed her gently on the cheek and whispered, "I love you, Sweetheart. I'll see you soon." Then, he left, leaving Wendy to examine Kristin as she needed.