The door to Locksmith's temporary lodging slid open. Darkness reached out of the room into the bright corridor. A tall man walked into the room gazing from side to side. There was little lighting in the room as the man felt around the area with his arms held out searching for a wall. Locksmith hissed, moving about the room, avoiding the human individual.

And yet the figure came after him.

The figure crept forward toward him in the dark then he lunged with a shriek.

The figure stumbled back with a crash to the ground and groaned.

Locksmith retreated to his corner of the room with his heart racing clenching a hand against his chest.

It was either be killed or kill the attacker. He had came in for temporary stay while they took his DNA and did a series of tests. That had to be several days ago. He wasn't sure how long but with his stomach rumbling, his lips feeling cracked, his roots and leaves shrieking for water, it had to have been several days.

The door to his lodging slipped open and a short figure came in.

"Will!"

Locksmith's eyes widened then he recoiled into his corner of the room with a horrified shriek and Maureen looked toward him.

Maureen was joined by Judy then they dragged him out of the room and the door closed as Locksmith began to sob.

"Well, it was dark in there."

Radic stared at the officer.

"Why was it dark in the room?" Radic asked.

"Well, sir, that's uh. . ." the botanist in charge, Charlie Allen, replied. "That is one of the rooms you personally designated for miscellaneous uses. And it was a controlled experiment to see if his human half could keep him alive without sunlight."

"Someone turn the lights on, and take care of the raspberry bush!" Radic ordered.

Allen's colleague bolted out of the sick bay.

"You!" He pointed towards Allen. "When we get to Alpha Centauri, you will suffer the same treatment he did for one week. That is your discipline."

"But-" Allen protested.

"What you did was inhumane." Radic said, then coldly added. "Try walking in his shoes. Now. Go."

Radic turned away then approached Maureen.

"I thought you put him in the hydroponics." Maureen said.

Radic grimaced, shaking his head, in disappointment.

"I believed the best botanists on this ship knew where to put a plant humanoid," Radic said. "It won't happen again. I will make sure of it."

"Then they are out of the question." Maureen said.

"Who are you going to get to help?" Radic asked.

"Will will fly them to where they need to be," Maureen said. "Close as he can. Then he will wait far away."

"The plan is good." Radic said, then looked toward the boy on the bed. "I am sorry about this."

"Just make sure it doesn't happen, again." Maureen said.

"I will." Radic said then walked away.

A few hours went by waiting for Will to wake up. Maureen waited by his bedside in the nearest chair. She had her hands on the arm rest, attempting to relax, tapping her fingers as she looked on toward the recovering young boy. He wasn't a boy, anymore. He was becoming a young man. It was hard to see him as a teenager. Will had grown like a weed.

"How are you feeling, mom?" Judy asked.

"Bittersweet." Maureen replied.

"How so?" Judy asked.

"When I was in this position, years ago, Will was fighting for his life in a incubator and I . . ." Maureen said. "I used to read to him from a chair like this." she patted on the arm rest in reference. "I continued this long after he got home."

"This time, it is better." Judy said.

"Feels like I am making a better memory over it," Maureen said. "I like it."

"That is because you are healing," Judy said. "You're waiting for him to wake up. There is no fight to be had. Except-"

"The cure." Maureen cut her off.

"Yes." Judy nodded. "The botanists say it's so early into the change that it could be reversed in its tracks with antibiotics."

"It can?" Maureen looked up toward her in surprise.

"It can be." Judy said with a hopeful smile. "They beat it in a dish."

A groan escaped from Will and the women came to his side leaning against the biobed looking over him with smiles. Will's eyes opened slowly then he stared at the women in bewilderment looking over him and he lifted himself up. In the next second, they charged at him before he could say a word and caught him in a hug quite abruptly.

"You look like I have been in a coma for ten years." Will said.

"Ten hours, little bean." Judy said.

"You're awake," Maureen said. "That is the part which matters the most."

Will leaned out of the hug, his hands moving to the sides of their shoulders, his face became painted in concern.

"How is Doctor Smith doing?" Will asked.

"We don't know." Judy admitted.

"I want to see him." Will said.

"Judy, is it advisable to let him see . . ." Maureen said.

"As a doctor, I have the opportunity to recommend against it." Judy said. "As a sister, I have no power over him. Except, you."

"I want to see how he is doing." Will insisted.

"You're going to sneak out of the room if I don't let you." Maureen squinted her eyes back at him. "Are you?"

