Lisa woke up from her sleep feeling refreshed. She stretched her body, taking mental inventory of her body. She was amazed at how soft her skin looked, no sign of the burns she incurrred. She wondered if the blue liquid would be helpful to use for other injuries or if it only had the affect on those who had been in contact with the blue liquid on the Zentraedi ship. Dr. Lang had informed her even thought she hadn't been able to respond back, about their concerns of her recovery. Lisa mentally went through a quick review of the multiplication table, the different fighter squads and the various people that worked on the bridge and was pleased that she could remember with ease all their names and the squad names and leaders.
Lisa thought back on the battle and shook her head that she was not able to come through it unscathed. She hoped that she would have been able to do more and decided that she would need to convice Dr. Lang and Capt. Gloval that they needed to continue with the research and testing of the blue liquid and it's ability to connect a user to a Veritech in amazing ways. Satisfied with her decision on her next course of action, Lisa decided to tackle the other issue that had been bothering her.
Lisa didn't know why, but she was experiencing a strong need to see that Rick wa alright. She knew that his Veritech had entered the bay prior to the Emerald Knight, but wanted to see for herself that he was okay. She didn't know why, but she awoke with a sense that she needed him there, she wondered what it could mean.
Lisa was still pondering on her increased feelings for Rick, when a nurse walked in to check on her. Greeting Lisa, she walked through the tests that she needed to go through that morning. There were not many and the nurse let her know that Dr. Lang would be in to see her shortly. As she was getting ready to leave Lisa, the nurse said, "Well I know your boyfriend is anxious to see you so don't let Dr. Lang keep you too long!"
Wondering what she meant but too shy to ask, Lisa just nodded her head and decided to wait and see what she meant.
Dr. Lang came in and spent some time reviewing with Lisa what she remembered about the battle and while she was unconscious. Lisa expected these questions from the doctor and tried to explain what she felt. "I don't remember much about anything that happened while I in the tank. There was a general feeling that I have that, they wanted me to get better and that they wanted me to be happy." Lisa tried to remember more before answering in more detail. "I think that it found my life to be interesting and different to the Zentraedi life cycle. That I was born and grew to an adult, they were fascinated I felt by my childhood. The sense I got was that Zentraedi were fully grown to begin with and did not have individual personalities until after... after what, I'm not sure, but that individual personality came sometime later." Lisa thought about what she just told Dr. Lang. It seemed to be clearer and clearer to her all the time. "They said, that the Zentraedi were always like the one before... do you think they are implying that they are clones?"
Dr. Lang was also coming to the same conclusion that Lisa was and nodded his head in agreement. "We will have to study this more and if you get any more feelings from them let me know." Wanting to know more whether Lisa coud recall Rick's visits, Dr. Lang probed Lisa a bit more about her unconscious state. "Did you ever feel that there was anyone else with you?"
Lisa looked at Dr. Lang puzzled, "With me? How?"
Dr. Lang just smiled and said, "Well your friends were here with you all the time, I just wanted to know if you could sense their presence."
"No, not really, " Lisa said sadly. She didn't want to mention her increased need to see Rick and asked, "Can I ask who stopped by?"
Dr. Lang checked his watch, he just laughed and said, "I don't think you need me to tell, you. I'm sure they are already here."
Dr. Lang walked to the door and opened it. Confirming that he was right, he asked Lisa if she was ready for company. Lisa smiled and nodded her head in agreement, and wasn't surprised to see Claudia and Roy come in. She greeted them and accepted hugs and flowers that they had brought her but she was disappointed that Rick was not with them, even though she didn't know why.
They stayed to chat with her for about 15 minutes, letting her know that they would return after their shifts were over. Lisa thanked them for coming and watched as they left the room. Sighing to herself and shaking her head to stop her over active imagination, she heard some conversation outside her door before hearing a knock on the door.
Wondering who it could be, Lisa called out for the person to enter and was surprised to find Rick Hunter opening the door. Lisa's heart swelled with happiness and she had to keep her feelings in check to not let them show.
Rick had a huge grin on his face when he entered and came in also carrying some beautiful flowers for Lisa. They reminded her of the wildflowers that used to grow near her home and she thanked him sincerely when he presented them to her. Lisa wondered if he could hear her heart pounding so loudly and looked at him as he took a seat in the chair next to her bed.
"I'm glad you're recovering Lisa, we were all so worried about you!"
"Thanks Rick, did you also come to sit with me when I was out?"
Rick was a little sad to hear that Lisa didn't remember his visits and decided not to say anything yet about what he experienced with her. He didn't want to freak her out.
