The beginnings of massive tissue degradation, probably connected to the time spent in the digitizer without being fully processed.

No longer responsive to the regenerator.

Nothing we can do.

At the current rate of degradation, the best we can hope for is a week, maybe ten days.

The doctor had left the team to try to come to grips with the news he'd just delivered. All any of them could do was stare at each other in disbelief.

"All this….all this, and there's nothing they can do for her?" Scout croaked in disbelief. "After thinking she was gone, and then getting her back, and the fight she put up…the best we can hope for is a week?"

Hawk was shaking his head. "No. There's got to be something else. Someone else who is able to deal with injuries of this magnitude. We need to start calling in some favors." His face was determined. "We can start by reaching out to the other Resistance cells."

"We can do that from the jumpship if we head out of here for a little bit," Tank agreed. "It'll be safer to contact them that way. Captain…it might carry more weight if you made some of the calls." There was no answer, and all three men turned from their impromptu strategy session to focus on their captain. They weren't prepared for what they saw. Jon had slumped against the wall, his head in his hands.

"Jon?" Hawk reached out to the younger man and put a tentative hand on his shoulder. "Jon, we have to do something. We can't just give up. She needs you to keep trying."

"I can't do it again. I can't lose her again." It was barely a whisper, but they all heard him. "I can't do it, Matt."

Scout and Tank looked at each other helplessly. Seeing their captain like this…they weren't sure what to do. But they knew Matt was the one that was most likely to get through to him. "I know, Jon," Matt answered, and his voice trembled slightly as he continued. "But right now, giving up isn't going to do anything to help her. She needs you to keep trying. She wants to be here with you just as much as you want her to be. Help her do that – let's see if we can find anyone out there that can help us."

Jon didn't respond at first. Finally, he took a deep breath and raised his head. "I don't want her to know yet. I want her to be able to rest."

"That's more like it," Matt said bracingly. "Why don't you go tell her that we have to go contact someone, and let her know you'll be back soon. You can put out a few feelers, and then jump on a skybike and head back here. We'll finish up with the groups we're closer to."

They had done just that – Jon had returned to Jennifer's room and found her awake, in pain, and exhausted from the trip to and from the regenerator. He'd managed to hide his worry from her and encouraged her to rest, stayed with her until she fell back asleep, and then the four of them had set out, determined to find an answer. Once they were far enough away from the Passages to be safe, they'd started contacting everyone they could think of. They had prioritized the list, and Jon had made several contacts himself before heading back to Jennifer as quickly as possible. He'd found her resting, and had tried to content himself with settling back into what had become "his" chair and watching her sleep.

When he caught himself counting the breaths she was taking, he made himself stop. That kind of thought wouldn't help him at all. All the people he'd contacted had promised to make inquiries but, the truth was, no one knew of anyone firsthand who could help them. There were still plenty of contacts to make, and he knew that the others wouldn't rest until all options had been examined. There was a lead weight that had settled in his chest when the doctor had begun to talk to them that morning, however, and with every passing minute without word that a solution had been found, it got heavier and heavier. A week to ten days…

Jennifer slept most of the day, though it was fitful, and Jon contented himself with holding her hand and trying to memorize her features. He continued to hope that his team had found something – anything – that would help. He couldn't do anything else. For a few brief moments he tried to brace himself for the possibility that he would have to explain to her what the doctor had said. But the lead weight had clamped down on his chest so tightly that he couldn't draw a breath, and he'd pushed the thought away. The team would come through – they always took care of each other.

But the look on Matt's face when he came through the door that evening told him that, despite their efforts, they'd come up empty.

Jon had joined them in the hallway, and was now slumped in a chair, attempting to master his emotions. No one that they'd spoken to had any idea of a medical expert who would be able to help them more than the doctors at the Passages. No one else had the type of medical equipment that they had here, let alone anything more advanced. The entire Resistance, Matt had told him, was scrambling to find a way to help her. No one wanted the Power team to lose a member. But they were hitting brick walls.

