The ARC

AN: I'll make you guys a deal, if this chapter does well e.g. Reviews/alerts/favourites then I will update as soon as possible, deal?

Anyway, enjoy this little chapter and if you do enjoy, then review and tell me, just a few little words will do.

Chapter seven.

Connor cast a nervous glance towards his friend in the bed next to him, she was sleeping peacefully and he doubted that she would even remember what had happened the previous day; the Diictodon, the hospital, the ARC, Helen, Cutter. He swallowed as an image of his late professor flashed through his mind. How was he going to tell her? How was he going to bring himself to say that she had lost yet another friend to this job? He was sure that he wouldn't be able to say a word to her, that he would open his mouth but no words would come out. He couldn't see the look on her face again, the look of pure devastation. He ran a hand over his face, smearing un-shed tears from his eyes and down his cheeks. He stayed still for a minute, letting his mind settle and absorb everything that had happened, everything that he was about to do to the poor girl laying before him. He looked back up and was surprised to see Lorelei staring back at him, her eyes filled with concern for her friend.

"Connor?"

He gave her a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes and took her hand.

"You okay?" He asked quietly.

She nodded, "Where am i?"

He cleared his throat, "A hospital."

"I gathered that. Why aren't I at the ARC and what the hell happened? I can't remember a thing."

Connor bit his lip and held back more tears as he looked at her, a picture of innocence. She really didn't have a clue. That made it even more difficult. He turned from his friend as the tell-tale salty droplet fell and slid down his cheek.

"Connor? What is it?"

He shook his head but said nothing.

"Connor, you're scaring me."

He swallowed his sorrow and coughed, "What do you remember from yesterday?"

She bit the inside of her cheek as she struggled slightly with the memory, "Erm, there was an anomaly… in a hospital, and… we went back to the ARC?" She questioned, un sure.

Connor nodded, "Anything else?"

She shook her head, "What else happened?"

The young scientist inched closer to her, squeezing her hand for re-assurance as he did so. He paused before speaking.

"Helen, she took over the ARC," he took a deep breath and began to ramble, "When we got back, her clones were all over the place, we made it to the main room and she had cloned Cutter." His voice quavered as he spoke his lost friend's name, "there was an explosion and Nick… Nick went back in for Helen…"

"Is he all right, Nick I mean?"

He could only stare at her, she honestly had no idea. He couldn't find his voice and only shook his head.

"Did she hurt him?" Lorelei voice was filled with hate as she spoke.

Connor looked down at their entwined hands and began to fiddle with her fingers, not speaking a word.

"Connor?"

He barely heard her.

"Connor!" She wrenched her hand from his and pulled his face up so that it was level with hers, the pleading look in her eyes sent a new wave of grief through him, he knew his next sentence was going to break her, but found he couldn't look away from her blue pools of desperation, so instead of turning, he closed his eyes. He couldn't look at her as he spoke the next three words.

"He's gone, Lor."

She removed his hands from his face, a lump rising in her throat,

"What?"

Connor opened his eyes and looked at the battered face of his friend; tears were filling her eyes and her lower lip trembled lightly.

"Helen, she… she." He sighed and wiped his eyes, "He's gone."

Her face had now glazed over like a porcelain doll; her features remained still as she stared at him, unable to move, unable to think. Her skin was pale, paler than it was minutes before. The only movement was her hand twitching, edging back towards Connor's own hand, needing a great deal of comfort. He held it lightly and almost fell as she collapsed forward, her head resting on his shoulder as she began to sob violently, her other hand reached up to grab a fistful of his jacket. He didn't hesitate in wrapping his free arm around the young woman's back. He could say nothing, for what words could he possibly say to make this situation any better? The two of them stayed like that for what seemed like hours before Lorelei spoke, mumbling into her friends shoulder.

"Connor?"

"Yeah."

"Can you go?"

He sat back and glanced at her,

"I need to be on my own, please."

He let go of her hand and nodded before kissing her forehead gently and leaving the room.

()()()()()()()()()

Becker heard a loud smash as he went to enter Lorelei's room. Connor had left a while ago but Becker couldn't quite bring himself to leave without seeing that she was okay. He pushed the door open a crack and slid inside. The girl in question was sitting up in bed, her hands by her side, completely still. She was looking ahead of her but her face showed little if no emotion. Becker glanced down towards the floor and found what must have caused the noise; there, on the floor was the remnants of a soup dish and tray, the bowl was smashed and the orangey liquid was leaking across the floor in small rivulets. He stared at the scene before him.

"I told them I didn't like carrot and coriander soup."

Her voice was deep and devoid of any sentiment, she hadn't even glanced his way. It was now that the captain noticed that her left hand was bleeding, probably after being cut as she threw the bowl to the ground. Becker didn't know what to say, so instead of trying to start a conversation, he took a step back out of the room and motioned for a nurse to come his way, the red head gave him a questioning look.

"She's cut her hand and destroyed one of your soup bowls." The young woman smiled and walked into the room.

"Hello, Lorelei." She spoke in a patronising way and if Lorelei had noticed then she made no obvious effort to show that she had.

Becker stood back and surveyed the scene before him; the young nurse took a look at Lorelei's hand before dropping it lightly back onto the mattress,

"Just a small cut." She informed him, without turning around, "But I'll clear this up." She said, motioning to the mess on the floor.

"Thanks."

The nurse smiled, "Back in a minute." As she hurried out of the room leaving Becker and Lorelei alone.

"Hey, you all right." He asked softly.

"No, I'm hungry."

"Well, you've just destroyed your lunch."

She turned to him, moving for the first time. The sudden action almost made Becker jump. Lorelei's voice rose slightly.

"It was disgusting."

"Did you even taste it?"

She shook her head, silently, "I've always hated carrot and coriander."

Becker inclined his head once, "So," he paused, slightly nervous around her, the way she was acting, it was so unlike her, so alien, "How are you?"

"I told you, I'm hungry!" Her head had snapped back and her eyes were once again fixed on the grey wall opposite her bed.

The way she was acting scared him, and he knew that she was purposely avoiding the subject of Nick Cutter, but he missed the playful Lorelei, the Lorelei that would muck around with Connor like a five year old. He spotted a tear glide down her cheek quickly and land on her lap, she inhaled quickly before speaking.

"I told Connor that I wanted time alone."

"It's been almost two hours; I thought that you would be lonely."

She looked towards him; a pleading look in her eye that unsettled him, her lip trembled as she spoke in a hushed tone, a voice barely above a whisper.

"Please, just go."

After a moment of looking into her blue eyes, waiting to see if she would change her mind, he left silently. He walked past the nurse from earlier on his way out, she beamed at him,

"Everything all right?"

He grumbled in response.

As I said above, it's up to you whether I continue this story, if you think I should, keep me posted on any ideas that you may have.