By midnight of the first night, Alonzo's skin was hot with fever. He tossed and turned in delirium, at times trying to arise. It took all Julia's strength to keep him in place and stop him from tearing at the few bandages that wrapped his head and eyes. She tried to dull the pain with medication. She spoke forcefully, telling him that he must lie still so he did not injure himself further.
During the times Alonzo quieted, Julia dozed fitfully. It seemed she no sooner fell asleep then he would become restless again. When she tried to attend to his needs, he fought her as if she were a demon intent on tormenting him. His screams woke the others. They taxed her patience with questions and demands that she allow them to help. They hindered rather then helped her so, by the next morning, she was insistent on an area away from them all. Eventually, she won this battle. The second night she confronted Alonzo's pain and demons alone.
Julia knew the first 48 hours were critical as fluid, salt and protein leaked into the burned area. Alonzo's body swelled, blisters filled with pus and his blood pressure dropped. Typically the cycle reversed itself. The fluids she pumped into him created an excessive urine output lowering his electrolytes. The doctor had inserted catheter and feeding tubes into her patient. Fluid intake and output were measured hourly.
She also monitored him closely for erratic heartbeats that might be caused from the chemical imbalances. With all this came the danger that shock might cause the collapse of any of the major systems of his body. A kidney, circulatory or digestive shutdown would be fatal.
Late in the evening of the second day, Bess called her on gear reminding her to eat. The woman met the doctor at the edge of the zone with a tray of food. Bess was clearly startled at Julia's appearance and begged her to allow someone else to help her with Alonzo's care.
Julia thanked her, refused and retreated to the tent. She swallowed a few mouthfuls before putting the plate to the side. It was quickly forgotten as she studied the new readings.
At some point during the night, she fell into an exhausted sleep. As the pain medication wore off, the pilot became agitated. She woke to find that he had pulled the wrappings from his head. Thin ribbons of blood trickled down his neck from the disturbed scalp wound. He rubbed at the cloth that bound his eyes until she grabbed his hands in hers. The feel of the protective gloves she wore was foreign to him and he pulled away.
"No, Alonzo, please, you're hurting yourself."
His hands closed tightly on hers in frustration, gagged by the tube in his throat. She pulled free long enough to place a sedi-derm against his throat. As the drug entered into his bloodstream, he fell back into her arms.
She cleaned and rewrapped his head, conscious of her dwindling supply of medication. While the camp slept and Alonzo lay still under the drug's effects, she checked on Danziger, collecting a few of her plant samples. Perhaps she could manufacture what she needed during the times the pilot was sedated.
When she returned, she bent over the pilot to check on him. The plastic of the protective outfit crackled. He reacted to the sound by moaning fitfully in his sleep. She leaned over him and brushed his hair against a fevered brow. The caress seemed to give him comfort despite the unfamiliar feel of the rubber gloves she had to wear to safe-guard him from infection. Julia pulled her cot over and laid close beside her lover. She continued to stroke him, until at last her hand lay still. The world grew dim around her as the care and grief took leave of her senses. She slept as night faded into day.
The Morning of the Third Day
"JULIA!!!"
The cry startled the young woman from an exhausted sleep. Alonzo stirred slightly under her scrutiny as she checked on him. She hurried to silence the source of the shouting so it would not disturb him further.
Shedding the clear protective wrap, she exited the tent. A quick glance told her the sun was only about an hour above the horizon. Some of the OPS crewmen nervously paced the edge of the agreed on zone. The doctor hurried to meet them, pulling back the hair which had come loose during the night in an effort to make herself presentable. This would be the extent of her preening. The brief interrupted sleep left her irritable and out of sorts.
Why hadn't they contacted her on gear instead bellowing from a distance? It had been agreed, if there was any change in Danziger's condition, Bess would contact her on gear immediately. Since Morgan's wife was not among this group, Julia's wondered what the problem could be.
"I gather this is important."