"Jon?" Matt's voice finally called to him through the fog his mind was in. Jon looked blindly up at him. "Jon…I think we need to tell her." Jon's eyes closed. How could he do that? How could he look at her and tell her there was no hope, when just days before he'd been begging her not to give up? "Do you want us to be in there with you?"

"No." It was a bit sick and twisted, but Jon was determined to have as much time as possible with just the two of them until…he was going to let himself be selfish this time. "I…I want –"

"Captain." The team turned to see someone coming briskly down the hallway towards them. Jon forced himself to focus – he couldn't actually be seeing what he thought he was seeing.

"John?"

"Captain – I came as soon as I heard." The envoy from Eden 2 strode purposefully up to them and shook Matt's hand. "Major, Lieutenant, Sergeant." He turned his focus on Jon. "I'm sorry, Captain, that it took me so long to reach you. I came as soon as I heard about the Corporal."

"What?" Matt looked at him incredulously. "How did you know –"

"I told you the last time we met, Major. We hear a great deal about you. I'm just glad we heard about this situation in time." He turned back to Jon. "Captain, I need to talk to you and your team in private. I've managed to find an empty room – will you come with me?"

Jon leaned against the wall of the small room, trying to digest what he was being told.

"It can be done, Captain. I've relayed the Corporal's medical records to a colleague of mine that works with the doctors in Eden, and he believes there's a chance they can save her. It would require us to move her quickly, however, before the degeneration progresses too far. We can have a transport ready to take her tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Scout was staring at the man like he was insane. "Move her tomorrow? You say you've seen her charts – do you have any clue how much pain she's in just laying there on that bed? She's in no shape to go anywhere."

John produced several vials from a pouch at his waist. "This is a pain blocker that is more powerful than any of the medicine that they have here. It will make her more comfortable. And this is a sedative powerful enough to make sure she's unconscious the entire time we're transporting her – she won't be in any pain. But, Sergeant Baker, if we wait, the degeneration will progress until we can't reverse it. It will take some time for us to transport her to our facilities in Eden. We can't wait any longer than that."

"You're asking us to send her to a place that we aren't even sure exists," Tank argued.

"I've given you all the proof I can, Lieutenant. And anyway, how is that different from leaving her here to die?" John asked, his voice becoming harsh. He saw all four of them wince, and held a hand up as Matt rounded on him. "Gentlemen, I'm sorry. But this is a very unusual case. We don't usually make mercy runs. It is only because Corporal Chase is a member of your team, Captain, that it's even being considered."

Jon forced himself to think tactically. "If you can help her…how can you help her when no one here can? And if you can, what happens then?"

"First of all, we have the time to focus on things like this, Captain – we're not out here fighting for our survival. Here you have access to a one-stage regenerator. We have developed several stages of regenerators – we think that's what will be necessary to reverse the degeneration. But the toll on the Corporal will be severe – she will be very weak afterwards. It will be necessary for her to remain in Eden to recuperate. She'll receive therapy to build her strength back to where she needs to be to join you again. We're probably talking about months. You'll have to trust us, Captain. She'll be in good hands."

"But we won't have any contact with her, will we?"

"No…for safety reasons. You have to understand that we have to protect all the inhabitants of Eden. It's impossible for us to stay hidden if we transmit messages back and forth. Our only means of communication is through myself and my fellow couriers." He saw the look on their faces. "I'm sorry – the only alternative is-"

"We know," Matt cut in. "It's just…it's a lot to ask, John. Send her someplace else, somewhere where she knows no one, critically wounded…and then have no contact with her?"

"What other choice do we have?" Jon's voice was strained. "No one out here can do anything for her. John is right - if we keep her here..." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "What time tomorrow?"

"I've made contact with one of my colleagues that is heading back to Eden tomorrow. He will be waiting for you at 0700. The coordinates are here," he said, handing a data chip to the captain. "It will be necessary for you to be there on time. He won't have much time to spare in order to get her to Eden before too much damage occurs. I…I knew that you would need time to explain things to her, to say goodbye. But that's all we can give you." John looked directly into the captain's eyes. "Will you trust us, then?"

