LAST KISS -------------------------------- Written by: Karen Lau E-mail: kwm2lau@hotmail.com Timeline: On way to New Pacifica -------------------------------- Author's notes: Well, here I go again. Really I should be studying, but instead, I decided to procrastinate and write another J&A story. This story takes place on the way to New Pacifica and that Devon has (somehow) been cured. I've always thought that having Julia's chromosomes skewed was never really explored. BTW, I realize it seems silly that the Terrians are able to heal Uly but can't heal themselves in this story. Please bear with me as I needed to add this for the story. Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters, etc. This story is just for fun! Please don't sue me! : ) -------------------------------------------------- The suns were beating down on the small group as they trudged their way across the land. The past week had been sweltering. The Advance team had been totally unprepared for G889's summer. The weather was humid, hot and hazy, with no sign of it changing soon. Like the extreme winter they had just experienced, the summer on the planet appeared to be the opposite extreme. Or maybe they were just too used to the station's air climate controlled environment. Devon had changed the daily schedule of the Advance team. In order to compensate for the incredibly uncomfortable weather, the team started their journey in the early morning hours, while the weather was still cool. At noon, Devon would call a halt and the team would set up temporary camp, resting and trying to stay cool. After the afternoon had passed, the hottest time of the day, the Advancers would quickly pack up and continue to travel in the early evening hours, until it was pitch black. At this point, Devon would again call a halt and the Advancers would set up camp. "Ouch! Darn it! I think I stubbed my toe on something. Why the hell does Adair make us fumble around in the dark? We should have set up camp an hour ago!" Morgan whines. "Morgan, you know that by taking a break in the afternoon, we are losing valuable journey time. Even with walking in the evening, we are still behind schedule. We have to get to New Pacifica before the colony ship arrives. Would you rather walk during the afternoon?" Bess questions Morgan, who shakes his head vehemently. "Besides, Devon will probably call a halt in the next half hour. It's just starting to get dark." Bess reproved her husband, gently. "I know, but my foot really hurts! I think I'll go ask Julia to take a look at it." Morgan trudges off in the direction of Julia and Alonzo, who are walking slightly behind Morgan and Bess. "Uh oh, doc. Look who's coming. Your favorite patient, next to me of course." Alonzo comments, noticing Morgan heading towards them. "What on earth are you talking about?" Julia asks, unaware of Morgan's approach. She adjusts the shoulder straps of the pack she is carrying. She is hot, tired, sweaty and cranky. Personally, she didn't understand why Alonzo insisted on walking with her. If she was him, she'd be steering clear of herself. But when Julia told him she was cranky and not good company, Alonzo had laughed and insisted walking with her. Fortunately, Alonzo had picked up on the fact that her distemper was real, and had remained walking silently companionably next to her. Julia had been surprised, thinking that he would pester her with conversation, and, therefore, was relieved that he had been so understanding. Turning in the direction of his gaze, she notices Morgan approaching and scowls. She is not feeling charitable at the moment, and Morgan Martin was someone she did not want to deal with currently. "Julia, I think I may have sprained my foot or something. I really think you should take a look at it." Morgan tugs at Julia's arm, trying to get her to stop and pay attention to him. "Morgan, if you sprained or broke something, you'd be in so much pain you wouldn't be able to walk. The fact that you walked over here tells me that you're just fine." Julia shakes off his hand on her arm and continues to walk right by him. "Some doctor you are! I could be seriously injured and you won't even examine me!" Morgan yells, indignantly. "Oh please." Alonzo mutters, rolling his eyes. "I heard that!" Morgan shouts after them. *** At noon, Julia sinks onto a crate under the temporary tent that Alonzo has set up to provide shade from the beating sunlight. She has never felt so tired in her life. Wiping the sweat from her face, she notices that her skin feels hotter than usual. Julia pulls out her diaglove and absently takes her temperature. "Doc? You okay?" Alonzo asks, concerned. He notices that she is examining herself. "Hmmm? Yes, I'm fine. My temperature's a little high, but I think that's due to the heat. I don't think I