I've got some more, it's not the rest like I promised but I'm having trouble with the end, Tyr just doesn't want to cooperate with this story anymore (wonder why?) LOL
**********************
Beka watched Dylan go and turned to Rommie, barely able to talk as she gasped for breath, "That guy's wound so tight, I bet he couldn't even eek out a squeaker." Rommie pretended to be shocked at Beka's comment but couldn't contain her laughter. Harper was nothing but a quivering mass on the floor.
Slowly Beka's giggles faded off as she grabbed her gut. "Ouch! Oh, man, I haven't laughed like that in a long time! Remind me to thank Tyr." She giggled again but stopped when a sharp pain laced up her side. "Ow!"
Harper and Rommie slowly came to their senses. "You ok boss?" Harper asked, wiping the tears from his face.
"Yeah, I'm ok. I need to make a pit stop though, I think I busted a gut laughing so hard." She got to her feet, she was a little shaky but otherwise ok. She started off toward the bathroom.
"Ah, boss?"
"What?"
"The fresher is ocupado. Trance is still in there, remember?" Harper said, moving to steady his friend.
"Oh yeah, guess I'll just have to wait a little while, huh?" Beka turned back to the table and sat down.
"Are you sure you're all right Beka? You look a little pale and your heart rate is increasing." Rommie said.
"I'm ok. Wow, who knew laughing could be bad for your health." Beka leaned back and winced as her own belly began to gurgle.
Rommie cocked her head, "What is that noise?"
"I don't hear anything." Beka said.
"I do." Harper and Rommie walked to the door and peered down the hall. There they saw Dylan pounding on the door to the bathroom. Harper and Rommie exchanged glances and started down the corridor.
"Come on Trance! I really need to get in there!" Dylan whined.
"Dylan, you ok?" Harper asked as they approached.
Dylan whirled around and nearly lost his balance. "Uh, yeah, just need to use the...ah, I'm ok." He wrapped his arms around his stomach and doubled over.
"You don't look ok, come sit down." Rommie reached for her captain but he pulled away.
"I had better stay here until Trance comes out." Dylan grimaced as another wave of gurgling attacked his innards.
"Sorry to break it to ya, but Trance won't be out anytime soon. Why doncha come sit down, maybe we can find something to help you guys feel better." Harper grabbed one of Dylan's arms as Rommie took the other.
"You guys?" Dylan asked.
"Beka isn't feeling well also." Rommie said. She continually monitored her captain's vitals. He didn't appear to be in any immediate danger but she was worried all the same.
In the kitchen Beka was doubled over in her chair, arms wrapped around her waist moaning. She looked up when she heard the others set Dylan in the chair opposite hers. Her face was pale and sweaty. "Hey."
"Hey yourself." Dylan managed. "Don't you have a 'Men's Room' on this ship?"
"Yeah, it's the first left out the airlock smartass." Beka said dryly. "Oh, man, I don't know how much longer I can hold out." She squeezed her eyes shut tight and clenched her jaw as another wave tried to overtake her.
"Rommie, what's wrong with them? Did they pick up a virus on the planet?" Harper asked. He was ready to push the ol' panic button.
"My scans do not detect any virus. If it were, I dare say that you would be the most likely to succumb first."
"Point taken. So, if it's not a virus, what is it?"
Dylan moaned and bit his lip, stifling a burp. "Rommie, could you try and find some medicine or something?"
"On my way. Harper, keep an eye on them, I'll be right back."
Harper paced back and forth in front of the moaning pair. He felt pretty damn helpless.
"Not so funny now, is it?" Tyr said from the doorway. He was leaning on it heavily, sweat pouring down his face.
"Not you too." Harper said, exasperated.
"I assume from the condition of these two that the restroom is not free?" Tyr said as he slowly made his way to a chair.
"Nope, Trance is still in there. No point in even trying, I think she welds the door shut from the inside or something." Harper peered into Tyr's sweaty face. "How are you holdin' up?"
"How do I look?"
"Like shit."
"That's exactly how I feel. What happened, have we been poisoned?"
Harper's eyes widened, "Crap, I didn't even think of that!" He jumped up and ran to the Maru's makeshift medical bay. "Rommie!" No answer. "Rommie?" Harper heard a soft moan. "Double crap!" Rommie lay on the floor, hands on her stomach. Harper knelt beside her. "Rom-doll? What's wrong?"
Rommie opened her mouth to answer Harper but what came out was a rank burp. "Eww Rommie! Fish breath!" Harper held his nose then a thought occurred to him. "Fish...Rommie, did you eat that Puffer fish?" She nodded her head. "Why? You don't need to eat."
"I didn't want to insult our hosts." She said sheepishly.
"Great, just great." He ran his scanner over her body. "Yup, just as I thought, the fish was bad. Now it's fermenting in your system causing your artificial stomach to expand. We gotta get that stuff outa you darlin'." Harper helped her up and half-carried her to the galley. He sat her down next to Beka. He stood up and waved a hand in front of his face. "Good grief, someone light a match." The four sick friends groaned as one.
