Chapter Ten: Attachment

Marla was fearless, but not stupid.

A month or so had gone by since she had known or decided that she needed to get out of Harrison's work room. Weeks of working side by side with him and the settled trickling of aged weapons had taken her mind and body into new territory. Her mind begged her not to commit to the act. Marla liked the work room. She liked asking the augment about his past. She enjoyed the company of someone who genuinely seemed to be interested in her hobby of weaponry.

She was still dying.

Marla McGivers still had her body weakening, hair falling out, and rapid radiation burns appearing against her shoulders, face, torso, and legs. She was nearly entirely exposed with burns when she decided enough was enough. She was stubborn, but smart enough to know she couldn't help Harrison with the reddened pain of skin fully shown or the fact that her body wasn't strong enough to hold on anymore.

So she allowed herself treatment. She allowed herself a doctor's visit on the floor the Kelvin Memorial Archives called medical. The doctor couldn't understand many of Marla's actions, throwing out her pills, committing herself to dead. She hadn't been given long in the first place, but she still managed to stand on her own two feet. The doctor gave her a blood transfusion to help. He gave her more medication, pain killers and pills that would make her physical symptoms, burns, weight loss, and hair loss, less pronounced.

By the end of week two of the medication the burns fizzled out and the pain became a mere tingle, a pulsating electric shock. She wasn't of any use in the work room anymore. Marla frequently had to sit feeling dizzy. The vomiting had stopped by week three of being back on her meds, but the dizziness still lingered. She had merely traded one set of symptoms for another set. Her hair didn't grow back, but she gained some weight. She looked almost healthy in appearance.

Marla hated relying on anything more than her own body. However she had to face the fact, she was dying very rapidly now. She needed to stay alive longer so that she could live, so that Marcus could die. At first Harrison didn't seem too concerned with the condition she made for herself. However when she nearly dropped a very ancient weapon because she had to stand he demanded someone at least put a chair for her to sit on. He had looked into the camera nearly shouting while being her crutch.

"This woman requires some decent support!" His voice was only elevated, no infliction. She felt her feet begin to give out, knees trembling hard. There was no pain, but the floor was slowly zooming at her. She wasn't falling. She only felt like she was.

Harrison dragged her and the weapon to his bed. He told her to lean against the wall, take steady breathes for a few seconds, and then continue her work.

"Try to hold out a bit longer." He had hissed with nothing, but contempt in his eyes.

She had fiddled with the ancient pieces slightly seeing her fingers tremble. She almost missed the blotches of red, the hot sensation, and the peel of the layers as she worked. At least without the medication her mind was intact. Now she felt like a shaky fool clattering against the metal. She often bit back frustration in the form of tears. It was taking her minutes to do something she could have easily done in seconds.

Marla kept reminding herself that Harrison needed her physical strength in the days or months to come. The longer she was on the medication the stronger she would be. She recalled how long the doctor had given her. Some months. She wasn't sure if a number applied to the word some, but she was counting on the estimation of her death.

She now stood naked in front of the mirror in her apartment smoothing out the scars from the worst of the burns. Marla had discovered she could be rid of the scars with a highly chemical formula, however she didn't want any more medication in her blood stream then she had to. She had been rubbing a clear gel on the red lined spots for weeks now. They were slowly making their way to the color pink. She rubbed the gel against her inner thighs wincing as she did it.

Today was her last day.

The day she had prolonged for perhaps far too long. She knew she had to get out of Harrison's work room. She knew that, months ago. Marla could have acted anytime she desired, but she wanted to be stronger in order to help him. She knew this was the strongest she could ever get. Her muscles were nearly nonexistent in the mirror, but there were some in her arms, very faint traces. Her doctor had told her to exercise. She had decided to, in order to improve herself. Not for him. She knew this was for her cause. She needed to live just a bit longer.

"Try to hold on a bit longer."

The tumble of Harrison's deep range made her shutter as she slid her hands up between her legs. She felt something deep and unpleasant in her stomach. She knew it wasn't arousal. It was something her father frequently suffered from. Paranoia. Marla could feel it rise in her throat from her pit. She didn't fear the words or even Harrison himself. She didn't even fear the death that could strike her at any moment. She didn't want to be locked away. Marla didn't want to be trapped somewhere anymore, based on one man's rules. She wasn't going to be alone.

