In the months that followed Ken began to recover slowly. A bit at a time each day he began to work at functioning normally. For a while Jun had to feed him mushy food that Ken said he now knew why babies liked to throw it, he felt the inclination to do it himself. That made her laugh and she pretended to play aeroplanes and choo choo trains with him. His smile would brighten up her day.
The implant had a big influence in the speed of his recovery, once it had started working on his cell disruption his muscle tissue began to strengthen with his daily exercises with each passing day. His walking needed work with his balance of centre and weak muscle tissue from lack of use, and he practiced everyday for hours at a time to help regain what he had lost from being in a coma.
The months flew past, and Jun found his time being taken up more and more by new people brought on board since the defeat of Galactor to redefine the ISO's role in Earth defences. She began to hear rumours of massive changes about to occur inside of the environment friendly organisation. It was a rebound effect from having been struck so hard by Galactor and the knowledge that a super intelligent being had run the whole organisation from the beginning. The question that had begun to surface around G-Town is that could happen again and be worse the next time round. They needed a change and fast in handle Earths future defences.
Jun knew it was also people adjusting to a new age of peace, something she found troubled her at times. She could have raised Mark in this new age. But something's she knew in her heart no matter how good her life would become that door was forever closed. The sting of it remained, and it's a topic she didn't broach with Ken in trying to avoid opening old wounds.
Jun observed him from afar some days as he struggled to bring himself to his feet during his rehabilitation. He would catch her eye and smile and work harder to walk properly. On those days she wondered what their future together would be, were they still deluding themselves she wondered. One day at time…she told herself.
"Jun…" He called out to her and smiled warmly breaking into her thoughts. She'd wave and return his smile. The fear of him dying still lingered in her heart, as much as she tried to shake it. Some nights she woke up from dreams of seeing him still floating in the depths of the ocean, His face pale and lifeless, his dark hair lazily whirling around him as he floated in front of dressed in his birdstyle, the red emblem of Gatchaman on his belt blazed brightly before her. This time she was yanked out of the Gatchasparten and Ken's body disappeared within the ship going into the depths of the ocean towards an abyss, she wanted to scream, but couldn't because she was slowing drowning…Jun would wake up soaked in sweat, her heart pounding.
In the end Jun had to receive counselling about it. Something she'd never done before or needed. She made a decision not to tell Ken about her dreams- he had enough to deal with.
Some days she managed to spend some time with him, one night during a game of scrabble in his quarters he leaned back in his chair and sighed heavily after a friendly debate about the spelling of an exotic word.
"I know it's been hard for you." He said quietly. "I'm not going to die Jun- this implant has repaired my cells in only 6 months."
"I know…" She faltered hoping she sounded convinced.
"No, you don't, why are you so afraid even now when the war is over for good, Galactor aren't coming back…its not like I'm not leaving to go off to war." Ken reached over the table knocking the letter chips off the board and lovingly taking her hand in his. "Stay with me tonight…it's been a long time since..."
He left it hanging there unspoken between them, yet she knew what he was talking about. It had been a long time since they made love that night at the Mountain base. The doctors kept her at arms distance when it came to her spending a night with him alone since. And these days there were military personnel hanging around watching Ken's progress like Hawks, they all liked to cut into any spare time he had to discuss and study the implants effects.
She squeezed his hand suggestively, she wanted him, she wanted be held in his arms, his hands all over her naked curves and the feeling of him inside her… to feel his warm bare body entwined with hers. Just the thought caused her to yearn badly for him.
Looking directly into his eyes Jun stood up, lacing her fingers through his she lead him around the edge of the table and snaked her arms around his neck, his eyes darkened with lust, her lips parted and Ken kissed her deeply the moist warm of lips sent her body into overdrive, but she held back from tearing off his clothes, wanting to savour the moment. Slowly she moaned loudly from his touch and lifted his white T-shirt over his head and run her hands over his warm flesh. Jun knew what would follow and she didn't want him to hold back.
A knock at the door interrupted their first real romantic moment in months.
Ken hesitated to answer it, instead he chose to continue kissing her, unbuttoning her blouse and lovingly cupping his hand tenderly over her lacy bra lazily stroking her nipple beneath the thin material. "Nice, I want to know what the matching knickers look like." He whispered mischievously leaning down to push the delicate fabric away enough to capture her nipple in his lips. Jun began trembling uncontrollably from his tenderness…You'll find out soon enough, she thought eagerly. Nothing like the plain boring white I used to wear…
The knock came again, sharper and more urgent this time.
"What bad timing…" He cursed, slowly he let go of her bosom. "I wish who ever it is will go away."
"Mr Washio, I know you're in there." A woman's voice came from the other side of the door. "I can hear you… at least the vocal woman who's you're with."
"She's rude…annoying and obnoxious." Jun pursed her lips and glared at door.
Jun pulled her blouse over to cover up blushing at thought of someone hearing her appreciation of his caresses, while Ken was trying to rearrange himself in his pants to hide his obvious reaction to touching Jun.
Quickly pulling his T-shirt back on, Ken- reluctantly went and answered the door. An older woman, one of the bases many scientists stood in the doorway. "Mr Washio…Doctor Anderson is on the base and he'd like to have a word with you." She said with a crisp English accent.
"Tell him I need some rest and will see him in a few hours." Ken glanced over his shoulder back at Jun.
"And the woman I'm with is my girlfriend, her name is Jun, everyone here knows that. So why the rudeness?" Ken asked her curtly.
She stiffened up at his words. "Who you date isn't of importance to me…Your medical condition is- not just to me but to all of us. Dr Anderson will only be here for a few hours and he says it's extremely important. He has some questions about your implant that could be critical to Mark and Jason in the way its working in your brain. He also wants to run a brain scan-"
Ken put up a hand to halt her rambling. "I get it." His eyes became apologetic when he looked back at Jun again. A sobering blast of cold air washed over her as the moment between was lost.
She knew the mention of something that could affect the boys was enough for Ken to obey even a rude obnoxious woman like her. The call of duty resounded between them just like it had in the old days, someone needed him and Ken would always go, putting his personal needs last.
"Go," She said trying to keep the disappoint out of her voice." It sounds important, I'll wait here for you…and we can finish what we started when you get back."
"You bet we will." He promised and winked, and then he walked out of the room closing the door behind him.
Jun slowly sank down on his small couch and waited, thinking about the way his body had deteriorated. He still had a long way to go for a full recovery, touching his bare skin she could feel the lack of muscle structure beneath his skin. It wouldn't worry her if never built up his body to the extent he had once been, his inner health and well being concerned her more than looks.
He didn't come back, and the next morning Jun left him a note telling she'd gone into Utoland. It was then that Jun knew no matter how much she loved Ken- she would have to make a life for herself because as his health improved…Ken would likely return to duty within the ISO and that would mean months at a time away from her again. And without his airfield what was there to keep him in Utoland and they was no way Jun wouldn't try to fall pregnant just to guilt him into staying. The last time was an accident, and even then she couldn't use it to share him no matter how much it tore her to pieces to lose them both.