Time to thank the reviewers!

{{Trekken 46}}

{{AKAJipster}}

{{Trance}}

Now if you need the disclaimer go back to part one. So here's part four, enjoy!
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Chapter 4: Getting Rid of the Problem

^^^Ooh, it feels so good
When you let go
Avoid the dramas in your life
Now you're free from all the pain
Free from all the game
Free from all the stress
So find your happiness
I don't know
Only God knows where the story ends
For me, I know where the story begins
It's up to us to choose
Whether we win or lose
And I choose to win^^^

Dylan, Beka, Tyr, and Rev, please report to Command, Rommie ordered while running there. She knew that they would be angry with her, Trance, and Harper for keeping their project secret, especially Beka.

She had thought that they would have more time. God, why couldn't they have gotten more time. Before she realized it she was standing in front of Command. She took a deep breath calming her nerves and went in.

She walked in to find the rest of the crew already there. Ship, why did you call us here, Tyr asked in his usual Tyr way. Yes, Rommie what's the matter and why didn't you call Harper and Trance, too, Beka said. Rommie could see fear and concern in Beka's eyes and could sense that her heartbeat had accelerated.

Beka really cared for Harper. He had been her closest thing to a family for nearly seven years. She knew this news would hurt her most of all. For hers and the rest of the crew's sake she hoped Harper made it.

She didn't want to think about what Harper's death would do to the crew. Rommie looked around at the crew, took a deep breath, and said, OK, the reason I called just you here is because what I must tell you has to do with Trance and Harper. About three days ago Trance discovered that Harper's medicine only had five days of effectiveness left before the larvae would become completely immune to it.

She heard Beka take in a ragged breath and could tell that she was fighting back tears. Beka then said, Oh God, Harper! Rommie continued in hopes of keeping herself from crying as well. She and Harper, along with my help, have been trying to come up with a cure. Well, today we successfully found what we think is that cure.

Rev interrupted by saying, Thank the Divine.

Rommie went on, But the larvae became immune earlier than we expected, in fact, they started becoming active about the time we started our research, and are now completely active. For some unknown reason, Harper hid this fact from Trance and me, and carried on with the research even though he had to have been in an extreme amount of pain. Unfortunately, about ten minutes ago he collapsed and became unconscious. Trance is now preparing him for surgery, with that Rommie went silent.

The tears were starting to come for both she and Beka. Tyr even looked fairly concerned. Over the past year on the Andromeda, Rommie had noticed that Tyr had grown fond of Harper, although he did not easily show it. Since Tyr was the last of his pride, she had figured that Tyr thought of Harper almost as a son or little brother.

How sure are you that this so-called miracle cure will save the boy, Tyr asked as he stepped in behind Beka, just in case she decided the ground was a better place to be.

Rommie looked up, a single tear rolling down her olive colored cheek, she wiped it away, took in a deep breath, and said, We concluded that it has a ninety-five percent chance of working.

Beka sniffed and said, Will he make it...I mean can he make it through the surgery?

Beka, I really can't tell you. We thought that we would have more time to figure that out. We had no idea that the medicine was going to stop so suddenly. Harper may very well not make it, but if I can help it he will live, Rommie said as she walked over to Beka and grasped her hand.

Dylan walked over to Rommie, put his hand on her shoulder, and said, Rommie I think that you should return to med-deck. I'm sure Trance could use your help.

You're right. I'm going. I'll contact you as soon as he is out of surgery. As she walked out, Rev finally broke his silence and said, Andromeda, tell Trance that I will say a special prayer for her and Master Harper.

As another tear ran down her cheek as Rommie smiled and said, I'll be sure to tell her that, Rev. Thank you. Then she headed, if not ran, for med-deck.
She wasn't about to leave Harper in his greatest time of need.

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It had only taken Trance about ten minutes to prepared Harper for surgery. She had sanitized her hands and was now wearing surgical gloves, She couldn't afford for Harper to get an infection, and neither could he.
She even had her tail hidden under her surgical gown. She didn't want it to get in her way. Harper was laid out on the operating table and had his stomach covered in iodine. She cringed when she saw the larvae moving under his pale, almost transparent skin.

The thought of how much pain Harper had to have been in the past few days made her stomach churn.

*Harper, why didn't you tell us, maybe we could have helped you with it. No one should ever have to experience that much pain, especially you,* Trance thought to herself as she laid the final tool on the table next to her.