The thought that all her notes, plays, and hard work could be wasted with a single idea from Marcus or any other Starfleet agent terrified her. She didn't want prison. Death would be a better option than being locked away alone in a small room. She swallowed down her pain killers before she left for work.

Today was her last day.

If she did everything as she needed to she would be nearly kicked out of that room by the end of the week. Sooner if everything went perfect. She had enough strength to find his crew. Marcus wasn't smart enough to hide them far away from Harrison. Maybe he even kept them too close because he was cocky. They had to be in the building, but she couldn't go exploring while she was still forced into the room with Harrison.

No, today was her last day.

She smiled as she walked through the doors into the work room. She had to make it count. Marla didn't find herself dressing up too much. She came in the standard dark gray Starfleet uniform, long shirt jacket and pencil skirt. Sometimes she would wear civilian clothes, sometimes Starfleet regulation nobody seemed to care as long as Marla went in the right direction. The second she changed her course five guards were usually on her in an instant.

The young woman was actually surprised to find Harrison at her work station. There was an assortment of various sized weapons on the table. All were from the early 20th century when bullets were the choice of projectile. She let herself smile as she crossed the room to the station. Her eyes were on the table. There were parts of guns and fully together pieces.

"They aren't loaded." He remarked.

"I should hope not." Marla nearly laughed. All the guns that came into her possession were loaded. She detached the magazine of one to see it was empty. She let a sigh. "I suppose he doesn't trust us with loaded weapons anymore." She examined the pistol quietly. "Or perhaps they no longer make the bullets."

"People don't hunt anymore?"

"Not so much." She shook her head. "It's a shame really. I always loved hunting with my Dad. They banned hunting in Europe half a century ago. Lots of animals going extinct."

"Yet you still hunted with your father?" The amusement in John Harrison's voice was not hard to mask. She was glad to amuse him most days.

"My father loves breaking the rules." She mused pressing the magazine back into the pistol.

"You cut your hair." He noticed trying to allow his tone to be mundane and conversational.

Marla looked up to him seeing that he was closer then she realized. His shoulder had nearly bumped into her when his eyes and head turned to examine the pixie cut she had given to herself the night before. She had decided to just make the best of what hair still could cling to her head.

"I decided it was about time. I hate finding long hairs in my bed in the morning." She touched the back to her head lightly. The ash red straight hairs scratched her neck. She wouldn't tell Harrison she actually regretted the look. She looked like a boy. There was silence on his end. She knew he disliked it. Marla wasn't sure how she knew, but she did. She could sense it.

"I don't like it either." She shrugged looking back at her weapon. She couldn't stand the hateful look in his eyes much longer. "I used to have really long hair. It was a bit darker too." She cupped slightly under her breasts. "Down to here." She could feel her breasts sag a bit remembering with a heartfelt smirk that she was not wearing a bra.

Marla was unsure how to begin anything with him in that moment. Her words were even beginning to leave her. She reached for another gun, a tommy gun. She dragged it across the table letting the sound echo. The noise seemed rather annoying however Harrison didn't move from his position. She wasn't sure if she was meaning to get his attention by abusing the weapons. Marla watched his fingers scrap against a graying grenade with a still in tack clip. She let herself focus on the long magazine extending from the gun listening as he shook the grenade to make sure it was dead.

Marla took a breath. She could feel the air flow into her quickly. The dizziness was overcoming her once more. She lowered the gun by its neck to the table placing her thumb and forefinger to her temple. A chair racked across the floor.

"Sit." The single demand was low in his throat. Marla knew he had dragged the chair behind her. She merely brought the tommy gun to her lap as she sat. Harrison handed her gloves. She had been too distracted to recall the weapon needed special care. "Please don't embarrass me, Lieutenant."

Her head snapped up as her brow creased. Harrison merely held out his hand to her, gloves grasped in them. She shifted in her seat seeing his face didn't bother to glance in her direction. He stared forward coldly. He almost bit at his lip. Marla vaguely wondered why, but the next words were her clue.

"I do not wish to prolong this any longer." The throaty voice whispered.

