Chapter 8 - The Judgement Dropship

Hicks carried Newt inside the dropship. He laid her down on the floor and gently turned her over. The back of her shirt was a bloody mess. He unsheathed a knife from his boot and sliced the material so he could see what had happened to her. Had she been shot? There was so much blood he didn't know where the wound was. He gently began to feel around her lower back with his fingertips. That's when he came across something. It was a thick piece of metal. It had either come from the exploding Cruiser or the Patrol the dropship shot down.

Hicks looked up at Packer, Krall, Snow and Roth. "Get us back to the ship fast or we're gonna lose her."

The four Colonial Marines jumped into action.

Hicks felt around the area where the metal was embedded. He wasn't sure if it had fractured her spine or if it was just stuck in her muscle. His first instinct was to yank the thing out. But if he did, what if he caused more damage? He wasn't going to take that chance. He reached down for his communicator. "Bishop, do you copy?"

"Yes, I'm here," came the response.

"We've got a problem. Jorden's got a piece of metal stuck in her lower back. I think it's right up against her spine or in it, I'm not positive."

"What's her condition? Is she conscious?"

"No. She's out."

"Can you pull it out?"

"I want to, Bishop, but the dropship's moving and I don't trust myself to do it."

"Is she bleeding?"

"Yeah, there's fucking blood everywhere."

"That's a good sign."

Hicks frowned. "A good sign? Are you on overload or something, Bishop?"

Bishop went on to explain. "If the metal was embedded in her spinal cord, then there wouldn't be a lot of blood. Bleeding means that it's just embedded in her muscle tissue."

"That's all nice, but she's losing a lot of blood, man."

"We've got plenty of blood for her in Medical. I'll meet you in the docking bay."

The dropship shook as it left the planet's atmosphere and Hicks tried to keep himself and Newt from being tossed around. And then she stirred with a groan. She tried to turn around and cried out in pain. Hicks grabbed her hand and she squeezed it so hard he thought she'd crush it.

"Hicks…"

"Shhh…it's okay. You're gonna be all right. It's just a flesh wound."

"Did I…did I get shot?"

"No. It's a piece of metal. Must have buried itself into you when the Cruiser or the Patrol blew up."

"Hurts like hell."

"I know. We're heading back to the ship."

"Call Bishop. He'll know what to do."

"Already done that. He's waiting for us." Hicks sat cross-legged down on the floor in front of her. He knew he was going to have to keep her from moving. The dropship was going to get jostled quite a bit when it was lifted into the docking bay. "I'm gonna lift you up a little bit, okay?"

Hicks lifted her up under her arms and she cried out in pain while he quickly slid himself closer. Then he lowered her back down so that her chest was resting in his lap and her head and arms were hanging over his thigh. He held her firmly as the dropship shook again.

With every movement the ship made, Newt felt a blinding pain shoot up along her back. She continued to hold Hicks' hand and was comforted by his arm over her, trying to keep her from being tossed any further. And then everything went black again.

Bishop watched as the dropship was lifted into its resting place and the ramp came down. He immediately rolled the stretcher inside. With Hicks' help, they carefully lifted Newt up onto the stretcher. Within a matter of minutes they had her in Medical. Everyone was hovering around and Packer finally herded everyone except Hicks out the door.

Hicks helped Bishop cut Newt's clothes off so they could get to the wound easier. The sight of all that blood on her was making him so sick he felt like puking. It wasn't just the sight of blood that made him sick because he had seen his share in his lifetime, it was the sight of her blood. He didn't want her to die.

"Mr Hicks, give her something to make sure she stays knocked out. This is going to hurt."

Hicks grabbed an injection and quickly filled it with an appropriate amount of fluid. He stuck the needle into the vein on the back of her hand.

Bishop cleaned the blood away, exposing the area where the metal object was embedded. Then using a instrument that resembled pliers, he carefully and slowly began to pull the object out.

Hicks was shocked to see that the object was over four inches long. It had embedded itself in an angle. If it had gone in straight, it probably would have gone all the way through and out her stomach. She probably wouldn't have survived an injury like that.

"I'll need four bags of O negative," said Bishop, looking up at Hicks.

"Yeah, sure. Where is it?"

"It's in the cooler just left of the sink."

Hicks walked to the sink and found the cooler. He pushed the hair out of his face and read the labels. O negative. Four bags. One…two…three…four…He walked back to Bishop who was already fiddling with an IV to pump the blood back into her. "Is she gonna be all right?"

"She'll be fine. I just need to stitch her up and get this blood into her."

Hicks looked her over, lying naked and flat on her stomach. He ran his fingers through his hair again.

"You should get yourself cleaned up and rest. I can finish here by myself."

"I want you to call me when she comes out of it."

"I will."

