Part 37

Beka wearily opened her eyes, and took a moment to get her bearings. Almost immediately she remembered the previous night and sat up abruptly, looking around, and was relieved to find Harper close by, still wrapped in blankets and apparently sleeping. She then noticed Dylan keeping a watchful eye on Harper, and she relaxed slightly.

"How long was I asleep?" Beka asked.

"A couple of hours, maybe more," Dylan answered quietly.

"How is he?" she then moved closer, seeing that Harper had a lot more colour now, and she could see he was breathing easily, even with the blankets almost cocooning him.

"His temperature has been steadily rising, but he hasn't regain consciousness yet," Dylan offered a comforting smile, that Beka returned.

"Every time he manages to scare me more, and at this rate I won't even allow him to leave the room without my permission," she smirked, and then saw Dylan wasn't joining her. "I'm joking."

"I know," Dylan finally smiled.

"If anything, he's continuing to amaze me, just how strong that little body of his is," Beka attempted to sound light, but her genuine concern was still evident. Beka then looked at Dylan, and noticed that his own mood seemed indifferent. "Are you ok?" she then asked.

"Yeah," Dylan offered, sounding unconvincing and Beka let her expression tell him this. "Just last night, I was helpless, these stupid injuries to my arms, and if Rhade hadn't been here."

"Ok, stop," Beka instructed. "I was the one who would have killed him twice because I didn't know any better, if anyone was helpless it was me," she stressed.

"No, I knew what to do, Beka, I just couldn't do it, I wouldn't have been able to carry Harper back, I wouldn't have been able to move him with the care he needed," Dylan insisted.

"Dylan, why are you even thinking like that?" Beka asked. "We did have Rhade, let's just be thankful for that."

"I know," Dylan sighed heavily. "I guess he just scared me too," Dylan looked at Harper.

Beka looked around. "Where are the others?"

"Getting some more rations in," Dylan answered. "Zal said quite a few locals have offered a share of theirs, to help Harper."

"Really?" Beka checked surprised.

"Zal was telling me that there's a general feeling amongst those not involved with the Gilads or Kenan that we've been badly treated," Dylan offered with sarcasm lacing his words.

"Least it's not just our paranoia then," Beka half smiled, and then looked upwards. "Do you wonder what is going on up there, with the ship and the others?"

"Not an hour goes past when I don't," Dylan looked up as well. "It must be just as bad for them, not knowing what's happening down here," Dylan then frowned. "We can't expect the Andromeda to wait for us," Dylan spoke.

"Rommie won't leave without us, Dylan," Beka spoke. "She's probably working twenty-four seven with Trance trying to determine how to break down these defences, we both know what they are like."

"She can't wait for an unknown amount of time till we can bring the defences down, and we already know that the defences are nigh on impossible to penetrate from the outside, it's why Edenia is so cut off from the universe," Dylan offered with a heavy sigh. "She has duties and commitments to the commonwealth," he added.

"I know, but," Beka took a breath. "We need her to be there for us, when we do get these damn defences down!"

"We need her, yes, but we can't expect her to be there," Dylan responded.

"So what are we going to do?" Beka asked, and felt like it had been the constant question since they had willingly walked into Edenia, and become trapped. "I mean, we still don't know who put that collar on Harper, because as hard as it might be to believe, I think Buz was being genuine when he said he didn't do it."

"That other faction," Dylan remembered. "They obviously had a reason, if they did it."

"Do you think it was Kenan supporters carrying out his wishes?" Beka suggested.

"Maybe, but it doesn't feel right," Dylan looked at Harper, who remained unconscious and wrapped up in the blankets as the warmth of the day crept into the room. "Kenan is a showman, cloaks and daggers in the dead of night, and away from an audience is not his style."

"You're right, Kenan would have taken Harper and then presented him to his faithful whilst letting them cheer as they put the collar on him," Beka agreed with a frown. "So that means there's a new team on the block."

"Are we really surprised, this place is a mess," Dylan offered, and they both glanced over to the door as Zal and Rhade returned with rations and water.