"What do you think?" Baines answered her. The Technician pointed to the area behind the isolation tent.
A half dozen Terrians stood formidably on the surrounding hillside, the ornaments at the tip of their staffs gleaming in the early morning sun.
Feeling uneasy, the doctor asked, "How long have they been there?"
"Your guess is as good as ours. They were there when we got up this morning. We were hoping that Alonzo might know what they want."
"Alonzo is asleep and I have no intention of waking him. He's in no condition to contact the Terrians."
"Well, what are we suppose to do about them?" Baines' voice rose with frustration and fear.
"I don't think there is anything we can do about them right now except ignore them."
They all looked at each other.
Morgan stepped forward. "Julia, the Terrians are just part of it. We've been talking and we're not happy with the way things are right now."
The doctor straightened defensively and searched the sullen faces around her. "Well, I can't say I am either, but I'm too busy to stand around bitching about it."
Morgan squirmed under her sarcasm. "Julia ....we have concerns. We need to know how things stand. Danziger has been out for almost three days. What if he doesn't recover? How do we know if the dose of poison he was subjected to is not fatal?"
Since the crash, vulnerability ran through their lives like an underground stream, unseen except for those times of extreme stress when it rose to the surface.
"Morgan, I checked him a few hours ago. He still appears to be in the same state that you were in when you were stung The double dose might make his recovery period longer, but I see no reason to doubt he won't wake up just as you did."
Julia wasn't fooled. They parried with words but the real issue was that she convinced Danziger and Walman to risk their lives to save Alonzo's. Of course, either man could have refused. If they had, she would have gone after the claws herself. There was no doubt in her mind then and she wouldn't allow them to second guess her decision now.
Clearly, some of the others were not as confident. With Devon gone and Danziger out of commission, there was no leader, no mechanic to fix the transportation they depended on to reach New Pacifica. They were a ship without a sail or rudder and there were rocks looming in all directions.
The stand-off was interrupted by an anguished cry from the isolation tent. Julia turned her back to the group and rushed back to her patient. The men stood staring after her, uncertain about what should be done.
As the doctor hurriedly dressed in the sterile outerwear, another cry pierced the air. "Ahhhh!!"
Throwing back the plastic lining, Julia was distressed by the sight that greeted her. Alonzo had torn the tubes from his body. Blinded by the gauze dressing that covered his eyes, he groped about his surroundings.
"Oh, no!!" The doctor hastened to his side. "Alonzo, it's me. Julia."
His hand jerked away as it came in contact with the plastic covering she wore. She cursed the protective layer that separated them and tried to soothe him with a gentleness of her voice.
"It's all right. It's a preventive measure to guard against infection."
"Thirsty."
"Okay, lie back and I'll get you some water."
She eased him back to where she could support him with one arm and raised a cup to his mouth with the other. As he drank, his lips cracked and bled under the tension of movement. He moaned in pain, pushing the cup away. Julia dabbed the blood away and applied an antiseptic cream to the weeping wound.
While the pilot panted from his effort, the doctor did a quick evaluation of the damage done in her absence. "Alonzo, several of the blisters have broken and have to be cleaned. It's going to be painful. I could sedate you but I'm running low on medication. If you think you can stand it, I promise I'll be as quick as possible."
He nodded his understanding.
"I'm going to have to restrain you."
"No!" His breath quickened.
"Alonzo, I have to. I know how this brings back the feelings of being trapped, but it's necessary if you're going to remain awake. You have to be kept still. If you move about, you may break others open, and with that comes a greater risk of infection."
"Eyes?"
"Your corneas are irritated. It's better if you keep your eyes closed until they have time to heal. That's the reason for the dressing. I promise there is no permanent damage."
She prepared what she needed as she talked, taking in the watery yellow discharge which seeped from angry deflated bubbles along his feet, legs and groin. Taking a deep breath to steady her resolve, she padded his skin under the cloth straps before securing his limbs to the sides of the cot. His hands balled into fists as she began her work. Soon he was groaning and attempting to twist away from the relentless scrubbing but the straps held him firmly in place.
