I didn't quite like how this ended, so I changed the ending a bit and added this chapter.
Gone
Doc only managed to place his hands on either side of Wanderer's cyrotank before he was interrupted. The voice was impossible. It had belonged to the person currently inside this insane contraption. For one brief moment, the impossible opened for Doc. Wanderer was still here. By some miracle, she stayed in her body. A medical miracle! She was human; this heinous act was nothing but mistake, a complete waste of time. Because no matter what he did, Wanderer could not be separated. She would stay here whether she liked it or not. He felt himself smiling for a brief moment, until his sanity came down on him. It was not Wanderer, just her voice. Using it, Melanie had addressed him. He felt his heart slow and the cool trickle of deception crawl across his neck. He could not blame Melanie for deceiving him but never the less, he did.
Turning slowly to face her curious face, he waited for her to repeat. His ear had hit the tone, but not the words. Whatever Melanie had asked of him, went straight through him. Jared, standing next to Melanie's vertical frame repeated before Melanie could.
"What are you going to do with her?" Jared asked, clear and direct, his eyes, although dusted with joyous tears, became hard and determined.
Doc stared, holding Wanderer in both hands. Jared stared back, the face of a raider on his. Funny, how quickly he could change to his direct alter ego with so little prompting. But even Jared, with his face harder than steal, could not hide the emotion deep behind his eyes. He understood, all too clearly, what would happen to the strong person within the cylinder. The only person who didn't seem to understand, or refused to, was the one who should have known above all. Doc's eyes now fell to Melanie. She had no problem hiding what she felt for Doc and still seemed to uphold a strong young woman.
Turning away, he muttered all too quietly, "I'm completing her last wish."
There was only a brief pause, until the whole cavern interrupted with Melanie's feral yell, "you can't do THAT!"
Kyle's loud but ignored snores broke in the corner, stopping as he raised his groggy head. He barely had any chance to complain, nor to assess the situation before Melanie stared again, "you can't do that to her! She human! HUMAN! My sister-"
She chocked, unable to finish. Even Melanie, who managed to block the waterfall of tears clogging her eyes, could not spare a break in her voice. Jared clutched her arm to him, his own poker face wavering. Doc ignored them all, walking slowly, foot by foot, towards the exit.
"What about Jamie!" Melanie cried, Jared's comforting arm becoming a restraint as she wrestled to follow Doc, "He'll never forgive you. How could you do this, to a young boy?!"
Doc flinched, but didn't pause, his footsteps continuing at the same beat, like a constant pounding of a drum. It felt like a death march, which it was in all so many cruel ways. He heard Kyle's breath hitch as he understood and moaned a pained, "Ian…" It didn't stop Doc, one foot in front of the other, soft taps along the ground. Tap, tap, tap. But Kyle had given Melanie a last pleading argument.
"Yes, what about Ian? It would be like killing your Sharon, his Sharon! You will have Sharon's blood on your hands!"
Tap, Tap… Doc paused, Melanie's words echoing inside his head. The cavern grew silent, eerie. Over the ruckus, no one realized the growing light outside. Doc turned, not letting his tears betray him and spoke with a wobbly voice, "What do you suppose I do Melanie?"
He didn't wait for an answer. A soon as he turned, the cool sharp press of a knife against the back of his neck stopped him. He stood, standing still as it weaved his way around the back to the front, applying an uncomfortable, but not piercing pressure against his throat.
"Not this," Jared mumbled, half incoherent next to Doc, "anything but this."
Mel stood in front of him, gently taking Wanda's tank from him to hold in her arms. Doc did not try to fight her. "What will you do know?" he mumbled, taking slowly and carefully against the knife.
"I don't know," Mel replied, jutting out her chin in a look of defiance, "but there's no reason to act or decide anything now. There's always time Doc. That's what we have plenty of time for down here."
Doc gave one gentle nod, barely noticeable because of his care around the knife. "And I will not get in you way," he mumbled, a small smile crossing his face. This was his way around it, around his agreement. Wanda would never ask him to die for this promise, he knew her well enough to know that it was true. This was him begin selfish, him being human. Whatever happened, they would think of something, something to accommodate Wanda. Doc let a few of the tears fall down his smiling face.
Kyle's hand was on Jared's, slowly pushing the knife away. Strange, Doc thought, that in this situation Kyle should play the civil, the peace keeper. It made him release a strange bark of a laugh, weary of the grief now laying to rest. The weird laugh fell silent for a moment until, all of them, upset as they were, chuckled lightly at it. The light humor warmed them for a moment, until everything fell cold again, at the sound of running feet. Doc sighed gently, feeling the weight of more his age press down on him. See the new light peer through the cracks, he knew very well who had awoken and found the bed next to him empty.
Ian came through the door, his heavy frame panting from the sprint there. Although his massive frame prohibited nothing boy-ish in his features, his face looked like nothing but a sad, lonely boy. It panged Doc's heart as Ian's eyes searched franticly, only to fall on Melanie. As Ian stared at the body of his former love, Doc could not help contemplate what had made Ian's discovery jump to the worst conclusion so quickly? Had he tried all of the alternatives first, or after last night, had this seemed like the only option? Ian's staring made Melanie uncomfortable. She wanted to inch towards Jared, Doc could see. He was certain Ian could see it too.
"You're not Wanderer," he half-whispered. Not a question, a statement.
It took Ian a brief moment to assess the situation. In that short time, multiple emotions flickered across Ian's face and Doc managed to catch them all; Confusion, Suspicion, Realization, Anger, Infuriation, Betrayal, Madness, then Pain, lots and lots of Pain. He opened his mouth as if to yell, but struggled to get the words out. He chocked, stammered, a few tears rolling down his face. He shook his head, a sob breaking through. Doc realized then that he thought she was gone. Mel seemed to realize this at the same time.
"She's in here," Mel whispered gently, holding out the cyrotank to Ian.
This both shocked and calmed Ian instantly. He reached out tentatively for the tank as Doc turned away. "Wanda," he whispered gently. Doc did not hear or see any more, walking over to inspect Jodi's body. As soon as she was dealt with, he would get stuck into finding Wanda a way. He knew there had to be something. He just wasn't looking hard enough.