* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Harper sat on the med deck waiting for Fandan to make his appearance. Sherlock was with him, and so was Beka. While Beka read her book, Harper dangled a string in front of Sherlock's face. Sherlock seemed barely interested, but played anyway. Harper swore the cat knew he was sick and needed cheering up. "He wouldn't be doing this if I weren't sick," he insisted. Ever since Felix's death a few months earlier, Sherlock stuck to Harper. The rest of the crew liked the cat, and he liked them too, he just preferred to stay with Harper.
After an hour of waiting and playing with the cat, Harper fell asleep. Beka did too. She had fallen asleep fifteen minutes before him, and he took her example into consideration. He had just drifted off when somebody woke him up. It was Beka. "Fandan's here," she said when he opened his eyes. He looked around and saw nobody. "Lemme sleep," he complained. Then he heard Fandan's voice. He opened his eyes and saw Fandan standing in front of him. He was tall and skinny, and not particularly muscular. His pale white skin was brighter than Harper remembered, and his brooding orange eyes freaked him out a bit. The strange blue hat he wore made Harper smile and laugh inside.
"Mr. Harper," Fandan said, his slight accent standing out, "somebody planted this virus you have. It was intended for Captain Hunt, but somebody didn't have any common sense. Who would put a virus in something that wouldn't appeal to a human?" He chuckled a little bit and stopped when Harper gave him a dirty look.
"Just get on with the info, whitey," Harper sighed. Fandan took off the hat and revealed his bright orange hair. Harper looked like he had a brain fart. "What species are you again?" he asked.
"Majuine," Fandan replied as he brought some needles out of a bag. Harper inspected the needles and shivered.
"And what are those?" he asked, still staring at the needles.
"Needles," Fandan replied vacantly.
Harper gave him a look. "I know that, Captain Obvious," he said with an attitude. "What are they for?"
"This one is a vaccine, it's for the rest of the crew to ensure that they can never get the virus," he pointed to some small needles. "This one is for a blood test, just to make sure I'm right about you," he pointed to a larger needle. "And this one," he pulled an even larger needle out of the bag, "is the first part of the cure."
"The first?" Harper said with a gulp. "How many parts of the cure are there?"
"Five." Fandan replied. "One for every hour."
"You mean you're gonna stick a needle like that in my arm five times?" Harper's eyes widened.
"Precisely."
Harper heard Beka giggling in the background. He turned and gave her a dirty look. Fandan saw this and whispered to Harper. "Don't worry, the vaccine leaves a hell of a bruise and it'll be sore for days." Harper grinned evilly and chuckled to himself. "Brace yourself," Fandan said suddenly. Harper felt a needle stick into his vein and his jaw dropped.
"OOWW!!" he complained. He saw the syringe fill up with blood. "Oh, that's lovely," he said sarcastically. "I hate this part." Fandan pulled the needle out and quickly pressed a cotton swab to Harper's arm. He put the syringe in the case and walked away. Harper looked at him funny and shook his head. This Fandan character was something else. He returned to the real world and remembered that his stomach still hurt like hell. Sherlock jumped back onto the bed and rubbed his face against Harper's arm. His loud purring made Harper happy and he scratched the cat's ears softly. Beka made her way over and scratched the cat's chin.
"How are you doing, Harper?" she asked seriously.
"Not good," Harper said in pain. "This pain isn't going away. When I woke up a couple of hours ago, it was because the pain reminds me of when the Magog started to hatch. I can't stand it any longer, Beka. You gotta get this guy to hurry up and give me the cure before I go insane or die." He started to sway back and forth and Beka balanced him.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Something's wrong," he replied quietly. His eyes rolled back and he was unconscious again.
"Fandan!" Beka called out. Fandan raced into the room and took one look at Harper.
"We've got to give him the cure, now…"
Harper sat on the med deck waiting for Fandan to make his appearance. Sherlock was with him, and so was Beka. While Beka read her book, Harper dangled a string in front of Sherlock's face. Sherlock seemed barely interested, but played anyway. Harper swore the cat knew he was sick and needed cheering up. "He wouldn't be doing this if I weren't sick," he insisted. Ever since Felix's death a few months earlier, Sherlock stuck to Harper. The rest of the crew liked the cat, and he liked them too, he just preferred to stay with Harper.
After an hour of waiting and playing with the cat, Harper fell asleep. Beka did too. She had fallen asleep fifteen minutes before him, and he took her example into consideration. He had just drifted off when somebody woke him up. It was Beka. "Fandan's here," she said when he opened his eyes. He looked around and saw nobody. "Lemme sleep," he complained. Then he heard Fandan's voice. He opened his eyes and saw Fandan standing in front of him. He was tall and skinny, and not particularly muscular. His pale white skin was brighter than Harper remembered, and his brooding orange eyes freaked him out a bit. The strange blue hat he wore made Harper smile and laugh inside.
"Mr. Harper," Fandan said, his slight accent standing out, "somebody planted this virus you have. It was intended for Captain Hunt, but somebody didn't have any common sense. Who would put a virus in something that wouldn't appeal to a human?" He chuckled a little bit and stopped when Harper gave him a dirty look.
"Just get on with the info, whitey," Harper sighed. Fandan took off the hat and revealed his bright orange hair. Harper looked like he had a brain fart. "What species are you again?" he asked.
"Majuine," Fandan replied as he brought some needles out of a bag. Harper inspected the needles and shivered.
"And what are those?" he asked, still staring at the needles.
"Needles," Fandan replied vacantly.
Harper gave him a look. "I know that, Captain Obvious," he said with an attitude. "What are they for?"
"This one is a vaccine, it's for the rest of the crew to ensure that they can never get the virus," he pointed to some small needles. "This one is for a blood test, just to make sure I'm right about you," he pointed to a larger needle. "And this one," he pulled an even larger needle out of the bag, "is the first part of the cure."
"The first?" Harper said with a gulp. "How many parts of the cure are there?"
"Five." Fandan replied. "One for every hour."
"You mean you're gonna stick a needle like that in my arm five times?" Harper's eyes widened.
"Precisely."
Harper heard Beka giggling in the background. He turned and gave her a dirty look. Fandan saw this and whispered to Harper. "Don't worry, the vaccine leaves a hell of a bruise and it'll be sore for days." Harper grinned evilly and chuckled to himself. "Brace yourself," Fandan said suddenly. Harper felt a needle stick into his vein and his jaw dropped.
"OOWW!!" he complained. He saw the syringe fill up with blood. "Oh, that's lovely," he said sarcastically. "I hate this part." Fandan pulled the needle out and quickly pressed a cotton swab to Harper's arm. He put the syringe in the case and walked away. Harper looked at him funny and shook his head. This Fandan character was something else. He returned to the real world and remembered that his stomach still hurt like hell. Sherlock jumped back onto the bed and rubbed his face against Harper's arm. His loud purring made Harper happy and he scratched the cat's ears softly. Beka made her way over and scratched the cat's chin.
"How are you doing, Harper?" she asked seriously.
"Not good," Harper said in pain. "This pain isn't going away. When I woke up a couple of hours ago, it was because the pain reminds me of when the Magog started to hatch. I can't stand it any longer, Beka. You gotta get this guy to hurry up and give me the cure before I go insane or die." He started to sway back and forth and Beka balanced him.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Something's wrong," he replied quietly. His eyes rolled back and he was unconscious again.
"Fandan!" Beka called out. Fandan raced into the room and took one look at Harper.
"We've got to give him the cure, now…"