"Maybe." Will said.

"You can go." Maureen said.

"And can I have a water bucket?" Will asked. "I get the distinct feeling they haven't watered him."

It was almost a parade of how Will wasn't to different between himself and his counterpart, kindness. He cared more about others then how he cared about himself when it came down to it wearing his heart on his sleeve. And she found herself smiling then looked toward Judy from the other side of the bed.

"I will get it." Judy said.

It was Maureen who put in her access code and the lock in the door was let go. She looked up toward her son then gave him the nod. The door opened then he walked through the doorway into the cell. Will entered the brightly glowing room with artificial lights above his had then the door closed behind him.

The older man was set in the corner of the room with his arms wrapped around his legs hunched over making himself look smaller than he really was. The lighting in the room made his leaves look pale even that he appeared to be small bush that had seemingly grown through metal. His figure was covered in shackles that were tied into a hook installed in the floor.

The older man raised his head up toward the direction of the young boy spotting him where he stood.

"Doctor?"

Locksmith raised his head up and beneath the leaves; he grinned.

"Mmm dd byy!"

Locksmith bolted after the tall boy but crashed with a shriek as the shackles electrocuted him and he crashed to his knees.

"Doctor Locksmith!"'

Locksmith looked up, pleadingly toward Will, heartbroken.

"Hhhhlll. . ." Locksmith struggled to say. "mmm."

Will noticed the shackles were electrical restraints for large animals. His hands were in large rounded contraptions -which made his hands look smaller in comparison- that resembled boxing gloves with spikes that dug into his skin on the side. The bolts cackled with electricity. Then Locksmith lowered his head and scrambled back until the side of his arm hit the wall. Will crossed the distance between him and the old man.

Will put down the green water bucket beside him. The young boy slid himself under Locksmith's arms and hugged him. Will could feel the man's figure trembling and the sounds of sniffling. As if he were ready to break apart and weep from the troubling episode.

"Ssssh, it's okay. It's going to be okay." Will assured.

A few moments later, he crawled out of Locksmith's trembling grip. Locksmith's blue miserable eyes looked toward Will, shadowed by the leaves, but full of pain and doubt.

"Will-uum." Locksmith tried to speak with his mouth closed making noises that sounded that similar to what he wanted to say. He looked toward the wound that was covered by the bandage then pointed toward the wound with his hands in two rounded bulb restraints that reminded Will of mitts. "I'm sorr-eee I'm sorry! I am sorry!"

"It's okay." Will pat on the older man's shoulder as Locksmith lowered his head. "Accidents happen all the time in space."

Locksmith nodded in agreement.

"Thirsty?"

Locksmith whimpered with a nod.

"Here." Will stood up to his feet then slid the water can forward and the water sprinkled down the man's figure.

"Mmmmhhhm." Locksmith groaned, humming, closing his eyes as he sprouted with renewed feeling and happily sighed with a smile. His lips were coated in water then the cracks were no more as the space between them were filled. He looked toward the boy in fondness. "Tthhnnnk yuuu, mmyy deer booy."

Locksmith whimpered.

"Want a little more water, Doctor Locksmith?" Will asked.

Locksmith nodded in return.

"Here."

Will poured the last of the water over the man's figure.

Locksmith smiled beneath the leaves looking toward the young boy.

"Thnnk y."

Then just as Will was about to leave, Locksmith yanked his arms forward stopping the boy from going on ahead of him sliding the chains around his arm. Will turned toward the older man, puzzled.

"What is it, Doctor?" Will asked.

"Yyyy d uu cm?" Locksmith asked, tilting his head.

"I was going to ask you if you could infect the botanists the first time around." Will said. "We need more than two people."

"Hmm."

"We realized the ground wouldn't cooperate with the wheels and you would die sooner rather than later than expected." Will elaborated as the older man unwrapped the binds from around his arm. "Using them is out of the question."

"Brrry?" Locksmith offered, turning his back toward Will.

Will snickered at the impressive sight of raspberries.

"Sure." Will said. "Might as well enjoy what I may not be able to in the future."

Will picked off several of the raspberries at a time then got up to his feet using the older man's shoulder as his support. Years in space was all it took for someone selfish as the older man to become kind. It was the kind of kindness that came from someone who knew how it felt to be helpless and unable to do a single thing on what lead to the matter. Will picked up the water bucket then went out of the room.

"Mom." Will said.

"Yes, Will?" Maureen asked.

"I want to help lift them." Will said.