Places I'd rather forget

Disclaimer: As in part one

Chapter 2: Holding hands- I'm so sorry

"His data ports become infected" Beka heard Trance explain to the group that had gathered around the bed of their friend. She continued listening numbly as Trance explained that because Harper's port was a direct link with his brain this was very bad she didn't know what effects it could have but they weren't going to be good. He may get worse before he gets better she warned them, but he would get better she assured them once the antibiotics started working.

Trance had told everyone to get some rest but Beka had been unable to move from his bedside. Trance seemed to understand this and let her be.

All night Beka sat by his bed side watching his chest slowly rise and fall afraid to take her eyes away encase the very action might change that. At least he seemed more peaceful now; she had hated to see him suffering like that and hated even more that there was nothing she could do to stop it; nothing she could do to take his pain away.

Beka dimly acknowledged Trance still working in the background she too had never left quietly monitoring her results. Beka noticed her frown deepen as the night progressed but Trance had insisted that everything was ok; the antibiotics just weren't working as quick as she'd hoped.

Beka was about to question her further when Harper began to thrash about again she tried to comfort him but his moans continued "Trance cant you do some thing?" Beka cried. "I've tried every analgesic we have on board" Trance explained "but the infection is breaking them down before they even have a chance to work, I'm sorry Beka there's nothing more I can do to help."

Beka looked a Harper with pain filled eyes he seemed so young and fragile laying there she stroked his hair and did her best to calm him.

Harper ran faster and faster as pushing his seven year old body beyond its limits; he glanced behind him and to his horror noticed his cousins were no longer behind him he frantically scanned for them taking a step back toward the carnage he was running from "Declan!" he called "Siobhan!" the only answer was the got was the sound of Magog getting ever closer.

For a moment he was frozen in terror then he was running again and before he even knew what he was doing he had made it to the safety of his hide out; he curled up inside the hollowed tree trunk burying his head in his lap and cried.

He didn't come out for two days and when he did he wished he hadn't his cousins lay side by side dead; then he saw there stomachs ripple and realised that they had not even been grated that fate theirs was far worse, they had become incubators for baby Magog. Harper had never seen an infested person before, his parent's had tried to shield him from that horror, but he knew his cousins were still awake and in constant agony as the Magog ate their way though them unable to even scream under the influence of the paralytic venom.

Harper sat and held their hands looking into the terrified but frozen eyes of his cousins; I'm so sorry he cried over and over till some one came and took him away. He knew what the woman was there for but his young mind tried to block it out; still he knew he would never see his cousins alive again.


Beka watched as her friend suffered Harper had stopped thrashing about and had now curdled up, sobbing the same phrase over and over 'I'm so sorry', Beka was now sure he was having a nightmares of some kind but she could do nothing to stop them. In a desperate attempt to calm her friend she climbed up on the bed beside Harper and held her sobbing friend rocking him gently doing her best to comfort him and send him on to more peaceful dreams, eventually she felt him relax in her arms then she too fell asleep.

Trance watched her sleeping friends laying a spare blanket over Beka. How could she tell her the antibiotics weren't working she'd already tried three to no effect the infection seemed to destroy every drug it encountered.

Buy morning Trance had tried over a third of the ships antibiotics she could put it off no longer she gently woke Beka and called the others to med deck.

"He not responding to antibiotics I've tried over half the ships supply now and nothing works the infection destroys them almost instantly; I'm still trying but the infection is getting worse affecting more areas of his brain it's already affecting the memory centre causing vivid night mares from what I can tell. Next..."

Trance fell silent she appeared chocked up which was not something Dylan was not used to especially since her change. He could tell that there was more thought he dread what it might be he said the words any way "Go on" Trance did her best to gather her strength and went on "Due to the infection Harper's brain is starting to swell I'm worried if it continues his intercrainal pressure will raise high enough to limit the blood supply to his brain essentially depriving it of oxygen" "Won't that cause brain damage" Beka cut in. "Yes" answered Trance sadly.

Every one visited Harper that day while Trance continued to try different antibiotics and combinations. Still nothing worked and Harper slipped into a coma.

To be continued...