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Chapter 7: Who Is Worthy?
July 11, 2012 4 am, Kansas City, Kansas
Jim woke up suddenly in the middle of the night in a coughing fit. He rushed into the bathroom when the coughing turned to gagging so he wouldn't throw up on the bed.
When he was done retching, he washed his mouth with some water and spit it out in the sink.
He flipped on the light to the bathroom and quickly shut his eyes as the harsh light flooded his retinas. After his irises adjusted to the light, he took a good look at himself in the mirror. He was pale and his eyes had huge bags under them. The wheeze he felt in his chest was not normal and told him that he was sick. Also his stomach wasn't happy and his head hurt.
Jim knew he had been pushing the envelope during his training lately and now it had taken a toll on his body. Cameron had warned him that this might happen despite it being in the middle of summer, but he insisted that he learn as much as he could. He continued his endurance training and had begun martial arts training a month prior. She had been teaching him the style that General John Connor had taught his soldiers.
Jim had struggled with it, but kept on trying. He wasn't the most flexible person in the world which hindered him, but his sight was 20/20 and his hearing was perfect. However his lack of endurance was still biting him in rear and he was sick and tired of it, hence why he kept pushing himself to overcome this the handicap.
Now he wished he had listened to her, but instead he was sick with some respiratory bug and that would put him behind in his training.
He grumbled to himself as he rolled his eyes, he hated being sick. Jim managed to drag himself into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of ginger ale to settle his stomach.
He sat down at the kitchen table and rested his head in his hands as tried to ignore the increasing pain coming from his chest.
Jim figured at this point he needed to see a doctor, but since neither John Henry nor Cameron were home at the moment, he was on his own... without a car.
He cursed himself for getting him into this situation. He should have insisted on bringing the other truck, but they thought it was unnecessary.
Now he remembered why Sarah Connor didn't always rely on machine logic in every situation. He noted to challenge them a little more often in the future just before he began coughing again. When he finally stopped nearly five minutes later. When he finally did he was on the floor panting and wheezing, desperately trying to catch his breath.
He grabbed the home phone and dialed 911.
As the tone was dialing, he was fighting to stay conscious, his breathing becoming more and more labored as time went on.
When the operator picked up, he was barely able to answer.
"911, what's your emergency"?
"I need an ambulance at this location... for me... can't... breathe...".
That was the last thing he said before he passed out.
"Sir? Sir?, I'm sending an ambulance to your location".
John Henry had been busy for the last few days collecting and storing various raw materials that he was going to use for both the TDE and the fusion reactor. He was also building subspace sensors based on the designs stored in the TX Mk. 2 chip. Skynet had used them to perfect the TDE technology and now he had modified the design to detect a wider range of spacial anomalies and had increased their definition. To complete his research, these were going to be critical in mapping the inter-dimensional tunnel and figuring out how to send a TDE signal through it to their Earth.
He was on his way back to the house in the Chevy, he was hauling a few containers of the materials he could build a test model.
When he about to pull up to the house, he saw an ambulance and a few cop cars in front the house. Instantly on alert, he turned around and left. He couldn't be interviewed by cops for any reason due to the way he looked at the moment. He may have changed his hair color and grown a beard, but it still wasn't enough to fully guarantee anonymity. Besides, what ever had happened was over and the ambulance was leaving with it sirens on.
John Henry dug around in the truck and found an old hat and coat. Even though it was July it still got a little chilly on clear nights and he needed a disguise. Once he put them on he got out of the truck and changed his voice to one much deeper than he normally used. He walked up to the officers who were securing the door they had to break through. He stopped on the sidewalk in front of the house and called out to the officers.
"What happened officers"?
The cop turned from his buddy and addressed the man.
"The homeowner called 911, couldn't breathe. We had to break down the door to get to him".
That concerned John Henry, he knew that Jim had asthma issues he was trying to get past, but he hadn't known it was this bad.
"I'm sorry to hear that, is he alright"?
The cop shrugged.
"The pumped him full of drugs to open his airways, they say he'll be alright in a few days".
If John Henry were human he would have let out a sigh of relief, he didn't want any harm to come to the young man.
"That's good to know, thank you officers".
"No problem, have nice morning sir". The cops turned back to their work and John Henry went back the Chevy and drove off.
