+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Harper sat huddled on his small bed. Humming.
Having visited Trance in medical and being fully recovered Dr. Lemieux now sat on a low chair across from the troubled engineer.
"Andromeda?" called the doctor.
"Yes?"
"Do you recognize the song he's humming?"
"Ancient earth folk tune. 'You are my sunshine'."
"Could you check his records and tell me the last time he sang this song?"
"Scanning. over a year ago when he and Tyr returned from the Magog world ship. Harper had been injured and infected by Magog eggs. He was delirious at the time. He never sings the words though."
"Thank You Andromeda." The Doctor scratched is chin in thought. It was the same old story...the Magog. "Harper Talk to me. remember our clause? You promised."
Harper rocked back and forth on his bunk humming but then the doctor heard something He quickly sat up straight in his chair. It was so faint he wasn't sure. "What? Harper did you say something."
Harper never looked up. "Promises.there have been a lot of promises."
"You made a promise or some one has made one to you? What promises?"
"Mmmm, hmmm." Harper continued to hum as if he had never heard.
"Harper I know you can hear me I know you are ignoring me. Is it so awful to talk to me? I promise not to tell anyone if you don't want me to."
Harper looked up suddenly. Fear in his eyes "You can't tell! She promised not to tell. You can't know!" He shrieked and leapt to his feet.
Dr. Lemieux grabbed him by his shoulders. "It's okay Harper no one knows."
"I. I didn't want to, b-but I had to! Sss-she was still alive. It's not like they say. I. I didn't want to, b-but I had to!!" Harper was starting to stutter as he his body shook with shock. The memories he had been suppressing were asserting them selves and burst forward like a title wave.
Dr. Lemieux wanted Harper to remember but he didn't want him to loose him self to them. He didn't the person Harper had become to be swept aside by the past. He would have to be careful. Keep him as calm as possible.
"I. I didn't want to, b-but I had to! She said she wouldn't tell. She promised. I promised." Harper started to wheeze.
"Andromeda tell Trance to stand by we may have a medical emergency. Harper breath!" He forced Harper to lie down. "Come on deep breath's"
Harper's eyes were open wide and glassy as he gasped for breath. "I..I." Harper tried to speak but he couldn't. His lungs heaved for air but received no blessed relief.
Dr. Lemieux could see Harper was turning blue. It was the final straw. "Andromeda Medical emergency!"
The diminutive engineer's eye's closed. The doctor watched helplessly. The risk of his secrets being exposed was enough to cause him to have a panic attack.
Trance rushed in and the doctor leapt out of the way.
In the end there really would be only one person who could help Harper and Harper had known who it was all along. The keeper of Harper's secret's. Captain Beka Valentine.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Beka crept through the hallways like a ghost. She could hear the Doctor in Dylan's quarters discussing something. She stepped quickly and silently by the door.
She followed the hallway down to the most port side of the ship. The medical bay doors were already opened. Trance stood on the very far side of the room she seemed to be doing some sort of research on one of Andromeda's monitor's. Beka gazed in to the quiet room.
Harper lay on a medical bay not ten feet from where she stood. The only noise in the room was some monitor attached to Harper's wrist. Every ten seconds or so it would give a soft beep. She studied him for a moment. He looked a lot like the old Harper.when they first met. Worry lines creased his for head. He looked thinner to.
Beka stepped in to the room and froze as Trance shifted in her chair. Beka crept forward again until she stood by Harper's side.
"I couldn't have done more thing's wrong." She let her hand run lightly through his messy hair. "I know you'll hate me for ever. and I don't blame you. I've made so many mistakes. I'm so pathetic I haven't even been able to deal with being responsible for them. This may be the last time we have to speak.and I don't blame you for hating me.but. I wanted you to know.I'm sorry. For everything. And if you hate me forever. I'll understand." She paused to look up at where Trance had been sitting but the chair was empty now. She looked back down at Harper. He didn't move. Only the rise and fall of his chest indicated he was real and alive. "I've been selfish. I couldn't tell any one your secrets because it meant breaking my promise. It meant breaking my promise and losing you. But what I should have realized is that. You are more important then my promise. My Father. my Mother.hell in Rafe.they always made promises and never kept them. I hated them for it. So, even if you hate me forever as long as you lived and you were capable of hating me it would be okay. So. so I'm going to leave. Okay? You're okay here. Then you won't have to worry I'll have no one to tell your secrets to. And, even though I broke your trust. I wanted to tell you it's okay to trust people. Trust Dylan and Rommie.Trust Trance and Tyr. It's important that you get better." A single tear rolled down her cheek. She was sick of crying. She lay her hand on his cheek one last time. "Live well Seamus Harper.goodbye."
He moved slowly so slowly that she hadn't even noticed. But suddenly his hand gripped hers. "You promised." he whispered as he fell back in to unconsciousness.
Beka blinked with shock. He was only unconscious but he held her hand in a death grip. He wasn't letting go.
She stood there for a moment, emotions of all sorts flooded over her.
Maybe...just maybe if he wasn't willing to let go.maybe she wasn't either.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
TBC
Harper sat huddled on his small bed. Humming.
