"Chiana." She woke to D'Argo's whispered voice, her arms empty. Panicked, she bolted upright, feeling the floor next to her. "I've got him," she was reassured. "He's sleeping finally."
Chiana nodded. They had spent nearly 28 arns in Lo'Laa, unwilling to try orbit in case the Peacekeepers were still in the area, unwilling to leave the safety of Lo'Laa. Shedya, evidently well rested from his drug induced slumber, had been awake for most of it. For the most part, he was happy and content, but the new parents were unused to having an infant around, and the experience had been taxing.
"We are at the medical facility. I wanted your leg repaired correctly." He didn't mention that she had been so exhausted, she didn't even stir when Lo'Laa had taken flight.
"What, no faith in Grandma?" she asked sarcastically.
"Let's just say that I have more faith in the diagnosian."
Chiana chuckled as D'Argo placed their baby in her arms and lifted her into his. He must have landed at their front door; when she felt him descending the ramp she heard Hilameen's voice nearby.
"We may have to wait, there are several wounded." D'Argo carefully placed her on a hard surface, and she felt him sit next to her. Hilameen's voice slowly and calmly drew closer as she stopped to speak with the injured and administer any initial first aid she was capable of.
Chiana's leg throbbed with pain that she tried to ignore. At last, the assistant stopped in front of him. "Oh, Chiana, you found him!" There were tears in her voice and the Nebari realized this must be difficult for the woman. These people had been her neighbors, and probably friends, and now most of them were dead, dying, or permanently disabled. "When Nepehi and Mia were brought in by the survivors, we didn't know what happened to Shedya." The woman paused, gaining control of her emotions. "There's a small group collecting what few survivors are left. They're a well organized group. I guess this has happened before. They move from planet to planet as a colony, banding together. This was the worst, I think. They all seem pretty lost." She must have realized she was babbling. "Let me show you where you can leave him."
"No," D'Argo stated flatly. Hilameen stopped and there was a moment of silence. "Mia asked us to keep the boy, and we agreed."
Chiana wanted to throw her arms around him in gratitude. This had been his opportunity to give the child away without her consent, and he'd trusted her enough to stand by her.
"Oh, good," the woman was saying. "They really have no resources to take care of all their children. You'll have to wait a few arns for us to be ready to conduct the transplant..."
"What transplant?" D'Argo asked.
"For Chiana's eyes. Nepehi was a signed donor. I assumed you knew."
"No," Chiana said in a shaky voice, "we didn't know." Mia hadn't told her that. "My leg is broken."
"Oh, well, that's easy to fix. I can get you out of here in an arn. But if you're willing to wait, the diagnosan can perform the transplant as well."
"We'll wait," D'Argo declared unilaterally.
"I... I don't know," Chiana said uncertainly. This was Nepehi. They would be dissecting Shedya's father to save her eyesight.
"What do you mean 'you don't know'?" D'Argo asked incredulously. "We have been searching for a cure for nearly three cycles. Now you have a chance to see, and you don't want to take it?"
"It's not that," Chiana defended. "It's just..." she paused, searching for the right words. "Just... like I'd feel like I was stealing." She waited for the obvious statement that it had never bothered her before.
Instead, she felt him gently cup her face in the palms of his hands and lean his forehead against hers. "Chiana," he began softly. "I do not understand everything that happened yesterday. I don't understand the connection you felt, or the visions you described last night." He paused a moment. "But reach into the memories you were given. Tell me, would Shedya's parents be offended by this gift? Did he unwillingly sign that consent? If you tell me 'yes,' we will heal your leg and leave. I will not push you any further. But at least give yourself a chance. Ask them."
His thumb gently caressed her cheek, softly sliding over the new scab that had formed from the cut she'd given herself trying to find D'Argo. She felt his strength, his peace, and found the courage to reach inside herself to find the moment that would help her.
Mentally, she began sifting through memory after memory, searching for a particular moment that would tell her Nepehi had willingly signed those forms and wanted this. It wasn't there. The more she searched, the more she knew she wouldn't find what she was looking for. But in the process of searching, she learned about the small family, their personalities, their loyalties, their love, their selflessness, and she realized she had her answer.
Slowly, she let a stream of air exhale through tight lips. "I'll do it." D'Argo's sigh of relief told her how anxious he'd been about her decision.
"Follow me," the assistant told them, and Chiana felt D'Argo lift her into his arms and carry her into the building.
