Part 17
Dylan brought the new round of drinks over to the table, and put them down. It had been a good few hours since they'd seen Harper but still Beka's thoughts were caught up in what had been said. Rhade, who had been filled in regarding what had happened and had easily dismissed it, wasted no time in picking up his glass and taking a gulp. Sitting down, Dylan glanced over to where Doyle was working and he turned to Beka.
"How much does Doyle know about Harper?"
Rhade glanced over to the android. "She knows Harper has been ill, and that he's currently recovering 'somewhere'."
"How did she react?"
Rhade appeared dismissive. "Slightly interested I guess, but far too consumed by her own issues."
"Does she still want to hurt him?" Beka asked, staring at her drink.
"Hard to say," Rhade shrugged. "I wouldn't advise letting her see him alone unless that is I'm in a vindictive mood, then I'd encourage it."
Beka glared at Rhade. "What is your problem?"
"My problem?" Rhade checked. "I'm tired of this place, I want out but all our energies seem to be being wasted on that poor excuse for a human!"
Dylan put a hand of Beka's arm to prevent her saying anything. "Rhade, have you even considered that we might need Harper's expertise to get us out of here?"
"He's crazy, Dylan, his mind isn't what it once was and have you forgotten how he fixed Rommie?" Rhade snapped. "I don't want to end up in a box because he presses the wrong button, but with good intentions," he growled.
"And exactly what are you doing to get us out of here, how can you help power up Andromeda?" Beka asked. "We can't even see if the alcohol might fuel the ship because you've drunk it all!"
"Ok, ok, time out guys," Dylan gestured. "Whether you like it or not, we're a crew and we don't leave anyone behind, so we will continue to help Harper as much as he wants our help."
"And there lies another problem, he's beyond help and I don't think he even wants us helping him," Rhade stressed.
"He's just confused, that illness is still inside him," Beka stated.
"He didn't want to know us when he was well, remember he chose to stay with Marika," Rhade returned.
"All we can do for Harper now is give him the time and space he needs to sort his feelings out," Dylan suggested. "So in the meantime we should work towards finding a way out of here, so let's start digging around for anything that might help us."
"I could use the distraction," Beka agreed and Rhade simply nodded his head. "But I need to just check in on Harper, before I go, even if it's just to tell Kalika I'll be gone for a few days."
"Beka, it would be best to just let them be, and let things settle," Dylan suggested.
"I won't even see Harper, I'll just see Kalika," Beka insisted. "I get the whole needing space thing, but I don't want them to think I've avoiding them, I need them to know I'm here, but I'll be away for a short time."
"You have half an hour and then I want you on the Maru and ready to go," Dylan ordered, and Beka nodded her head to agree, before rushing off.
"She can't let go, can she?" Rhade remarked.
"Harper has always meant a lot to her," Dylan returned as they moved towards the exit. "I'd like to think he's the same guy, and that the virus hasn't done any damage but I do fear the worse, and fact remains Beka will always be there for him."
"Do you think it's mutual?"
"Harper has always cared for Beka just the same," Dylan argued.
"I'm not so sure," Rhade answered. "We thought he cared for Rommie and looked what he did there, we thought he cared for Doyle, likewise there, Dylan, Harper only cares for himself."
"Then I'm surprised you two don't get along better," Dylan simply stated as he pushed through the doors.
"Hey!" Rhade exclaimed before quickly following the captain.
Kalika smiled as Harper walked towards her, the Seefra sun had not quite reached its highest point making it pleasant to be outside. He looked relaxed and rested, as he quietly observed her work on fixing some food for later.
"Good sleep?" Kalika asked.
"Yeah, feeling a lot more together," Harper admitted, with a slight smirk. "I kind of flew off the handle a little bit before, didn't I?" he frowned.
"You need to give yourself some time to work out your memories and feelings, don't be so hard on yourself," Kalika simply returned, focused on her work. "You've also suffered a loss, and one that was close to you."
"Marika hated me," Harper offered, and moved to sit down on a rock close to where Kalika stood. "She hurt me, tortured me, made me feel like a kid that depended on her," he sighed, and took a deep breath. "And still I couldn't help the attraction to her."
Kalika stopped for a moment and looked at Harper with care. "How did you meet her?"
Harper frowned, and took a moment before answering. "I was about to be killed," he began, and it was clear he was troubled by the memories.
"You don't have to say, if it's too hard," Kalika quickly offered.
"No, no, it's fine," Harper dismissed almost immediately, before continuing. "I was on this ship that was literally breaking apart, called the Arkology," Harper explained. "We were overrun, and by we I mean Dylan, Beka, Rhade, Trance, you know when we were a crew on this big star ship, the Andromeda."