have heatstroke." Julia says, absentmindedly. Several of the Advancers had been suffering from the condition lately due to the weather. There wasn't much Julia could do about it other than advise the sufferers to drink plenty of water, and keep a hat on. Julia puts away her diaglove, and turns to Alonzo. "So flyboy, care to let me in on your secret?" "Huh?" Alonzo looks at her, puzzled. "What secret?" "How you manage to keep so cool. Not just temperature wise, but temperament too. This heat just keeps me in perpetual bad humor." Julia smiles at him. She is seriously envious of his ability to stay cool while tempers frayed around him. Even when she is especially cranky, her moods seem to roll right off him. "My secret? I guess I just don't take anything personally." Alonzo muses, not sure why he does indeed seem to be able to keep his temper under control. If he would have bet on anyone staying under control, he would have bet on his Julia. He had seen her under the worst circumstances, and still manage to keep her cool and perform her duties as a doctor. "Does that mean you don't take me personally?" Julia smiles mischievously up at him, her blue eyes twinkling. "I take you very personally. It's just above me to take shots you." Alonzo grins, loftily. "Oh, you!" Julia throws her hat at him, exasperated. "Since when are you above me?" She sticks her tongue out at him. Alonzo smiles evilly, and leans in close. "I could name a number of times last night even..." Julia begins to turn red, catching his meaning. "Ahemm...If you two are finished, I believe Adair says we're to set up camp. She thinks everyone deserves a break for a couple days, considering the weather." Danziger interrupts. "And please remember there are children around." Danziger then heads over to the Morgans, to tell them the change in plans. Alonzo lets out a loud laugh, as Julia throws him a dirty look. Getting up, he dusts his pants off and holds a hand out to help her up. Reluctantly, she grabs his hand and together, head towards their packs, to start setting up camp. *** Later, as the camp bustled with activity, Julia sneaks off to the forest. She is supposed to be unpacking the med-tent supplies, but lured by the beautiful area around her, she heads into the nearby forest. Devon had chosen to camp near the forest in hopes that the trees could provide some shelter from the relentless sunshine. Alonzo had gone off in the Dunerail with Walman and Baines to collect more water at a nearby river. So, bored with unpacking by herself (somehow it always seemed less of a chore when Alonzo helped her), she decided to go into the forest to collect some samples from the local vegetation. Fascinated, Julia ignores the increasing heat as the afternoon passes. Next to her, a basket full of plants is full to overbursting. The sweat is pouring down her face and she impatiently wipes it away. Glancing down at her gear, she checks the temperature. "That can't be right. The temperature hasn't changed at all, but I'm sure it's been getting warmer..." Julia mumbles to herself, shaking her gear. The equipment beeps at her, startling her into dropping it. *Damn* she thinks, cursing her clumsiness, picking up her gear and placing it on her head. "Heller here." "Julia, its Devon. Just noticed you weren't around. Are you okay?" Devon's face appears in the eyepiece, concerned. "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry about that, I guess I haven't noticed the time passing. I'm just finishing up collecting some plant samples now." Julia explains. "No need to hurry back to camp. Just let someone know where you're going next time, okay? I just want to keep tabs on everyone." Devon gently lectures. "Sure. Hey, has it been getting warmer this afternoon? I think there might be something wrong with the thermometer on my gear. What temperature are you reading?" Julia asks. "Uh...I'm reading the same temperature as at the start of the afternoon. The weather seems about the same to me as when we started setting up camp." Devon frowns, looking down at a piece of equipment. "Maybe you should head back if you think something is wrong with your gear. Get Danziger to look at it." "No, I'm sure it's just my imagination. I'll just collect a couple more samples and then head back. I should be back within half an hour. I'll leave my gear on in case you need to reach me." Julia says, looking around her. She can hear voices from the camp and knows she is quite close. "In fact, you could probably just shout my name, I'm just outside the west perimeter." "Alright, see you in a bit. Devon out." Devon's face disappears from Julia's view. Sighing, Julia pulls the gear off and looks around. Suddenly, a wave of dizziness hits her. Stumbling, Julia falls to her knees, disoriented. Placing a hand to her