He checked on them all before moving to the center of the room and saying, "Well guys, I got good news and bad news. Which do you want first?" Beka grabbed a nearby plastic cup and flung it at him. "Ah, ok, good news first. I figured out what's wrong with you guys, you haven't been poisoned. Well, you have, kinda...but not in the sense that Tyr was thinking-"
"GET ON WITH IT BOY!" Tyr bellowed.
"Uh, yeah, it was the Puffer fish you ate at the reception. It was ah, bad and now you all have a nasty case of Montezuma's revenge."
"What's the bad news?" Rommie groaned.
"Well, bad news is that we're halfway to Andromeda which means it doesn't matter if we turn back to Castalia or not, it'll be an hour before we'd get to either place." Harper fiddled with the strap of his tool belt. "andwedon'thaveanymedicine." he mumbled.
"What?" Dylan said.
"I just remembered that I used the last of the ah, 'tummy' medicine on my trip back from Infinity, picked up a bit of a bug myself and uh, well...I forgot to re-stock when I got back." Harper cringed, expecting more objects to come hurling at him. Instead, his shipmates just continued moaning and writhing.
"Mister Harper, go to the cockpit and get as much speed out of this ship as possible. I can't tell you how important it is that we reach Andromeda SOON." Dylan said through clenched teeth.
"Uh, right boss. I've got a few tricks that might get us there faster. Are you guys gonna be ok back here?"
"We'll try and hold on, now GO!" Beka growled.
*******************
Harper squeezed every ounce of speed he could out of the Maru, which wasn't much. At best they probably picked up ten minutes. He sighed thinking about how miserable his friends were. However he couldn't help but feel a little happy that for once he was the one that was well. "All hail Lutefisk." He muttered.
He jumped when the com beside him beeped. He pressed a button calling up the image of a very pasty Beka. "Harper." She grimaced and swallowed hard, "Pull over."
"What?"
"Pull over NOW!" She rasped.
"Pull over WHERE?" Harper asked incredulously. "Beka, we're not exactly on the 405, I can't just stop and let you out."
"4-oh-what? Never mind, just find a place to land this crate or so help me..."
"Ah, I get the idea boss." Harper cut the com and searched for the closest hospitable planet. Lucky for his suffering shipmates Jangar III was only five light minutes away. He cranked the controls and pointed the Maru at the planet.
According to the Maru's database, Jangar III was inhabited by primitive humanoids. Harper hoped none of them came upon the Maru while her crew was, ah, indisposed. He couldn't help but snicker at the image that thought conjured up.
********************
TBC
**********************
Beka watched Dylan go and turned to Rommie, barely able to talk as she gasped for breath, "That guy's wound so tight, I bet he couldn't even eek out a squeaker." Rommie pretended to be shocked at Beka's comment but couldn't contain her laughter. Harper was nothing but a quivering mass on the floor.
Slowly Beka's giggles faded off as she grabbed her gut. "Ouch! Oh, man, I haven't laughed like that in a long time! Remind me to thank Tyr." She giggled again but stopped when a sharp pain laced up her side. "Ow!"
Harper and Rommie slowly came to their senses. "You ok boss?" Harper asked, wiping the tears from his face.
"Yeah, I'm ok. I need to make a pit stop though, I think I busted a gut laughing so hard." She got to her feet, she was a little shaky but otherwise ok. She started off toward the bathroom.
"Ah, boss?"
"What?"
"The fresher is ocupado. Trance is still in there, remember?" Harper said, moving to steady his friend.
"Oh yeah, guess I'll just have to wait a little while, huh?" Beka turned back to the table and sat down.
"Are you sure you're all right Beka? You look a little pale and your heart rate is increasing." Rommie said.
"I'm ok. Wow, who knew laughing could be bad for your health." Beka leaned back and winced as her own belly began to gurgle.
Rommie cocked her head, "What is that noise?"
"I don't hear anything." Beka said.
"I do." Harper and Rommie walked to the door and peered down the hall. There they saw Dylan pounding on the door to the bathroom. Harper and Rommie exchanged glances and started down the corridor.
"Come on Trance! I really need to get in there!" Dylan whined.
"Dylan, you ok?" Harper asked as they approached.
Dylan whirled around and nearly lost his balance. "Uh, yeah, just need to use the...ah, I'm ok." He wrapped his arms around his stomach and doubled over.
"You don't look ok, come sit down." Rommie reached for her captain but he pulled away.
"I had better stay here until Trance comes out." Dylan grimaced as another wave of gurgling attacked his innards.
"Sorry to break it to ya, but Trance won't be out anytime soon. Why doncha come sit down, maybe we can find something to help you guys feel better." Harper grabbed one of Dylan's arms as Rommie took the other.
"You guys?" Dylan asked.
"Beka isn't feeling well also." Rommie said. She continually monitored her captain's vitals. He didn't appear to be in any immediate danger but she was worried all the same.