"I see," Kalika simply answered, having been unsure of Harper's connection to the others before now.
"Things were bad, Rommie was dead and at that time I thought Beka had been killed, and I had no idea about the others," Harper remembered, and his face carried a mix of sadness and confusion. "This thing, a Magog, had me pinned and he told me I was the last one, the lone survivor and he brought his clawed hand down on me, and I remember the pain and I screamed," Harper stressed, lost now to his memories. "I thought that was it, but in a blink of an eye I was someplace else, I had felt a shift like my whole body was being ripped apart and I honestly thought I was dead."
"That must have been terrible," Kalika moved to his side and sat on the rock beside him, taking his hand into hers as he continued.
"Then I was in these caves, alone and I had no idea what I was supposed to do thinking that this was the afterlife but I still felt pain, my shirt was ripped and bloodied, my wounds on my shoulder still bled," Harper shrugged. "And then I must have passed out because my next memory is much later, once the wounds had already healed but I was still in the caves, only on a cot and in an area obviously lived in and there was this woman, Marika."
"She nursed you back to health?" Kalika checked.
"I guess," Harper shrugged. "She was kind, caring and she wanted me to get better, and be a part of her life," he explained with a small smile. "Once she had convinced me I wasn't dead, and that this wasn't heaven I realised I owed her my life, and my feelings for her grew."
"But they were never returned?" Kalika asked.
"At first I think she was a little curious, and she seemed interested but then she realised that I was a lot more use to her as a scientist and that's when things started going weird," Harper remembered, and he lost the slight smile he had been wearing as he remembered the good times. "Her demands became more demanding, and she started to punish me for things I didn't always do. She had this need to keep putting me in my place, like I'd gone too far but all I wanted was for her to trust me, to go back to what we first had, for her not to feel threatened or fear me."
"You think that's why she hurt you?"
"I think she thought that's what I wanted, when I kept trying to tell her different, that all I wanted was to love her," Harper stood up and moved a short distance away. "But she's dead now, because of me and I should just forget about her."
"Seamus, she's dead because of her own making, it wasn't your fault," Kalika argued, as she moved to Harper's side once again.
"I brought her plans, her ideas and her wishes to life, before I came along she was never going to see a reality for her plan, she didn't have the know how," Harper stared ahead, avoiding the concerned look from Kalika. "I did what I did to prove my love to her, I had this crazy notion it would bring us together but it kept pushing us apart," Harper frowned. "I see that now and because I pushed too much, I was too eager for her attention and they found us, things happened and it is my fault and don't tell me it's not!" Harper snapped, pre-empting Kalika's words.
"Seamus, you were a tool to Marika's will, your biggest crime is being blinded by love," Kalika spoke softly. "If she could hurt and humiliate you, and you still felt the need to be with her, to prove yourself to her then that's not a crime."
Harper took a deep breath and turned to Kalika, taking her hand into his and staring intently, as his fingers intertwined with hers. "I loved her," he simply said before his emotions threatened.
Kalika wasted no time in bringing Harper close to her and holding him in an embrace, feeling his emotions letting go as he hid his face into her shoulder. "You did nothing wrong, Seamus, no one can control those we chose to fall in love with, no matter what others may think."
After a few moments Harper pulled away and quickly used the sleeves of his shirt to wipe his eyes, looking embarrassed by his display of emotions. Taking deep breaths, and avoiding eye contact, Harper seemed at odds for the moment. "I might go for a walk," he suggested.
"That might help," Kalika agreed. "Can I check you before you go, I notice the skin on your neck is a little dry, it looks like it could do with another dose of the oil."
"Its fine," Harper dismissed.
"Harper."
"Call me Seamus, remember?" Harper returned, by way of distraction but Kalika barely paused.
"Seamus, the rash on your skin needs to be completely healed before you can be free of the virus, leaving any part of it untreated could put you at risk of it flaring up again," Kalika warned.
Harper looked unsettled by this and simply nodded his head, as Kalika took his arm and led him back to the house.
Beka approached the house with only a slight hesitation, remembering her visit just a few hours previously; Harper's rage still fresh in her mind. She kept telling herself that after three years, things had changed even though in her time it was barely six months, a lot had still happened for both of them.
The door was slightly ajar, and Beka pushed it opened so she could walk inside. There was no sound, and Beka stopped to listen. "Hello?" she tentatively called out, and considered leaving but then she heard Kalika's voice coming from a back room and showed relief. She really hadn't wanted to leave before explaining her absence.
"Kalika?" Beka called once more as she approached the back room.