head, she realizes her forehead is blazingly hot. A sharp pain runs through her side. She falls onto her hands, as the pain shoots through her. Finally, the pain recedes. Breathing deeply, Julia remains on her hands and knees, her mind racing with possible diagnoses. "Julia? Julia? Where are you?" Alonzo's voice calls out, nearby. Steeling herself, she forces herself off the ground. Cautiously standing upright, she waits to see if the dizziness will return. When nothing happens, Julia takes a deep breath and answers Alonzo's yell. "'Lonz! I'm over here." Gingerly, she picks her way over to where the basket is lying on the ground forgotten. "Hey beautiful. Devon sent me out here to find you when I got back from the water haul. What do you have there? More plants? Don't you think you have enough already?" Groaning, Alonzo picks up her basket, pretending that it weighs a ton. "Very funny, flyboy. Come on, let's get back to camp. You can help me set out my supplies." Julia orders. "Oh come on, Jul. It's a beautiful day, I'm walking with a beautiful woman. Let's not do any work." Alonzo smiles seductively at her. "Sure. We don't have to do any work. Right after we finish laying out the med-tent." Julia says, ignoring him. She turns and head back to camp, with Alonzo trailing after her. *** Alone in the med-tent, Julia glances at the tent flap again. Julia and Alonzo had finished unpacking all her supplies about an hour ago. Alonzo had headed over to play a hand of cards with Danziger, as the crew awaited for those on KP duty to announce dinner. Julia had told Alonzo that she just wanted to check a couple of the plants before dinnertime. She had sent him off to relax, after helping her all afternoon. He had shaken his head, telling her she should take a break as well. "Doc, all work and no play, is not a good thing..." he had said. "I will play later, I promise." she smiled. "I'll hold you to that..." Alonzo had smiled back. Shaking her head at the memory, Julia opens her med chest and pulls out her diaglove. The real reason she wanted Alonzo out of the tent was because she wanted to test herself. Julia suspects she knows what is wrong with herself, but not wanting to alarm Alonzo, she decides to test herself privately. Taking a sample of her blood, Julia prepares a slide for her microscope. She places the slide under the lens and, taking a deep breath, she looks at her blood sample. "Julia! I think I cut myself while preparing those plants for dinner tonight." Bess runs in, holding her finger. Shaken, Julia jerks her gaze away from the microscope and immediately tends to Bess. The cut is shallow, although long. Julia applies antiseptic and wraps Bess' finger in gauze. "All done. Nothing to worry about, Bess. You did the right thing, keeping pressure on it." "Thanks, on earth I learned a couple of things. You couldn't get by without some basic first aid knowledge." Bess smiles crookedly. Suddenly, she notices how pale Julia is. "Hey, are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost or something." "Yeah, I'm fine. Just discovered something unexpected, you know? I was wondering, how would you feel about learning a little more first aid?" Julia asks, avoiding Bess' gaze. Walking over to her desk, she begins organizing some of the plants on her desk. "I could really use some help, and if you could handle some of the medical stuff, it would really free up some of my time." "Sure! I'd love to." Bess agrees, enthusiastically. "But do you really think I could do it? Wouldn't Yale make a much better helper?" Bess asks, doubtfully. "As proficient as Yale is, I think with your knowledge of first aid from earth, would make you the ideal assistant. You know how to get things done, without worrying about whether its pretty or not." Julia smiles, taking the slide from the microscope and throwing it in a pile of other miscellaneous items. "Well, okay, sure! When do I report?" Bess grins. "How about right now?" *** Over dinner, Julia deliberately picks a fight with Alonzo. They fight right in front of the entire crew, for once, Julia apparently unaware of the stares she was drawing. "I'm going to walk away from this, before one or both of us say something we'll regret." Alonzo growls, stalking towards the forest, to cool off. "Sure, run away, flyboy. That's how you deal with things best. Too scared to stick around, hmmm?" Julia jeers. Alonzo stops, his back still towards her, debating whether to turn around and shake her silly. In the background, gasps from the others can be heard, astounded that Julia was deliberately baiting him. Devon suddenly gets up and heads towards Julia, gently grabbing her arm. "Don't you think you should go cool off?" Devon asks Julia, quietly. She notices an odd look on Julia's face, her eyes sad rather than angry. But the mask quickly slips back into place. "I don't need to cool off, Devon. I know exactly what I'm saying." Julia responds, coldly. Turning, she heads towards the direction of the med-tent. *** Inside the med-tent, a lone figure lays on the cot, sobbing. Scared out of her mind, Julia knows that most people would reach out to the one they love in their time of need. But she also knows she can't afford to let Alonzo back into her heart. *It's better this way. Better for him.