As he headed to the nearest hospital, he called Cameron on his cell.
Meanwhile at the farm...
Cameron had been at the farm for a day checking on the construction progress, and so far everything was on schedule and to spec. The contractor had not taken any short cuts whatsoever.
So far the hole for the entire bunker had been dug and the gravel foundation laid. New power lines were being laid underground instead of above ground and high speed fiber optic was being routed directly into the house and bunker. Water and sewer lines had to be diverted and thus most of the front yard had been dug up.
The house itself had the dirt on the north and east side dug up so the tunnel could be routed through the back of the basement to the bunker.
She had promised Jim to look at the rest of his property and make sure that everything was in place and had not gone missing. Being as thorough as she was she had taken all night to search through his stuff over at the tractor shed and barn. Nothing had been touched so she had left at 4 am. She knew that she wouldn't be back in time for Jim to start his daily run, but Cameron also knew he wouldn't miss it either. She had been preoccupied before in the morning and he had kept his promise.
She was about an hour out when her cell phone started buzzing in her pocket.
"Hello"?
The key code entered was John Henry's, and she entered hers in response.
"We have a problem".
"What happened"? She said with a slightly darker tone as her head tilted.
"Jim's in the hospital, he's sick".
Cameron let that sink in for a partial second before her emotions reacted.
"What's wrong with him"? Her programming voiced a slightly worried tone into her response.
"I don't know, but he's expected to be fine. However the police broke down the front door to get to him".
Cameron's worry went beyond just Jim now.
"Did they find anything"?
"No, only two policemen were securing the house when they took him away, he's at the hospital nearest the house".
"Okay, I'll meet you there". She closed the phone and continued driving.
Cameron was a little surprised by her reaction at hearing that Jim was in the hospital. She wondered why she had felt as much worry as she had, granted it was no where near the amount she'd felt when John was in trouble, but still...
It was obvious that she was becoming attached to him in some sort of manner, but she did know how she considered him. Was it something stronger than friend or was it just that, friend? Cameron really didn't know, but at least she was sure she wasn't falling in love with him, that was reserved for John Connor alone.
She continued to ponder that conundrum the whole way to the hospital, and she never came to a conclusion.
July 12, 2012 10 am
Jim slowly returned to consciousness, feeling a pain in this throat and lungs that made them feel like they were on fire.
"Uhhhhh". He managed to get out as his blurry vision began to clear.
He felt small fingers trying to feed him ice chips, which he greedily accepted.
"How are you feeling"? Jim heard the soft familiar voice to the left of him. He coughed a few times before he attempted to say anything.
"Like hell". Was all he managed before the nurses and doctors came in and checked him over, telling Jim how his 911 call had saved his life.
Apparently the type of bronchitis he contracted was one that didn't give much warning before it made you deathly ill, and because he had asthma, it had nearly blocked his airways entirely.
They told him he could go home tomorrow and that he had to take an antibiotic for two weeks to make sure it was gone. They also gave him an emergency inhaler just in case.
Once the medical staff had left the room, Cameron closed the door and sat down next to him.
"You almost died". Jim shut his eyes and shrugged his shoulders.
"It's not the first time, nor the last I think".
Cameron pursed her lips together, she didn't like his attitude, but she understood it.
"I told you not to overexert yourself, but you didn't listen".
"I know, I'll listen next time". He looked up at the ceiling and let out a sigh. "It's just... I want to prove myself, I want to be ready, to be worthy".
She tilted her head at the last one... worthy is what he said.
"What do you need to be worthy of"?
Jim's eyes darted around the room trying to think of a way to explain this.
"I want to be worthy of serving with you both, and the others we'll be joining over there. They're hardened soldiers, they've been through hell. Even Weaver and Reese brothers both have things about them that impress me no end, and I wonder how I even live up to their legacy, to your legacy, to Sarah's legacy, and to John's".
He let out a shaky breath and sank his head in the pillow further, embarrassed at having to explain his feelings.
Cameron looked at him with the blue eyes of her disguise, and they radiated the understanding she had. She knew all about questioning one's worthiness.
Both her and John alike.
She laid her hand on his arm and explained.
"I know what you mean, every time I failed John in some way, I questioned whether I was a good enough protector, or friend".
She let out a rather shaky breath before she continued, her eyes becoming slightly misty.