In the kitchen Beka was doubled over in her chair, arms wrapped around her waist moaning. She looked up when she heard the others set Dylan in the chair opposite hers. Her face was pale and sweaty. "Hey."
"Hey yourself." Dylan managed. "Don't you have a 'Men's Room' on this ship?"
"Yeah, it's the first left out the airlock smartass." Beka said dryly. "Oh, man, I don't know how much longer I can hold out." She squeezed her eyes shut tight and clenched her jaw as another wave tried to overtake her.
"Rommie, what's wrong with them? Did they pick up a virus on the planet?" Harper asked. He was ready to push the ol' panic button.
"My scans do not detect any virus. If it were, I dare say that you would be the most likely to succumb first."
"Point taken. So, if it's not a virus, what is it?"
Dylan moaned and bit his lip, stifling a burp. "Rommie, could you try and find some medicine or something?"
"On my way. Harper, keep an eye on them, I'll be right back."
Harper paced back and forth in front of the moaning pair. He felt pretty damn helpless.
"Not so funny now, is it?" Tyr said from the doorway. He was leaning on it heavily, sweat pouring down his face.
"Not you too." Harper said, exasperated.
"I assume from the condition of these two that the restroom is not free?" Tyr said as he slowly made his way to a chair.
"Nope, Trance is still in there. No point in even trying, I think she welds the door shut from the inside or something." Harper peered into Tyr's sweaty face. "How are you holdin' up?"
"How do I look?"
"Like shit."
"That's exactly how I feel. What happened, have we been poisoned?"
Harper's eyes widened, "Crap, I didn't even think of that!" He jumped up and ran to the Maru's makeshift medical bay. "Rommie!" No answer. "Rommie?" Harper heard a soft moan. "Double crap!" Rommie lay on the floor, hands on her stomach. Harper knelt beside her. "Rom-doll? What's wrong?"
Rommie opened her mouth to answer Harper but what came out was a rank burp. "Eww Rommie! Fish breath!" Harper held his nose then a thought occurred to him. "Fish...Rommie, did you eat that Puffer fish?" She nodded her head. "Why? You don't need to eat."
"I didn't want to insult our hosts." She said sheepishly.
"Great, just great." He ran his scanner over her body. "Yup, just as I thought, the fish was bad. Now it's fermenting in your system causing your artificial stomach to expand. We gotta get that stuff outa you darlin'." Harper helped her up and half-carried her to the galley. He sat her down next to Beka. He stood up and waved a hand in front of his face. "Good grief, someone light a match." The four sick friends groaned as one.
He checked on them all before moving to the center of the room and saying, "Well guys, I got good news and bad news. Which do you want first?" Beka grabbed a nearby plastic cup and flung it at him. "Ah, ok, good news first. I figured out what's wrong with you guys, you haven't been poisoned. Well, you have, kinda...but not in the sense that Tyr was thinking-"
"GET ON WITH IT BOY!" Tyr bellowed.
"Uh, yeah, it was the Puffer fish you ate at the reception. It was ah, bad and now you all have a nasty case of Montezuma's revenge."
"What's the bad news?" Rommie groaned.
"Well, bad news is that we're halfway to Andromeda which means it doesn't matter if we turn back to Castalia or not, it'll be an hour before we'd get to either place." Harper fiddled with the strap of his tool belt. "andwedon'thaveanymedicine." he mumbled.
"What?" Dylan said.
"I just remembered that I used the last of the ah, 'tummy' medicine on my trip back from Infinity, picked up a bit of a bug myself and uh, well...I forgot to re-stock when I got back." Harper cringed, expecting more objects to come hurling at him. Instead, his shipmates just continued moaning and writhing.
"Mister Harper, go to the cockpit and get as much speed out of this ship as possible. I can't tell you how important it is that we reach Andromeda SOON." Dylan said through clenched teeth.
"Uh, right boss. I've got a few tricks that might get us there faster. Are you guys gonna be ok back here?"
"We'll try and hold on, now GO!" Beka growled.
*******************
Harper squeezed every ounce of speed he could out of the Maru, which wasn't much. At best they probably picked up ten minutes. He sighed thinking about how miserable his friends were. However he couldn't help but feel a little happy that for once he was the one that was well. "All hail Lutefisk." He muttered.
He jumped when the com beside him beeped. He pressed a button calling up the image of a very pasty Beka. "Harper." She grimaced and swallowed hard, "Pull over."
"What?"
"Pull over NOW!" She rasped.
"Pull over WHERE?" Harper asked incredulously. "Beka, we're not exactly on the 405, I can't just stop and let you out."
"4-oh-what? Never mind, just find a place to land this crate or so help me..."
"Ah, I get the idea boss." Harper cut the com and searched for the closest hospitable planet. Lucky for his suffering shipmates Jangar III was only five light minutes away. He cranked the controls and pointed the Maru at the planet.
According to the Maru's database, Jangar III was inhabited by primitive humanoids. Harper hoped none of them came upon the Maru while her crew was, ah, indisposed. He couldn't help but snicker at the image that thought conjured up.
********************
TBC