* she thinks, sniffling. Suddenly, she hears Uly calling out her name. "Julia, help! I need you help!" The little boy collides with the doctor as she rushes out of her tent. Devon runs up as Julia grabs Uly by his shoulders, steadying him. "Uly, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" Julia immediately begins looking him over, searching for injuries. "No! It's not me. It's the Terrian. I don't know what's wrong with him, but I think he's hurt. You gotta come." Uly tugs frantically at Julia's sleeve, attempting to drag her with him. "Uly, what are you talking about?" Devon asks, running in front of him to block his path. Uly immediately skirts around his mother, not releasing Julia as he continues to lead her away from the camp. "Uly, just let me get my medical bag, okay? I'll be right back." Julia sprints back into the med-tent. "Mom, we have to hurry. He's dying, I know it!" Uly runs into the forest, gesturing for Devon to follow him. Glancing around, she spots Yale heading over. "Yale, Julia and I are going to go with Uly. Hold down the fort while I'm gone, okay? And get Alonzo, we may need him." Devon throws over her shoulder, as she takes after Uly. Julia runs out of the med-tent and immediately follows Devon's lead. "Of course, Devon." Yale's voice echoes after them. In a small clearing, Uly stops. Devon bursts into the clearing and stumbles to a halt. Close on her heels, Julia bumps into Devon, not expecting her to stop so suddenly. In the middle of the clearing, a lone Terrian is crouched, some sort of liquid oozing from a long, deep cut in it's leg, caused by a piece of metal still stuck in its leg. It looks up when they enter the clearing and struggles to stand. Cautiously, Julia begins to approach the Terrian, holding her diaglove out to try to get some readings. "Julia, maybe we should wait for Alonzo to communicate with the Terrian." Devon says, nervously. Julia shakes her head, "From my readings, this Terrian's life signs are weakening as we speak. I need to clot the cut and get that piece of metal out. I'm just afraid that they're physiology is so different from ours, I might make things worse, rather than better. But there's no time. If I'm going to do something, I have to do it now." "Uly, can you tell the Terrian that Julia is going to try and help? Ask if it's okay and that she could make things worse." Devon turns to her son, not sure if he can do it. "Sure Mom." Uly closes his eyes and is immediately transported to the Dreamplane. Seemingly seconds later, his eyes pop open. "He says he'd rather Julia tried, then not at all." Julia rummages through her med bag and pulls out a hypoderm. When she moves to press it against the Terrian, the creature, alarmed, tries to back away. Making soothing noises, she tries to approach again. This time it lets her. In the silence of the clearing, the hiss from the hypoderm can be heard as Julia releases its contents into the Terrian's leg. Working quickly, she pulls the piece of metal out from it's leg, where it is lodged in an awkward position. "Well folks, let's keep our fingers crossed." Julia murmurs, checking her diaglove for any changes. The liquid begins to slow in oozing and eventually stops. The Terrian sinks its leg into the earth and went it pulls the leg back out, the cut is gone. "Amazing. I think the Terrian just healed itself." Suddenly, Alonzo rushes into the clearing. At Devon's nod, he enters the Dreamplane. When he returns, the Terrian stands and sinks back into the earth, trilling. "He says he owes you one, doc. Apparently he wasn't able to sink back into the earth with that piece of metal stuck in him." Alonzo translates. "Is that what he really said?" Devon asks, suspiciously. "Maybe that wasn't a literal translation, but close enough." Alonzo smiles charmingly at Devon, who snorts in response. Meanwhile, Julia is turning the piece of metal over in her hand, examining it. "It looks like something from a starship. My guess is that this must have come from a penal colony ship. Certainly, it does not appear to be indigenous to this planet. Maybe that's why the Terrian couldn't heal itself until I removed it. Or maybe because Terrians can't heal metal..." Julia muses. "Thank you for helping my friend, Julia." Uly hugs her. "My pleasure, kiddo." Julia hugs him back. *** Two days