A/N: Sorry about this one taking so long... lot of stuff happened in the timeframe in between chapter 6 and 7... including a trip to the hospital for me ^^;; Don't worry, I'm fine... cant say the same for my organs though... and this one is kind of a filler... so please don't be mad!
Her mind stayed restless, even though her body felt weak. Images kept swirling around in her mind, none forming a clear picture. There was a tingling in her shoulder, a numbing feeling. Her head finally stirred as her limbs stretched out and her eyes fluttered open.
"So you once more the light of day. Are you well, Hayden?" The low voice called out to her. "You have been asleep for some time now. Your Admiral awaits you, as does the Spartan."
Hayden rolled onto her side and inhaled deeply. Her right arm still tingled with a cooling effect, a small patch of gauze covering the cut she had inflicted upon herself during her duel with the Arbiter. "Thel..." She mumbled, pushing the thin blanket he had layed on her body off. Sitting up, she scratched the back of her head. She was in her quarters aboard the Sangheili carrier. "How long was I asleep?"
"Two hours since our duel. Are you well?"
She nodded to him, sliding off of the bed while crumpling the blanket up and tossing it aside. "I don't feel like I'm about to pass out on you again, if that's what you mean." She chuckled, smiling to him. "I'm sorry about that. It just...hit me."
He nodded to her, lifting the small preserved plant with his hand. "Your Admiral awaits you, as does the Spartan. Rtas has done his part, as have we all, but you must go, and so must we. Come Hayden... I will be joining you, as will Rtas. Please, join us in the hangar within one half hour. I shall return to escort you." He finished, bowing his head to her .
She sighed, nodding as she stood up and grabbed her lab coat from the corner of the room. "Thel..." Her words were becoming caught in her throat once again, and her knees were becoming weak again. She watched him leave, his steps more sombering than usual. Would their parting really be so hard on him?
She shook her head, grabbing her bag of gear, the plant held firmly in a small mesh outer pocket. The glow was growing faint, and the stem appeared to be shriveling up. A sigh escaped her lips and she sat back down. The more she though on it, the more it began to ache.
May 3, 2556, Sol System, Earth's Orbit
And so, here we are once more; Earth. We've made our back here at last, and I find myself wanting more. I'm predicting that Lord Hood will be furious, in the least. And the plant is beginning to die fast. If I wait too long, it will die, probably by morning.
Despite that, I do not want to leave the Sangheili. I've learned much here, about their customs and culture, weapons, religion... and their Honour. I'd hate having to leave. That being said, I know that Thel has a certain care for me. He's begun to falter in his steps. He doesn't want me to leave.
...Seems I'll have to cut this short... Thel has returned, and it's time for my departure.
Dr. Hayden MacMillan
The door to her quarters slid open, The Arbiter walking in. Hayden's eyes grew wide at his appearance. He was dressed in what she guessed was some sort of ceremonial garb. It appeared ancient on him, but looked right. He wore a black and red robe, trimmed in an ivory white and detailed with gold filament. He wore no armor, save for the guards on his hands, feet, and helmet.
"Are you ready to meet with your Commanders?" He questioned, eyes meeting hers.
Hayden nodded, her mouth remaining closed as she picked her bag up. He turned, signalling for her to follow close. And so, she did just that, smiling half-heartedly at him as she passed him by and into the halls. It was on their way that they met with Rtas, who was also wearing clothing different than his combat gear, and apart from his helmet. The two Sangheili greeted each other by shaking hands at the wrists, nodding to one another. Hayden kept her gaze downward, trying to avoid others seeing the hurt in her eyes.
Even once arriving at the Phantom, she still avoided eye contact from others, only wanting to return home.
Fleet Admiral Lord Terrance Hood paced behind his desk. Wearing his standard white navy uniform, his eyes became mere slits in preparation of their arrival. His wrinkled face showed no sign of joyous anticipation. He grumbled to himself, staggering in his steps as a small party of Elites entered into the large room, with a single human among them. His head rose and his body turned to face them, face expressionless.