Hicks headed for the door, glancing back one last time before walking out.

Two days had passed and Newt was still out. On the third day, Hicks was pacing in his quarters like a caged tiger. He ran his fingers through his hair, messing it all up. What in the hell had he gotten himself into? He had worked so hard to detach himself from everyone he had ever known, ever cared about. Now he was right back where he didn't want to be, caring about people. Caring about Rebecca Jorden. He should have just left after he had given her the location she had been looking for. But, noooo…he had to stay and get involved in her little world of bug hunting. Not to mention the self-torture he put himself through just so he could look into her eyes. And even worse, what if the authorities caught up with him? He had no intention of spending any more time in prison.

Then his communicator chirped. "Bishop here. Rebecca's awake. She's asking for you."

"On my way." Hicks rushed out of his quarters.

Newt felt like she had been run over by a freighter. Bishop had told her she was going to recover quickly and she had every reason to believe him. The metal object had been thin and hadn't done that much damage to her muscle tissue. But he recommended bed rest for the next few days. Yeah, sure. She'd be up tomorrow. She'd had worse injuries in the past and nothing prevented her from doing her job. A little pain never hurt anyone…it just made you sharper.

She wanted to roll onto her back, but Bishop had propped up a pillow behind her so she was forced to stay lying on her right side. The door chirped. "Who is it?"

"Hicks."

"Come in." The door automatically cycled open.

Hicks walked in and before anything else, his eyes fell on the alien queen at the far end of the room. He forced himself to look away and turned to Newt on the bed. "How do you feel?"

"The bastards cut my hair. I've been shot, clawed, sprayed with acid blood, and punched until I saw stars, but cutting my hair…that really hurts."

Hicks grabbed a chair and pulled it up next to the bed. He straddled it backward and stared down at her. "It'll grow back."

"Light me a cigarette, please." she said.

Hicks reached into his pocket for his cigarettes. He pulled out two and lit both of them at the same time. He brought one of them down to her lips. She sat up slightly, holding the sheet up with one hand and the cigarette in the other.

"Thanks for coming after me, Hicks."

"No problem."

"You could have gotten yourself and my squad killed."

"Sorry, but I wouldn't leave anyone with those fuckers." He looked away, taking a drag from his cigarette. "Especially not someone I care about."

Newt understood him. She would have done the same thing for him or for anyone in her crew. Risking the entire crew for just one, it didn't make sense to many people, including her superiors, but it made perfect sense to her. And she had done it many times…But something else was on her mind at the moment. "How did you know the Centurions had control over the aliens?"

"I learned during one of my many battles with the Centurion assholes."

"Why didn't you tell anyone about it?"

"I did, Jorden. I told my superiors. They didn't wanna believe me. They didn't wanna believe me about anything I said about the Centurions, so I said fuck it, no more mister nice guy."

"It explains a lot of things, like how the aliens get around."

"That's right. The Centurions plant the eggs wherever they go. It's a miracle that none of them have been able to plant some on Earth." Hicks didn't want to think about what would happen if just one of those aliens got loose on Earth.

"They'd never pass the ship scanning devices in security."

"I'm sure they'll find a way eventually."

"But how do they control the aliens?" asked Newt.

"Some kind of mind control. It's how the head honcho communicates with the queens and how the queens communicate with their hives."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I was there. I saw it."

"Maybe the big bastard's controlling the Centurions, too."

"It's possible."

"I'll have to contact HQ and tell them what's going on."

"It'd be a good idea, yes. But that's if they believe you. If they don't, then your credibility is shot to hell."

"We'll be at war with the Centurions again."

"No doubt."

"Are you going to re-enlist and help fight?"

"How about never? Is never good for you?"

Newt ignored his sarcasm. "The Colonial Marines need more people like you, people with leadership skills."

Hicks frowned and got up, walking away. "I fight my own battles. I'm not re-enlisting."

"Your first hand knowledge of both the Centurions and the aliens is vital to the cause."

Hicks turned back around to face her. "Right, like those sanctimonious HQ assholes really give a shit about my knowledge. I told you they fucked me over and I'm not risking my life for them. I fight for myself." He edged closer to the dead queen, staring up at it. Jorden was right. The more he hung out in front of it, the less he began to fear it. But then again, he knew this particular queen was dead. A live queen was another matter.

Newt watched as he slowly stepped up to alien queen and finally reached up to touch it's chin. He pulled his hand back as if he had expected the queen to come back to life.

Hicks backed away, still staring up at the queen. "Besides, the only reason I'm here is to help knock off the head honcho and for the gold. You got me started on this little side mission and I plan to see it through." He turned toward Newt. "We are still going, aren't we?"

"Yes, we're still going. I owe it to my team. The military doesn't pay enough to live a fruitful life after the service."

