"…Every one ok?"
"I think I'm going to be sick…"
"All systems functioning normally, which is a hell of a lot more than I can say for the Maru…"
"…Ok, then lets refuel and get the fuck outta here"
"Language!"
"You'd be pissed if it was your ship."
"There's a drift not far from here, we can refuel and contact the Andromeda from there…"
This time there was no gentle lull back into reality for Beka, she woke up without even being aware she had been asleep. The pain in her stomach had returned with a vengeance, causing her breath to come in ragged gasps. Recently voices had begun accompanying the images that danced before her eyes. But she had no way of knowing how recent, "recently" was or indeed how long she had been here at all. Time was just a word to her now, it had no meaning, it was just a concept, an idea.
"Pull yourself together Valentine don't loose it now."
"Hello?" there came new voice from the darkness.
"Who's there?"
"The name's Maddox, but every one calls me Max, or er, Maddi if you like."
"Before you start telling me your life story, I gotta know. Are you real or a figment of my imagination?"
"Erm…real, I think."
"You think?"
"Well… how do I know you're real?"
"Because I…" Beka broke off in a coughing fit.
"Ok, I'm convinced! Don't kill yourself…You still there? …Hello?"
"Rommie…" Beka murmured weakly.
"Rommie? Is that your name? Are you hurt? Talk to me, please, I've been on my own so long, don't leave me now."
"…name's Beka…"
"Ok Beka, are you hurt?"
"Stomach, I think it's bleeding. Not sure if I bit my tongue, or I'm coughing up blood…can't breath." She gasped.
There was a long pause before the voice answered, "Ok Beka, I'm going to try and get to you but I need you to keep talking so I can follow your voice ok? Tell me about yourself, where are you from? What species are you?"
"Space, human."
"Good, do you have a job, or boyfriend? Keep talkin'." Maddi, which Beka could now make out as male, sounded much closer.
"Pilot, I'm a pilot." Beka's voice became stronger as she was able to organise her thoughts.
"Really? Me too, or at least I was." He seemed to be right by her leg now.
"Rommie, and Rhade, I don't know where they are, I've gotta find them."
"There's nothing you can do for the moment, so just lie still…er, I can't see where I'm putting my hands so er, you know, sorry if I accidentally touch your…er"
"Wound? Or something?" Beka offered helpfully.
"Or something" he agreed.
Beka jumped as she felt a hand lightly touch her leg.
"Now do you believe I'm real?"
"I guess so. I thought I was going crazy."
"That's the general idea, this is a sensory deprivation chamber, first they send you crazy, then they reprogram you."
"Why."
"To get information, to use you for something else. I dunno, I suppose I'll find out when they break me."
"Who are they?"
"I'm afraid I know about as much as you. But I'll tell you what, whoever they are, screwed up big time. I mean my senses aren't exactly deprived, at the moment, I may not be able to see but I can still smell and feel the cold, and now I can hear your voice too. It's gonna take a long time to tip me over the edge…"
Beka cried out as Maddi's hand finally reached her stomach.
"Sorry!" He said quickly, somewhat panicked.
"How. Bad. Is it?" Beka asked through clenched teeth.
"Erm, there's a lot of blood, I don't think the wound is very big, but I don't know how deep it is."
"I could have told you that." Said Beka making an attempt at sarcasm but not quite pulling it off
"I'm going to try and stop the bleeding." Maddi answered uncertainly.
"With what?"
"My shirt's quite clean. I think, although my jacket may be another story."
"You can't do that you'll freeze."
"I'll survive."
There was a ripping noise, a few moments later Beka felt soft fabric gently being pressed to the wound.
"I'm gonna have to lift you up to tie the bandage"
She felt his hands on her shoulders.
"Can you lift your arms around my neck?" he asked as he checked them for bleeding as well.
Beka was pleased to find she could
Maybe it's not as bad as I thought, maybe it's just a scratch and my mind's just playing tricks on me again because I've got nothing else to focus on. Because I had nothing else to focus on she corrected as she felt the sinewy muscle of Maddox's back and the prominent bones, it felt like this man hadn't eaten in quite some time
"How long have you been here?" she asked suddenly curious.
"Well put it this way I was clean shaven when I first woke up here."
It was then that Beka became aware of his long shoulder length hair tickling her arms. She had to clench her teeth to keep from screaming as he gingerly lifted her up. Once in an upright position she felt him wrapping lengths of cloth around her midriff, she could also feel his face against hers and with it a well developed beard. Slowly with his work finished he laid her back down.
"As long as we keep talking to each other we'll stave off insanity for a little longer. I'm guessing that stab wound pierced your diaphragm, which is why you're struggling to breath. Try not to move too much. I felt swelling over your ribs, either bruised or broken…" Beka could almost hear him shrugging "it's not a good idea to move about." He finished lamely.
So much for it being just a scratch Beka thought wryly, then all of a sudden a memory as clear and vivid as if it had happened only moments ago flashed in to her mind.
"Stab wound?" she asked sharply.
"Just a guess," Maddi' replied puzzled "why? Do you remember something?"
"I wasn't stabbed… I was shot."