later, Danziger tracks Alonzo down, walking the night perimeter. Baines, while helping Danziger with the Transrover, let slip that Alonzo was still bunking in with him and Walman. "Hey man. I hear you're still in the dog house." Danziger sits down on a nearby log, watching Alonzo pace back and forth. "Is that why you've volunteered for the grave yard shift?" "Shouldn't you be asleep, Danziger?" Alonzo asks, avoiding Danziger's questions. "Nah. You should try sleeping next to a restless kid." Danziger replies. "Come on, 'Lonz. I'm your friend. You want to tell me what's going on between you and Julia?" "I have no idea. It's like, even when I went to apologize to her when it wasn't even my fault, she won't listen. She just tells me she's busy. It's like she doesn't give a damn." Alonzo bites out, frustrated. "Bess says she won't talk about it. But I agree. That doesn't sound like Julia at all. Normally she would love to hear you grovel." Danziger muses, ignoring the dirty look Alonzo shoots him. "It's probably some female thing. Maybe you should just lay low and give her some space." "What do you think I've been doing? Except, the more she avoids me, the angrier I get with her." Alonzo mutters. "It's like she's deliberately driving me away. I don't know if she's hurting me on purpose or what." "Hmmmmm." *** "Alright Julia, spill it. What is going on with you and Alonzo? I don't think the two of you have ever fought so long before." Bess asks. It is the third day since the crew has broken for camp. Meanwhile, Julia has been drilling Bess on first aid and other medical procedures. While a little overwhelmed, Bess felt she was up to the challenge. "Nothing. Nothing is going on with us, and that's what I want. Now, I want you to take the diaglove and extract a sample from that plant for analysis." Julia waves her hand, indicating a peculiar looking plant lying on the desk in front of Bess. "Nothing? Then why is Alonzo acting like a bear with a sore head? And why are you throwing yourself into cramming everything you know about basic medicine at me? Could it be you're trying to distract yourself?" Bess arches her eyebrow. "I can't speak for Alonzo, but I'm driving you because I thought you could handle it. If you can't, I apologize." Julia focuses on her work, holding her breath. *Come on, Bess. Take the bait.* "Hey! I can handle anything you throw at me just fine! Haven't I proven myself the last couple of days?" Bess asks, indignantly. She is insulted by the doctor's attitude, never noticing her condescending tone before. "Go ahead. Keep testing me." *I'll show you* Bess thinks. "Fine, let's go through this again. You make an incision here, like this...." *** Later, Julia halts the day's lesson. "I think that's enough for the day, Bess." "Tired, doctor? I was just getting warmed up." Bess smiles, sweetly. "Actually I am rather tired. Let's pick this up in the morning. In the meantime, I've prepared several VR simulations for you to review tonight." Julia turns and hands Bess a couple of VR modules. She rubs her head, noting the high temperature. The room tilts, then rights itself again. "You've got to be kidding, Julia!" Bess gasps, aghast. "I expect you to have them done by tomorrow before we meet, say, at 7 am?" Julia asks, ignoring Bess' glare. "Something you can't handle, Bess? I thought you said you were just getting warmed up." Julia feels like the tent is growing hotter by the minute. "Yeah, well, some of us still have a life outside this tent, doctor. Maybe you have nothing better to do, now that Alonzo's gone, but I want to spend some time with Morgan." Bess retorts, angry. "Whatever. Can you please leave now?" Julia grasps the end of the table, as the tent begins to move again. "Julia? Are you okay? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lash out at you like that. I know you're upset with what's happening between you and Alonzo. You look kind of pale, maybe you should sit down?" Bess asks, anxiously. "I think that's a good idea. I am feeling kind of dizzy..." Julia stumbles toward the cot in the corner, when she suddenly collapses. Bess catches Julia as she falls to the floor, but the unexpected weight of her body forces Bess to lower Julia to the floor. Quickly, Bess presses her fingers to Julia's neck, looking for a pulse. Julia's pulse is racing and her skin is hot to the touch. Alarmed, Bess yells for Yale and Devon. Outside the med-tent, Alonzo, Danziger and Yale hear Bess's cry. Danziger immediately takes off running towards Devon's tent, while Alonzo and Yale rush into the med-tent. "Julia! Bess, what happened?" Alonzo kneels down next to Julia's body. "I don't know. She said she felt dizzy and the next thing I know, she fainted. Is she going to be okay, Yale?" Bess asks, anxiously. "I'm not sure. I can only tell