"Don't I know it."

"How did you manage to get by after you quit?"

"I got paid for my services."

Newt knew he meant that he got paid by people who wanted certain Centurions killed. Contract killing. It left a bad taste in her mouth because she still couldn't believe that he was capable of doing such a thing. And then she remembered that night at the nightclub, where he slaughtered six Centurions without an ounce of remorse. He was still a very dangerous man. He just didn't look very dangerous right at that moment.

"This mission may prove to be the last for you," added Hicks. "Is the gold worth it, Jorden?"

"It's not just the gold. The fact that it's there is just a bonus. Someone has to put a stop to these aliens. I plan to eliminate the top dog. And if what you say is true, that he communicates telepathically to the queens, then without him I'm hoping the queens will be unable to continue functioning. They'll be easy targets."

"That's if they don't hatch another one."

"Then I'll just have to find him and kill him too."

"You'd have to wipe out the entire species and there's never any guarantee that you've gotten all of them. The universe is a big place."

"I'm going to keep doing this until I die, Hicks. I have nothing else going on in my life."

Hicks stared at her. "Nothing? No plans to start a family?"

"Why should I? You didn't."

Touché. Hicks watched as she tried to reach behind her back, squirming against the pillow there. "What're you trying to do?"

"I've got an itch and I can't reach it. Could you, please?"

Hicks walked to the side of the bed and sat down. He moved the pillow out of the way, exposing her bare back. The sheet was lying just below her stitches. Now that all the blood was gone, Hicks was starting to see all the exposed flesh and it made his groin ache.

Newt rolled more on her stomach as Hicks started to slowly scratch her back, starting at her shoulders, where her scars from the queen were. "That's perfect," she said. "A little lower."

Hicks reluctantly scratched further down. He kept moving down until he reached a spot right above her stitches. "Bishop did a good job. The scar probably won't even be noticeable."

"One more scar isn't going to matter."

Hicks wanted to push the sheet down to expose her round behind. Then another image crept up into his mind, where he was burying his face between her legs. He had every intention of following through with that one, but now was not the time. After awhile her slow steady breathing led him to believe that she had fallen asleep. He ran his hand up along her back, liking the feel of her soft flesh under his fingers. Then he moved to get up.

"Don't go," said Newt in barely a whisper. "Stay with me." She reached behind her for his hand and tugged at him.

Hicks thought about leaving anyway, but she urged him down on the bed with her. So he stayed. He removed his boots and slid under the sheet behind her, with his clothes still on. She had nothing on. He didn't trust himself to behave if he took anything off, not that it really made a difference, even with his clothes on. He was still hot for her. And then she made matters worse for him. She took his arm and pulled it around herself, then wiggled back against him.

"Lights off," she said quietly. The lights slowly dimmed.

Hicks was uncomfortable. His arm was resting across her breasts, her butt was pressed against his cock and her short frazzled hair was in his face. Her scent drifted into his nostrils, fueling his already rampant desire. And then he remembered something. He glanced over his shoulder at the alien queen, self-conscious of its presence. "Can't you go take a walk somewhere?" he asked it. Then he turned back around to bury himself in Jorden's scent, to torture himself some more.

Newt woke up with a jolt. She opened her eyes and found herself staring at Hicks. His eyes were closed. He was asleep. The last thing she remembered was her asking him to stay. She had felt him slide in bed behind her. How was it that she was facing him now? She must have rolled over at some point. That explained the dream she had of an alien landing on her and ripping into her lower back with its claws. She had felt the pain in the dream.

She watched Hicks sleep. Then she glanced down between them and smiled when she realized he still had his clothes on. He wasn't taking any chances, was he? The temperature in the room was cool, yet his teeshirt was nearly soaking in sweat. She snuggled up against him, pressing her face against his throat just below his chin, inhaling his masculine scent. He stirred and groaned in protest. Newt wanted Hicks to wake up. She wanted him to kiss her. She wanted him to touch her. So she reached for his teeshirt and started to pull it up.

Hicks stirred again and then slowly came awake. He remembered where he was and realized that Jorden was trying to get him out of his teeshirt. Was she dreaming? When he looked down and met her open eyes, he knew she was wide awake. She wanted his teeshirt off and he struggled to get it off, tossing it in the air somewhere behind him. She reached up to bring her hand behind his head, running her fingers through his hair. Hicks lowered his lips to hers. He kissed her slowly.

And then Newt started to laugh…

Hicks was mortified. "What's so funny?" Was she laughing at the way he kissed her?

"I'm just waiting for Bishop to interrupt us again."

"Don't even think it, Jorden." Well at least she wasn't laughing at him.

But Bishop didn't interrupt them this time.