Having visited Trance in medical and being fully recovered Dr. Lemieux now sat on a low chair across from the troubled engineer.
"Andromeda?" called the doctor.
"Yes?"
"Do you recognize the song he's humming?"
"Ancient earth folk tune. 'You are my sunshine'."
"Could you check his records and tell me the last time he sang this song?"
"Scanning. over a year ago when he and Tyr returned from the Magog world ship. Harper had been injured and infected by Magog eggs. He was delirious at the time. He never sings the words though."
"Thank You Andromeda." The Doctor scratched is chin in thought. It was the same old story...the Magog. "Harper Talk to me. remember our clause? You promised."
Harper rocked back and forth on his bunk humming but then the doctor heard something He quickly sat up straight in his chair. It was so faint he wasn't sure. "What? Harper did you say something."
Harper never looked up. "Promises.there have been a lot of promises."
"You made a promise or some one has made one to you? What promises?"
"Mmmm, hmmm." Harper continued to hum as if he had never heard.
"Harper I know you can hear me I know you are ignoring me. Is it so awful to talk to me? I promise not to tell anyone if you don't want me to."
Harper looked up suddenly. Fear in his eyes "You can't tell! She promised not to tell. You can't know!" He shrieked and leapt to his feet.
Dr. Lemieux grabbed him by his shoulders. "It's okay Harper no one knows."
"I. I didn't want to, b-but I had to! Sss-she was still alive. It's not like they say. I. I didn't want to, b-but I had to!!" Harper was starting to stutter as he his body shook with shock. The memories he had been suppressing were asserting them selves and burst forward like a title wave.
Dr. Lemieux wanted Harper to remember but he didn't want him to loose him self to them. He didn't the person Harper had become to be swept aside by the past. He would have to be careful. Keep him as calm as possible.
"I. I didn't want to, b-but I had to! She said she wouldn't tell. She promised. I promised." Harper started to wheeze.
"Andromeda tell Trance to stand by we may have a medical emergency. Harper breath!" He forced Harper to lie down. "Come on deep breath's"
Harper's eyes were open wide and glassy as he gasped for breath. "I..I." Harper tried to speak but he couldn't. His lungs heaved for air but received no blessed relief.
Dr. Lemieux could see Harper was turning blue. It was the final straw. "Andromeda Medical emergency!"
The diminutive engineer's eye's closed. The doctor watched helplessly. The risk of his secrets being exposed was enough to cause him to have a panic attack.
Trance rushed in and the doctor leapt out of the way.
In the end there really would be only one person who could help Harper and Harper had known who it was all along. The keeper of Harper's secret's. Captain Beka Valentine.
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Beka crept through the hallways like a ghost. She could hear the Doctor in Dylan's quarters discussing something. She stepped quickly and silently by the door.
She followed the hallway down to the most port side of the ship. The medical bay doors were already opened. Trance stood on the very far side of the room she seemed to be doing some sort of research on one of Andromeda's monitor's. Beka gazed in to the quiet room.
Harper lay on a medical bay not ten feet from where she stood. The only noise in the room was some monitor attached to Harper's wrist. Every ten seconds or so it would give a soft beep. She studied him for a moment. He looked a lot like the old Harper.when they first met. Worry lines creased his for head. He looked thinner to.
Beka stepped in to the room and froze as Trance shifted in her chair. Beka crept forward again until she stood by Harper's side.
"I couldn't have done more thing's wrong." She let her hand run lightly through his messy hair. "I know you'll hate me for ever. and I don't blame you. I've made so many mistakes. I'm so pathetic I haven't even been able to deal with being responsible for them. This may be the last time we have to speak.and I don't blame you for hating me.but. I wanted you to know.I'm sorry. For everything. And if you hate me forever. I'll understand." She paused to look up at where Trance had been sitting but the chair was empty now. She looked back down at Harper. He didn't move. Only the rise and fall of his chest indicated he was real and alive. "I've been selfish. I couldn't tell any one your secrets because it meant breaking my promise. It meant breaking my promise and losing you. But what I should have realized is that. You are more important then my promise. My Father. my Mother.hell in Rafe.they always made promises and never kept them. I hated them for it. So, even if you hate me forever as long as you lived and you were capable of hating me it would be okay. So. so I'm going to leave. Okay? You're okay here. Then you won't have to worry I'll have no one to tell your secrets to. And, even though I broke your trust. I wanted to tell you it's okay to trust people. Trust Dylan and Rommie.Trust Trance and Tyr. It's important that you get better." A single tear rolled down her cheek. She was sick of crying. She lay her hand on his cheek one last time. "Live well Seamus Harper.goodbye."
He moved slowly so slowly that she hadn't even noticed. But suddenly his hand gripped hers. "You promised." he whispered as he fell back in to unconsciousness.
Beka blinked with shock. He was only unconscious but he held her hand in a death grip. He wasn't letting go.
She stood there for a moment, emotions of all sorts flooded over her.
Maybe...just maybe if he wasn't willing to let go.maybe she wasn't either.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
TBC