"I've been wondering when you'd finally come to speak with me, Dr. MacMillan. I hope that the Elites have treated you well in their travels to return you to us. Pardon my bluntness, doctor, but you've cost us a ship, and sentenced the lives of 200 men to death. Please explain what exactly went on down there." His eyes narrowed as his mouth closed.
Rtas and Thel moved right up behind her, feeling Hayden's whole body tense up at the accusation of killing 200 others. Gaze downwards, she inhaled deeply and began to speak. "After touching down on the Northern Pole of Harvest, we grabbed our gear and headed out. But, we had no idea... Nothing came up on radar, and our radio broke down on us shortly after. Then we encountered what seemed like Covenant forces, composed completely of Jackals, Grunts, and Brutes. And Lord Hood...you are right, their deaths are on my hands." Her face became dark as her body tensed up again. "I'm the one who led them in, the one who got them killed, the one who lived, and the one who may have possibly secured the future of Harvest. If there's anything else you'd like to accuse me of, besides murder, I'll be in my lab." She mumbled, turning around and storming her way out. Thel and Rtas looked at one another, Lord Hood's attention focused on them as the Master Chief entered the room and their conversation began.
Hayden's hands rested against her forehead as she leaned forward. Her chair squeaked as she moved, waiting for the DNA extraction to complete itself. The gentle winding of the gears inside scratched her mind, the printer spitting out a record of species, age, medical uses, and the like. Sitting up and pushing herself away from the computer, she stood and ran her hands through her hair, pulling the mess back and tying it back. Her eyes ached, and when she looked at her reflection on a steel table, it seemed as if they were bloodshot.
"This better work..." She mumbled to herself, leaning against the wall next to some white metal cupboards. "Gods be with me..."
"What Gods would those be, Doctor?" A low voice rumbled, a towering man standing in the doorway. "Last I checked, religion wasn't really an open topic, especially among those who study some form of science. What's going on, Doc?"
Her eyes moved up to see a green-armoured SPARTAN standing in her lab, earning a groan. "Forget I said it. Can I help you, Chief?"
"Some of the Elites are staying for a week. Two of them seem rather fond of you and your research. Mind explaining why?" He questioned, his overbearing form casting too large of a shadow.
His words forced a chuckle from her as she dipped her head, Thel crossing into her mind. "They saved me, Chief. We talked, shared stories, and I learned some of their customs and how to fight in their style. It was an interesting meeting, Chief." She struggled to get the words out of her throat. "I was actually somewhat hesitant to return in the light of the moment because of how interesting their culture is. I wouldn't even mind seeing their planet, just to study the surface and vegetation."
Do you really believe what she's saying, John? Any of it? Cortana mused to him.
"We fought alongside them, Cortana. You don't have to be so harsh."
The female AI laughed inside her mind, watching the Doctor closely. Maybe they got a little too close? Soon as she left Lord Hood's office, the Arbiter's stance diminished a bit, and he even gave their ceremonial bow to her.
"Not like we wouldn't have done the same. It's only been three years, you know that as well as I do, but things change, Cortana, even the bonds of different species. If you think about it, you aren't even really alive."
About to speak, Cortana froze in her place and shut herself down, not wanting to hear another word after an insult such as that. "Forget I said anything then, John. My words don't matter and aren't even really there, since I'm not alive, you know?"
Chief sighed, nodding to Hayden. He took his leave of her, the sounds of the machines and brightness of the lab starting to bother his eyes. "Good luck Doc."
Hayden nodded her head towards him, returning to the computer as the first of her dna indexing completed itself. "Thanks Chief..." She whispered, heaving a heavy sigh. "I'll need it..."
A/N: Sorry that the ending was so weak... Needed to get over that hump, just to get a move on. I've started debating a sequel to this story in my mind... let me know if you think i should give it life?