Protector Ch 18
"How has she been?"
"Fine, by most standards."
"And the wound?"
"Mostly healed, it's now just a small hollow inside,"
"To be expected."
"Right."
"When do you think she'll wake?"
"A few hours, maybe."
"Good. Have someone stay."
"I will."
Cover walked away, back into the cockpit. He left Alias alone in the medical bay to tend to Zandra. It had been a day since she went into the Matrix – a day of silence, of near panic while the whole crew went into action to help her heal. It was a group effort.
She had come out of the matrix unconscious. Alias had been waiting, and once Zandra was unplugged, she lifted her into the medical bay and put her on support. Shade followed at a close second, demanding to know how he could help. Epinephrine, Lidocaine, everything they had was somehow used for her within minutes. Soon they were able to stop the internal bleeding, and once that was done there was nothing left to do but wait.
Even the waiting had been a group effort. Each of the crew had offered their turn of the watch. It was now Alias' turn, after Trim and before Shade. It wasn't exciting – Zandra's vitals were stable – so she mainly read while she waited.
After an hour or two, Shade came in for his shift.
"You're early."
"Not much though."
"Okay," she sighed, "you offered."
Shade smiled and rubbed the back of his head self-consciously. Alias shook her head and smiled, then left the room. His first hour went by excruciatingly slowly. There was nothing for him to read, nothing for him to do – so he stared at the wall, pondered her situation… What had happened? They knew that there were agents at least a minute before the two had reached her, so why hadn't she been shot at earlier? He found it amazing that she escaped the two agents with only one hit. He shook his head slowly. Truly amazing.
Zandra's body stirred, a foot moved under the sheets. Shade was alert, he was ready for her to be awake again.
"Zandra?"
"Mmmmmmm?" was the response. Her arms began to stretch, but stopped short. "Ah."
"You're okay, you're back in Purgatory,"
Zandra began to open her eyes slowly, as if testing out what she would see. She looked over to Shade, and her blank expression turned dark.
"Oh," she started, but didn't finish. Shade made an 'its okay' face.
"Thank you," she murmured, her eyes closed. Shade almost blushed, but stayed nonchalant.
"No, don't thank me," he said quickly, waving his hand and shaking his head at the same time, "It was my fault you were there."
"Your fault?" was her slow and crackly response. Her morning voice sounded almost humorously childish to him, even if it was the morning after she had been almost mortally wounded.
"I made Cover let me go in with him, it took more time that way."
"Oh,"
Shade regretted saying it. Now the air around them was uncomfortable. "So," he offered, "I'm really the one that should be sorry,"
"No, nonoooo,"
She sighed and closed her eyes again. Then her brows furrowed, she opened her eyes once more.
"How many times was I hit?"
"Only once," Shade replied, "You did amazing out there,"
Zandra was quiet for a moment. "No - are you sure?"
"Yes, I am." Zandra sighed at his firmness.
"No, they shot me again after the first time, I remember it, they shot me once, and I fell, and they came up and shot me again, but I was too hurt, and then they said something, and….." she trailed off into silence, as if she had lost her train of thought.
"Don't worry about it now," Shade soothed, "Just rest."
Zandra sighed again and nodded a few times before falling back into sleep.
She woke up two hours later, Trim in the room. She glanced at him and smiled briefly.
"I'm hungry,"
He smiled back at her. "I'll get Cover."
He came back a minute later with Cover in tow, Cover's arms crossed as if he wasn't sure what to expect. Once he caught sight of Zandra's alighted face, he uncrossed them.
"You think you're ready to eat something?"
"Well, I'm hungry."
Cover smiled and gestured for Trim to go to the other side of the bed. They both lifted an arm, helping her get up. She winced as she sat up – her back still hurt from the shot. But it was too late now to fix it, she'd have to live with the wound the hard way until it was healed. Hobbling down the hallways with two men at her arms, Zandra slowly made her way into the mess room. Trim graciously got her a bowl and spork, and even filled it up for her.
"Thanks," she managed, beginning to eat. This time, it actually tasted good. But maybe that was aided by the fact that she hadn't eaten in over twenty-four hours…
"You should continue to rest today," said Cover, folding his arms again. Maybe he always folded his arms when he was thinking something stern…
"I don't feel like resting though," Zandra replied, her mouth full of slop, "I feel like doing regular stuff,"
Cover looked down.
"What…"
He sat down across from her. This can't be good.
"We got a contact from the Mayflower this morning,"
That meant Stephen. Tevy.
"And?"
"They were in the matrix."
Zandra was becoming impatient, "And?"
Cover paused. Maybe she had gone too far.
"They were contacted by a man asking for you."
She was quiet this time, but silently urged him to continue.
"He told them an Oracle wanted to see you."
Oh, that was it. Damn, Zandra thought, it's happening much faster than I thought.
"Do you know of an Oracle?"
Zandra paused before answering. Don't say too much…
"I was told of one by the informant."
Cover nodded. Zandra was almost done with her slop, and was now scooping it up ravenously from the sides of her bowl.
"We should contact them then," Zandra replied.
"Not today."
"Tomorrow?"
"Perhaps, if Alias thinks you are ready."
"Allright then."
Cover stood back up and walked silently out of the room. Zandra blinked twice – the conversation definitely had been strange. If he didn't want her going back in now, why would he tell her? Maybe they needed confirmation from the Mayflower or something. Trim shrugged and walked out too, leaving Zandra with an empty bowl of slop.
Now how was she going to get out of the room?