He was giving her permission to do as she saw fit. Perhaps he would even miss her presence in the work room when she was gone. His patience was wearing thin. She stared down at the gun for a moment before taking the gloves. She noted to herself that she needed to take her time. Marla needed to settle herself a bit more.

Harrison sighed almost angrily when she ignored his request. She snapped the gloves on toying with the gun for a minute or two. Harrison preoccupied himself with something else. When she was through analyzing the use the weapon still had, she placed it on the table letting her chair slide behind her as she stood. She let her hand slide over the warmth of Harrison's fingers that fiddled against the grain of a gun barrel. He slowly moved his hand against her palm before sliding his fingers under the plastic of her glove. The blue squeaky cover was snapped in an instant from her hand as the commander's fingers worked.

Her eyes glanced slowly up at him, the face of a superior man. He was dominating. She felt so small in that instant. His teeth were clenched together; his eyes were anxious and devastatingly wide. She allowed a smirk to cross her lips as he roughly grabbed her other hand. His eyes looked down at the bright blue glove on her hand. He ripped at the plastic tearing it off before throwing it to the floor. His fingers squeezed her palm. It hurt a bit, but Marla bit back the pain. She had felt much worse.

"Do you have it in you, Doctor?" He allowed their elbows to meet holding her hand up breaking the space between them. She could smell his breath. It smelled of holy things, meats and breads. His eyes were upon her intensely. "To take what you want?"

Her eyes grew morbid in a moment before they sprang with tension and desire. With her free hand she grabbed his neck pulling herself to Harrison. Her mouth enveloped his. His body and mouth were the same in heat. She let her lips work against his lips for a mere second before she could feel him let his hand move from her hand to her hip. He pulled her close, fast enough for her bones to feel the force of the crash. His tongue was hot and angry in her mouth taking possession of her in every every way he saw fit.

Her hands crushed the fabric of his shirt before she felt his hand grip firmly against her ass. She moaned against him trying to take a breath. He wouldn't even let her have that. With one hand he lifted her up pressing her hard enough to his body that her legs wrapped around him. She never let go of his mouth. He wouldn't let her. Even as she shifted upward his teeth halted her bottom lip with a pull. She could taste iron, but didn't care.

Her ass fell hard against the table. Something clattered. She pushed his chest as hard as she could muster, but it didn't phase the augment. His hands were rubbing against her thighs, raw and smooth underneath her skirt. It took everything she could to breath out the word.

"Weapons." It was nearly breathless.

He paused slightly letting his mouth off of her. His hands were still under her skirt, her legs were still hooked around his waist. Even as they stared at one another trying to regain a sense of what needed to be done next she still felt his fingertips smooth out her scars. Even if the burns were gone it still tingled there. She felt her eyes roll back at the mixture of phantom pain and pleasure.

"They're so," Her breath hitched when he touched her somewhere too close for comfort. "Beautiful." She nipped on her lower lip in the spot where John had bitten her. "The bed?"

"No." It was a firm answer as his hands continued to massage her inner thighs. "Here" She pulled him in by the neck mashing her lips to his. Her hands were moving against the gel in his hair making her entire body fall to jelly.

His lips popped off hers for a moment. Marla was unable to open her eyes as he removed himself from her. She spread her legs only to let him go. He began to shift the weapons elsewhere emptying the work station. At least that's what she imagined. She stopped herself in that long minute from imagining what else the augment would do to her once he returned.

She bit her lip lying backwards on the now empty work station. She looked to the ceiling then at the corners at the black cameras. She almost laughed noting to herself that the cameras would see much more from this position then from the bed. Harrison soon came back into sight leaning over her hungrily.

"Hope Marcus enjoys the show." Her voice was breathless and hazy.

His chuckle was deep as he spread his hands to her collar. The Velcro of the jacket snapped apart easily showing Harrison a thin layer of white skin and her breasts. The cold air against her exposed chest made her quiver and her nipples harden. Harrison had his warm mouth and tongue working to fix the sensation in an instant.

"Over prepared are we?" He quipped as his teeth kneaded against her flesh. She choked back a sound as his mouth worked on her upper half while his hands began the removal of her panties and skirt.

