It felt like ages that Mirabel lay unconscious in the medical ward of Red Dwarf. Thankfully, Holly was able to assist Kryten in patching her up. She was pretty close to death. Cracked ribs, punctured lung, broken wrist, sprained ankle, head wound, all sorts of cuts and abrasions.

Let's face it, space suits are meant to protect you from space, not shield you from being tossed around like a ball in a pinball machine.

And as male Holly would say:

Additional: It's good to have a mechanoid and a female super computer to keep three perverted males from getting a glimpse as a female space officer was being removed from her space suit and clothes to assess her injuries.

"She gonna be alright Kryten? Lister asked.

"She should be coming around soon enough." The mechanoid said checking her saline drip.

"So who is she anyway?" Cat asked.

"Mirabel Hargrove from the United States mining ship Astriaos." Holly said. "Exploration officer. Apparently she is also trained in ship repair and technology."

"And she's completely human?" Rimmer asked. "No tentacles, no fangs, no alien DNA?"

"Nope." Holly said. "Human through and through."

"Damn." Rimmer said. Everytime they came in contact with an alien, they ended up being the test subjects. Would have been nice if the roles were reversed for once.

"Well this you'll like." Holly said. "Mirabel is not from this time. She is from the past. Just after Rimmer put the kabosh on Red Dwarf. A time hole seemed to have crossed her path."

Everyone was surprised, but Lister was especially curious. If Mirabel was from the past thanks to a time hole, and if they could pin point the trajectory of that time hole, maybe, just maybe, they had a shot at getting back to earth. And even better, in their own time, not three million years in the future like they were now.

A groan interrupted Listers thought. Mirabel was starting to stir.

"Heartbeat and blood pressure's up." Holly said. "She's coming to."

Mirabel tried opening her eyes quickly, but was blinded by a bright light.

"Ah easy mum." Kryten soothed. "Just take it slowly."

Mirabel heard the voice and obeyed.

Soon things came in focus. She tried to move, but pain shot through every nerve in her body.

"Hold on there." Anoter voice said. "You got yourself quite a bang up. Like Kryten said take it slow."

"Kryten?" She uttered hoarsely. She moved her eyes and realized that she was indeed not alone. She realized a mechanoid was looking down at her. Ahead of her a screen showing the face of a blonde woman with red lipstick also watching her nonchalantly. A ship run super computer, like the one on the Astriaos.

What got her nerves up though was six pairs of eyes looking at her. Three men.

Oh shit.

She shot up out of the bed, and immediately regretted it.

"Mum, please." The mechanoid said. "Please lie back down!"

"STAY AWAY!" She yelled. She tried getting out of the bed, but ended up falling off of it instead along with pulling the saline drip out of her arm. "DON'T COME NEAR ME!"

Thankfully she had been given a medical gown, but nothing else underneath. In her fear and pain she was able to grab a tray and medical instruments fell to the floor. Grabbing the scalpel, she curled into herself as much as she could she armed herself.

"Take it easy there." Cat said. "We're not going to hurt you!"

"Who are you!?" She yelled. "What do you want!?"

"Now mum, really calm yourself." The mechanoid said approaching her. "We'll explain."

She pointed the scalpel at him to keep him from her. Mechanoids were meant to obey their human masters and who knew what these guys would command him to do.

"Alright this is pointless!" Rimmer said. "Listen you silly woman, you are not in any danger. Except to yourself if you don't get yourself back into that cot. Your ship crashed, we found, and rescued you. And we still haven't heard any gratitude!"

"Rimmer, you tactless smeghead, she just woke up from a week's coma!" Lister said. "Can you give her a few moments before you decide to find her intolerable."

"You are British." She said shakily.

Lister knelt down to her.

"That's right." He said. "And you're American. All of us human. Well really, one human, me, one hologram, that bonehead with the H on his head, Arnold Rimmer, one human cat hybrid, Cat, we'll explain him later."

Cat waved.

"A mechanoid, that's Kryten, and Holly, our ship's computer. We brought you here to our ship, The Red Dwarf."

Rimmer sighed and he too knelt down.

"You really have nothing to fear." He said. Normally he would have balked at the fear she was showing, but in reality, he actually, felt bad for her. Lister was right, what could she know after being unconscious for days.

Did he just think Lister was right?

