Chapter 22

Captain Blue understood the reason why Doctor Gold was refusing to clear him for duty. He even sympathised with the Colonel's reluctance to allow him to accompany the party back to the lab for the nanotech.

But that didn't mean that he agreed with their decision.

After many years working within the military, Blue knew all about following orders even if he personally didn't agree with the orders he had been given. However this time it was different.

Blue would be the first to admit that in the beginning he had been hesitant to trust Scarlet after finding out what the Mysteron's had done to him. Yet time after time, Scarlet had proven his loyalty to Earth, Spectrum and even to Blue. However just like everyone else, Blue had begun to take Scarlet's indestructibility for granted. Despite a number of close calls where it had taken Scarlet a little more time to recover; he had eventually done just that. Blue wasn't naïve, neither was he unaccustomed to losing comrades or friends.

But this was different, very different…and he didn't like it.

As a compromise, Doctor Gold has allowed Blue to stay in the medical bay with his friend, instead of insisting he return to his quarters and rest. The truth was that the doctor had seen how visibly shaken the blonde captain had been by Scarlet's earlier seizure and he was reluctant to add to that. Plus this way it gave the doctor the added opportunity to keep an eye on both of the captains at the same time.

Blue sat beside Scarlet's bedside in silence. The only noise in the room was once again the sound of the heart monitor beeping out Scarlet's heartbeat. In a strange way the sound was a comfort, but it was also a constant reminder of how serious Scarlet's condition really was.

"I'm so sorry Paul," he whispered, not expecting anyone to hear him.

"Told you…not your fault…" Scarlet managed as his eyes slowly flickered open and fixed on his friends face.

"Paul…" Blue gasped.

"Adam…listen to me, no matter what happens …none of this is your fault, do you hear me? You have to promise that you'll stop blaming yourself…"

"Paul…" Blue said again, this time the surprise in his voice was replaced by something more akin to shame.

"Adam I need you to promise me…please?" Scarlet just about managed before a small cough escaped his lips.

"I…I don't know if I can," Blue confessed truthfully as a blush coloured his cheeks. Scarlet knew that despite the confidence that his friend gave off, being honest about his true feelings was difficult for him. He could see the vulnerability that his friend was feeling in his admission.

"I used to think that what the Mysteron's had done to me was some sort of curse. You were one of those who helped me to see that I could use it to my advantage; to use it to keep those I care about safe by putting myself in harm's way instead," Scarlet began. But it was clear that trying to get his words out was putting added strain on his already weakening body.

"Paul its okay, you don't have…"

"No Adam, I need to say this, please. There were so many times that I should have died. We both know that."

"I know."

"I guess what I'm trying to say is that if they don't…if they don't succeed in finding a way to stop this…"

"Don't you dare Paul," Blue snapped his voice a tad harsher that he had intended it to be. "Just because you've escaped death so many times because of what they did to you, doesn't mean that you deserve this. You can't give up… I'm as guilty as anyone for taking your retrometabolism for granted…"

"I'm just as guilty of that."

"But that just makes this even more difficult to accept and I for one am refusing to give up on them finding a way to fix this. You hear me, they'll stop this." Blue insisted with conviction.

"Adam…" Scarlet gingerly reached out his hand and Blue gently took it. He held on to it as if it was a life preserver. Channelling all his feeling and emotion into that simple gesture, as if it could be enough to stop what was happening to the man who had become so much more than his friend; to the man he thought of as a brother.

"I just can't shake the feeling that we're missing something here. Something doesn't add up and I can't put my finger on what it is," Blue admitted his gaze fixed on their joined hands. But when he moved his eyes back up to look at his friends face, Scarlet's eyes were once again closed. But Blue felt some relief that Scarlet looked almost peaceful.

"I can't do this Paul. I can't just sit here and watch you slip away. I need to be doing something."

With that he gently released his friends hand and quietly slipped out of the medical bay unseen.

He knew that what he was about to do was crazy. He knew that his body wasn't really up to it. That thought echoed abound in his head while he forced his injured body back into his uniform; every movement causing him to grunt in pain. But he had to do it for his brother. He also knew that if the roles were reversed Scarlet would do the same for him. Yet that still didn't stop those same thoughts from continue to sound in his head as he climbed aboard his raid bike and made his way to the flight deck.

He was very aware that once Colonel White found out that he had gone against his direct orders he would most likely face a court martial. But in that moment he didn't care what happened to him. He needed to make sure that Scarlet got the help he needed to survive what was happening to him.

He knew he needed to listen to his gut and it was telling him to launch…so he did.