She worked with a thoroughness that gave no indication that she heard his pleas to stop, but when she finished, they were both covered in a sheen of sweat and almost as equally exhausted.
The pilot panted from the waves of pain that washed over him. The doctor knew he was continuing to suffer despite the fact that she no longer touched him. She hated to give him more bad news.
"Alonzo, I can leave the feeding tube out but I'm afraid the catheter will have to go back in." She felt him tense under her hand.
After she completed the procedure, she released the restraints slowly. His body, taut with tension, relaxed somewhat. Even his breathing slowed.
"It's over. I'm sorry if I hurt you. Debridement was necessary so healing can take place without the hindrance of dead tissue. I'm going to put some warm compresses on you. This will relax the epidermis and dissolve any crusting. It should make you feel a little better."
He turned his face away, as if he didn't believe her. It was a small gesture but it tore at her heart.
In the small alcove off the main tent, Julia removed her hood and gloves. Putting on the communication gear, she contacted Yale and asked him to have someone bring a few containers of water to the medical tent. She would meet them outside. As she talked, she gazed at her own hands. The areas that had been burned during the freeing of the pilot were puffy and red. Some areas were infected despite numerous immersions in the antiseptic basin. As an after-thought, she asked that Walman accompany whoever brought the water.
Julia met Baines and Walman as they approached the tent carrying two large containers of water. The doctor threw a quick glance in the direction of the Terrians and saw they were still there, maintaining their vigil. She caught Baines as he looked uneasily from the Terrians to the tent. Alonzo's screams must have unnerved him, to say the least. She wondered what emotions it aroused in the Terrians.
Walman sported two black eyes but she was happy to see the swelling was down. His nose appeared normal. The doctor's eyes traveled down to his hands and found the same indication of infection that hers did.
"Have you been using the cream I gave you for the burns?"
"Yea, I've been putting it on just like you told me. It still hurts though."
She examined his hands and arms. "Why didn't you let me know it wasn't helping?"
He shrugged. "You were busy. It doesn't hurt that much."
"Walman, infection is nothing to play with. Wait here."
She took the jug from him, wrapping both arms around it to balance the weight against her body.
"We only filled them to the point where we thought you could manage them."
"Thanks, I appreciate that." She struggled, feeling weak under the liquid's weight. It occurred to her that lack of sleep and skipped meals were contributing factors to diminished strength. Work and stress were silent thieves, stealing her health and fitness.
After depositing the water in the alcove, she emerged with the diaglove and scanned Walman.
"You're running a slight fever. I want you to increase the applications of the cream. Make sure the areas that were burned stay clean. Drink plenty of water and rest. That means no work. Understand? If it seems to be getting worse, call me immediately. Day or night."
The doctor could see she was scaring him. "Look, I don't mean to frighten you. It's just that our resources are so limited right now, it might be better to err on the side of being overly cautious."
"Okay."
Baines shot his friend a dirty look, knowing he would have to take up Walman's slack. "How long, Julia? How long before Danziger wakes up? How long before we can see Alonzo? We need to know why these diggers are watching us like this. I don't know about you, but they're giving me the creeps. What do they want?"
Julia sighed and glanced back again at the tall silent figures on the hillside. "I'm sorry. I don't know the answer to any of those questions."
The black man snorted in disgust. "Great."
Ignoring his response, she added. "Tell Bess I'll be down later to check on Danziger. Right now, if you'll excuse me, I want to try to make Alonzo comfortable."
She turned back to the tent and threw a final comment over her shoulder. "Walman, make sure you do what I told you."
"I promise." The big man looked from the retreating doctor to his concerned friend. "Look man, she's doing the best she can."
"Yea, I know but it doesn't make me feel any better."
ooo
---end part 4---