"When I went bad, and John gave me a second chance, I never felt so unworthy of him even though I didn't know I was feeling emotions. That thought continued to haunt me, and it still does. I don't know if I'm worthy of him after all I've done to hurt him, and now he's in more danger than I could ever imagine because of... me".
A solitary tear rolled down her face and fell to the floor. It dawned on Jim that Cameron was depressed... in her own sort of way. This was why they never really talked about John. It was more than the fact that she couldn't protect him or be with him, it was because she was ashamed of herself.
Emotions could be a real pain sometimes.
He grabbed her hand and gave it a light squeeze. Now it was time for him to set the record straight.
"Cameron, I don't think anyone is more worthy of John Connor than you. I don't think anyone short of his mother has fought as hard, suffered as much, or cared as much about him as you do".
He squeezed her hand harder.
"No one".
Tears were now rolling down her cheeks, but her voice only carried a hint of emotion.
"You think so"?
"I know so, I couldn't fight my own internal demons like you did every hour of every day for over a year! That is love Cameron, that is sacrifice, that makes you worthy in my eyes".
"The Termination Override... You think that makes me worthy"?
"That alone would make anyone worthy of John Connor".
Jim watched her face produce a small smile, and he knew he had gotten through to her, but the sadness still loomed underneath.
As soon as he got out of here he was going to talk to John Henry about resolving that problem.
The next morning Jim was released from the hospital and sent home with explicit orders to get plenty of rest and to take his antibiotic.
Cameron and John Henry made sure he followed them to the letter to his never ending irritation. He was able to talk them into letting him to sit on the couch in the living room.
That's where he now found himself, being a bum while Cameron ran errands and John Henry was doing something at the kitchen table involving a soldering iron and lots of solder and shrink tube.
"John Henry".
"Yes"? The cyborg said as he turned his attention to the human.
"I think we should do something to cheer Cameron up, how do you think we could do that"?
John Henry thought about that for a moment before he responded.
"We could buy her a birthday cake and presents, her manufacturing date is tomorrow". He said as he checked the soup simmering on the stove.
"Her built day"? Jim's face clearly showed his surprise. "Then were in luck". His confusion changed to a smile as he picked up a note pad and pen and wrote down something on it.
"Would you mind picking this up at this P.O. box while your out getting the cake"? Jim asked the cyborg as he was handing him a bowl of chicken noodle soup.
"No, I'll be back within an hour". The machine put on his shoes and walked out the door. Jim just ate his soup while watching some comedy movie that was on.
Sometime during that hour Jim passed out on the couch and when John Henry got back he just left him there while he put the cake out of sight and the package in Jim's room. When the worn out teen finally woke up six hours later, Cameron had returned and was helping John Henry with prototype subspace sensor array down in the basement. Jim moved around a bit in his bed, stretching, when he noticed the package on the dresser. He got out of bed and opened the package, pulling the black case out of the sea of peanuts. He opened it and was impressed with what was inside.
She was going to love this...
The next morning Jim searched out John Henry while Cameron was in the shower.
"I got the gift wrapped last night, did you get her anything"? Jim whispered to the machine as he put the wrapped present on the table.
"Yes, and I believe it will complement yours quite well". He said while putting his gift right next to Jim's.
"I think we should give her the gifts and cake as soon as she gets down here". Jim said as he filled up a glass of water. John Henry handed him his medicine and Jim downed it with the water.
"I don't think we should surprise her, you know how much she likes that".
"Don't remind me". Jim muttered as he remembered a rather unpleasant incident a month ago.
Jim sat down with a bowl of cereal while John Henry put candles on the cake. When Jim finished his food he cleared the table, they put the cake and presents on it and waited for the built day girl to finish getting ready.
When she finally came downstairs, Cameron was greeted by both Jim and John Henry at the bottom of the steps. This was highly unusual, and thus she was instantly suspicious.
"What are you doing"? Her dark brown eyes narrowing slightly at the two men.
"Well since we know you hate surprises, we decided to tell you up front". Jim said as he shuffled from foot to foot.
"Wise decision". She said as she stepped off the stairs and began walking toward the kitchen.
"We decided to celebrate your built day". John Henry decided it was best to be straight forward.
Cameron stopped in her tracks.
"You did"? She said with slight shock as she turned to face them.