-------------------------------------------------------
She was nervous. No one was positive this was going to work, and she'd told herself not to get her hopes up, but it was too late. She sat on the end of the cold examining table, swinging her legs to keep her body in motion. Now that her leg was healed, she could truly appreciate her new mobility.
A door opened and she felt two additional presences enter the examining room. D'Argo stood near her, holding Shedya. He must be playing with the boy, for she heard a childish giggle. The pure innocent joy lifted her spirits. He was such a happy baby.
The soft musical voice of the diagnosian greeted them. "We're here to take the bandages off," Hilameen translated. "Are you ready?"
"'Yes, no, maybe,'" she quoted. She heard D'Argo chuckle.
Warm hands brushed her face, and she felt the bandage unpinned. Once, the bandage was unwound, twice, three times. Slowly it became thinner, and dim light began to emerge through the cloth. Brighter and brighter was the illumination until finally, the bandage fell and Chiana found herself looking into deep violet eyes. Hilameen stood before her smiling. She saw the masked diagnosan standing nearby.
Nervously, Chiana began to scan the room, and her eyes rested on D'Argo for the first time in nearly three cycles. Beautiful D'Argo, who stood there large and strong, tenka's streaming down his back, wide shoulders that supporting their infant. His hand was patting Shedya's back comfortingly.
Tears pushed from behind her new eyes, and she couldn't hold in a watery laugh. "I can see you!" she exclaimed, their joy drawing them together. He was laughing with her, sharing her elation. "I can see you!"
She rushed to him; he met her halfway, lifting her into his arms, Shedya between them, sharing their love and happiness. Laughing, crying, they held each other, lost in their moment of joy.
They had all been delivered.
-End
*************************************
This is going to be a little unusual, but I wanted to take a moment in memory of Mia. She was young, beautiful, full of life, possessing an inner strength she didn't know she possessed. I created her for the sole purpose of dying, but when it came time for her death, I found myself devastated. Literally. I sat at my desk unable to type the words necessary, because I was sobbing so hard. I had spent too much time with her and as I sat in the rubble with Chiana and Mia I felt their loss, their pain, their connection. I loved her dearly, and I will miss her.
So, now that it has been confirmed that I'm a fruitcake, I say call me eccentric. But remember beautiful Mia as you do so.
Chiana nodded. They had spent nearly 28 arns in Lo'Laa, unwilling to try orbit in case the Peacekeepers were still in the area, unwilling to leave the safety of Lo'Laa. Shedya, evidently well rested from his drug induced slumber, had been awake for most of it. For the most part, he was happy and content, but the new parents were unused to having an infant around, and the experience had been taxing.
"We are at the medical facility. I wanted your leg repaired correctly." He didn't mention that she had been so exhausted, she didn't even stir when Lo'Laa had taken flight.
"What, no faith in Grandma?" she asked sarcastically.
"Let's just say that I have more faith in the diagnosian."
Chiana chuckled as D'Argo placed their baby in her arms and lifted her into his. He must have landed at their front door; when she felt him descending the ramp she heard Hilameen's voice nearby.
"We may have to wait, there are several wounded." D'Argo carefully placed her on a hard surface, and she felt him sit next to her. Hilameen's voice slowly and calmly drew closer as she stopped to speak with the injured and administer any initial first aid she was capable of.
Chiana's leg throbbed with pain that she tried to ignore. At last, the assistant stopped in front of him. "Oh, Chiana, you found him!" There were tears in her voice and the Nebari realized this must be difficult for the woman. These people had been her neighbors, and probably friends, and now most of them were dead, dying, or permanently disabled. "When Nepehi and Mia were brought in by the survivors, we didn't know what happened to Shedya." The woman paused, gaining control of her emotions. "There's a small group collecting what few survivors are left. They're a well organized group. I guess this has happened before. They move from planet to planet as a colony, banding together. This was the worst, I think. They all seem pretty lost." She must have realized she was babbling. "Let me show you where you can leave him."
"No," D'Argo stated flatly. Hilameen stopped and there was a moment of silence. "Mia asked us to keep the boy, and we agreed."
Chiana wanted to throw her arms around him in gratitude. This had been his opportunity to give the child away without her consent, and he'd trusted her enough to stand by her.
"Oh, good," the woman was saying. "They really have no resources to take care of all their children. You'll have to wait a few arns for us to be ready to conduct the transplant..."