Never mind.

"Red Dwarf?" Mirabel uttered. Why did that name ring a bell?

The hologram named Rimmer extended his hand.

"Please drop the scalpel and let's get you back in bed." He asked.

Lister, Cat, and Kryten all looked at each in surprise. Ole Bonehead was being, polite, to someone else, what was his game?

Mirabel looked at the hologram and a thought occurred.

"But I won't be able to grasp your hand." She said. "Holograms don't have physical presence."

"I do." He said. "I was given hard light. I'll explain why later. Just get up as best you can. We gotta look at your arm anyway, that tumble you took caused the drip in your arm to rip out, looks like you just added another patch of stitches to your already amassed injuries."

She looked to her left arm and indeed slow rivers of blood were trickling down. She was tired, dizzy, and over all in immense pain.

Mirabel shakily took his hand and realized she could indeed touch it. Rimmer pulled her to her feet. But the sensation was too much for her weak state and before she could take a step, she once again collapsed into unconciousness. Rimmer caught her before she hit the cold floor.

"Oh dear!" Kryten proclaimed. "Bring her quickly Mr. Rimmer sir!"

Rimmer did as was told. After getting her hooked back up Holly was able to do an intensive scan.

"She's alright." Holly said. "Just had a bit of a shock to the system. Should be 'round again in a few hours."

"I feel it best if we do not rush in our introductions the next time." Kryten said. "She was quite overcome."

"Quite overcome with how handsome I am." Cat said pulling his lapels. "No woman can resist that."

"Oh shut up." Rimmer said. "Let's go."

"We scared her is all." Lister said. "Face it, how would you feel if you woke up from a coma, feeling like you just had the worst bar room brawl of your life, and the first thing you see is female form of us."

"You as a woman might get me nervous, but a female me!?" Cat said. "I'd be in love."

"And I'd be sick." Rimmer answered.

Lister decided to hit him with a come back.

"So uh, was her hand soft Rimmer?" Lister asked giving him a sly grin.

"What?"

"For once you weren't a total idiot around a woman." Lister said as they entered their quarters. "Dare I say, there was compassion?"

"On the contrary." Rimmer said. "She was acting like a maniac. What was I supposed to do, put her in a headlock and give a sleep blow to the neck?"

"She'd do it to you first anyway." Lister said picking up a magazine and jumping onto his bed. "But you were smooth back there, I gotta say."

"What are you driveling on about?"

"Getting her to calm down. Taking her hand. I think you like her." Lister said. "I think you are on the pull."

"Hey yeah." Cat said sitting at the table. "In fact, out of the three of us, you have been hanging around the medical bay the most."

"Just a bout of insomnia!" Rimmer said. "Besides, someone has to watch the scutters and make sure they don't do something stupid while in there or make sure one of you doesn't decide to get sneaky and take a peek!"

"You were the one who wanted them to learn how to work in the medical bay!" Lister said. "My eye is still recovering after they tried to check me temperature that one time. And you are just as sneaky as the both of us when you put your mind to it."

"And Kryten and Holly have been watching her day and night." Cat said pointing at him. "They sure don't need you, Goal Post Head."

He then decided it was now time for one of his many daily naps and headed to his room

Rimmer could react to all this talk the best way he could.

"Oh smeg off the both of you!" He yelled. "Unlike the two of you there is no ulterior motive I have with this woman. Though I am sure the minute she is finally mobile you will waste no time in getting a chance with her."

"Who says you won't as well?" Lister said chuckling.

"I won't alright! Now, just leave me alone." Rimmer said angrily. He laid down on his bed and stared at the ceiling. He then stared at his hand. That one that had held Mirabel's. Of course he would not tell Lister he thought it was soft, nor did he feel a jolt in his chest when he had to hold her to keep her from falling to the ground in a heap.

No. He couldn't do this to himself. As much as he wanted to relish in this feeling, he did not want hurt again like he had been when Lister gave him the memory of Lise Yates. Or when he had that brief liasion with Yvonne McGruder. And when he briefly fell in love with Nirvanah Crane when he was on the Holoship. In the end, it never stayed, something always got in the way. He wanted love, but it didn't want him, and he was tired of it.

No Arnold J. Rimmer would not let himself fall again. He had to maintain his pride. She was just a woman on his ship, nothing more than that.