A week later, Mark rounded the same rock outcropping to find four very anxious men waiting for him. Again, as he rounded the bend, four blasters were trained on him until they realized who he was. "We have to stop meeting like this," Mark joked, his hands raised, waiting for them to see him clearly. The blasters lowered, and Power advanced immediately. "Jennifer…is she…"

"That girl is a fighter, Captain. She's doing well." There was a collective sigh of relief and smiles all around. Mark watched as Hawk thumped Power on the back. The captain stood there, his eyes closed, trying to get a handle on his emotions. Mark took pity on him and addressed the other three instead. "My friend in the hospital tells me it was touch-and-go for a while there. They haven't dealt with that type of injury before. Of course, no one has ever heard of anyone being caught in the processor mid-digitization before, either. I have to tell you that Kelly – my friend – didn't think there was much hope at first. But Corporal Chase responded well to the last treatment they tried. She's currently spending her second day in the most advanced regenerator we've got, but everyone is pleased with her progress. It's going to be a long road back, but she's going to make it, Captain."

The smiles on the faces of the men in front of him made this little side trip completely worth it. Richards had been uncomfortable with the idea of deviating from their schedule at first, but Mark had been adamant that he would keep his promise. Now, seeing the difference in the men before him, he knew that he was doing the right thing. "Thank you," Power said. He looked like a man who had been thrown a lifeline. "This past week has been hell not knowing. You can't know how much this means."

"I think I've got the idea, from the looks on your faces," Mark smiled. "It was my pleasure. She should be out of the regenerator in a day or so, and then they'll monitor her for a while before they allow her to start therapy. The doctors are estimating about three to four months."

"How will we know when she'll be back?" Scout asked.

"John knows how to contact you. I'm sure he'll be in touch." Mark took a step back. "Gentlemen, I'm sorry, but we have a schedule to keep today. I didn't publicize that I was going to make this little stop. I need to go."

"Davis? Please…" Power approached him with a data disk in his hand. "Jennifer…she was worried about being around people she didn't know. I thought that maybe, if she had some contact with us, it would help her. This is a letter I wrote her – could you see that she gets it? At least it will be something."

Mark looked again into Power's eyes. The difference between what he saw there now and what was there last week was remarkable – this, he could see now, was the man he'd heard so much about. The man who continued to fight against Dread no matter what. The man that was willing to stay out here and fight while the woman that he obviously loved recuperated far away from him. Mark studied the team for a moment as they celebrated the first real, honest-to-goodness good news about their teammate. An idea had come to him during his time between runs in the past week. Mark knew that his job was important – he was ferrying people to safety in Eden, to a place where they could actually have a life without fearing Dread or his machines. But he sometimes wondered if he was making enough of a difference there, especially compared to people like Power, Chase, and the rest of their team who were risking their lives each day in attacks against Dread. Maybe, just maybe, he could help one of those groups by the simple act of being a courier. He'd have to keep it quiet…which probably meant picking up an extra shift in the hangar for Richards from time to time. But it would be worth it if he knew he was helping somehow.

"Tell you what, Captain. I'll do you one better. I'll get this to Kelly, and I'll have her ask Corporal Chase to dictate a message back to you once she's awake. Then you'll know for sure." Mark knew by the expression on the faces in front of him that he'd made the right decision. Richards was going to have to deal with it. "Just do me a favor? When it does come time for the corporal to come home, play dumb when John contacts you?" They shared a laugh as Mark backed up, ready to head out. "Same time, same place next week?" he asked.

"We'll be here," Power assured him. "Davis…Mark. Thank you."

Jennifer was disoriented again when she woke up – it took her a few moments to remember where she was. The room was small and anesthetic – a simple chair and table were the only furnishings besides the bed she lay in. Then she remembered – the hospital…Eden…she needed to start remembering. The nurse had explained that due to the hospital's need for large amounts of energy, it was built underground to help hide it. That meant no windows. She'd seemed apologetic when she'd explained it. Really, as far as medical facilities Jennifer had been in, it was downright elegant. No peeling paint, no cracked tiles, and she was pretty sure that the mattress she was laying on was thicker and more comfortable than any other she could ever remember.

A sound caught her attention, and she turned her head toward the door. There was the same nurse, coming in to check on her and record her information. She saw Jennifer turn towards her and paused by the bed instead. "Good morning, Corporal. You're more alert today. How are you feeling?"

Jennifer managed to smile weakly at her. "I've been a lot worse."

"Tell me about it – you've been much worse just since you've been here." The nurse checked a few of the monitors attached to the bed, adjusted a few things, and returned to smile down at her. "It's good to see you awake at all. You had us worried. Mark didn't want to have to go back and tell your captain that you weren't doing well."

Jennifer stared at her. "Someone managed to get word back to my team?" she croaked, her voice shaky from not being used.

"Yes. Mark Davis, the courier that brought you here. He's a friend of mine, and he's been getting regular updates on you so that he could report back to your captain." She stopped then, looked over her shoulder, and went to shut the door. "It's not really part of their normal routine, and I don't think he actually has told his superiors about it. But he didn't feel like he could just leave them like that for months while you recuperated. So he arranged to meet up with them on his next run and give them an update."

Jennifer closed her eyes in relief. "Oh, thank goodness," she sighed. "It must've been hard for them, not knowing."

"Yeah, Mark said it was pretty tough for them to send you in the first place. But apparently they're doing ok. In fact, I've got a letter for you from your captain if you're up to reading it." The nurse smiled as Jennifer's eyes went wide. "I take it you want to give it a try?"

"Yes, please," Jennifer said, trying to nod her head and sit up without much luck. She was so weak…she wasn't used to this.

