Unexpected Joys
By Cassie Valentine
Disclaimer: See first part.
*I knew you'd come, I knew you wouldn't forget about me.*
"Garvin, bring her over here," Odan called as he laid a sheet out on the old table. I watched as Garvin came over and opened the chains. He tried to pick me up and I bit him and tried to run again. This time
Morak and Tranin caught me and put me on the table. "The first thing I think we're going to do with you my little Snapping Turtle is put an end to the snapping," he said as he pressed something to my neck. It
was scary because I couldn't move, but I could feel what they were doing. He layed me on the table and I felt something cold and wet on my arm and then it felt like he was cutting and as soon as it started, it stopped and he pressed something else against my neck and I could move again. "Now Snapping Turtle, out of the goodness of my heart, I have decided to return you to your beloved Beka, but if you bite me you will stay here and we will, eventually, kill you. Do you understand me?" I nodded. "What was that, I didn't hear you.
"Yes Mr. Odan. Sir," I said. I added the sir just in case. He smiled down at me.
"Very good! Let's go," he said as he went over to the lone terminal in the room and talked to Beka. I could only kinda see her, but she looked sad. He finished and took my hand again and we left. He finally
relented and picked me up because I couldn't walk fast enough because it was too bright. I guess we got to the right spot and we stopped and waited. Odan put me down and handed a flexie to Morak and looked at me.
"This is where I leave you. Just in case she has decided to bring in the authorities, I don't want to get caught. It was a pleasure doing business with you." I watched as he turned on his heel and left.
"Come on kid," Morak said as he grabbed my hand and dragged me with him. We stopped at another spot and I soon saw Beka. I stayed by his side even though all I wanted to do was run to her. They talked for a bit before he finally handed her the flexie. She read it and signed it and then he took it back and read it. He smiled and then shoved me towards her as he left in the other direction. I ran to her as soon as he let go and just hung onto her.
"I knew you'd come, I knew you wouldn't forget about me."
"How could I forget about you?" she asked as we started walking. "Come on, we'll let Trance have a look at you and then see about getting that thing out of your arm."
"I wanna see Dylan."
"Later. Right now, you need to see Trance, have a bath, something to eat and not leave my arms ever again."
"Okay. I like the sound of that."
*We need to borrow Rommie . . .*
A great cheer went up from Harper, Trance and Rev when they saw me coming back with her.
"Is she okay?"
"How do you feel?"
"I'm glad she's back!"
The three of them immediately started in on the comments, `welcome back's' and questions.
"Guys!" I called out. "First thing is a trip to medical. We need to figure out how to get this out of her arm," I said as I pulled up her sleeve to show the implant that was just under her skin.
"What is it?" Harper asked.
"Nothing big. All we need to do is figure out how to deactivate it before we take it out."
"No, is it electric, chemical, neural . ." he named off the ways it would inflict pain or death.
"Chemical."
"Ah! Easy. The Chem trackers haven't changed all that much in a long time." When we got to the med bay, we spent 15 minutes convincing her that it was okay to sit on the table alone and another 25 scanning and examining her and the implant.
"So Harper, what's the verdict?" He smiled.
"Who ever put this in wasn't very smart. Normally the deactivation switch is on the back so you can't get to it easily, this moron put it right on top. So, all we have to do is a little minor surgery."
"Right now?"
"It would be best if it didn't have time to get too comfy in there. I don't know what will happen if the deactivation switch isn't in the open when it's pushed," he said as he stood. "Get my patient ready, I'll be right back," he said as he left the room. I went and sat on the bed next to her where she immediately crawled into my lap. I wrapped my arms around her and Trance came over.
"You can have a bath after this. I do need you to change into this though," she said as she held up a sterile shirt. I took it and she left the room. She was quiet as we got her dressed and Trance came over
and cleaned the area where she was going to have to cut with Harper.
She was also given a sedative. I left her on the table as I stood.
"I'm gonna go and take us back to the Andromeda. I don't want Harper touching that thing till Rommie takes a look at it."
"Come on Bek, I can take it out!" he said as he came in the room.
"No, I want Rommie to have a look at it. He was smart enough to mask her life signs and send a flunky to drop her and make me sign an agreement not to set foot on the planet again. He wouldn't have done
something as stupid as put the deactivator on the wrong side. Just make sure she stays asleep. I can't pilot the slip stream with a clingy 5 year old in my lap," I said as I left. I sighed as I sat in the slip chair and just gave myself a moment. "Open a channel to the Andromeda," I called out.
"Channel open."
"Ah, hey guys, we need to borrow Rommie when we get there," I said.
Much to my pleasure and sorrow, Tyr answered. "And why do you need to borrow the ship?"
"Not the ship Tyr, we need her to help us out with an implant. You can help too, please?" I asked.
"Let me find Captain Hunt," he said as he cut communications.
"Charming as ever eh Tyr?" I said to myself as Dylan came on.
"Did you get her?"
"Yes, and the added bonus of an implant."
"Rommie and Tyr will be waiting in the med bay when you get here."
"We're about 20 minutes out," I answered. "She asked to see you," I said quietly. I had to smile as he did at the mention of that.
"So, ah, how long are you going to grace us with your presence?" he asked.
"Ah, I don't know. Can we wait and see?"
"Sure. I'll see you guys when you get here. Andromeda out," he said as he closed the link. The rest of the ride there was pretty well calm except for the battle going on between my head and my heart.
