Part 16
Beka had been anxious to return, but her last supply job had kept her away from Seefra for nearly four days and then she had been diverted to the Andromeda because Dylan wanted a ride down to Seefra.
"I'm sure he's fine," Dylan's voice spoke up from behind her, as she concentrated on landing the Maru.
"I just don't like leaving him with strangers," Beka stated.
"Kalika is no longer a stranger, Beka," Dylan returned.
"He doesn't know her, he's been delirious will illness and unconscious for most of the time she's known him," Beka reminded him.
"Beka," Dylan's voice carried a concerned tone. "Before Harper became ill with this virus, he hadn't seen you for nearly three years."
"I know," Beka returned.
"And he had changed, remember?"
"Of course I remember," Beka returned. "But things are different now, Marika is dead and he's no longer a prisoner to this system's law," she added, still focused on landing as the ground approached. "We can help him now."
"He might not see things the same as we do, that's all I'm saying," Dylan advised.
"He's still Harper," Beka stated. "He doesn't forget his friends."
"Beka, his friends for the past three years are now either dead, or want him dead because of choices he made," Dylan frowned as Beka glanced around at him, before she quickly returned focus to landing.
The Maru jolted slightly on landing, and there was silence as Beka shut the engines down. Slowly she released herself from the pilots chair and got to her feet; looking at Dylan she seemed troubled.
"I just want my Harper back," Beka spoke quietly.
"We have to remember that things have changed, Beka," Dylan encouraged. "We only know the half of it, and maybe not even that much. Three years he's lived in this hell, don't expect him to bounce back as quickly as you may hope," Dylan frowned.
"I'm not asking for much, Dylan, just that he remembers our friendship and what we've been through," Beka dismissed as she walked past the captain to leave the ship.
"And all I'm asking is that you remember the facts, and stay focused," Dylan called after her but his expression showed only concern for what he feared might happen knowing how determined Beka was to help Harper, and her need to ease her guilt over words said about him in grief over Rommie, serving only to push him further away.
Kalika smiled as she approached Harper, who for reasons unknown had decided to sit outside in the sun and admire the landscape of Seefra's desert lands. Seated on a stone wall, he seemed lost to his own thoughts as he gazed at the horizon, but Kalika could sense sadness in his expression as she edged nearer.
"Harper? I have made you some food," Kalika offered the bowl.
"Not hungry," Harper spoke, his voice now returned as he glanced at her. "Thanks," he then added with appreciation to the gesture.
"You should eat, Harper, you need to build up your strength," Kalika sat beside him on the wall, and looked at him with care.
"I'm fine," Harper spoke, his eyes locked once more into the distance.
"Well when you do feel hungry, you'll say, right?" Kalika checked and saw Harper nod his head, but Kalika couldn't help but see that there still remained sadness in the way he was looking out into the distance. "Are you ok?"
Harper seemed to tense slightly before he shrugged and relaxed once more. Glancing at Kalika his expression softened slightly before he spoke. "Marika is dead, right?" Kalika looked away for a moment, taken by surprise with the question. "I remember the tech police, when I woke up earlier that memory was right there in my head," he continued to explain as though still trying to figure it out. "They were supposed to find me and yet I don't remember why they didn't."
"My brother saved you, he took you away before the tech police found you," Kalika informed him, and Harper looked at her with confusion.
"Why? I mean, who is your brother, do I know him?" he checked unsure.
"I don't know if you know him, but he used to work for Marika," Kalika simply explained, not wanting to go into further details as to why her brother had taken him.
"She is dead though, Marika?" Harper then pushed.
"Yes, the tech police killed her," Kalika admitted. "Your friends found her dying, but they couldn't save her."
"My friends?" Harper checked.
"Beka, Dylan?" Kalika offered.
"Ah, yeah," Harper remembered now. "They came back."
"They helped you recover, they got you the oil that has saved your life," Kalika smiled warmly.
"You helped me recover, Kalika," Harper corrected.
"They helped too," she was quick to stress.
Harper only nodded his head before once again staring out into the distance. "I feel like I've been asleep for six months and nothing makes any sense."
"You nearly were, only it was more like three weeks," Kalika smiled.
"Is Doyle around?" Harper then asked.
"You'll have to ask Beka about Doyle, I don't really know," Kalika offered unsure.
"Beka?" Harper checked. "What's happened, where is Doyle?" he began to show concern.
"She's fine, Doyle is fine but Beka knows more, I've been looking after you so I don't know where she is or what's going on, I'm sorry," Kalika quickly offered.
"Don't apologise," Harper stated softly, and with hesitation he moved his arm around Kalika's shoulders, and brought her close. "Thanks for looking after me, I mean, I know I must have been a real pain to look after, so thanks."
Kalika couldn't believe the gesture Harper had offered and felt joy inside at his show of affection towards her, even if it was a little awkward on his part, she was thrilled that he'd even thought to make it. "It's ok, Harper, I've enjoyed seeing the results of your recovery, you were worth every minute, just seeing you like this talking and moving freely again, you don't know what it means to me."
"Harper," Beka's voice sounded for a short distance away and Harper quickly removed his arm from around Kalika and seemed suddenly on edge, as he watched Beka and Dylan approach. "Hey, you're out of bed and looking a lot better," Beka enthused once she had reached them.
"Good to see you up and about, Harper," Dylan agreed.
Kalika absently squeezed Harper's hand in encouragement, knowing that his friend's sudden intrusion had unsettled him a little.
"Hey," Harper could only manage in return.