Hicks glanced down between them, at the way her nipples grazed his chest. Oh, man…this wasn't going to take very long. He was about to lose it in his shorts. "What about your back? I don't wanna hurt you."

"I don't care," said Newt as she reached down to squeeze the bulge in his pants.

Hicks groaned and started undoing his pants. He rolled onto his back and slid them off along with his boxers under the sheet. Then he sat up and leaned his back against the headboard.

Feeling the intense pain in her lower back, Newt gave a grunt and lifted herself up on her knees, tossing the sheet away. He reached for her and helped her straddle his lap. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him.

Hicks wasn't sure where to put his arms. He didn't want to cause her any further pain. He opted to touch her breasts and moved his hands there. He felt like a teenager, not knowing what the hell to do with a girl. Damn, if she didn't stop stroking him like that, he was going explode. Unable to control the urge any longer, Hicks slid himself inside her with a groan.

Newt cried out in both pleasure and pain, which caused Hicks to pause. "No, don't stop…" she told him.

Hicks placed his hands on her hips and slowly moved her at his desired speed. Minutes later he wasn't sure how much longer he was going to be able to hold it. He hadn't been with a woman in a long time. She wrapped her arms tighter around his neck and when he felt her internal muscles tightening around him, he knew she was there. And that's when he blew his load.

Sometime later, Newt was lying on her stomach in bed. She watched Hicks slide his pants on. She pointed at the alien queen. "Did you do that on purpose?"

Hicks turned to where she was pointing. His teeshirt was hanging over the alien queen's face. He remembered tossing the teeshirt over his shoulder a few hours ago. "No, but I kinda like her better that way." Hicks walked to the queen and reached up to retrieve his teeshirt. The queen looked down at him. She had no eyes that he could see, but it looked as if she was looking at him, mocking him…daring him to stick his hand in her mouth. He started to reach inside.

"She may be dead, but she still bites," warned Newt.

Hicks turned to look at Newt.

"Her teeth cut like a hot knife through butter.

He turned back to the queen and touched her teeth, unable to stop himself from doing it. His fingertip had barely touched one jagged dagger and it quickly started to bleed.

"I warned you."

Hicks stared up at the queen and reached down to wipe the blood from his finger on his pants. He remembered being this close to a queen once. But he closed his eyes and shook his head to get the thoughts out of his mind. He didn't want to go there.

"So what happened to the other fourteen ways?" asked Newt

"Fourteen ways?"

"You said not too long ago that you were going to fuck me fifteen different ways."

"I was seriously pissed at you when I said that."

"And you're not anymore?"

"No."

"So you're going to deny me the pleasure just because you're not pissed at me anymore?"

Hicks walked to the side of the bed and crouched down. He reached up with a smile and affectionately touched her face. "That's all you get for now, princess. If you start popping stitches, Bishop will hang me by my nuts in the docking bay."

Newt groaned in protest. She didn't want Hicks to leave. "Where're you going?"

Hicks stood up again. "I'm gonna go see what everyone's doing. You know, when the cat's away, the mice will play."

Newt shook her head at his cliché. "Leave my team alone, Hicks. I told you I'm in charge."

"Then get your ass up and go find out for yourself." He walked toward the alien queen and sat down in the chair in front of it, leaning back and propping one leg over an armrest. "I'll stay here with the Cockroach Queen. Catch up on old times."

Newt laughed. "Don't tell me you're going to sulk."

"I don't sulk."

"You're doing it right now."

"No, I'm not." He looked down and picked at a thread on his pants.

"Whatever kind of look you're shooting for, you missed." She smiled but noticed that he was ignoring her now. Newt rolled out of bed and without an ounce of apprehension, she walked naked toward him. Her lower back was on fire, but she moved upright to prove to him that she could do it.

Hicks looked back up and watched her walking toward him. The sight of her made his groin start to sing to him again. She literally took his breath away. He knew his fate was sealed. He would crawl inside her heart and lose himself in her. His freedom to do as he pleased would be a distant memory. When she reached him, she buried her fingers in his hair and he pressed his face against her torso, inhaling her alluring scent. He wrapped his arms around her waist, careful not to apply too much pressure on her lower back.

Newt couldn't help herself. She wanted him so badly that it was killing her, but she knew that somewhere down the road, he'd end up breaking her heart. She could never get him to go back to her reality. He was too much of a lone wolf and one who liked to be in charge of his own destiny. He wasn't going to re-enlist with the USCMs. He wouldn't be able to take orders from anyone. Besides, he was still a wanted man. She didn't think she'd be able to clear his name easily. Once the mission was over and the gold was in their possession, Hicks would take his share and more than likely go his own way. Would it be another thirteen years before she'd ever see him again after that?

Lost in their own thoughts, they held each other for a long time.