"Yes," Jon replied. "It's the only chance she's got."

Jon entered Jennifer's room quietly, not wanting to disturb her. A nurse had administered some of Eden's pain medication, and Jennifer seemed to be resting more comfortably already. He was torn – knowing he had a finite amount of time with her, his first instinct was to wake her up. He had so much to say to her. But he knew she deserved this break from the pain, the chance to rest. He settled into the chair by her bed and took her hand again. He was so scared, he wasn't even sure he could speak yet, anyway. Had he made the right decision? He went over and over the scenarios in his mind. The uncertainties were haunting him.

"Jon?" He looked up suddenly to see Jennifer's eyes staring back at him.

"Hey there," he said, smiling to see her awake again. "How are you feeling?"

"A little better," she admitted. "The nurse said she was giving me something different for the pain – did they find something else to give me?"

Jon took a deep breath – there was so much to explain. "We did find something else…but from an unusual source."

"Jon?" Her hand came up to rest on his arm. It didn't seem to cause her as much pain now – Jon was thankful, again, for the medication from Eden. Her eyes were clear for the first time since she'd woken up. However, that meant she could look into his, and he knew she saw his emotions. She was concerned for him…all of this, and she was worried about him. "What is it?" she asked

"We need to talk."

"So…this is my best chance?"

Jon had to admire her ability to look at a dismal situation in an analytical way, even when it concerned her life. "Yes, we think so."

Jennifer closed her eyes. "I'll be gone for a while, won't I?"

"Yes. They're thinking months."

When her eyes opened, he saw uncertainty there. "The doctors here are sure…?"

He could still hear the doctor's words echoing in his head. "They told us earlier that there was nothing they could do. We didn't want to tell you until we'd exhausted all our options. We weren't about to give up on you."

She smiled a little at that. "I know you wouldn't. You didn't give up on me when I first escaped Dread, or when I had so much to learn. You didn't even give up when the base first exploded." She closed her eyes – was she getting tired? But her next words told him her mind was still working overtime. "I'll be alone there."

"No," he insisted, holding her hand tighter. "No, you won't be. I promised you you'd never be alone, and I meant it. I'll find a way to communicate with you, I swear. I can't imagine not knowing how you're doing for months. I- I don't think I can bear that."

She looked up at him, squeezed his hand back as best she could. "I don't want you to worry about me. You have enough work in front of you. The base is gone, you need someplace to go, you have to rebuild our stores -"

"Hey – you have one job, and one job only. You're to concentrate on getting better. That's an order, Corporal." He watched her smile tiredly at him, and realized that he needed to tell her so much more. He'd waited too long last time to tell her how he felt. He'd been worried about how it would affect the team, how she felt in return…But that question had been answered, and that kind of hesitation had cost him his first chance. He might not get another one. He couldn't wait anymore. He scooted the chair closer to her bed and took a deep breath.

"You need to rest. Eden is your best chance, but a lot is going to depend on how hard you can fight. And I need you to keep fighting, Jennifer. I thought you were gone before – I can't lose you again." Her eyes softened, and she opened her mouth to speak, but he pressed on. "When you told us that you were going to blow the base manually…that you were hurt…I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I didn't answer you when you told me how you felt. But I couldn't, because that would mean acknowledging that I wasn't going to get that chance to talk to you later. I didn't want to think that you were…that you wouldn't be there when we got to the rendezvous point. And then you were gone, and I didn't get a chance to tell you. I'm not going to risk that again. I can't let you leave without letting you know how I feel." He stared into her now wide eyes and said, "I love you, Jennifer. I have for a very long time. I didn't know what to do about it, at first," he admitted with a smile. "I didn't expect to fall in love in the middle of this mess. And I was afraid – of what it would mean for the team, of whether or not I'd be able to handle sending you out on missions…of just taking that step without knowing if you felt as strongly as I did. But I've learned that I'm more afraid of being without you," he added. He reached up to wipe away the tears that were now beginning to spill from her eyes. "So I need you to get some rest, and to keep fighting, because I don't think I can do this without you." He leaned forward and kissed her softly. Her eyes fluttered closed for a moment, and then she was looking at him with the most genuine smile he'd seen on her face since she'd woken up. "That's what I needed to see," he whispered.

