On the Edge:
In the cave, thinking that she and her future husband were going to die together, Judy had made peace with herself. Even after Don had been shot, the paramedic training that her mother had provided, kicked in, allowing her to assist Doctor Smith in the treatment of the man that she loved.
On the long ride back to the ship, with nothing to do but think, her newfound courage was showing signs of weakening.
As if he sensed that she needed to keep busy, Doctor Smith asked her to take another set of vitals.
"His blood pressure is still dropping, Doctor Smith," she said, her voice now betraying her anxiety. "His pulse is getting weaker, as well."
West had not regained consciousness since he collapsed in the cave and Judy knew enough from her mother's instructions that his condition was worsening. Up front, her father was negotiating the narrow ledge, that led up the ridge, as fast has he could safely push the chariot. Once they reached the top, they would still be about twenty minutes from the Jupiter 2.
Her father had radioed back to the ship after they had located the antidote for the biotoxin. By some miracle, T'lan and Penny had found the device, Tyler had rigged. Her mother disarmed it a few minutes before it had been set to release the toxin into the atmosphere. Although they were all greatly relieved, Judy knew that her father was not happy to learn that the three of them had risked their lives.
"Let me have a look," said Smith, knocking her out of her thoughts.
Smith examined Don's pupils and listened in several places with the stethoscope.
"The internal bleeding is getting worse," he said. "And he is going into shock. We have to keep him warm."
Smith dug into the med kit and produced several hot packs. With Judy's help, the Doctor placed the packs around his body and they covered the injured Major with a thermal blanket. Judy draped herself over his covered torso, carefully avoiding the area where he was wounded. She knew that this last action was more for her benefit than it was for Don.
...
Maureen and Penny had just finished preparing the lower level, turning it into an emergency surgery suite, when the chariot pulled up to the campsite. It was well after dark. While Smith and Maureen scrubbed for surgery, T'lan and Professor Robinson brought Don into the ship and set him down on the operating table that had been erected. They removed his soiled clothing and covered him with surgical sheets.
Once she had scrubbed up, Maureen came into the curtained off area and immediately took charge.
"All right, I want everyone except Judy and the Robot to leave the lower deck. I'll let you all know how he is doing when we finish."
She turned to Judy after everyone else had left, "Judy, if you are feeling up to this, Doctor Smith and I could use your help."
"I'll help," Judy said, immediately. Staying busy was the only thing that was keeping her from falling off the emotional abyss.
"All right, go scrub up. You can assist with the instruments."
...
On the flight deck, T'lan informed Professor Robinson of the events that had transpired despite earlier protests from Penny.
"So let me get this straight," said John. "By joining with Penny, you were able to enhance her natural psychic abilities to locate the device."
"Not exactly, Professor Robinson. Yesterday afternoon, after returning from the crash site, Lt. Colonel Tyler must have set the device and placed it in the outcropping. Penny was able to perceive his mental energy, but because she lacked the mental discipline to focus on what she had sensed, her conscious mind interpreted what she had seen as an unknown danger."
"But the information was there all along, in her subconscious?"
"Correct, Professor. That is why many people's dreams are often precognitive. In our dreams, the subconscious takes over, and it is the subconscious that acts as the receptor for the thoughts of others."
"T'lan, I don't understand something. I thought that your people had to be in physical contact with each other to discern and share your thoughts?"
"That is true, Professor Robinson, for our conscious thoughts. But the subconscious operates on a different thought wave pattern. We have found that almost all forms of life can sense the thoughts of others in the subconscious domain. It is the basis for instinct in non sentient life, and considered intuition for a sentient species."
John was not happy to learn that T'lan and Penny had joined thoughts. Remembering how intimate the experience was with his wife, he was not at all thrilled with the idea of his fifteen year old daughter having had such an intimate experience with the young man in front of him. It was only his deep respect for his father, and the regret and shame he saw in T'lan that was holding his temper in check.
"Maureen agreed to this?" he asked.
"Mrs. Robinson was just as apprehensive about the prospect as you, Professor. In the end, she allowed the decision to rest with Penny and I. My actions have brought dishonor to both our families. I beg your forgiveness."
Professor Robinson sighed and softened his air. Maureen would never have allowed this unless she was absolutely sure that there was no choice. In all honesty, he had to admit that the action taken by his daughter and her boyfriend had saved the lives of everyone in the valley. In his wife's position, John realized that he would have done the same thing.
"You and Penny did what you thought was right. There is no dishonor in that. Whatever happens because of this, we will face it as a family."
"You are not angry, Professor?" asked T'lan.
"I am very angry, but not with anyone here. I told your father that I would be proud to have you as a son. Nothing that happened today changes that."
John could see both relief and gratitude in the young man's eye's has they shook hands.
...
"Suction," called Doctor Smith, as he closely examined the area where the bullet was lodged.
The bullet had nicked an artery on the way in, but had mushroomed in a way that would damage two major organs if it was not removed in a skillful fashion.
"Clamp, here and here," instructed Smith, pointing to either end of the damaged artery.
Maureen closed off the artery in the places that he had directed.
"Blood pressure?" asked Smith.
"Ninety over sixty," said Judy. "It appears to be holding steady."
Smith admired her cool. Not only was she beyond being queasy about seeing blood, but she was able to function despite that fact that her fiancé was the subject on the table. If her future self had mastered these aspects, he had no doubt that she could pursue a career in medicine.
"Good, the bleeding is under control. Now, let us see about getting this bullet out of here, shall we? Scalpel."
