Thanks again for the Reviews. This chapter is especially for those of you who enjoy a little bit of whumping. Warning: fingernails might not survive this. Enjoy!

OoOoO

Carson was vaguely aware of the noise going on outside the laboratory. But his focus remained completely on Ria, and his attempts to keep her alive.

Every time he got her blood pressure back under control, her heart beat would increase. Her temperature was also veering sharply from dangerously low to dangerously high. Carson had never encountered any medical affliction that caused such a variety of serious conditions that seemed diametrically opposed to each other.

He spent half an hour, although it seemed much longer than that, fire fighting, simply reacting to the symptoms that Ria was presenting. He didn't even have time to try to determine exactly what the gene therapy was doing. He felt as if he was lurching from one crisis to another.

His concentration was so complete, that at first he didn't notice the two guards getting restless. Eventually, in a brief lull between crises, he noticed they were shifting from foot to foot, and exchanging anxious glances.

"Doctor," one of the guards said. "The fighting is getting closer. We need to move out of here immediately."

"Dinnae be daft," Carson responded sharply. "There's no way I can move Ria just now. I'm barely able to keep her alive as it is. If you move her now, you might as well sign her death certificate this minute."

"But, Doctor," the other guard said. "If we don't leave now, we'll all be dead."

"So you're that confident your side is winning?" Carson said ironically.

"It doesn't really matter who's winning out there," the first guard said. "Unless we move from here, we'll be sitting ducks to either side. We can't defend this position."

"Okay, then," Carson said. "Fine, you two can run away and hide. I'm staying here, to do my job. I'm too busy trying to tidy up the mess you lot caused, to run away from a fight that doesn't concern me."

The two guards looked at each other, still undecided about what they should do. If they stayed, they could well be killed in the fight that was getting closer and closer. But, if they left, and Patra returned, then their lives would be forfeit anyway. After a moment's hesitation, and a brief telepathic conversation, they left.

It took quite a while for Carson to notice that the guards had gone. Just as they left, Ria had another crisis, with her heart beat racing to a dangerously high level. All Carson's focus was taken up with trying to get it back under control.

Subconsciously, he was aware that the fighting was getting closer. Every so often, without to realising it, he would jump when a particularly loud volley of shots came near. But that was merely an instinctive reaction. It didn't interrupt him as he worked feverishly to save Ria. An hour had passed without Carson really being aware of the passage of time. His shoulders ached from the tension and the constant battle for Ria's life. He suddenly realised that he was very thirsty, and then his stomach gave a rumble protest at the lack of food.

He glanced round the laboratory, searching out anything he could eat or drink. All for it in the corner, he noticed what looked like a refrigerator. He went over to investigate, and to his delight found something to eat and drink. He was glad that the things in the refrigerator were things he'd already eaten while he was on this planet, otherwise he might be reluctant to try them.

As he got back to the bench on which Ria lay, he looked down at her, ready for the next fight he might have to wage. To his surprise, a pair of green eyes looked up at him.

"Ria, lass," he said gently, stroking her hair away from her eyes. "Are you back with us now then?"

"Carson," she said very softly. He smiled down at her, continuing to stroke her hair. At the same time, his eyes were checking the readouts on the monitors beside her. Amazingly, everything appeared to be normal.

"Do you remember what happened?" he asked.

"I think so," she replied, her voice still faint. "They gave me the gene therapy. I tried to stop them, but there were too many of them."

"It disnae matter," Carson said gently. "You seem to be passed the worst now. But don't try to use your mental abilities just yet. You're as weak as a newborn kitten. Just rest and don't try to do anything."

Just at that moment, the fighting seemed to get particularly close to the laboratory. Ria jumped, startled by the sound.

"What's that?" she asked.

"I think the real leaders of the people decided they needed to do something about your friends," Carson replied.

"And the guards?" she asked.

"Well," Carson said. "They weren't sure who was winning, and they couldn't make up their mind whether to fight or hide. In the end, they just left."

"But you stayed," she said.

"Aye," Carson admitted. "I couldn't leave you, and to move you could have been fatal."

"So," she said, reflectively. "You saved my life."

"How very touching!" Patra said from the door. Carson began to realise just how much he hated the snide edge to everything that Patra said. It set his teeth on edge.

Without turning, Carson replied. "Not something you'd know anything about, touching someone's life, unless it's to cause pain." As he spoke, Carson continued to stroke Ria's here, trying to bring comfort both to her, but also to himself.

"You'll be glad to hear, Dr Beckett," Patra said. "Some more of your friends have arrived."

"Aye, I am glad to hear that. Does that mean you're losing out there?" Carson replied.

"Losing is such a subjective term," Patra replied. "But let's just say, were not likely to be able to stay here for much longer. But one battle, doesn't necessarily mean the war is won."

"Save your propaganda speeches for others," Carson retorted, turning to face the other man. He was surprised when he did, because there was another, younger, man with him.

"I see you've still got your lackeys," Carson said nodding in the direction of the younger man.

"Simo!" Ria said, relief in her voice. "You're okay! They didn't hurt you?"

It was only then that Carson notice the resemblance between his patient and the younger man.

"So this was her brother," he thought to himself.

"Of course I'm not hurt," her brother said, almost disdainfully. "Why would my friends hurt me?"

Ria shot a look at Carson. His heart sank when he saw the look of pain in her eyes.

"But they told me . . . ." her voice petered out as she realised that her brother had in all probability betrayed her.

"You knew they were using me," she said, an accusation her voice. "How could you let them! They forced me to hurt my friends, to betray them, because I thought they would hurt you. But all the time, you're working with them."

Tears started to roll down her face, a silent testament to her grief. Although Carson had suspected her brother might not be the innocent she thought she was, he still was sad that she had had to face this, especially in her weakened state.

"What are you doing here?" Carson demanded.

"We just wanted to make sure that our little experiment didn't fall into the hands of our enemies." As he spoke, Patra raised a gun that he'd been hiding in the folds of his outfit.

Carson instinctively moved in front of Ria.

"Very heroic!" Patra said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "But I was thinking of your research."

With that, he raised his gun and fired several shots at the computer Carson had been using, and the bench which held the various samples he'd been using for his experiment.

"But there again," Patra continued. "You might have had the right idea after all, Doctor. While you're experiment lives on in our friend here, or enemies might just get their hands on your work."

As he had been speaking, Simo had moved around, so that he now had a clear shot at his sister. Carson looked at him in horror. The other man's eyes held a look of madness. It was obvious that he was completely under the control of the older man.

"Simo," Ria said, her voice is soft with disbelief. She stared at her brother in horror as he raised his gun and aimed it at her.

"You're not my true sister," he said. "My real family is here, with Patra."

With that, his finger squeezed the trigger. Carson had readied himself for that moment. He hadn't spent all that time and effort saving Ria's life just to see it ended this way. Time seemed to move very slowly, and he could almost see the bullet coming towards her. Moving more quickly than he thought possible, he pushed Ria out of the way.

At first he almost didn't feel the impact of the bullet as it hit his chest. Then the excruciating pain hit him, radiating out until his whole body was in agony. He almost welcomed the relief the darkness brought him, as he slipped away from the light, towards the eternal darkness.

Ria let out an agonising scream. Both Patra and Simo found themselves flying through the air, their weapons mangled in their hands. Ria reached out to Carson, trying to heal him, to bring him back to her. But in her weakened state, it proved too much, and she slumped over his body, as unconsciousness claimed her.