"What transplant?" D'Argo asked.
"For Chiana's eyes. Nepehi was a signed donor. I assumed you knew."
"No," Chiana said in a shaky voice, "we didn't know." Mia hadn't told her that. "My leg is broken."
"Oh, well, that's easy to fix. I can get you out of here in an arn. But if you're willing to wait, the diagnosan can perform the transplant as well."
"We'll wait," D'Argo declared unilaterally.
"I... I don't know," Chiana said uncertainly. This was Nepehi. They would be dissecting Shedya's father to save her eyesight.
"What do you mean 'you don't know'?" D'Argo asked incredulously. "We have been searching for a cure for nearly three cycles. Now you have a chance to see, and you don't want to take it?"
"It's not that," Chiana defended. "It's just..." she paused, searching for the right words. "Just... like I'd feel like I was stealing." She waited for the obvious statement that it had never bothered her before.
Instead, she felt him gently cup her face in the palms of his hands and lean his forehead against hers. "Chiana," he began softly. "I do not understand everything that happened yesterday. I don't understand the connection you felt, or the visions you described last night." He paused a moment. "But reach into the memories you were given. Tell me, would Shedya's parents be offended by this gift? Did he unwillingly sign that consent? If you tell me 'yes,' we will heal your leg and leave. I will not push you any further. But at least give yourself a chance. Ask them."
His thumb gently caressed her cheek, softly sliding over the new scab that had formed from the cut she'd given herself trying to find D'Argo. She felt his strength, his peace, and found the courage to reach inside herself to find the moment that would help her.
Mentally, she began sifting through memory after memory, searching for a particular moment that would tell her Nepehi had willingly signed those forms and wanted this. It wasn't there. The more she searched, the more she knew she wouldn't find what she was looking for. But in the process of searching, she learned about the small family, their personalities, their loyalties, their love, their selflessness, and she realized she had her answer.
Slowly, she let a stream of air exhale through tight lips. "I'll do it." D'Argo's sigh of relief told her how anxious he'd been about her decision.
"Follow me," the assistant told them, and Chiana felt D'Argo lift her into his arms and carry her into the building.
-------------------------------------------------------
She was nervous. No one was positive this was going to work, and she'd told herself not to get her hopes up, but it was too late. She sat on the end of the cold examining table, swinging her legs to keep her body in motion. Now that her leg was healed, she could truly appreciate her new mobility.
A door opened and she felt two additional presences enter the examining room. D'Argo stood near her, holding Shedya. He must be playing with the boy, for she heard a childish giggle. The pure innocent joy lifted her spirits. He was such a happy baby.
The soft musical voice of the diagnosian greeted them. "We're here to take the bandages off," Hilameen translated. "Are you ready?"
"'Yes, no, maybe,'" she quoted. She heard D'Argo chuckle.
Warm hands brushed her face, and she felt the bandage unpinned. Once, the bandage was unwound, twice, three times. Slowly it became thinner, and dim light began to emerge through the cloth. Brighter and brighter was the illumination until finally, the bandage fell and Chiana found herself looking into deep violet eyes. Hilameen stood before her smiling. She saw the masked diagnosan standing nearby.
Nervously, Chiana began to scan the room, and her eyes rested on D'Argo for the first time in nearly three cycles. Beautiful D'Argo, who stood there large and strong, tenka's streaming down his back, wide shoulders that supporting their infant. His hand was patting Shedya's back comfortingly.
Tears pushed from behind her new eyes, and she couldn't hold in a watery laugh. "I can see you!" she exclaimed, their joy drawing them together. He was laughing with her, sharing her elation. "I can see you!"
She rushed to him; he met her halfway, lifting her into his arms, Shedya between them, sharing their love and happiness. Laughing, crying, they held each other, lost in their moment of joy.
They had all been delivered.
-End
*************************************
This is going to be a little unusual, but I wanted to take a moment in memory of Mia. She was young, beautiful, full of life, possessing an inner strength she didn't know she possessed. I created her for the sole purpose of dying, but when it came time for her death, I found myself devastated. Literally. I sat at my desk unable to type the words necessary, because I was sobbing so hard. I had spent too much time with her and as I sat in the rubble with Chiana and Mia I felt their loss, their pain, their connection. I loved her dearly, and I will miss her.
So, now that it has been confirmed that I'm a fruitcake, I say call me eccentric. But remember beautiful Mia as you do so.
