Past Reflections 19/?

Disclaimer: Andromeda, Harper, Tyr etc. Don't belong to me, unfortunately. No infringement intended.

Authors Notes: Rated R due to possible slash content and violence. I have been having some formatting problems, so if this comes out crazy bear with me.

Stifling Conditions

Over the next few weeks all of the crew began to notice Harper's withdrawal and grew increasingly concerned. Harper was avoiding all of his shipmates whenever possible and only came onto the bridge during a crisis.

He worked straight through the day most times, having Rommie remind his to eat at all. Harper was like a man possessed, during the nights when he wasn't working on some gadget or other he was in the gym fighting invisible demons with the privacy lock engaged.

When Beka and Trance questioned him on his behavior he just insisted he was fine and would then make a lewd comment thereby distracting them. However, even his pick-ups and jokes rang hollow with the crew, and the cracks in his facade began to break down.

Not that he wasn't the fun-loving horny guy he portrayed himself to be, but he was finding it increasingly hard to shake off his past as he has done in the past. He would get bogged down in night terrors whenever he would get to sleep and they would continue to haunt him throughout the following day.

The ship became a less amusing place to be with Harper increasingly withdrawn and quiet and even Tyr was growing worried about the little professor. Tyr knew, or at least had a better idea of what was bothering Harper than his fellow crewmates, but he believed that Harper would simply work through his demons like he had in the past.

After the third week of this troubling behavior Tyr decided he needed to become involved. During their time together on Braxus Tyr had grown to greatly respect the wily human, but it became evident to him just how much he had grown to care for him, when Harper stopped the playful teasing that had been a part of their interactions for the last few months.

Although he hadn't noticed the comfort he felt with the kludge, it's absence brought home to Tyr exactly how much Harper meant to him and he found he missed the Human's sometimes fatalistic sense of humor. With thoughts of dragging Harper forcefully out of his depression in mind, Tyr strode purposefully to the gym where Harper was currently beating a punching bag senseless.

"Ship, let me into the gym." Tyr ordered imperiously.

"As you well know, Harper has the doors locked and privacy mode engaged." Andromeda answered after materializing directly in front of Tyr.

"The boy has been slowly killing himself, he gets no sleep and barely eats." Tyr reminded the ship's hologram. "How long will you let this continue?"

"You think he will listen to you?" Andromeda asked incredulously. "You two can barely stand each other at the best of times without getting into an argument."

"You know nothing about my interactions with Mister Harper, so I would suggest, Ship, that you cease to speculate. Now let me in." Tyr ordered disdainfully, having no desire to explain his difficult relationship with the ship's engineer, let alone his latest epiphanies.

"Very well." Andromeda acknowledged reluctantly. "But I will be watching you. Do not upset Harper further."

Tyr did not answer the AI instead he simply walked through her non-corporeal form and entered the now unlocked gym quietly, making no noise as he did so.

Harper was so immersed in his activities that he remained unaware of Tyr's presence allowing the Nietzschean to watch him unnoticed and uninterrupted. What he saw worried him further.

Harper was using a standard style force lance extended as a pike and was tirelessly fighting with enemies only he could see. Gone was the flashy clothes the engineer was famous for, it their place Harper was wearing a pair of black cloth trousers and no shirt. Sweat was dripping of his wiry frame causing the pants to stick to his legs, clearly defining his bunching muscles as he moved. Harper had lost a considerable amount of weight and his eyes had a haunted look to them that the boy had been successful in hiding from the crew until now.