There was an awkward pause as they both tried to think of something to say, but it was Rick who beat Lisa to it. "Capt. Gloval and Roy told me about you piloting The Emerald Knight. You really saved our necks out there. "
"Thanks, Rick. I wish I could have told you what I was doing. I think you might have understood a little about why I felt I had to do it."
Rick understood but didn't necessarily agree with all the risks that she took, especially linking up to the Veritech in a way that could have damanged her irreparably. "Your connection to the Veritech though, through that blue stuff was kinda risky though. Don't you think?"
Lisa knowing that this was would be the general reaction if this ever got out, simply said, "We have to take greater risks right now, the threat is too great. Rick, you saw what the Zentraedi can do, they can destroy a planet! I can't let that happen. Even now I feel sick to my stomach everytime I think about what Dolza did!"
Rick concerned about upsetting Lisa, decided that now was not the time to continue the lines of questioning and asked her what Dr. Lang had said.
On this subject Lisa was much happier to discuss, "Dr. Lang said that they want me to rest a few more days and get my strength back and then I can return to duty. He was surprised as I am that I've recovered so quickly. It might have been months or years before I woke up if I hadn't been affected by the blue stuff."
Lisa looked at Rick questioningly, "Have you noticed any weird reactions to the blue stuff? I mean do you hear it calling you or anything like that?"
Rick wanted to tell her everything, but instead said, "I am drawn to it and it does fascinate me, watching it swirl around like it's alive, but no I haven't felt anything like you described."
Lisa sighed, she had hoped Rick had experienced something out of the ordinary with the blue liquid and was a bit disappointed to hear otherwise.
Rick didn't stay long, as he knew that Lisa still needed to rest but he asked if it would be okay for him to come back and see her. Lisa was thrilled and told him that she looked forward to his return. Rick leaned over and kissed Lisa on the forehead, said his goodbyes and left the lab, wondering if there was any way to help trigger her memory.
After Rick left, Lisa took her tablet from the side table that Claudia left her and checked her personal email. Seeing that there was nothing that needed her immediate attention, she spent some time reading the news familizaing herself with the news coming from Macross City as they were not receiving any transmissions from Earth. Bored with the local news, she selected a playlist from her music folder and allowed the soothing sounds of the music from the Big Band Era to relax her enough to fall asleep.
It was a few hours before Lisa woke, a tray with food was setup on the table next to her, apparently she had slept through lunch. Still a bit groggy from waking, she thought about the pleasant dream that she had. That Rick and her were at her parent's home, enjoying a picnic and exploring the woods around the area. She smiled and wished that dream could be a reality. It felt so real in some way and she blushed at the thought of being so silly as to dream of him. Lisa got up and spent some time exploring the small room and even donned the robe lying on her bed and left to room to enter Dr. Lang's lab. He greeted her with a smile when he saw her and asked how she was feeling.
Lisa responded that she felt well and Dr. Lang let her know that her tests showed that everything was normal, in fact she was in better than before. Apparently the liquid had not only healed the burns she had, but also removed a scar on her right knee that she had received when she was a child as well as some other minor scars she had that she had received as a child. "In fact, you are better than you were before," Dr. Lang pronounced. He also told her that he saw no reason to keep her in the lab and that the next day if she felt well enough she could return to her quarters for the rest of her recovery. Lisa was happy to hear that as she wanted to get back to a normal life as soon as possible.
Claudia came in to visit in the afternoon as well and brought with her some of Lisa's clothes so she could change when she was ready to leave the next day. Claudia also teased Lisa about Rick and let her know that Rick had been a constant by her side while she was unconscious. Lisa tried to get more details out of Claudia but Claudia just wagged a finger at her and said, "You will just need to find out for yourself."
It was not until evening when Rick was able to return. He brought with him some food from the food court that he hoped to share with Lisa and the two sat together in her room enjoying the variety of foods that he brought. Lisa couldn't eat as much as she wanted as Dr. Lang had told her to take it easy, but she was able to eat two carne asada tacos and the slice of chocolate cake that Rick had bought. Rick told Lisa about what she had missed in the last week that she was healing.
Lisa informed Rick that Dr. Lang was going to let her leave the next day and Rick offered to pick her up and escort her back to her quarters. She was pleased at his suggestion and he agreed to return the next day at 10am to take her back. Still unsure of where they stood with one another, Rick and Lisa hugged goodnight and Lisa gave him a peck on the cheek before he left. As he left, Lisa could hear her heart pounding and wondered what it was about him that made her feel that way.