(A/N: Oops. I ended up being both sick and bored, which led me to have a Stargate-SG 1 marathon. And, though I'm loathe to admit it, I got inspired by poor, poor Daniel's death. ::sniffle:: So, yeah. I figured I'd give Jamie a little POV attention here. It goes between omniscient third-person tense to Jamie's Point of View. Rated PG-13 for character death, and for a naughty little word Coop uses towards the end.
Now, onto the-
SnowChaser: I wanna do it! ::jumps around, scarlet and white tail trailing behind like a banner::
::glare:: As I was saying, onto the Disclaimer. I do not own MEGAS XLR. Nor do I take full credit for this idea. But, I warn you, it's going to be a bit of a tear-jerker. Also, Galetea is my own character. The name isn't mine, but the character is. And the title doesn't really have bearing on the story. It just sounds cool. And it relates to the night, which is fitting.
Summary: After being exposed to a deadly toxin by the Glorft, Jamie has to make a choice... )
Nocturne
They waited in the hallway, like sentinels, watching the door for any sign of a doctor... a nurse... someone who could tell them what was going on. She was alert, watchful... unable to stand still. He had his head in his hands, a few tears falling from his eyes to spatter with crystalline brilliance onto the rugged denim he normally wore. The other man was twisting his hands together idly, eyes never moving from the door.
What exactly had happened? Was his thought.
It's my fault. I should have been there. Was the other's.
He can't die, was the thought that came from the only female in the group.
(!#$&)
I felt... well... weird. Not exactly cognitive, but... it was almost like I had a heightened awareness of everything. Pain... pleasure... I was certain that, if I tried, I could feel anything I wanted to feel.
"Hello, Jamie." The voice was soft, like the softest velvet, and it instantly brought my eyes to the feminine figure. She was clothed in a pair of baggy black pants, a blood-red shirt, and a black leather jacket. Hair that must have felt like silk fell just to her shoulders in an ebony cloud, and her cerulean eyes met mine with no hesitation.
"Who... who are you?" I managed to stammer. Suddenly, I felt vulnerable... scared even. I had no way of protecting myself now...
(!#$&)
The doctor had delivered the news, allowing the shock to set in, before he allowed them into the small, darkened room.
He was sensitive to light, the doctors said.
The blonde stumbled forward, dark eyes full of pain and hatred... and anger at himself. Taking a chair, he carefully lifted one limp, cool hand into his own, bowing his head over it and just, just letting his forehead touch the back of his friends hand.
"God, Jamie. This is all my fault. I should have been the one they did this to." He whispered it softly, as if he was afraid to wake his friend. "Why'd you have to go and play the hero for once? That's my job." Now the blonde broke off, trying his hardest to fight off tears again.
"You have to fight, Jamie. You can't leave me... us, alone. We need you."
(!#$&)
"My name is Galetea," She spoke again, sending shivers down my spine. It wasn't possible for anyone to be so perfect...
I felt a touch to my hand, filling me with a sense of awareness as Galetea faded away, allowing my eyes to open a slit as my best friend started railing himself for being unable to stop it from happening.
"You have to fight, Jamie. You can't leave me... us, alone. We need you." The words drifted in slowly, making me feel horrible. Whatever happened had really shaken up Coop...
"I... it's... okay," I rasped, giving Coop's hand a quick squeeze for reassurance. He lifted his head and just stared at me for a few minutes before leaning closer, so we were eye to eye.
"You can't give up on me, Jamie. I can't do it without you..."
My eyes fluttered once before the world went white again...
(!#$&)
He left when his friend drifted back into sweet unconsciousness, making his way to the door before breaking down in tears. The woman moved to his side quickly and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a protective embrace before letting the door close softly behind them.
(!#$&)
I looked into the eyes of Galetea once again, this time feeling less afraid and more curious.
"Why are you here?"
She only smiled an enigmatic smile.
"Am I... dying?"
"You have to choose, Jamie. Do you want to stay here and work?" She spoke again, her cerulean eyes staring straight into mine without the slightest hesitation.
I could only blink.
(!#$&)
She padded softly into the room, having left the blonde to sob on his other friends shoulder. Her green eyes hardened, then softened when she saw the state he was in. She crept forward slowly, taking his hand in both of hers and pressing a kiss to the back of his hand, tears spilling from her eyes silently. She sat then, looking at her friend with sadness.
