Okay, this chapter had to be written, to clear up the cliffhanger at the end of the last chapter, but don't worry, the next one will be better and more interesting. Not that this one isn't, lol.

Chapter 9

Wesley sat on the floor next to Kathren, doing his best to think of a way to get the devices turned off. It should be as easy as pressing a button on the control, but it would be hard to get to the control. It would be hard for either of them at this point. Kathren was shivering in pain next to him, and he himself was in a considerable amount of pain. He had a headache from the bruises he'd sustained on the back of his head, his right arm was sore, his stomach was hurting him like crazy, and his back wasn't doing too well either, after ramming into the edge of that bench. Then on top of that, there was the pain from the devices, which made it increasingly hard to do anything.

Still, he knew he had to at least try to make it over there. It was the only way to stop the pain, and if they didn't stop it they would never be able to try to find a way off of this ship. Maybe me felt miserable, but he wasn't in the same state he'd been in the day before, when the device had been on a high setting. He hadn't even been able to think straight then.

"Kathren?" Wesley said.

"What?" Kathren asked in a shaky, pained voice.

"I'm going to try to get over there," he said. "Maybe I can turn these that thing off for you." He didn't tell her about his.

Kat nodded, and with that Wesley tried it. Wes struggled to his feet, but when his legs buckled and standing made the pain in his stomach almost unbearable, he quickly realized that he wouldn't be able to make it. He thumped back to the floor.

"No," he gasped out loud. "That won't work." Breathing hard from pain, Wesley looked around he room. They were near one of the rows of shelves, and one of the shelves was right next to them. The row lead right to shelf where the control had been thrown. If Wesley hadn't been grimacing he might have smiled, but he realized then that even with the help of those for support, he couldn't do it alone. Neither, of course, could Kathren. Both of them were too weak right now, but if they tried it together…

Wesley put his hands on Kathren's shoulders and turned slightly so that they were facing each other.

"Kathren, listen to me," he said. Still gasping and shaking, Kathren opened her eyes and looked at him, signaling that she was paying attention. Then he continued, "Look, I don't think that either of us could get over there by ourselves right now. But if we did it together, I think we could."

"I can't, Wesley," Kathren moaned. "I don't even know if I could move right now."

"Yes you can. We can. We can do it if we work together. There's no telling how long those Romulans will be gone." Wesley looked down at the floor for moment, still breathing hard and trying to bring in some more air. Then he looked back at her, "Mine got turned on too when the control hit the shelf. What if we're stuck like this for a while? We have to do something."

"But I can't!" Kathren started to cry. "I won't, Wesley, no."

"Kathren, please!" Wes pleaded with her, near tears himself. "Don't you realize that if we don't take this chance we might never get home again?" And with the last sentence, there was no way that he could have disguised the trembling of his voice. Kathren didn't answer for a few moments, but cried softly while Wesley held her. Finally she looked back up at him, stopped crying, and gave him an answer.

"All right," she said unsteadily, pushing herself away from him and sitting up again, facing him. "You're right. We have to try."

Wesley could tell that speaking was difficult for her, and he wished with all of his heart that he could somehow spare her from the pain she was in, and, even worse, the pain she would have to go through in order for them to get to the other side of the room so they could stop the pain. Unfortunately, they had no other choice, and he couldn't. He also knew that the process would be harder on her than on him.

"Wesley?" Kathren asked. "How are we supposed to do this?"

"Well, the first thing we have to do is get up." Wes said, not sounding too enthused by the idea. Kathren went pale at the suggestion. "Don't worry," Wesley reassured her. "I'll help you. We'll have to help each other if we're going to do this." The girl nodded bravely, drying the tears from her face.

"Put your hands on my shoulders," Wesley commanded gently. His right shoulder was sore along with the rest of the arm, and he winced when Kathren did what he'd told her.

"Are you sure about this?" Kathren asked.

Wesley mustered a small smile. "Not really, Kat. But I think we can do it." He put his own hands on his friend's shoulders. "Okay," he said, taking a deep breath. "Let's go." From his knees, Wesley pushed his feet under himself, then once again struggled painfully to his feet, pulling Kathren up as carefully as possible behind him, both grunting and gasping the whole way.

Once on their feet, Kathren stumbled forward against him, sending Wesley careening backwards into the nearest shelf, on which, for what seemed like the hundredth time, he hit the back of his head. Then, shaking it off and reaching behind him to take hold of the shelf, Wes pushed himself up and straightened as much as his pained body would allow. He winced when Kathren fell into him, and had to suck in a fast breath through clenched teeth to keep from screaming when she wrapped her arms around his waist in an effort to keep from collapsing. As for that, it worked for her purposes, but it didn't help him much.

"Now what?" Kathren asked breathlessly.

"Look," Wesley said shortly, motioning as best he could towards the table. Kathren looked out, saw the rows of shelves, and understood.

"Good," she said, giving a weak sigh.

"Come on," Wesley said quietly. "Gotta keep going."

Kathren groaned in protest, but followed what he did in preparation to move out, They had to make it through the spaces between the shelves, as well. Wesley pushed away from the shelf slightly, and Kathren let go with one arm so she could get beside him in stead of in front of him. He kept the other arm wrapped tightly around the piece of metal that was the corner of the shelf. Wesley put his left arm, his free arm, around his friend's shoulders, supporting her as well as himself.

Still clinging to the shelf with one arm, Wesley looked at her. "Ready?" Wesley asked, his voice a little unsteady, from both pain and fear. Kathren nodded, doing her best to ignore her own pain and fear as best she could.

