Chapter 35

"How is he?" Chase asked Sarah as he walked into the Leviathan's evolution chamber.

After Sarah had given Jim her blood on Brontes the Raiders and their allies had hastily transported him back to the Hyperion. He seemed fine at first, comfortably sleeping but then after a few hours in his own bed he started trashing around violently. His screams were so filled with pain and horror that most of the crew were terrified to even pass the hall where his quarters were located.

The medics on the Hyperion were clueless on how to help him. They simply had no experience with what was happening. They tried every painkiller they could think of but every new drug they tried on him either burned through his system too quickly or in some cases actually made things worse. They even tried giving him a regular transfusion of his blood type. It had no effect. Whatever Sarah's blood was doing to him had already latched on to Jim's very core.

It was only when they scanned his body on the cellular level were their worst fears confirmed. While Sarah's blood did bring him back from the edge of death it also was proving more than his body could handle. Jim's body was breaking down cell by cell. No wonder he was in so much pain. The words the medics used to describe what Jim was feeling brought more anguish to Sarah. They told her that Jim must be feeling like his whole body is constantly on fire. It would not stop but continue to intensify until there was nothing left of James Raynor. It was almost ironic. The man who had survived so many enemies would die not from an external threat but from something inside of him.

Sarah, however, refused to give up on him. When Terran medicine failed she turned to the Protoss. Zeratul and his ilk had no answer for her either. The dark Templar had told her that Jim's body must either accept her blood or he would die.

Finally Sarah turned to Abathur. It was he who reluctantly suggested placing Raynor in the evolution chamber and in the very same container that held her while she was healing from her injuries after her battle Narud. Like most of the Zerg Abathur did not understand Sarah's need for Jim. He felt it was a weakness and what happening now was only proof that it was a weakness that could be exploited. In the end Sarah had to demand that he try to help Jim.

Sarah shook her head at Chase. She didn't even look at him. Her eyes had been glued at Jim and had been so several days. "Abathur says that the fluid inside the container is slowing the break down but it is only a matter of time."

"Why couldn't his body accept your blood?" Chase knew the answer to his own question but asked it anyway.

Sarah indulged him. "So few Terrans are able to accept the change and even then not all the changes are positive. Abathur used to experiment. Some ended becoming nothing but shells of their former selves. Abominations."

"But this is Jim Raynor we are talking about. There has to be something that can be done. What about that chrysalis thing that Abathur placed you in?" The desperation in his voice was evident but Sarah had already run every possible scenario.

"It's too late for that. The chrysalis was designed to help the body mutate to accommodate the Zerg virus. While my blood did contain the virus it isn't anything like what Abathur and the Overmind had done to me." Sarah's hand balled up into a fist. Jim had saved her so many times and now when he needed her the most she was helpless.

"Then maybe we should ask our guest if it knows anything." The last thing Chase wanted was to ask it for help but they were out of options.

"It is awake then?" Sarah asked.

Chase nodded in response. "Zeratul just sent word. It's weak but alive."

Sarah thought things through. Before escaping from Brontes one of the Terrans had pointed out that one of the hybrids was still alive. Like Jim, it was only barely clinging to life. They brought it with them, hoping that they could study it for weaknesses. It seems the it would serve another purpose. The question that now filled her head was if she could even trust it. Truth be told she didn't even know that much about them except for the bits and pieces she had been able to gather. Were they in control of their own minds or were they just extensions of Amon's will? If they were basically grown or manufactured then how sentient can they be? Did they have free will or was devotion to Amon part of their engineering? So many questions but all of them led her down to the same path. How could Sarah even convince it to help her save the enemy of it's master.

"So the Queen of Blades finally deems me worthy of her presence." They hybrid hissed sarcastically. It was talking specifically to Sarah but all of those in the holding cell could hear it's haunting voice in their mind.

"You know why I am here." Sarah said menacingly.

It's mocking laugh echoed in their minds. Sarah made a move to silence it but even before she could take a step forward she could hear the hybrid grimace in pain. It clutched at its midsection as fresh blood poured out.

"You can save yourself the trouble of threatening me." It didn't say so but it implied that it knew it was dying. It would not ask it's enemies for mercy.

"Tell me, how is your mate doing?" The hybrid mocked her.

Sarah had to restrain herself from tearing it apart. "What do you know about what is happening to him?"

"You are a fool for giving him your blood. By saving him from his injuries you have doomed to unspeakable agony." Even dying at Sarah's feet the hybrid thought itself superior to any of them.

Jim's anguished screams echoed in her head over and over again as she took in what the hybrid had told her.

"You are lying." Chase growled angrily.

The hybrid smirked at the foolish Terran who questioned him. "Believe what you wish."

They looked at one another. The hybrids were a mixture of different species and the result of horrifying experiments. Could they even question what it was telling them.

The hybrid laughed weakly again. "There is a way to save him."

They stared at the beast lying in front of them. They were not sure if they actually heard was reality or their desperation.

"How?" Sarah asked warily.

"We have learned through experiments that all but the most gifted of Terrans can survive the bonding of the Zerg virus. Even then they mostly end up as failures, ending up as abominations." The hybrid's voice in their minds was getting weaker.

It didn't have much time left. "We already know that. What are you getting at?" Sarah demanded.

"Isn't it obvious? Your mate needs DNA that the virus can bond with. Protoss DNA." It took a sharp intake of breath.

"That is utter folly. We know from experience that Terrans are ill-equipped to handle the khala. It would destroy his mind." Zeratul didn't know what game the hybrid was playing at but what it was suggesting was no better than what Raynor was no experiencing.

"Yes but there is one here who could help his psyche when the time came." The hybrid hissed slowly. It's breaths were shallow and ragged now. It's voice barely a whisper in their heads.

"No!" Zeratul lunged at the hybrid. He grasped it by the throat. "You would send her to her doom."

"Yes." The hybrid hissed one final time. "Yes, I would."

"You cannot consider this Kerrigan!" Zeratul turned to her. If she did this then she would be putting them all at risk.

Sarah did not understand why Zeratul was getting so worked up. "What did the hybrid mean?"

Zeratul shook his head, refusing to answer.

Sarah grabbed him by the shoulder and forcibly turned him around. "You will tell me."

Zeratul shook his head again. "No, Kerrigan. It's suicide. The hybrid is suggesting the you connect yourself completely to Raynor while we give some Protoss blood. Aside from the fact that it will surely kill him, our DNA will drive him insane. If he does while you are connected to him then you will be lost as well."

"But if there is a chance..." Sarah began.

"I said no, Kerrigan! I will not let you risk this galaxy's salvation for one man. The vision I saw when I touched the Overmind was clear. Without you the Zerg will fall and the rest of us will follow." Zeratul stopped her.

"You would let him die?! After all he has given to this struggle?" Sarah felt the rage boiling up inside her.

"If that is what it takes then yes. Would Raynor make any other decision?" Zeratul asked her.

"I have had enough of visions, prophecies or destinies. All my life I have been controlled. I am not your pawn. Not yours, not the Dominion's, or even the Overmind."

Sarah heard his argument and if it was anyone else she might have listened but this was Jim they were talking about. After all he had done for her there was absolutely no way she would stop trying to help. " Nothing matters but this. The war, Amon, the hybrids, Terrans, Zerg, or even Protoss. I will make my own choices. I will do this Zeratul. With or without your help."

A/N I have a pretty busy week coming up so I will post again this weekend but then it I will not be able to post again until next weekend. I hope people are still enjoying the story.