By Cassie Valentine
Disclaimer: See first part.
*I knew you'd come, I knew you wouldn't forget about me.*
"Garvin, bring her over here," Odan called as he laid a sheet out on the old table. I watched as Garvin came over and opened the chains. He tried to pick me up and I bit him and tried to run again. This time
Morak and Tranin caught me and put me on the table. "The first thing I think we're going to do with you my little Snapping Turtle is put an end to the snapping," he said as he pressed something to my neck. It
was scary because I couldn't move, but I could feel what they were doing. He layed me on the table and I felt something cold and wet on my arm and then it felt like he was cutting and as soon as it started, it stopped and he pressed something else against my neck and I could move again. "Now Snapping Turtle, out of the goodness of my heart, I have decided to return you to your beloved Beka, but if you bite me you will stay here and we will, eventually, kill you. Do you understand me?" I nodded. "What was that, I didn't hear you.
"Yes Mr. Odan. Sir," I said. I added the sir just in case. He smiled down at me.
"Very good! Let's go," he said as he went over to the lone terminal in the room and talked to Beka. I could only kinda see her, but she looked sad. He finished and took my hand again and we left. He finally
relented and picked me up because I couldn't walk fast enough because it was too bright. I guess we got to the right spot and we stopped and waited. Odan put me down and handed a flexie to Morak and looked at me.
"This is where I leave you. Just in case she has decided to bring in the authorities, I don't want to get caught. It was a pleasure doing business with you." I watched as he turned on his heel and left.
"Come on kid," Morak said as he grabbed my hand and dragged me with him. We stopped at another spot and I soon saw Beka. I stayed by his side even though all I wanted to do was run to her. They talked for a bit before he finally handed her the flexie. She read it and signed it and then he took it back and read it. He smiled and then shoved me towards her as he left in the other direction. I ran to her as soon as he let go and just hung onto her.
"I knew you'd come, I knew you wouldn't forget about me."
"How could I forget about you?" she asked as we started walking. "Come on, we'll let Trance have a look at you and then see about getting that thing out of your arm."
"I wanna see Dylan."
"Later. Right now, you need to see Trance, have a bath, something to eat and not leave my arms ever again."
"Okay. I like the sound of that."
*We need to borrow Rommie . . .*
A great cheer went up from Harper, Trance and Rev when they saw me coming back with her.
"Is she okay?"
"How do you feel?"
"I'm glad she's back!"
The three of them immediately started in on the comments, `welcome back's' and questions.
"Guys!" I called out. "First thing is a trip to medical. We need to figure out how to get this out of her arm," I said as I pulled up her sleeve to show the implant that was just under her skin.
"What is it?" Harper asked.
"Nothing big. All we need to do is figure out how to deactivate it before we take it out."
"No, is it electric, chemical, neural . ." he named off the ways it would inflict pain or death.
"Chemical."
"Ah! Easy. The Chem trackers haven't changed all that much in a long time." When we got to the med bay, we spent 15 minutes convincing her that it was okay to sit on the table alone and another 25 scanning and examining her and the implant.
"So Harper, what's the verdict?" He smiled.
"Who ever put this in wasn't very smart. Normally the deactivation switch is on the back so you can't get to it easily, this moron put it right on top. So, all we have to do is a little minor surgery."
"Right now?"
"It would be best if it didn't have time to get too comfy in there. I don't know what will happen if the deactivation switch isn't in the open when it's pushed," he said as he stood. "Get my patient ready, I'll be right back," he said as he left the room. I went and sat on the bed next to her where she immediately crawled into my lap. I wrapped my arms around her and Trance came over.
"You can have a bath after this. I do need you to change into this though," she said as she held up a sterile shirt. I took it and she left the room. She was quiet as we got her dressed and Trance came over
and cleaned the area where she was going to have to cut with Harper.
She was also given a sedative. I left her on the table as I stood.
"I'm gonna go and take us back to the Andromeda. I don't want Harper touching that thing till Rommie takes a look at it."
"Come on Bek, I can take it out!" he said as he came in the room.
"No, I want Rommie to have a look at it. He was smart enough to mask her life signs and send a flunky to drop her and make me sign an agreement not to set foot on the planet again. He wouldn't have done
something as stupid as put the deactivator on the wrong side. Just make sure she stays asleep. I can't pilot the slip stream with a clingy 5 year old in my lap," I said as I left. I sighed as I sat in the slip chair and just gave myself a moment. "Open a channel to the Andromeda," I called out.
"Channel open."
"Ah, hey guys, we need to borrow Rommie when we get there," I said.
Much to my pleasure and sorrow, Tyr answered. "And why do you need to borrow the ship?"
"Not the ship Tyr, we need her to help us out with an implant. You can help too, please?" I asked.
"Let me find Captain Hunt," he said as he cut communications.
"Charming as ever eh Tyr?" I said to myself as Dylan came on.
"Did you get her?"
"Yes, and the added bonus of an implant."
"Rommie and Tyr will be waiting in the med bay when you get here."
"We're about 20 minutes out," I answered. "She asked to see you," I said quietly. I had to smile as he did at the mention of that.
"So, ah, how long are you going to grace us with your presence?" he asked.
"Ah, I don't know. Can we wait and see?"
"Sure. I'll see you guys when you get here. Andromeda out," he said as he closed the link. The rest of the ride there was pretty well calm except for the battle going on between my head and my heart.
