The Enemy Within
Ch. 6: Perfect Ending To A Perfect Vacation
Author's Note: Last chapter. Been fun, sports fans.
Disclaimer: Andromeda is still *sniff* not mine (*bawls*)
***
"Dylan!"
Hunt blinked. He grabbed the wrist that was disappearing behing the cliff and fell to his knees from the sudden weight. Harper cried out as his shoulder was yanked out of it's socket. His other hand was over the wound in his stomach. He looked up at Dylan through tears. "Hang on, Harper,"
"Don't let go, please," The engineer sobbed.
"Never," He started to pull Harper up, but then a Gauss gun blast grazed his shoulder. He inhaled sharply, but didn't allow his grip on Harper's wrist to loosen.
"You are stubborn, Captain Hunt,"
Dylan focused on Harper's dirtied face and began to pull him up again. Harper screamed in pain.
"Stopstopstopstopstop! Please!"
Dylan held out his free hand. "Give me your other hand!" Harper hesitated, crying silently. "Damnit, Harper! Your shoulder is dislocated! Give me your other hand!" Dylan barked. The engineer looked up into his captain's eyes for a moment, then reached up and took Dylan's hand with his good one. It was blood slicked and nearly slipped out of Hunt's grip, but the High Guard's quick reflexes got him caught by the wrist. Dylan released Harper's dislocated arm, allowing it to drop limply to the engineer's side, then pulled the smaller man up onto solid ground. Harper flopped over onto his back, groaning, with one hand over the bloody wound in his abdomen. "Move your hand, let me see," The engineer complied with the gentle order and light touch on his wrist. He winced as his hand brushed raw skin. Dylan grimaced as well, and his heart fell at the sight of the injury he had inadvertantly caused, but he forced a smile. "This doesn't look bad," The tears in his eyes gave him away.
Harper smiled painfully. "Liar," Both men laughed weakly, but it ended in a groan for the wounded.
"Excuse me, Captain Hunt?" Dylan looked over his shoulder sharply, his smile vanishing quickly. A Nietzschean stood where he had just a few moments ago. The stranger started to clap slowly. "Wonderful save, Captain. Truly heartstopping,"
Dylan's eyes narrowed. "What are you?" He spat.
The Nietzschean smiled. "My name is unimportant, but, since you just have to refer to me by something civilized, you can call me the Gamekeeper,"
Dylan rolled his eyes. "Great, another one," He said quietly to Harper, who smiled. "So, exactly what is your game-" He froze, the light of realization dawning in his eyes. "You..." He looked down at Harper, who was quickly fading from blood loss. The High Guard's temper flared and he grit his teeth. "You did this," He hissed and looked up at the Gamekeeper. His eyes flashed. "You made me hunt down and nearly kill a friend!" Dylan jumped to his feet and lunged at the Niet.
"Dylan, stop!" Harper screamed. Suddenly, there was a flash of light, and Dylan froze. The Gamekeeper remained standing for a few moments, then fell forward, clearly dead. Beka moved out of the trees, still holding her gun on the body. Rommie followed, but went to Dylan.
"Are you all right?"
He nodded, shell-shocked, then blinked, snapped out of his stupor. "Harper," He turned and ran back to the engineer's side. Harper was still, too still. His eyes were partially closed and glazed over. Hunt gently gathered up his friend's body in his arms. "Harper? Harper, c'mon,"
"Dylan?" The smaller man whispered through parched lips.
Dylan smiled in spite of the tears in his eyes. "Yeah, it's me. I'm here,"
"Some vacation, huh?" Harper smiled wanely.
"What else did you expect, peace and quiet?"
"Not really, but I hoped," Both laughed, a little stronger this time, most likely out of relief. "The whole universe is against us, I swear to God," Harper said once they quieted.
"I wouldn't have it any other way. Makes life interesting," Dylan replied, still smiling. "Come on, let's get you home."