Judy handed him the instrument and he went to work. Very carefully, Smith cut away just enough tissue to allow him to remove the projectile without causing more damage. A few minutes later, he rotated the bullet out of the spot where it had come to rest and tossed it into the pan.
"Suture," he called.
The damage caused by the bullet was significant, yet fairly straightforward to repair. Ten minutes later, he was suturing up the damaged artery. After inspecting his work, Smith looked up to Maureen.
"All right, Mrs. Robinson. Remove the clamps."
As she removed the surgical clamps, Smith examined the artery for tearing or leakage. The suture work seemed to be holding well and the leakage was minimal.
"Prepare to close. Increase infusion rate."
The Robot, who had also been assisting with the transfusion and anesthesia, increased the volume of blood that was being transfused back into the Major's bloodstream. Smith knew that they had just enough to replenish his system with the minimum blood volume. West wasn't out of the woods, yet.
As the last packet of blood plasma had been drained, Doctor Smith had just finished closing the wound.
"Be sure to disinfect the area around the incision before bandaging it. I will inform the rest of the family that we are finished."
"Will he be all right," asked Judy.
"He lost a lot of blood, Miss Judy, but the Major has a very strong will to live. If he regains consciousness, he will be all right. It is in his hands now."
After they finished bandaging the incision, Maureen and Judy moved Don into his cabin. When they got him situated in his bed, Maureen turned to Judy.
"I know you are not going to want to hear this, but you should go to your cabin and try to get some sleep."
"I'm staying with Don, tonight. I want to be here when he wakes up. Besides, Doctor Smith said we need to keep him warm."
"Judy, I don't know if this is such a…"
"Please, Mother. Let me do this. I need to be with him, whatever happens."
Maureen had been told in private, by Doctor Smith, that Don's prognosis was not good. She was worried about how her daughter might react if she woke up and found that he had passed. But knowing that if it were John lying there, and she would feel the same as her daughter, Maureen relented.
"Thank you," said Judy, as she hugged her mother.
When she left Don's cabin and closed the door, she heard the lock click.
...
Smith looks exhausted, thought John, as he was explaining the Major's condition to the rest of the family.
"Major West lost a considerable amount of blood, mostly due to internal bleeding. The delay in getting him into surgery did not help matters. The good news is, the Major has a very strong will to live, and, dare I say, has a lot to live for. As I told Miss Judy, if he regains consciousness, he will be all right."
"I see. I guess, all we can do now, is wait."
"Professor Robinson, there is another matter. May we speak privately?" asked Smith.
John knew what Smith wanted to see him about. He gestured to the open storage room, out of earshot of the rest of the family.
"I assume that you received my letter, Professor."
"I did," said Robinson, careful to conceal his anger. "Doctor Smith, Don and I had already suspected that it was you who had sabotaged the Robot before liftoff. In spite of that, my family and I had taken you in, as one of our own. So I have to ask you, why?"
"At the time, Professor, I cared for no one but myself. You and your family were little to me except for names on a sheet…"
"I don't mean that, Smith. Why didn't you tell me about Tyler right away?"
"Professor Robinson, I was going to tell you last night, that is, until I found out that Tyler had set the virus to be released. I had hoped that I could find out where he had planted the device. The letter was an insurance policy."
"Doctor Smith, do you realize that by not telling me right away that Tyler was a threat, you put all of our lives in terrible danger? Do you have any idea what it cost Penny and T'lan to find out where the device was hidden?"
"Penny? T'lan?" Smith said, clearly troubled. "Mrs. Robinson assured me that they had not been exposed."
"They weren't. But in order to find out where that device was located, it cost Penny her innocence, and T'lan his family honor."
John explained the Lamotia traditions and the effect of the joining. "Had you told us right away that Tyler was a threat, Jarrock could have forced him to tell us where the virus was hidden," he finished.
Maureen had just stepped off the elevator. She warily approached the two men.
"Am I interrupting?" she asked.
"Of course not, darling. Where is Judy?"
"She's at Don's side, and she's determined to stay there until he regains consciousness. I think it's best that we give her some privacy."
John picked up on the hidden message his wife had given him. Judy was, quite literally, at Don's side. John turned his attention back to Smith.
"Doctor Smith, all things aside, I appreciate you taking care of Don, but if we are going to work together, as a family, we need to be able to depend on each member to be open and honest. We have to be able to trust each other."
Smith looked down, and it was obvious to John that he was wrought with guilt.
"You must be tired," he continued, in a softer voice. "Why don't you get yourself cleaned up? We can talk about this later."
"Of course, Professor," said Smith. "Mrs. Robinson."
John and Maureen watched him step onto the elevator and descend to the lower level. He turned back to his wife.
"John, I couldn't have handled that operation alone. The damage was too extensive, and Don was hemorrhaging far too much for me to keep up. Had Doctor Smith not been here today, Don would have died."
John took her in his arms and held her for a long time. The very thought of her risking her life today had troubled him. With all that had taken place, this was the first moment they had to reconnect.
"Are you angry with me, John," she asked.
He drew away just enough to face her.
"Angry? No, never," he said. "Worried? Oh yes."
"I was referring to my decision about Penny and T'lan. John, I didn't know what else to do. I wish I could have spoken to you about it."
"It's all right, darling. You did what you thought was right. To be honest, I probably would have made the same decision."
...
After locking the door, Judy removed her robe and climbed into the bed next to her fiancé. The last fragment of her newfound self assurance was slipping away and as she held onto him, the emotional pressure began to take its toll.