Misfire

Part Two

The rain fell in a steady downpour, whipping horizontally in a forceful wind that reduced visibility. Lightning illuminated the sky followed by concussive rumbles of thunder following on top of each other repeatedly in rapid succession. Mork, unused to such a violent storm, crouched down looked around him fearfully, bewildered and overwhelmed. Hugging himself in a protective gesture, he shivered and looked at Mindy. She was still unconscious, but he could tell that she was breathing, which relieved him somewhat. Still, he didn't know how long she would remain alive, the gaping wound in her stomach severe and demanding attention. He knew he couldn't keep her in the forest much longer or he would lose her. He realized that he had to overcome his paralyzing fear and guilt to get her to safety, although he wasn't sure how. He didn't think he should move her when she was so badly injured, but he didn't know what other options he had available to him. He had to find help, and he didn't think anyone would hear him over the roar of the storm if he yelled. Besides that, they were isolated in the woods, surrounded by dense groves of pine trees, shielded from view. The thick curtain of rain and fog only acted to further conceal them. His only chance to find Mindy the help she needed was to get her out of the forest and back to the open space of the park as soon as possible.

Carefully bundling her and gathering her limp body in his strong arms, he lifted her and carried her, running through the woods as quickly as he could, his mind a frantic blur as he dodged trees and steadied himself every time he nearly slipped on the mud and lost his balance. His only focus was to help Mindy, and he didn't care what he had to endure to get it for her. It was his fault that she was hurt, and he was willing to strain and punish his body to the limit if it meant she would be saved. The rain pelted and lashed at his skin, his arms twitched and resisted as they struggled to hold Mindy's weight, and his hearts pounded until he thought they would burst, but he didn't care. He would rather die first before seeing Mindy suffer any longer.

In the distance he saw a blurred, dark shape that he hoped was a human. The storm grew more intense with each moment that passed, and he knew that it had forced most people away from the park, but he still hoped that at least one person remained. All he needed was the attention of one person who could help him. As he ran closer, the shape became more defined and he noticed it was a man hurriedly packing up a picnic basket, a poncho draped over his shoulders. He increased his pace until he reached him, collapsing at his feet and panting in exhaustion. Surprised, the man looked down at him and the motionless body of Mindy. He saw her wound and Mork's frantic expression.

"My God," he said.

"H…h…help," Mork managed to gasp between breaths, looking pleadingly up at the man.

Calmly, the man examined Mindy's wound. He noticed the burn marks on her clothing. "It looks like she was struck by lightning," he said.

Shaking his head in protest, Mork almost admitted his guilt before stopping himself. He knew the earthling would never understand and would only react to him with fear and suspicion.

The man looked at Mork. "Don't worry, I'm a paramedic," he said. "I'm off duty, but I'll call this in. She's going to be just fine." He grabbed Mork's hand and squeezed it to reassure him.

Looking at Mindy, Mork hoped this man was right. To him, she was beginning to look worse, her skin pale, her breathing shallow. She was slipping away from him, and he hoped he wasn't too late.

Still soaked from the rain, Mork sat in tense silence with Fred McConnell in the hospital waiting room, his wet hair dripping and forming puddles on the floor. Neither man had spoken a word to each other since they arrived, both of them too preoccupied with their thoughts to communicate beyond a simple nod of recognition. When the doctor approached them, they both sprang from their seats, unable to contain their nervous energy any longer.

"How is she?" Fred asked.

"She'll be fine, considering she was stuck by lightning," the doctor said. "She's very fortunate. The main strike must have missed her. Despite some burns that may cause some scarring, she should heal well. We'll have to keep her here for a few days and monitor her for infection, but I see no reason that she shouldn't recover."

"Oh, thank God," Fred said, releasing a deep sigh of relief.

The doctor looked at Mork. "You're lucky you were able to find help for your friend when you did," he said. "These situations often don't turn out well for the victim. Lightning is the number one severe weather killer in Colorado. Next time, you'll need to be more careful."

Mork nodded solemnly, looking down at the floor with a despondent expression. He could feel both men's eyes on him. He wondered if Mr. McConnell suspected the truth, and he wished he could disappear into the linoleum.