you that she appears to be running a high fever..."Yale trails off, adjusting some buttons on his cybernetic arm. Devon suddenly arrives, bursting into the tent, with Danziger right behind her. "Yale?" Devon asks, kneeling next to Julia. "I'm not sure this reading is correct...Devon, if you could use Julia's diaglove and I could compare my readings." Yale gestures to Julia's diaglove, which is still on the unconscious doctor's arm. Devon quickly pulls the diaglove off Julia's arm and tugs it onto her own. She presses her fingers to Julia's neck, reading out the results to Yale. "Temperature 109 degrees Fahrenheit. Yale, that's impossible!" Devon glares at the diaglove. "John, there has to be something wrong with this. Can you fix it?" Devon pulls the diaglove off and hands it to him. Danziger reaches out to take the glove. "Devon, I don't think you are reading that incorrectly. I have the same reading." Yale meets Devon's eyes, hearing Bess' gasp in the background. "Yale, that's impossible. No one can have that high a temperature and survive..." Devon says slowly, her words sinking in to those around her. "Then we have to bring her temperature down!" Alonzo looks to Yale for guidance, for without Julia, Yale is the next best thing to a real doctor. "You have to look into your databases and figure out a way to keep her cool." Yale nods, closing his eyes, as he searches for a way to bring Julia's temperature down. Julia lets out a low moan and her eyelids flutter up. "'Lonz? What's going on? Why is everyone in the med-tent?" Holding her head, she struggles to pick herself up off the floor. "Hold on there, doc. You just fainted a second ago. Yale?" Danziger pushes Julia back down and glances over at Yale. Suddenly, Julia begins to convulse. Alarmed, Alonzo yells for Yale to do something. "I don't know...We have to bring her temperature down, it's rising as we speak." Yale frantically looks around the med-tent, completely unprepared to deal with the situation. Devon shouts for Alonzo and Danziger to help her pin Julia down, so that the doctor doesn't injure herself. "The hypoderm..." Julia struggles to speak. Alonzo leans down next to her, trying to make out her words. "Julia wants the hypoderm." Alonzo announces, looking around the med-tent. Bess spots it on top of some papers and quickly passes it to Alonzo. He leans down next to Julia again, "Okay doc, I've got the hypoderm. What do you want me to load it with?" He can barely make out her words, her convulsions are getting worse, and she has started to hyperventilate. "10 ccs of morphine? Bess, where does Julia keep the morphine?" Bess rushes over to the medical chest, where Julia keeps her supplies. Digging frantically into the chest, she pulls out a small vial and passes it to Alonzo, who begins to load the hypoderm. "Are you sure that is the correct amount, Alonzo? 5 ccs is more than enough to kill a man. I don't think you should give her 10 ccs." Yale grabs Alonzo's arm, before the pilot can inject Julia. "That's what she said!" Alonzo tries to shake Yale's grasp. "Alonzo, think! Yale says 5 ccs will kill her. You're giving her ten! That can't be right! You must have heard wrong!" Devon tries to reason with the pilot, her hands busy with restraining Julia, as the doctor's convulsions become more violent. "I can't hold her!" Danziger yells. Her convulsions are so violent that Julia can no longer communicate with the others. She is helpless to the incredible intensive pain that is rolling over her. "I know what she said!" Alonzo shakes Yale off him and quickly presses the hypoderm to Julia's neck. Immediately the convulsions decrease in intensity and Julia's breathing slows to normal. Letting out a low moan, Julia curls up on her side, assuming a fetal position. Devon and Danziger release their hold on the doctor and glance at each other. They have no idea what to do next. "Has she regained consciousness yet?" Devon lifts the flap of the med-tent, directing her question to Yale. Alonzo is tending to Julia, wiping her face with a cool cloth. Her temperature has stabilized, but is still high. Without Julia's knowledge, and unable to diagnosis her condition, Yale is uncertain how to bring the temperature down. "No. I am worried that if her temperature begins to climb again before she regains consciousness, I won't know what to do. However, since her condition is currently stable, I think all we can do is hope she awakens soon and can treat herself." Yale speaks quietly to Devon, not wanting Alonzo to hear his comment. "Yale, let's speak outside." Devon pulls Yale outside the tent, unnoticed by Alonzo. Outside, Danziger is waiting for them. He motions for Devon and Yale to follow him into the forest, away from the camp, so that the three can talk privately regarding Julia's condition. "I