"So how are you feeling?" Beka fussed, and seemed to be taking in every last detail of her friend's recovery and Kalika couldn't help the feelings of protectiveness now, knowing Harper wasn't feeling comfortable.
"Fine," Harper shrugged.
"Still on the one word vocabulary?" Beka frowned, and seemed disappointed.
Harper glanced at Kalika who could only show concern, not understanding why Harper was being like this in the presence of his friends who had helped him so much.
"Harper is tired, we were just about to return to the house when you showed up," Kalika offered and jumped down from the wall.
"We'll walk back with you," Beka smiled and helped Harper down from the wall, even though he didn't need the assistance.
Kalika squeezed his hand again, wishing she could do more to ease Harper's concerns, and wishing she understood them. They walked towards the house in silence until Harper stopped and looked around, before looking at Beka.
"Where's Doyle?"
"What?" Beka was caught by the question and the demanding tone Harper had asked it in.
"Where's Doyle, she should be here with me," Harper stated more clearly and his words had obviously surprised both Beka and Dylan who hadn't realised he was fully capable of speaking again.
"Harper, maybe now is not the time," Kalika encouraged.
"No, I want to know!" Harper snapped.
"Harper, please," Kalika gripped his hand hoping he'd calm down.
"I just want to know about my friend," Harper stressed.
Beka took a deep breath, and then looked at Harper with care. "She knows, Harper."
"Knows?" Harper checked.
"She knows what she is," Dylan answered.
"Which one of you told her?" Harper accused, backing away slightly showing anger to the news. "She wasn't supposed to find out, she wasn't supposed to know!"
Both Dylan and Beka looked away, unsure of what to say in the face of Harper's anger knowing he was still recovering, and still slightly surprised that he was able to talk again.
"Is that why she isn't here?" Harper asked.
"She's upset," Dylan simply said, without further explanation.
Harper began shaking his head, as the news truly hit him and he turned away with his emotions threatening. "I can't lose her too, I can't," he stressed, his back now to his friends.
"I think you should come back later, when he's had some rest," Kalika suggested towards Beka and Dylan.
"I want to stay," Beka spoke, and it wasn't a request.
"Please, he needs to rest," Kalika insisted, with concern for Harper.
"He needs his friends around him," Beka argued.
"Beka," Dylan put an arm on Beka's shoulder. "Maybe we should come back when things have settled."
"No!" Beka snapped. "I want to stay, Harper needs me."
Harper spun around on hearing Beka's words, his face a crumpled mess of emotions as he lashed out. "Just get the hell away from here, just go!" he yelled before pushing past Beka and returning to the house.
Kalika wanted to run after him, and knew Beka did too but instead they both just stood staring at each other.
"What the hell is going on here?" Beka then asked, with her voice low and accusing as she stared at Kalika.
"He's confused and his memories are still only returning in messed up bits and pieces, so he's struggling to make sense of them," Kalika offered as an explanation. "He's figured out that Marika is dead but he can't understand why Doyle isn't here."
"Why is he blaming me?" Beka returned.
"I don't know, all I know is that he's confused," Kalika stressed.
"Beka, we have to give him time," Dylan supported.
"He should be turning to me, I've helped him in the past so why is he pushing me away now, and why does he think I've done something to hurt him?" Beka was confused now.
"He never said that; he's just confused and you're here and Doyle and Marika aren't," Dylan explained and placed his hands on Beka's shoulders. "Let's give him time to calm down, to rest and then we'll come back to sort this out."
"I don't want to leave him like this," Beka felt lost as Dylan encouraged her to move.
"Kalika will take care of him, and let us know when we can come back, when Harper is ready to see us," Dylan stated looking at Kalika who nodded in return.
Beka threw Kalika an accusing glance before Dylan finally managed to move her away, and they began to walk back into town. Kalika took a deep breath and looked upwards before walking into the house, finding Harper was curled up by the far wall lost to his emotions.
"Hey," Kalika was quickly by his side and she wrapped her arms around him. "It's ok, they've gone, it's ok," she soothed him, but he was completely lost now to the tears that fell. "Come on, calm down, and stop this, you're scaring me, Seamus."
"She's dead," Harper managed between the sobs that wracked his body.
"Who?"
"Marika," he stressed. "She's dead," he sniffed.
"You really loved her, didn't you?" Kalika asked, as she brushed her hand down the side of Harper's face to encourage him to snap out of his uncontrolled emotions.
"I think so," he blurted, managing to gain some control, as the sobs subsided. Harper moved so he was sitting against the wall and Kalika remained holding him close. "I can't believe she's dead, she was so strong, so," he couldn't find the words as he wiped his eyes on his sleeves.
"Harper, your tired and confused, your emotions are all over the place, I really think you should get some sleep," Kalika suggested fondly, as her fingers found a stray tear and wiped it from Harper's cheek.
"Call me Seamus, please?" Harper almost pleaded, with his voice shaky.
"Are you sure?"
Harper nodded his head enthusiastically. "You're the only thing that's making sense to me right now, helping me."
"There's a few people helping you, Seamus, I'm only one of them," Kalika smiled warmly, but moved away when Harper tried to move forward to hug her. "I think you should rest now," she stated firmly, not wishing to encourage anything in his confused state.
Harper complied with her wishes and let her lead him to his bunk, and to Kalika's relief he quickly settled down to sleep. With care Kalika cleaned his face and ensured he was comfortable before leaving him to fall into a deep and much needed sleep.
TBC