She was about ready to start, the only thing that was missing was Rommie. She needed her to watch Harper's vitals and to help her administer the spray.

*Come on Rommie. Where are you? Hurr--*

Trance thoughts were interrupted when Rommie suddenly ran in and said, I'm here Trance. Let's get started. We don't have much time left.

Were the rest of the crew angry because we left them out of it, Trance asked as Rommie got ready.

She looked at her and said, No. They were more worried than angry. Oh, and Rev wanted me to tell you that he was saying a special prayer for you and Harper.

Trance smiled and said, I was hoping he would. We need all the prayers we can get.

Trance don't worry. You've worked miracles before and I'm sure you will create one in this case. Now, enough with the chit-chat, let's get started, Rommie said as she took her place next to Trance and they began.

Trance grabbed the laser scalpel and made the first incision. It was right above Harper's navel. She was going to use a scope to find the larva without having to cut Harper anymore than she alread had. Now when I say to, spray the liquid where I'm pointing, OK, and report on Harper's vitals every five minutes. We have to make sure that we don't get the liquid on his major internal organs, we have no idea what it will do to them, Trance said as she made a deeper incision.

Rommie nodded and kept her eyes on Harper. Finally, Trance was in. She could clearly see five of the six larvae on the monitor in front of her.

OK, hand me the forceps and vitals please, Trance said extending her hand. Rommie handed her the forceps and said, His vitals are stable right now. Trance grabbed the forceps and stopped the first larvae from moving and said, Now, Rommie, now.

Rommie sprayed the liquid on the larvae, all the while saying a silent prayer that the larvae would stop moving. Not two seconds after the liquid was applied the larvae slowed down and then completely went limp.

Trance let out a deep breathe, looked at Rommie and said, It's paralyzed. I'm removing right now. Trance grasped the larvae with the forceps and easily removed it, no problem.

A huge smile crossed her face as she said, Well, one down, five more to go.
Harper's vitals are still stable and the larvae are not doing any major damage as of now, Rommie said as she sprayed the second larvae.

Trance easily removed that larvae as well. They removed the next three larvae as easily as the first two.

They were down to the last one, and finding it was harder then they expected. It was hiding. Trance was trying to find it without doing any internal damage. They had already had a brief scare when Harper's heartbeat slowed and his blood pressure dropped slightly, but as quickly as it dropped it returned to normal.

Trance smiled again as she thought to herself, *This is actually going to work. I don't believe it. It's actually going to work. All I have to do is remove that last one and Harper should be out of the woods. Now, where is it.*

Then Trance saw it. It was bigger than the others, more mature. It was right beside Harper's heart. Trance had no idea how it had gotten that far up in his body. She had to be extra careful with this one.

The wrong touch and the larvae could damage Harper's heart, killing him. She wasn't about to let that happen, not when they were this close to winning the battle. She placed the forceps on the larvae and softly said, Spray, now. Rommie sprayed the liquid on the larvae, but it wasn't about to slow.

Spray it again, Trance said.

Rommie obeyed. This time the larvae slowed. Trance sighed a sigh of relief as the final larvae was removed. It's out!, Trance cried as she started mending the incision on Harper's stomach.

Trance was so happy, it had actually worked. Then Rommie got a look of pure horror on her face and screamed, Trance, Harper's heart has stopped beating. It's the spray...It-it stopped his heart!

Trance rushed over to Harper and screamed, No, this can't be happening! The operation was a success! This is not supposed to be happening!
Rommie looked at Trance, the tears returning full force, and said, Trance, he's flat lined. There's no pulse. I-he's-Trance he's gone!

Trance was not about to lose Harper, not like this. She grabbed two paddles, placed them on Harper's bare chest and screamed,

With that Rommie stepped back and watched as Trance sent volts of electricity through Harper desperately trying to start his heart again.
Trance looked up at Rommie. Rommie said. Trance charged the paddles and once again said, and once again Rommie got no pulse.

By this time Trance was crying, almost to full sobs. She wasn't about to let Harper go. Rommie sadly looked at Trance and said, Trance I'm sorry, he's gone. Harper's gone!

Trance's heart turned to cold as she looked at Harper's dead lifeless form....he was really gone...her Harper was gone.

TBC

Now there's only one more part to go....review, tell me what you think and I'll post the next part soon....if I can get throught this week of school, I have a three day week-end this weekend so I'll try to post the final part then.

So, go, push that purple button and review! =-)