just talked to True. She said she saw Julia in pain a couple of days ago. Apparently she was doubled over and could barely move. True asked her if she was okay and she said she was fine. Then she asked True to run to the Med-tent and retrieve her hypoderm. True says as soon as she injected herself, she seemed fine. She told True to not mention it to anyone, that she just had a bad reaction to breakfast and was embarrassed. True says she doesn't know what was in the hypoderm, but three guesses what was in there, and the first two don't count." Danziger stops in a small clearing and turns to face Devon and Yale. "Morphine..." Yale murmurs. "However, I do not understand how the morphine would bring her temperature down. Morphine is a pain reliever. In addition, it is very addictive." "But her temperature didn't come down. It's still very high, right? But her spasms stopped. I'm guessing Julia injected herself with morphine to stop the pain, not to deal with her temperature." Devon rubs her forehead, feeling a headache coming on. "From all the evidence, I don't think we're dealing with an addict here. Withdrawal pains are different from what we witnessed. What I don't understand is why she hasn't said anything to any of us. Especially Alonzo. And why hasn't she dealt with her temperature. She's a doctor, she has to know she's running a really high fever which could result in brain damage." "I'm not sure what's going on, but I know I want some explanations..." Danizger grumbles. "Dad! Devon! Alonzo says to come quick. Julia's awake!" True suddenly appears, panting. "Well, I guess it's time to get some answers." Devon quickly runs towards the med-tent. Yale hurries after her and Danziger picks True up, places her on his shoulders and jogs after them. Julia has called a meeting, knowing that all of the Advancers have a right to know what is going on. The med-tent is filled to the over flowing. After regaining consciousness, Julia had sent Alonzo to gather everyone. The convulsions were gone for none, but there was a constant pain that made her want to scream. Unknown to the pilot, while he did as she asked, she had shot herself full of morphine again. "So what is going on, Julia? You say you don't have the flu, you aren't sick. What do you have then?" Devon makes eye contact with the doctor, not understanding what the diagnosis is. "I think we have a right to know what's going on." "Is it something the rest of us can catch? Maybe we should quarantine you." Morgan suggests, nervously. Danziger snorts in disgust, and Alonzo glares at the diplomat. "No Morgan, this is something you will not be able catch. That any of you have to worry about. This disease will affect me and only me." Julia smiles reassuringly at the Advancers, putting on a brave face. "I didn't want to tell you before, until I was positive. Due to this afternoon's events, I am now fairly certain of what my diagnosis is." "Then what exactly do you have, Jul? And why are you only affected?" Alonzo asks quietly, not understanding. His gut feels like there is lead in it, and he feels like there is brick wall ready to fall on him. "Basically, I have a case of chromo-degeneration." Julia looks at Yale, "I think Yale could probably give you a better background on the disease than I could." She nods at Yale. Julia realizes that she was the most qualified to explain, but she doesn't want the others to know how upset she is. Julia is afraid that if she talks about her condition, that her emotions will show. "According to my database, this disease has been documented by station records. It is very rare and only affects those whose chromosomes have been skewed. 1 in 10 genetically altered humans have been diagnosed with this disease. Basically, a person afflicted with this disease develops a condition which affects their DNA. The chromosomes literally breakdown into basic enzymes and the genetic material that makes them human is lost." Yale recites from his database, his eyes closed as he *reads* the material he has downloaded on Julia's condition. "So what does that mean?" Devon asks, anxiously. "I'm not sure I understand. If Julia's chromosomes are breaking down, what does that mean?" "It means I'm melting." Julia smiles, humorlessly. "I don't understand. Chromosome skewing has been approved for years. Yet, I haven't heard of any cases of this before." Devon says, puzzled. "Genetic alterations were approved, Devon. By the Council. The only reason I know about the disease is because I had to treat some of the sufferers. The Council has kept the cases very hush, hush. I'm surprised that Yale could find any documented cases in station records. I would bet though, that other than the acknowledgement that there were 'unfortunate side effects' to chromosome skewing, not much information is