"Beka?" Kalika returned from inside the room. "I'll be right there."
"It's ok, I'm here," Beka walked through the door and saw that Kalika was in the process of treating Harper's back, and she froze.
"Harper," Beka simply spoke with shock.
"Get out of here!" Harper yelled, and then quickly moved, wrapping himself instinctively with the blanket he had been lying on.
"You should wait in the kitchen," Kalika advised.
"Your back, Harper, what the hell happened?" Beka asked with concern.
"Please, wait in the kitchen," Kalika asked once again, and this time moved to Beka and gestured for her to leave the room. Once Beka had gone, Kalika turned to Harper and frowned. "I'm sorry, I thought I had locked the door," she offered as she moved closer.
Harper was taking some calming breaths. "It's ok, I mean Beka's seen worse, and I just didn't want her to see this, not now."
"Last time she saw your back it was still covered in the legions that disguised the damage Marika did," Kalika offered, and then picked up the bottle of oil. "Let me finish."
"What about Beka?"
"She can wait," Kalika calmly returned.
"I don't want her waiting," Harper looked troubled.
"She can wait," Kalika insisted, and encouraged Harper to move the blanket from around him. "Face the door, so if she does come back at least you'll be facing her."
Kalika moved behind Harper, allowing him to remain sitting up as she gently covered and worked the oils into the remaining part of his back. Before she had finished there was a light tap at the door, and Kalika stopped.
"Come in, Beka," Harper offered before Kalika could respond.
The door opened and Beka stepped into the room, she looked nervous and unsure as she stood in front of Harper at the foot of the bed. "Sorry, I shouldn't have reacted like I did, I just wasn't thinking," Beka then apologised.
"It's ok," Harper shrugged, but avoided eye contact. "I'm sorry I snapped earlier, I'm not feeling too great about that."
"It's fine, no harm done," Beka dismissed, just happy to have Harper talking to her, but she needed to know. "Who did that to you?"
"Marika," Harper answered. "We didn't exactly have the flashy toys Trance had to fix the damage, like before."
"Doyle told me she tortured you but I didn't really consider till now," Beka spoke softly as she crouched in front of him.
"Does Doyle hate me?" Harper asked, looking troubled.
Beka closed her eyes, uncertain about how to respond. "She's got issues," she simply remarked.
"How did she find out?" he asked with a hint of accusation.
"Marika told her, just before," Beka hesitated seeing the flash of sadness in Harper's expression. "Did you really?" she prompted, but couldn't finish her question, she didn't have to.
"Yeah," Harper took a deep breath, and then looked at Beka. "You always said I was a loser in love," he smirked.
"I've never seen you like this though, over a girl and one who," Beka frowned. "She tortured you Harper, why did you fall for her?"
Harper took a deep breath and looked upwards, before feeling the comforting hand of Kalika on his shoulder. "I don't think Seamus is ready for these sorts of questions," Kalika spoke up, and Harper didn't argue as he looked down.
Beka brought her hand up to Harper's face, and cupped his chin so he was looking up at her. "Dylan wants me to go with him on some mission off planet, so I'll be gone for a few days and you'll have all the space you need from me to sort this head out of yours, ok?" Beka spoke with fondness, and Harper found himself lost to her smile that followed, remembering the Beka of old as she continued. "I hope we can talk when I get back."
"I've missed you," Harper suddenly spoke and moved forward to embrace his friend and with a relieved smile, Beka returned the hug with equal gusto. "Don't be gone for too long," he then requested, as he pulled back.
"I won't," Beka assured him. "And I'm sure Kalika will take good care of you whilst I'm gone, so don't be a pain in the ass, ok?" she smiled fondly towards Kalika who seemed relieved by the turn of events.
Harper still had hold of Beka's arms as he simply stared at her, before finally he spoke. "Tell the others that maybe I'll come up and visit, sometime," he offered awkwardly, but his eyes gestured upwards.
"They'll like that," Beka agreed. "And maybe Trance can do her magic on those scars you've picked up?"
Harper just shrugged, and sat back on the bed. "I think I'd rather keep them, and don't ask me why," he then added.
Beka didn't have to ask, her glance at Kalika seemed to answer her question, and she guessed Harper wanted them as a reminder of the woman who had inflicted them on him. "Well, we'll see, yeah?" Beka offered before moving to the door. "I'll see you in a few days," she smiled. "And Kalika, don't let him get too used to being fussed over."
"I won't, and have a safe trip," Kalika offered, as they both watched Beka leave, and once she had left the house Harper spoke up.
"That was nice," he offered, a little dumbstruck.
"She's never been the enemy, Seamus," Kalika returned.