"That's a lot of food," Beka couldn't help but observe.

"They were just giving it to us," Rhade spoke with surprise. "The locals, nearly every one we passed insisted we take what they could spare."

"It's too much," Dylan checked, seeing how much they had.

"I really want to agree, but my stomach really wants to object," Beka hungrily reached for a pack and readily opened it.

"I guess we have been skimping on food," Dylan looked at how readily Beka consumed her pack, knowing how hungry they all were. "Just try and save some for Harper, ok?" he teased, as everyone grabbed a pack.

Rhade then turned to Harper, and put his pack down before moving to the human's side.

"What is it?" Beka immediately asked, sensing the rapid change in the Nietzschean's mood.

"He's waking up," Rhade stressed. "His breathing patterns have changed," he added just as Harper let a small moan escape, and then he appeared to shift slightly. "Beka, you should be here," Rhade advised, aware that Harper still feared to some extent his presence, especially when disorientated.

Beka wasted no time in taking Rhade's place, and she gently put her hand on the blankets that covered Harper.

"Hey, Seamus, you awake in there?" Beka lightly teased, hoping to get a reaction. "Time to wake up."

"Don't rush him," Rhade quietly spoke, and Beka nodded her head to acknowledge his advice, and then waited until Harper moved again, this time with a clearer sign that he was waking up as he groaned, and shifted into a more curled up position.

"Seamus?" Beka prompted.

"Cold," Harper murmured.

"After effect," Rhade softly spoke, when he saw alarm across Beka's face, the room was silent as they all intently watched Harper slowly waking up.

"It's ok now, you're dry and warm, you're not cold anymore," Beka encouraged.

"Can't move," Harper then spoke.

"You have half a tonne of blankets surrounding you," Beka offered with a smile.

Finally Harper wearily opened his eyes, and took some deep breaths as he adjusted to his surroundings. "I remember cold," he simply said, as if disbelieving his own memories.

"Its ok now, Seamus, don't worry," Beka assured him, as Harper moved onto his back again, keeping the blankets close to him and then grimaced with pain. "What is it?" Beka asked with concern.

"Body hates me," Harper managed, his voice low and tired sounding. "Every muscle aches, and my head feels like it's full of fluff," he sniffed, showing signs of a possible fever before then blinking his eyes a few times. "Head hurts," he then managed.

"Just try and relax, and rest," Beka gently stroked the side of Harper's face, and she couldn't help but notice the dark rings under his eyes, that were almost a scarlet colour, all she had wanted was colour to return but now she almost wished he was the deathly pale again.

"Try and eat something," Rhade offered a couple of ration packs to Beka, to give to Harper.

"Not hungry," Harper responded sharply.

"Eat," Rhade encouraged.

"Make me," Harper returned with hostilely in his voice.

"Harper," Beka's tone softened Harper's featured momentarily. "Rhade's right, you need to eat."

Harper didn't argue with Beka, and reluctantly accepted her help to sit up, ensuring the blankets remained close to him.

"We'll leave you to it, last thing Mr Harper needs is an audience," Dylan suggested, and gestured to Rhade and Zal to join him in the other room, leaving Beka to care for Harper.

Harper watched them leave before turning back to Beka and speaking. "You're all looking at me like I died," Harper then spoke without reason as he absently took a ration pack. When Beka didn't respond and avoided his stare, Harper concentrated on opening the pack. "How close was I?"

"Huh?" Beka answered, hoping to play the ignorance card.

"I'm not stupid," Harper returned aggressively, but immediately back tracked. "Sorry, I just mean I know that look you're all giving me, I used to get it all the time, I just know," Harper stressed.

"Too close for my liking," Beka finally revealed. "You needed help breathing; you appeared dead for a long time."

"Hypothermia?" Harper guessed correctly and Beka nodded her head. "No wonder I feel so cold, and like my body is rejecting my attempts to move back in," he grimaced, as he tried to stretch some of his aching muscles. His hands trembled momentarily, and he dropped the ration pack he had been holding. "Damn it!" he snapped.