"Yeah, why not"? Jim said as he walked past her into the kitchen. She followed but stopped again when she saw her small chocolate ice cream cake with two flickering candles standing on top. Two presents were stacked behind it, both wrapped in purple wrapping paper.
There were few times in her brief life where Cameron had been so utterly stunned to where she didn't know what to do, and this was one of them.
"Why"? She asked without taking her eyes off the cake.
"Because you once asked if you had a built day, I think that if a person has a day where they came into existence, then they should celebrate it. You're no different". Jim said as he put a grabbed his camera.
John Henry pulled a seat out for her and motioned for her to sit in front of the cake. She obliged him and sat down in front of it.
"Now I've never cared for the happy birthday song, and unless you love it..."
"No, hearing you two sing would ruin it". Her face was totally blank and her voice as normal as ever, causing both Jim and John Henry to momentarily think she was serious.
"Wait one darn second..." Jim said while pointing a finger at the cyborg.
"I fooled you again". Cameron's soft smile and teasing tone caused Jim to burst out laughing and John Henry to quirk his lips in amusement.
When Jim finally stopped laughing, he snapped a picture of Cameron blowing out her candles.
"You better not put that on Facebook". She said with a mock glare which only made Jim shake his head.
"I'm not that gullible..."
"Yes you are".
"You know what, I think I'll keep this present all to myself".
"You'll give me that if you want to live".
"Did you hear that John Henry? She just threatened me"
"That's not a threat it's a promise".
"Fine, you win..."
Jim handed her gift back and they sat down at the table once more. She tore the paper off and revealed a black handgun case.
No one could miss the devilish grin that adorned her face when she opened it.
Inside was an AMT Hardballer .45 Longslide with attached laser sighting. The same make and model the original Terminator and Bedell Terminator used. Granted the movie prop had been a little behind in technology and had wires running to it, but this one's laser was much newer and was custom designed to look like the one from the movie.
Only Jim had somehow found the gun in black, her favorite color for weapons and the laser dot in purple.
She turned the weapon over in her hands and checked it over, pulling the magazine out and checking the mechanisms. She turned to Jim and gave him a smile, the biggest he'd ever received from the cyborg girl.
"I like it, thank you". Cameron said to Jim while she continued admiring the weapon.
Eventually she put it down and opened John Henry's gift. Inside the box was plenty of ammunition for her new gun and new purple leather jacket. She gave John Henry the same smile she had Jim as she put on the jacket. Cameron still couldn't understand her obsession with purple leather, but it seemed Jim had been right, she was more human than she'd ever admit.
After Jim and Cameron had eaten some cake, they cleaned up the kitchen and got back to business, Jim focused on getting well and cleaning weapons while Cameron and John Henry continued building the subspace sensor array.
Later that day, not long before Jim went to bed, Cameron came upstairs and sat next to Jim on the couch.
"What's up"? He asked as he turned off the TV.
"I wanted to ask why you thought I needed cheering up"?
Jim figured she and John Henry had been talking downstairs, and so he answered.
"When we had that talk in the hospital, I could tell you were... depressed. I thought that maybe doing something special for you might help. Depression is something I struggled with after the quake, and still do sometimes".
"That was thoughtful, thank you. However, I doubt I will 'feel better' until John is safe".
"I know, it's hard being apart from him".
"It is, but the things you and John Henry do, you help make this existence bearable without him. Your humor especially".
Jim chuckled.
"Really"?
"Yes".
"Then I'll keep cracking jokes until we get you home, how bout that"?
"I'd like that". A small upturn of her lips accompanying her response. "Now go to bed, you need to get better so we can continue your physical training. Until then you'll be studying all the Terminator series and models I know of before we move on to the HK class".
"Beats running myself to death". He mumbled as he got up. "Goodnight Cameron". He went into his room and shut the door.
"Goodnight Jim". She yelled after him as she got up and went back down the stairs to the basement.
John Henry had been right about Jim, he really was something special and they were lucky to have been found by him. Without him they wouldn't have found this body, and the advanced technology that it offered.
Despite that though, both her and and John Henry were having doubts on whether or not they'd be able to make the UDE, Universe Displacement Equipment, accurate enough to get them home...
A/N: For those of you waiting to see how John's doing, wait for next chapter.
The story is really going to pick up soon as the last two gifts are introduced...