Harper turned to Kalika. "Can I go for that walk now?"
"Can I join you?"
"Sure," Harper smiled. "I'll just get a clean shirt and I can finally get to see some more of this place, where are we again?"
"You don't remember?"
"I barely remember the last couple of days and I know I've been here longer than that, so which Seefra planet are we on?"
"One," Kalika answered.
"Seefra One?" Harper checked, and showed both confusion and joy. "I know where I have to go!" he exclaimed, and showed excitement as he quickly moved to retrieve a shirt.
"Where?" Kalika was confused, having not considered that Harper may have been familiar with this planet.
"The Oasis, that's the bar right, in town?" Harper rapidly checked, picking out a green shirt and quickly putting it on. "Now I'm free to roam this rock, I deserve a drink!" he exclaimed with a smile.
"I think it's called the Oasis, yeah, I don't know," Kalika stuttered. "I hardly know this place myself."
"Then let me buy you a drink, for all the help you've given me, let's have a great night out and relax," Harper offered enthusiastically. "Come on, we both need it," he stressed, seeing Kalika's hesitation. "Though I'm a bit strapped for cash, Marika kinda looked after what I had, so I guess that's lost now," he frowned.
"What the hell, and don't worry I have some savings we can use," Kalika finally gave in and with a smile she took the hand Harper offered and moved towards the door. "Wait," she suddenly stopped them both before they left the house. "Let me freshen up, and put on something more appropriate."
"You look fine," Harper assured her.
"I want to look my best," Kalika smiled, and soon disappeared into her room.
"It's not like we're on a date or anything, it's just a drink," Harper offered under his breath, but then heard his words and frowned, before dismissing the stray thoughts he was now having.
With an amused frown Harper moved into the kitchen to wait, taking a seat at the table. After a few moments he heard the door open, and a man walked in that he didn't recognise.
"Seamus Harper," the man greeted, though lacking warmth as he breezed into the room and dumped his jacket over a chair. "So she fixed you, good for her."
"Who?" Harper began.
"Of course, you don't know me, you never did," the man sneered, and Harper couldn't help but detect the animosity towards him from the man. "I'm Lucas, Kalika's loving brother."
"You saved me," Harper remembered what Kalika had mentioned.
"You could say that, though don't thank me," Lucas stated as he moved around the kitchen area grabbing items to eat. "Honestly, don't thank me."
"Ok," Harper was confused.
"So you look well, why are you still here?" Lucas asked, as he turned around and leaned against the counter.
Harper wasn't sure how to answer so just shrugged. "I still need the treatments."
"I bet you do, pretty lady oiling you up each day, makes it hard for a man to leave," Lucas spoke with suggestive tones. "Just remember that lady is my sister."
"Look, it's not like that," Harper was quick to mention.
"Right, Seamus, I'm ready now," Kalika waltzed into the room with a smile, wearing a pretty frock and she'd let her hair down. "Lucas," she stopped on spotting her brother.
"Not like that?" Lucas looked at Harper. "Where are you two going?" he enquired.
"Just for a drink," Kalika offered. "Lucas, where the hell have you been?"
"Had some business to sort out, you wouldn't understand," he stated cagily glancing at Harper, but looking uneasy for a moment. "But it seems my being away has led to developments behind my back, unwelcome, complicated ones."
"Give it up, Lucas," Kalika dismissed. "Come on, Seamus, let's go."
"I don't think so," Lucas stood in front of the door, blocking their exit. "Have you forgotten why I brought him to our home?"
"I've forgotten and you should too," Kalika warned.
"Why did you?" Harper couldn't help his curiosity.
"He wants to know," Lucas grinned at his sister.
Kalika grabbed hold of Harper and pushed past her brother. "Go to hell, Lucas, why don't you try disappearing for a few more days?"
"So you and the little guy can have some privacy?" Lucas called after her, as Kalika continued to march with Harper towards the town centre.
"I'm sorry about that, Seamus," Kalika then offered.
"No biggie," Harper dismissed. "He doesn't seem to like me, so why did he save me?"
"I can't explain," she hurriedly answered. "It won't make any sense to you so let's just forget that happened and enjoy our night out?" Kalika smiled.
Harper noticed for the first time how pretty Kalika looked, wondering how she had transformed in such a short amount of time. "You look beautiful," he remarked, as they slowed their pace back to gentle walking.
"I don't get to dress up often, so you'll have to excuse me for finding any excuse," Kalika smiled fondly.
"I'm glad I found you an excuse," Harper smiled, seeing Kalika in a slightly different light, no longer his carer but a very attractive young lady. He took her hand and they continued to walk side by side into town.
TBC