Then Wesley let go and they both staggered forward, gasping at the sudden increase of pain. They barely made it to the next one without collapsing, and they stayed there for several minutes, gasping and waiting and waiting for the pain level to decrease at least some. Pulling each other close when it didn't, at least not as much as they'd hoped, they forced themselves to go on to the next shelf, and the next.

It continued that way, with the agonizing pain continuing to get worse as they went on. By the forth or fifth one they were both shouting at every step from it, until finally, they made it to the last one. Eyes closed in pain, Wesley groped for it, found it, then yelped as he pulled himself against it. Kathren, stumbling beside him, slowly sank to the floor, leaning against the shelf. She shook harder and harder, dissolving into tears.

"Kathren," Wesley asked softly, unable to speak any louder. "Kathren, are you okay?" She didn't answer. "Come on, Wesley said, grimacing. "I know it hurts a lot, but it's not much farther. All we have to do now is male the last few feet to the shelf where the control is. We can't stop now."

"I can't," Kat whispered.

Wesley sighed. "Look, Kathren, I wish we didn't have to either, but it's the only way. Come on, it'll be okay."

"No, you don't understand. I'm serious, I can't. My arms and legs aren't responding anymore. I can't move. I'm sorry, Wes, I really am, but you'll have to go the last stretch by yourself."

"Oh," Wesley said, feeling foolish.

Kathren stopped crying long enough to look up at him and ask, "Will you be all right?"

NO! a voice in the boy's head screamed.

"Yeah," he heard himself answer, sagging against the shelf. He looked at the target shelf. A few feet suddenly looked like a few miles. Well, at least he didn't have to make it all the way across the room by himself. He knew he wouldn't have been able to do that, but a few feet he could manage, or at least he thought so. "I'll be fine," he gulped. Kathren looked down again. "I'm soy, Wesley."

"It's okay. It's not your fault."

Wesley stood there for a few minutes, trembling, waiting for the right moment to go, when he noticed that several small, darker spots had appeared on Kathren's hair. He squinted at her disheveled braid of blonde hair, his vision a little blurry all of a sudden. He took a shaking breath and realized that the spots were tears. His tears.

Wesley leaned back against the shelf, not even noticing when the bruises on the back of his head pressed painfully against the cold metal, and stared at the ceiling. Why? He wondered. Why did this have to happen? Why do the Romulans have to be so cruel? I've never been in so much pain before. How I've managed to make it this far, I don't know.

"Wesley?" a weak voice interrupted his thoughts.

"I'm okay," he answered. "I'm going."

Wesley slowly moved around to the other side of the shelf. He took a deep breath, braced himself, then set out to on wobbly legs. He stumbled the first couple of feet, gasping. Then he fell his knees with a scream. After struggling back up, he continued.

Kathren watched him with tearful eyes, feeling, even if it wasn't, that it was somehow her fault he had to do it, and every one of his screams cut straight to her heart. Finally, Wesley reached the shelf, and fell into it, Trembling and screaming. He sank to his knees in front of it, reaching for the control. He pulled it toward him, and tried to find the off button or something like one, but he couldn't read Romulan. He found the one that seemed most likely to be what he was looking for, and pressed it. Instead of turning of, however, the devices picked up. Both teenagers screamed, but then Wesley pressed another button and the pain ceased.

When it was gone Wesley collapsed backward in exhaustion. He lay on his back, trying to catch his breath, hardly able to believe that it was gone, until he heard Kathren's voice beside him.

"You did it."

Wesley turned over to his right to see that Kathren was sitting next to him. Except for the fact that she was obviously exhausted, and her face was still red from crying, she looked fine.

"We did it," Wesley corrected, grimacing as he sat up. His stomach didn't feel any better, and he noticed that he still had a whopping headache. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"I think, as before, that I should be asking you that question," Kathren answered tiredly. "But yes, I'm fine. What about you?"

By now Wesley was gripping the edge of one of the shelf's platforms, trying to pull himself to his feet and hide how much in hurt at the same time. He made it up, turned around and leaned back, sitting on the edge if it.

"I'm fine, Kathren," he finally answered, his breathing having returned almost to normal.

"That's a lie," she replied neutrally.

He stared at her.

"Oh," he shifted uncomfortably. "It king of slipped my mind that you're Betazoid."

Kathren stood up, almost smiling, a shadow of one playing at the corners of her mouth. "Now how could you forget something like that?"

Wesley moved away from the shelf, trying to stand straight, but ended up stumbling and letting out a moan. Kathren took hold of his arms and steadied him, then pulled her friend into an embrace.

"Thanks," she whispered.

Wesley winced, but hugged her back. "No Problem," he replied, a small, tired smile appearing fleetingly on his lips. When they released each other, Wesley glanced at the door.

"Come on, let's get out of here."

Kathren didn't have to be told twice.

Romulan Empress-Thanks so much for reviewing each chapter faithfully! That means a lot to me! And don't worry, the Romulan's plot will be revealed soon. There are only a couple more chapters.

Wolenczak2004-Don't think I sound spiteful when I say this or anything please, but let me one thing clear: It's not like I enjoy having Wesley and Kathren tortured in the story, it just makes the story good. You know, they get tortured, they get out of it, they're okay, it shows them to be strong characters, happy ending, yada yada. K? Okay, good. Oh, and thank you very much for your reviews! Please continue!

Karone Evertree-Thank you bunches for the continuing reviews! They make my day! I can tell you have sense of humor from them. They help me, and give me laughs! Thanks again and please keep reviewing!