"Need," She sat up as soon as she found herself naked. Her legs pushed him closer to the table wrapping around him once more. Her fingers worked to unbutton his pants. "You. Free." The words were true in many ways. Harrison took her mouth as she removed his pants. They were much more troubling to remove then her clothing had seemed to be.

"Torpedoes." He said against her mouth. Marla had successfully allowed his pants to drop. Her lips felt his mouth as her hands found his arousal fully exposed. His boxers were absent.

"You seem to have anticipated me as well, Commander." She let her tongue and teeth possess him.

"McGivers," He angrily removed himself from her lips gritting his teeth looking at her briefly before letting his mouth nip, lick, and kiss her neck. "Torpedoes. My crew."

Marla regained herself realizing what was happening. Business and pleasure were intermingling very harshly now. Her tongue made a sound of ticking annoyance as she felt Harrison's thumb nail brush her pebbled nipple.

"Seventy," Her breath hitched unexpectedly as his one hand worked her breast while the other found her clit. "Two." She was concerned on how she was to concentrate.

Marla was fairly sure her breathing had become rapid. Normally she was in control during sexual encounters, but this wasn't a normal encounter. This was a forced planned exercise she deeply desired and was deeply loathing. The loathsomeness of it was becoming a thing of the past.

"My crew." He repeated with complete rasp. "Inside."

"The torpedoes." His tongue was licking her throat. Her fingers ripped out his gel. "Place," Her breath was hot. "Your crew." His teeth caught her lower lip and bit. "Inside." He kissed her in agreement.

She felt him tug her forward. Marla gasped against his lips. Harrison remained standing as he forcefully entered her grabbing her lower back as he did. She barely had time to feel the entrance before she knew her legs were clutching Harrison as he animalisticly pounded into her without shame or mercy. Her fingers scratched his back as waves of force and hurt came at her. Marla found tears running down her face as his pace grew rapid and harsh.

"I need," His voice was slowly becoming a single breath. The deepness of his tone was climbing higher the more he allowed himself to relax into his rutted thrusts. "You," She wished that's all she heard, but he continued. "To obey." She struggled to hear him as the pain weaved into something lovely.

"Yes," It was hardly a word. She grabbed him tighter. "Keep me." Marla wasn't sure what her words were meaning to say, but they were positive. Her body convulsed feeling so close to the end. "John." She was so careful to say it right. She had focused all her energy on saying the name. "John." Her legs clutched him tighter as he smashed her body raw. Her chest heaved forward as her eyes squinted. Nails raked the fabric in his shirt causing small holes. Pleasure spread across her body and into her toes.

Harrison made a deep powerful guttural noise in a single instant releasing himself inside her. She heaved again upon hearing his noise losing herself once more. Twice in a matter of seconds she had lost herself to this man. Marla wasn't sure if she could take much more. When Harrison was finished he slowly pushed himself out of her. She licked her lips looking at his sweaty appearance. A chunk of hair fell flatly against his forehead. She reached to touch the hair softly. She exhaled a bit too loudly.

He quickly pulled up his pants putting them back on. He looked a bit raw and sweaty, but he had recovered his composure fairly quickly. Marla watched as he picked up his unworn pair of gloves from the floor snapping them on before reaching for the tommy gun that was on another work station. She sat naked on the table watching him work beside her as if nothing had happened. She waited for a minute before getting dressed seeing that his breath was a bit unsteady. At least she had made some impression.

As she put herself back together she vaguely wondered when the last time this man had truly pleasured himself in carnal desires. Perhaps it had been very long. Perhaps he hadn't pleasured himself at all since his release from the Botany Bay. Maybe that's why he was so predator like during their encounter. She got her jacket, skirt, and panties on realizing along the way that her boots had been on the whole time. She wondered if her heels had dug into Harrison's back.

If so he probably didn't feel it. She popped down off the table nearly falling over as she did. She caught herself on Harrison's arm, though he had not reached out to help her. She knew why. He was attempting to distance himself from her. She would be gone tomorrow if they had their way.

"Perhaps you should sit down." He told her looking at her almost sideways. "You're quite sore." He almost seemed proud in his tone. Marla smiled reaching for the chair. He helped her into it before returning to work.

Marla allowed herself to continue her work on the ancient weapons trying not to allow tears as she recalled once more what today was.

Today was her last day of freedom.