Early the next morning the Power team was approaching the coordinates John had given them in the Jumpship. Hawk was in the pilot's chair, and Scout and Tank monitored for any sign of Dread activity. The captain's chair, however, was empty. Jonathon Power was sitting on a bunk in the back of the ship, gently cradling Jennifer in his arms. She'd had another dose of the pain medication from Eden, but he was still careful not to jostle her for fear of causing her more pain. At the moment, however, neither of them were focusing on that.

"You know, if we'd have been able to have our conversation like we'd planned, we could've been on a date by now," he teased her gently, trying to keep both their minds off of their destination.

"A date?" she asked, not recognizing the reference.

"Yes – when two people who are…interested in each other spend time getting to know one another."

"Sounds like fun," she smiled. "What would we do on this 'date'?"

"Well…I guess our options would be a little limited nowadays," he grinned down at her. "Before the war, we could have gone out to dinner, caught a movie…I could've taken you for pizza."

"Pizza?"

He stared at her – she didn't know about pizza? Of course she didn't, he chided himself. He'd have to fix that. "Oh, I have to find a way to introduce you to pizza. It's the best – the crust, and the tomato sauce, and the melted cheese... There was this place down the road from school. Our families – Matt's, and my parents and I - were there so much the owner knew us all by name." He smiled at the memory, and toyed with her fingers as he talked. They were so small…she seemed so small and frail. It didn't make sense with the woman he knew. He shook himself mentally and continued his story. "Sometimes just Dad and I went. We even had a 'usual' – a large pizza with pepperoni and extra cheese. All we had to do was walk in and they'd start making it."

"It sounds like you had fun." Jennifer smiled at him.

"We did. I'd love to be able to take you there. Maybe they have pizza in Eden – you can try it there."

At that, her eyes dropped. "I'd rather wait and go with you," she said softly.

"I'd rather that happen, too," he agreed, bending down to kiss her forehead. "But I've been thinking – you might as well take advantage of what you can while you're there. You've never had a chance to know a world without Dread. If this place is all it's cracked up to be, you'll get to experience so much that you haven't before." When she didn't respond, he tipped her chin up to look into her eyes. he was surprised to find tears there. "Hey...you're going to be ok," he assured her. He threaded their fingers together, trying to reassure her.

"It's not that." He had to listen closer to hear her. "What happens when I get there and I don't understand something, or I can't figure out the subtext, or -"

"Shhh." He put a finger on her lips. "You'll be fine."

"You know very well I spend most of my night duties discussing things with either one of you guys or Mentor. I won't have that there. They won't know why I don't know it, and I don't know what they'll think if I tell them."

He shook his head. "You have come so far, Jennifer – I know you can do this," he said firmly, stopping her from arguing with him. "You are so much more comfortable around other people now than you used to be." He stroked her cheek. "Please, please just focus on getting better. The faster you do that, the faster I can get you back."

She looked up at him, eyes still watery. "I'm going to miss you," she finally admitted.

"I'm going to miss you, too," he said softly. He kissed her, and laid his forehead against hers. "Who's going to keep Scout in line when he gets one of his crazy ideas?" The corners of her mouth twitched. "You know no one else understands half of what he says when he starts up about anything computerized. He'll drive us all crazy. And who is going to make sure the jumpship stays in one piece?"

"If anyone mishandles this ship while I'm gone –"

"We wouldn't dream of it," he smiled. Mission accomplished, he thought. Her eyes were dry again. He held them steadily with his own as he continued. "We're going to make it through this," he said firmly. "And when you're better, we're going to get you back here, and you and I are going to pick up where we're leaving off. I plan on taking you on that date once you get back," he added.