"Hey there – don't push it. That's all we need to report to your captain – that you've had a setback because you tried to sit up by yourself to read his letter." The nurse pushed a button and the head of the bed rose upwards so that Jennifer was closer to a sitting position. "Remember what I told you yesterday – your entire body was in a state of degeneration. It would literally have fallen apart at the cellular level if we hadn't stopped it. That's not something that you bounce back from. You're going to have to retrain a lot of your muscles, almost from scratch. That's going to take time."

"Great," Jennifer grumbled.

The nurse laughed out loud at that. "You know, I'm getting the impression that you're not someone who likes to sit still very much." After making sure Jennifer was comfortable, she patted her hand. "I'm Kelly, by the way. Kelly Anderson. I'm here most days during the week, and a shift every other weekend. I'll be one of your primary care nurses, so we'll get to know each other pretty well over your stay here."

Jennifer smiled at her again. "Thanks, Kelly. It'll be nice to see a familiar face here. I'm…I'm used to being a part of a team," she said carefully, not wanting to reveal too much before she got to know this woman. "I'm not really used to being on my own like this."

Kelly patted her hand again. "You're not on your own, Corporal. Not anymore. I know you don't plan on making Eden your home, but we do have a decent amount of experience making new people feel welcome. You'll find we're pretty friendly here."

She checked one of the monitors again, seeming satisfied with what it told her, laid the reader on Jennifer's lap, and moved towards the door. "I tell you what – I'll leave you alone for a few minutes to read your letter before I bring your lunch tray in. It won't be very interesting – basic broth for now, until we're sure you're completely on the mend – but I can keep you company for a while if you'd like me to."

Jennifer smiled shyly. "I would like that. Thank you." Kelly returned the smile, then left the room, shutting the door behind her. Jennifer shifted her attention to the reader. A letter from Jon? She could hardly believe it. She'd been steeling herself for the fact that she'd have no contact with anyone she knew for several months, so this was an amazing surprise. She turned the reader on and began to read.

Dear Jennifer,

I'm sitting here on the jumpship – in your seat – thinking about you, wondering about how you're doing. It's driving me crazy not knowing if you're improving at all. I have to tell you that giving you over to the courier from Eden was about the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. But I had to trust him if I wanted you to have any chance. So I let you go..and a part of me has been gone ever since. But the good news is that the courier offered to meet us at the same time this week to give us an update on you. So I thought I'd send him back with a letter for you. I know you were worried about being alone, and I wanted to remind you that you're not. Not ever.

We're doing alright. Scout has been able to piece together enough computer parts that we should be able to get the backup for Mentor that you saved for us online within the next day or so. Right now we're pretty much nomads, traveling from settlement to settlement, trading for the things we need. I didn't realize how spoiled we were, having the base to call home. We knew it was tough for all the people that have been running from one settlement to another, trying to find someplace safe from Dread, but I guess that you don't really know until you experience it. We'll probably head back to the Passages in the next few days to regroup and rest for a day or two. At least we have that going for us. We miss having you here to bounce ideas off of – Scout has complained several times that he could really use you and the way your brain works as he tries to cobble together a computer that can hold Mentor. And the jumpship does not like having Hawk at the controls instead of you. She's getting a little temperamental. She always did respond best to you. But Hawk wanted me to tell you that he's keeping her in tip-top shape for you. We all know that we'll have to pay if she's in worse shape when you get back than when you left her.

I wonder what Eden is like. I doubt you've had much of a chance to do any sightseeing yet. I wish I was going to be there with you to see the things you're going to see, but a big part of me is glad that you'll get the chance, with or without me. I can't wait to hear all about it when you get back. I know you're fighting right now, and you're probably still hurting. I wish I was there to hold you through it. Please know that I'd give almost anything to be able to help you through this. I guess all I can do is keep fighting out here, and make sure it's as safe as possible when you come back.

I don't know when I'll be able to get anything to you again. If you feel up to it and one of the couriers is willing, let us know how you're doing when you can. I'll take any word from you I can get. I miss you terribly. Whenever I'm on night duty, I remember all the times we played chess when one or both of us couldn't sleep. I could use my favorite opponent right now to keep my mind off things. For now, I'll just tell you again that I love you, and that I'm thinking of you all the time. If I could help you heal faster by thinking about you, you'd be back here with me in a week instead of a few months.

I love you,

Jon

Jennifer was still holding the reader when Kelly quietly opened her door a little while later. Even though her patient was turned toward the wall, Kelly could tell she'd been crying. Her heart went out to this young woman who'd been through so much. Kelly had been here in Eden for the past five years…this woman fought each day to try to return the world to the one Kelly remembered from her childhood. Mark had told her about Captain Power, about the emotions he'd been unable to hide. It was obvious, Mark had said, that there were strong feelings between these two. If it was obvious to Mark, she thought with a sigh, it had to be pretty serious.

"Hey…did you enjoy your letter?" Kelly asked softly as she set the tray she was carrying down on the table.

Jennifer's hand swiped at her face before she turned back. "Yes, thank you. I need to thank your friend for bringing it." Her eyes were large and full of emotion, but she smiled, and Kelly thought it was the most genuine one she'd seen yet. "It was a surprise – a good one. I didn't think I'd get to hear from anyone for a while."

"Letters from home are a good thing," Kelly agreed. "It's hard to be away from the people you care about."

"Yes," Jennifer whispered. "Yes, it is. The funny thing is, it almost makes me miss...them...more."

"Well, that just means we have to get you healthy enough again to get you back to them," Kelly said briskly. "Let's start with some food. You could use a few good meals…more than a few, really."

Jennifer eyed the broth dubiously. "To be honest, I'm not very hungry."

"Well then, how about I make you a deal. You eat at least a few bites of this broth, and I let you dictate a letter back to your captain." Kelly smiled as Jennifer's face brightened. "See, I think we're going to end up getting along just fine."