"Jamie..." her voice caught in the back of her throat, forcing her to clear it before continuing. "I know we got on each other's nerves... but... I... I'm sorry, Jamie. It's my fault. If I hadn't sent MEGAS back here..." Again, her voice caught, but this time she didn't try to stop it. She just let herself cry.
(!#$&)
I could hear everything Kiva was saying, but this time I couldn't respond. And, being my typical self, I didn't trust this Galetea chick.
"Why can't I respond to her?" I nearly shouted, trying to make the whiteness around me go away. But, try as I might, I couldn't will this away.
It was about the same time that I realized I felt no more pain.
"Do you want to stay here, Jamie, or do you want to go back?" Her voice was intoxicating, making me shiver again, this time with gladness.
"I... I don't know."
"You must choose soon, Jamie. Or it will be out of your control."
(!#$&)
She left, still crying softly, until a pair of strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her into a warm embrace. She looked up at the blonde for one second more before falling to pieces in his arms, burying her face in the crook between his shoulder and his neck to stifle her sobs.
(!#$&)
"What do you mean, out of my control?" I asked, probably more insistent than I should have been. Her eyes only flashed with awareness as she stepped closer.
"You know what I mean, Jamie. The choice is yours, either way." She placed a hand on my shoulder, lifting my chin with her other hand. "It is your choice. You must either give up your burdens here, or keep them until a later date."
"So I am dying?"
She only nodded her head.
(!#$&)
The third member of the party opened the door, taking off his cap to be respectful before creeping towards the bedside in a nervous manner. Of the group, he was the only one who had no idea what had happened. He'd just managed to drive the 'kids' to the hospital, because he hadn't been able to really understand the girl on the phone, but her hysterical sobbing had been enough to make him jump to attention and help them out.
Now, he could only creep closer and bow his head while he stood.
"Jamie, I don't know what happened, or how it happened. All I know is you can't die. Coop would be lost without you."
(!#$&)
Now that really was a surprise. I don't think I'd ever heard Goat sound so serious before. Yet, even as he talked, I knew that I didn't want the pain anymore. I didn't want to be the sidekick.
Galetea just smiled and nodded.
(!#$&)
The man raced from the room, looking panicked and worried at the same time. The blonde lifted his head and eased away from the girl before racing down the hall, faster than it would have appeared he could move.
Doctors were already piling in with a stat cart... and heaven help anybody who got in the blonde's way.
(!#$&)
The white mist started clearing, and I could just make out Coop. But Galetea was fading too...
And then I felt the pain again, and felt my body arch up. And, in that moment, I knew exactly what I wanted. My hand came out and gently touched my best friend's shoulder, pulling his mind into the same place as my soul.
"Coop."
"Jamie? What..."
"You have to stop them, Coop."
"Jamie, are you crazy?"
"I don't want to go back, Coop." I looked into his eyes, pleading with him. "I don't want the pain anymore."
"Damn you, Jamie..." he sniffled then, and, sensing a breakdown, I gathered my best friend into a tight hug.
"This is what I want, Coop. It's for the best," I whispered, rubbing his back soothingly.
"Don't want you to die, Jamie." He hugged me back with fervor, then broke away. "I'll miss ya..."
"I know," I said softly. "One last time, for old time's sake?"
And, for the last time, we gave our trademark hand signal.
"Oh, and Coop?"
"Yeah?"
"Tell Kiva I'm sorry too." He nodded, and then he was gone.
And Galetea took my hand.
"Come with me, Jamie."
I had no choice but to obey.
(!#$&)
The blonde staggered a bit, before he looked at the doctors, who were about to apply the paddles again.
"No." The word fell from his lips with all the grace of a cinderblock. The doctors looked bewildered, but backed off slightly.
"What did you say?" One of them, a tall, brown-haired fellow, asked.
"He doesn't want to live. If he wanted to, he'd still be fighting consciousness... Please, just let him go." The blonde spoke quickly, only pausing to hear a high-pitched whine before leaving the room with tears in his brown eyes. Kiva came to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, nuzzling his cheek in an attempt to comfort, but he didn't respond.
He did, however, go to the pay phone and dial a number.
Jamie's mother had lost both the men in her life, ten years apart, on the very same day.
(::sniffle:: I couldn't help it, guys. Angst is my specialty
Coop: ::sniffle:: That was...
I know, I know. I'm sorry. But, trust me. Jamie won't be dead for long...
Oh, see that little purple button that says go? Click it, please. Even if you just want to chew me out for killing Jamie! Just don't flame me!)