"I'm going to hold you to that," she said, the small smile back on her face.

"Jon?" Matt stood quietly in the door. "Jennifer, I'm sorry…it's time. I need to give you the sedative." Jon wrapped his arms as tightly as he dared around her, holding her as close as possible. He felt her lean her head against his chest and take a deep breath.

"Ok."

He looked into her eyes, and kissed her again. "Let's get you where they can help you. Because you have to get better – you will come back to me." He took a breath to steady his voice. "That's an order, Corporal."

"Yes, sir," she said, trying to smile up at him. Her own voice trembled slightly.

Matt knelt down next to her, syringe in hand. He laid a hand on her shoulder, his eyes bright. "You know, Jennifer, you're an awful lot like I always imagined Katie would be if she'd had the chance to grow up. You've got her stubbornness, and her fighting spirit. You just remember that – you've taken everything Dread has thrown at you up until now and still stood strong. You'll be able to take this. We all need you back – not just this lug," he added, nodding towards Jon. They all smiled. "You rest and get better. And when you can, try to get word to us. I don't think we'll be able to live with this one until you do."

"I will, Matt," she said. "As soon as I can."

"That's all we can ask." Matt smoothed her hair back. "We'll see you soon." He injected the sedative and stood up. "Jon? We're about ten minutes out."

"Thanks, Hawk."

Matt leaned down to kiss Jennifer's forehead. "Take care, Kid." He turned and walked back to the bridge of the ship, wanting to give the two of them these last few minutes alone.

Jon watched her face carefully. "How're you feeling?" he asked.

"That's some powerful stuff," she said, blinking. "I can already feel it."

"Well, then, you just settle down and get some rest." His heart was in his throat – he wasn't ready to say goodbye. He kissed her tenderly, then looked into her eyes. They were already starting to cloud. "I love you, Jennifer. I'll be waiting here when you get back."

"I love you, too," she whispered, her eyes fluttering closed. "I'll be back as soon as I can…" Her eyes closed as the sedative took hold. Though he knew that she wouldn't remember it, he kissed her again softly as his eyes brimmed over. "I love you," he repeated. "Come back to me."

Mark Davis watched from his cloaked ship as the TF landed.

"People really still fly those old birds, huh?" his partner, Jackson, commented with a smile.

"Yeah, well…not everyone has access to what we do, my friend," Mark smiled, patting the man on the shoulder. "You ok staying here while I go for the retrieval?"

"Sure – you're the people person, anyway." They grinned at each other at the inside joke. Mark had an easy way with people – the guys back at the hangar joked that he could talk to a hole in the wall if he needed to, and would probably make it laugh eventually. It was one of the reasons the two made such a good team. The couriers from Eden always worked as partners. One stayed with the ship, monitoring frequencies and scanners at all times, while the other approached the people they were supposed to be transporting. Richards, a quiet man, was much more comfortable staying with the ship.

Mark exited the ship, still out of the line of sight of the Power team. He was curious – everyone had heard about them, of course, but not many in Eden could say they'd met any of them. He knew why he was here – that a member of the team had been gravely wounded, that the doctors in Eden were probably the only hope of keeping the team together. That was about it, though. Due to the nature of the job, Mark was used to only having partial information. It was easier to keep everyone safe that way.

He slowly approached the last rock outcropping between him and the TF's landing site, listening to be sure he was right about who was around the bend. He heard the sound of the hatch being opened, and then the voices drifted to him.

"I don't see anyone," a heavily accented voice said. "They'd better be here."

"Scanners didn't pick up any type of transport, either," a second, younger voice said. "I guess we're a little early, but John seemed to think they'd be waiting for us."

"They'd better get here soon. Pilot didn't look too good when we loaded her in."

Silence lasted between them for a moment before the younger voice spoke again. "Tank…are we doing the right thing?"

"Like the captain said, what choice do we have?"