"Can we see her?" Fred asked.

"Of course. Follow me," the doctor said, leading them down the corridor to Mindy's room. "Now, she may be a little groggy, but that's because we gave her some medication for the pain."

Mork winced. Mindy in pain. He couldn't bear thinking about it, nor could he stand the idea that he was to blame. He didn't know how he could face her. She would hate him for what he'd done. He didn't know how she could possibly forgive him. When they entered the room, he was glad to find her asleep. He didn't know what he would have done if he had to look into her accusing eyes.

"She needs to rest," the doctor said quietly. "I wouldn't stay too long. You can come back later during regular visitor hours when she's more alert."

"Thanks, doctor," Fred said. "We'll just say hello for now and be on our way."

The doctor nodded and left the room.

"Mindy," Fred said, gently taking her hand, tears forming in his eyes. "I don't know what I would have done if I had lost you."

Mork didn't know what he would have done, either. He kept replaying the horrific scene in his mind, the moment he struck her with the force of his power, the blood and smoke rising from her body. It almost seemed as if his memory was trapped in that one point in time, unable to escape it. Even though Mindy looked peaceful in her hospital bed, all he could see was her smoldering wound, her face contorted in a painful expression. He wanted to confess to Fred that he was the cause of her misery. He didn't care about the consequences. Let them try him in an Earth court for murder and lock him away. He felt he deserved it for what he'd done. He tried to speak, but his mouth refused to open, leaving him to suffer in silence. He wanted to touch Mindy and comfort her, but he was afraid that even touching her would harm her. He didn't realize how different he was from these humans until now. They were fragile beings vulnerable to his advanced power, and he could kill them with the simple thrust of his finger.

Fred noticed the anguished expression on Mork's face. Even though the two of them had an acrimonious relationship at times, he couldn't help but feel tremendous sympathy for the alien. He wondered if Mork even knew what a thunderstorm was or understood what had happened to Mindy. It must've been terrifying for him, and he could tell that he was still in shock.

"Mork, you haven't said a word since we got here," he said. "Are you all right?"

Mork stared at Mindy, still unable to speak. He couldn't form proper words in his state, and even if he could, what would he say? Nothing he could say would provide any comfort.

"Look, what you went through was a frightening experience," Fred said. "It's understandable that you would be traumatized. But you heard the doctor. As scary as this was, Mindy's going to be all right. Everything's going to be fine."

Mork looked at his hands. He never realized how lethal his powers could be, how much potential harm they could cause. One misstep, and he had almost killed his best friend.

"Monster," he whispered, tears in his eyes.

"What?"

"I'm a monster."

"What are you talking about, Mork? You're not a monster. What happened wasn't your fault. It was a storm. They can be sudden and unpredictable. You had no way of knowing this would happen. It was a nice day only a few minutes earlier. It's not as if you planned it. It was an accident, do you understand?"

Mork wondered how long Fred would believe that lie, how long it would be before Mindy regained consciousness and told him the truth. They would banish him from their sight forever, or worse—they would turn him in as a dangerous threat to society. He decided he would spare them the trouble. When he got home to Mindy's apartment, he would gather his few belongings and leave. Maybe he could ask Orson for a reassignment. Whatever happened, he knew he had to get as far away from them as possible so that he couldn't cause them any more torment.

"Why don't you go home and rest?" Fred said, placing his hand on Mork's shoulder to comfort him. "We've all been through quite an ordeal today, and it would benefit us all. I promise you things will look better in the morning. I'll call you when Mindy's awake. I'm sure she'll be happy to see you and relieved that you're safe."

Mork knew that Mindy would neither be pleased or relieved to see him when she awoke, but he nodded in agreement with Fred, allowing him to lead him quietly out of the room, taking one last mournful look at Mindy before the door closed behind him, knowing it would probably be the last time he saw her. He knew she wouldn't miss him, and he didn't blame her, but he would miss her. He would think about her and the repercussions of what he had done to her for the rest of his life. It was a fitting punishment, and he was willing to accept it.