~Fini~
Ch. 6: Perfect Ending To A Perfect Vacation
Author's Note: Last chapter. Been fun, sports fans.
Disclaimer: Andromeda is still *sniff* not mine (*bawls*)
***
"Dylan!"
Hunt blinked. He grabbed the wrist that was disappearing behing the cliff and fell to his knees from the sudden weight. Harper cried out as his shoulder was yanked out of it's socket. His other hand was over the wound in his stomach. He looked up at Dylan through tears. "Hang on, Harper,"
"Don't let go, please," The engineer sobbed.
"Never," He started to pull Harper up, but then a Gauss gun blast grazed his shoulder. He inhaled sharply, but didn't allow his grip on Harper's wrist to loosen.
"You are stubborn, Captain Hunt,"
Dylan focused on Harper's dirtied face and began to pull him up again. Harper screamed in pain.
"Stopstopstopstopstop! Please!"
Dylan held out his free hand. "Give me your other hand!" Harper hesitated, crying silently. "Damnit, Harper! Your shoulder is dislocated! Give me your other hand!" Dylan barked. The engineer looked up into his captain's eyes for a moment, then reached up and took Dylan's hand with his good one. It was blood slicked and nearly slipped out of Hunt's grip, but the High Guard's quick reflexes got him caught by the wrist. Dylan released Harper's dislocated arm, allowing it to drop limply to the engineer's side, then pulled the smaller man up onto solid ground. Harper flopped over onto his back, groaning, with one hand over the bloody wound in his abdomen. "Move your hand, let me see," The engineer complied with the gentle order and light touch on his wrist. He winced as his hand brushed raw skin. Dylan grimaced as well, and his heart fell at the sight of the injury he had inadvertantly caused, but he forced a smile. "This doesn't look bad," The tears in his eyes gave him away.
Harper smiled painfully. "Liar," Both men laughed weakly, but it ended in a groan for the wounded.
"Excuse me, Captain Hunt?" Dylan looked over his shoulder sharply, his smile vanishing quickly. A Nietzschean stood where he had just a few moments ago. The stranger started to clap slowly. "Wonderful save, Captain. Truly heartstopping,"
Dylan's eyes narrowed. "What are you?" He spat.
The Nietzschean smiled. "My name is unimportant, but, since you just have to refer to me by something civilized, you can call me the Gamekeeper,"
Dylan rolled his eyes. "Great, another one," He said quietly to Harper, who smiled. "So, exactly what is your game-" He froze, the light of realization dawning in his eyes. "You..." He looked down at Harper, who was quickly fading from blood loss. The High Guard's temper flared and he grit his teeth. "You did this," He hissed and looked up at the Gamekeeper. His eyes flashed. "You made me hunt down and nearly kill a friend!" Dylan jumped to his feet and lunged at the Niet.
"Dylan, stop!" Harper screamed. Suddenly, there was a flash of light, and Dylan froze. The Gamekeeper remained standing for a few moments, then fell forward, clearly dead. Beka moved out of the trees, still holding her gun on the body. Rommie followed, but went to Dylan.
"Are you all right?"
He nodded, shell-shocked, then blinked, snapped out of his stupor. "Harper," He turned and ran back to the engineer's side. Harper was still, too still. His eyes were partially closed and glazed over. Hunt gently gathered up his friend's body in his arms. "Harper? Harper, c'mon,"
"Dylan?" The smaller man whispered through parched lips.
Dylan smiled in spite of the tears in his eyes. "Yeah, it's me. I'm here,"
"Some vacation, huh?" Harper smiled wanely.
"What else did you expect, peace and quiet?"
"Not really, but I hoped," Both laughed, a little stronger this time, most likely out of relief. "The whole universe is against us, I swear to God," Harper said once they quieted.
"I wouldn't have it any other way. Makes life interesting," Dylan replied, still smiling. "Come on, let's get you home."
~Fini~