"I just keep trying to get this picture out of my head…one where Pilot dies out there without us…we should be together right now, as a team. Not sending one of us off into the unknown."

"We're going to have to have some faith," the one called Tank said quietly. "Pilot asked me about the Good Book after Haven…maybe it wouldn't be a bad time to read some of it."

"I don't know how reading an old book will help," the younger voice said gruffly.

"I tried to explain it to Pilot…it gave people hope. The idea that there was Someone out there, wanting us to do well, caring about us, watching over us…"

"Watching over us?" The younger voice was incredulous. "Who was watching out for Pilot when Dread came into power, huh? How about Stuart Power? Who was looking out for him when he went to save his son? The captain needed him – and he didn't get to come back. Who was looking out for my mom? Who was looking out for Matt's family, or for you when those madmen were creating Babylon 5?" There had been anger in the voice, but it suddenly was gone, replaced by a sense of hopelessness. "No one's looking out for us – all we've got is each other. And we're sending Pilot out there alone. It's not right."

No one spoke for a moment, and Mark was about to reveal himself – these were obviously the people he'd been sent to meet – when the one called Tank spoke again. "I know we've all had rough times. But there have been good times – we found Pilot in the first place all those years ago. We all found each other. Then we were convinced Pilot was gone for good, and now, just maybe, we'll get to be a team again. If we don't see the good things, what is there to fight for anymore?"

The younger man didn't say anything right away. When he did, his voice was different. "I hear them. Don't…don't mention what I said to the captain, will you? He doesn't need me making things worse."

"Don't worry, my friend." Mark imagined a comforting pat on a shoulder right before two more voices could be heard.

"Careful, Jon – watch your step."

"I've got it."

No one spoke for a moment. Mark quietly came around the rocks. His first picture of the Power team was of four men gathered around someone on a stretcher that had been laid on the ground. His immediate thought was that he hadn't seen many people that looked as beaten down as those four did. Their body language, their faces – there was anguish in every line. Mark knew that most Resistance teams were closely knit, but this was different. These men were fearful of losing a part of them, that was obvious. He tried to imagine how he would feel if someone close to him was being sent somewhere – without him – as a last-ditch effort to save their life. He wasn't sure he'd look any better than these men. He purposefully dislodged a few pebbles to make his presence known. Immediately, all four faces were turned to him, and three blasters were pointed in his direction. Mark slowly raised his hands.

"Captain Power?"

A tall, dark-haired man that Mark guessed was in his thirties stepped forward. Mark's first impression was surprise – he'd expected one of the two older men to be the one in charge. "And you are?"

"My name's Mark Davis, Captain. I believe John told you I'd be meeting you."

The blasters were lowered, but no one really relaxed. "Yes, he did. We didn't see your ship approach."

"No, sir…we make it a point to be here first, to make sure the area is secure. We can't be too careful in our business." He looked the man in the eye – they could have been the same age. But though his appearance was young, the captain's eyes seemed much older. Mark didn't want to know what had put that look in them. "My ship is nearby. My partner is manning the scanners just to be safe. We're on a bit of a schedule – from the records John transferred to us, your teammate needs care pretty quickly."

The captain recoiled at those words as if Mark had slapped him. "Yes." He turned back to the stretcher, and Mark got his first look at his passenger. He stopped short. It was a woman…a woman who looked so small and fragile lying there that he simply couldn't picture her in a Resistance group. His surprise must've registered on his face, because one of the older men smiled tiredly.

"Not what you expected, huh? Don't judge her by her size…she's a lot tougher than she looks." The eyes of the whole team rested on her, and Mark could almost feel them willing their teammate to continue to be tough. "Name's Matt Masterson – call sign Hawk," he said, shaking Mark's hand. "You've met Captain Power, and this is Tank, Scout…and Pilot. Corporal Jennifer Chase. She's had two doses of the painkiller, the last one before we left, and we gave her the sedative John gave us at 0630, just as we were told."

"Any problems?" Mark asked.