"Harper, it's ok," Beka quickly assured him, and she moved closer and put her arm around him, whilst picking up the pack he had dropped with her other hand. She then proceeded to help him, until he was able to eat without her assistance.

"It's not the first time," Harper then spoke, once he had eaten a fair amount of the pack.

"That you've nearly died?" Beka checked. "I know."

"No," Harper dismissed. "Hypothermia, used to get me all the time as a kid," he shrugged. "Winters in Boston were not easy," he added with a distant air. "It used to be said by those in the camps that the reason I never grew was because during the winters I was technically dead most of the time," he attempted a grin, but it was bittersweet.

Beka held him a little closer, unsure of what she could add. Sometimes the heating failed on the Maru when she was younger, but it never nearly killed her, despite her protests at the time to her father.

"How did you survive Earth?" Beka then asked with an air of disbelief in her tone, and was pleased to hear something close to a laugh from Harper in return.

"Too stubborn to die," Harper answered. "Least that's what my ma used to say," he added. "Apparently, I don't actually remember but Brendan always used to quote her, whenever he had to pull me through some illness or mishap," he smiled finally and looked at Beka. "I don't think I like the rain anymore," he then spoke with sadness.

"Try not to think about it, it's too soon for that, just concentrate on getting better," Beka encouraged warmly, holding him close, sensing the trauma Harper was remembering in his thoughts.

"I've never given up before," Harper then spoke, and his hands nervously fidgeted with the now empty ration pack.

"What?" Beka caught.

"I gave up," Harper answered, his voice hollow and his eyes focused on the empty pack in his hands. "When I had the choice, I wanted to die."

"Please, Harper, don't speak, just rest, you're still hurting and you're not thinking straight," Beka quickly assured him, and Harper was silent now as he moved closer and accepted the embrace into her arms, but she wasn't sure if the silence was better than him talking. "Do you need a drink?" Beka asked.

"Yeah," Harper simply answered and she reached for the closest water bottle, assisting Harper in drinking the contents at a steady pace. Once they were done, Harper moved to a more comfortable position on the floor, still keeping the blankets closely around himself but moving away from Beka without word.

"I don't mind being a pillow," Beka offered quietly, when Harper remained silent but he didn't respond and she soon lay down so she could face him. "I just meant don't talk about, you know," Beka struggled to say the word. "If you want to talk, just talk, I'll listen."

Harper stared at her, before looking away. "This is worse than Earth," he finally said and the words hit Beka hard, and she was unable to respond immediately but Harper appeared in no hurry to add more.

"Right now it probably feels like that, but Harper, you have to remain strong," Beka felt her words were stupid, but she didn't know what else to say, she just knew she had to say something just to keep Harper talking as her concerns grew slightly.

"The collar," Harper then acknowledged without emotion, bringing a hand up to feel the metal around his neck.

"We don't know who put that on you," Beka frowned, and she saw for the first time the pain and distress in her friend's eyes as he looked back. "Harper, I promise nothing more will happen to you, we're not going to play these games anymore, ok?"

"You can't promise that," Harper dismissed quickly.

"I can, and I will," Beka returned with conviction.

"Yeah, Brendan used to say the same, until the next time," Harper flippantly responded. "I just have one of those faces," he shrugged absently.

"We've let you down, I know that," Beka now stressed.

"Beka," Harper now whined, realising that his friend had taken his words the wrong way, and not how he intended. "My point is, shit happens, and sometimes nothing can stop it," he made sure Beka looked at him before he finished. "You haven't let me down, if anything I've let myself down, I gave up but with your help," he retrieved his hand for under the blankets and offered it to Beka, who took it into her own hand. "Just make sure I don't let myself down again, I don't like myself when I do," he offered awkwardly.

Beka squeezed his hand gently. "I promise," she smiled, and kept holding his hand seeing him rapidly falling asleep once more, and she didn't stop him, knowing he could use the much needed rest. As she looked at her friend, seeing the pain he was in, and how weak he looked, Beka couldn't help the anger growing inside.

TBC