"It put her out right away," the captain said softly. He was crouched down next to his pilot, and he was holding her hand. Ahhh…that's where the look in his eyes came from, Mark realized. This was more than just a member of his team. "She's been out ever since."

"Everything's been entered on her chart," Hawk added, handing Mark a data disk.

Mark put it in his pocket, then looked at his watch – they needed to get going. "I'm sorry, but I need to take her now." Hawk bent down to pick up the stretcher, but Mark stopped him. "I can help…we try not to let too many people see how we get in and out of here if we can help it. Captain?" He reached down and lifted the other end of the stretcher as the captain did the same on his end. The three others gathered around.

"Hang in there, friend," Scout whispered, squeezing her hand.

"We expect to see you back here soon. I need someone to have a civilized conversation with – these jokers have no idea what I'm talking about," Tank said quietly, patting her arm.

"You keep fighting, Kid," Hawk said roughly, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "That ship won't like me piloting it for long." Mark looked away respectfully as all three men tried to master their emotions.

"We'll take care of her, I promise," Mark assured them as they started off. "This way, Captain." Mark led the way back around the rock outcropping toward the area where the ship sat, cloaked. They walked gingerly, careful not to jostle Corporal Chase as they went. In a short time, they were back at the ship. Richards uncloaked as they approached and met them with a sophisticated medical bunk that hovered in mid-air. Mark watched the captain's eyes for signs of surprise, but he was focused on the corporal. They placed the stretcher on the ground, and the captain carefully lifted her in his arms and placed her on the bunk. Immediately, the information screens lit up and began assessing the corporal's vital signs and injuries. The captain, however, was oblivious as he stood next to her. He had taken her hand again, and was brushing her hair back from her face. The Eden couriers tried to busy themselves with preparations for the flight to give the man some privacy. Richards tapped his watch at Mark and headed in to the cockpit. When one of the monitors on the bed began beeping, Mark had to step forward and adjust a few settings. He looked up, ready to begin moving the bed, but stopped when he saw the expression on the captain's face. Mark's heart went out to the man. "Captain? I promise, if anything can be done to help her they'll do it. She'll be in the best possible hands."

"I know," the other man choked out. "I just…we won't know. John said it would be months, and to think about going all that time and not knowing…"

Mark was frustrated – here they were, doing everything they could to keep this man's team together, but at the same time expecting them to go for months without an update on their friend. He made a quick decision. "Captain, I…look, Richards and I, we make a run every week. We'll be in the same general area on our next run. Meet us here, same time next week, and I promise you, I'll let you know how she's doing." The captain's head snapped up to look him in the eye.

"You can do that?" he asked.

"I've got a friend who works at the hospital – it won't be hard to get some information out of her," Mark grinned at him.

"No…John was adamant that we wouldn't have any contact. I want…I need to know, but I don't want to endanger you or your mission. So I need to be sure you can -"

I will do it," Mark said simply. "You deserve to know. I'd want to, in your place."

The pained expression on the captain's face lessened a little. "Thank you," he said weakly. "You don't know how much that means to me – to all of us."

"I've got an idea," Mark said with a sympathetic smile. "Now, I'm sorry Captain, but I need to get her to the people that can help her."

Power nodded once. He looked down at Chase for a moment, still holding her hand, and bent down and kissed her gently. Then he stepped back as Mark moved the bed into the hold of the ship and secured it. He then closed the hatch with a wave and what he hoped was an encouraging smile.

The last thing he saw of the famous Captain Power was him standing alone in a barren setting, watching the ship disappear from sight. After they'd recloaked and cleared the area, Mark went back to make sure Chase was still stable. He checked the monitors and was relieved to see that she was at least holding her own. "I don't want to go back next week and give him bad news, Corporal," he said quietly. "You need to hang in there. I've got someone that will be able to watch over you in the hospital – you'll get the best care they can give you. But that man back there? He's the one you need to be fighting for. Because I don't think he could handle hearing otherwise." He patted her arm and returned to his station.