available." Julia arches her eyebrow in Yale's direction. Nodding, Yale affirms Julia's hypothesis. "There aren't even any mention of the names of the patients with the condition. Just a brief passage on a disease suffered only by those who have been genetically altered. No information on treatment, symptoms or how to diagnosis." "The Council wouldn't want to admit to any mistakes, of course. The Council kept close track of any genetically skewed humans, which was easy to do, since they limited approval to those families which were loyal to the Council." Julia remembers, bitterly. "But why is this happening now? I mean, what triggered it?" Bess asks, concerned. "I don't know. If we could figure that out, maybe we could find a cure." Julia sighs tiredly. "As far as I know, when I was working on the cases back on the station, the disease appeared spontaneously. There was no discernible pattern on who was afflicted or the timing of the disease. Maybe if the Council was more open and we had more of the medical profession helping with research, we could have discovered a pattern." "So how do we stop this thing?" Alonzo asks, anxiously. Julia looks away from him, away from the others gazes. "We can't. When I left the stations, there was no known cure." Yale glances at Devon, who asks gently, "Is it fatal?" Julia meets Devon's gaze, "Yes. The fatality rate is 100%." Alonzo closes his eyes in pain. When he opens them, he wills her to look at him. He can see the fear behind her eyes. "How long? How long before..." He can't finish his sentence, barely able to get out the question. Danziger finishes it for him. "How long do you have? A month, a year? Longer?" "How about 48 hours? That's the one common denominator in all cases. The cycle completes itself within a few days." Julia smiles, sadly. In the background, gasps can be heard from the Advancers. Alonzo stares at her, not believing. Bess sobs in the background. Devon nods at the group and the Advancers get up to leave, hugging Julia as they exit the med-tent. Julia keeps a brave face on, and turns to face Danziger, Alonzo, Bess and Devon who have remained. "This is why you've been so insistent in teaching me all that first aid? You want me to take your place." Bess sniffles. "I'm sorry for being so rough on you, Bess. I just wanted to make sure Eden Advance could get by until the colony ship arrives. You've been great. I've taped more on gear for you to access when you have time. I guess we'll have to suspend the rest of the lessons." Julia smiles apologetically at her. "Forgive me for being so rough on you?" Bess grabs the doctor and hugs her hard. Then she runs out of the med-tent, sobbing. "So what happens between now and then?" Danziger says, gruffly. "It's just going to get worse. My fever will continue to run, I'll probably be unable to get out of bed during the last 24 hours. My appearance will become red and splotchy. The convulsions will come more frequently and more intensively, but that can be kept under control with the morphine. Until I develop a tolerance for it. The next stage will not be pretty. Sever stomach pains and retching of blood are common symptoms." Julia states, as if listing a patient's condition. "You'll need to strap me to the cot to control my movements." "Julia, is there anything you want us to do?" Devon touches Julia's arm gently. The doctor shakes her head. Devon nods to Danziger, and after hugging her, they leave the med-tent. Alone in the med-tent with Alonzo, Julia looks everywhere but at him. "Is this why you've been picking fights with me, doc? Because you're scared? Damnnit, Julia. Don't drive me away." Alonzo steps towards her, gently grasping her head, forcing her to meet his eyes. "Oh 'Lonz, it wasn't suppose to be this way..." Julia says, a single tear creeping down her cheek. "I wanted you to hate me. I thought if I drove you away, you won't hurt as much later...I don't want to hurt you. Please, don't let me hurt you." she is sobbing now, afraid. "Jul, if you don't want to hurt me, then let me be with you. I want to savour every moment with you. Good and bad." Alonzo's eyes fill with tears, as he contemplates his love. He wants to scream out against the injustice of it all. After a hundred years of sleep jumping, to finally find love and to have it snatched away from him. But he knows he has to be strong, for her. He can see the fear in her eyes, the knowledge that her death was going to be slow and painful. Not just for her, but for those around her as well, witnessing her suffering. "Come on, beautiful. Let's not stay in here." Taking her hand, Alonzo leads her outside, towards the forest. *** "I can't believe this is happening. John, we've come to rely on her so much. This sounds selfish, but how we going to get by without her?" Devon gazes at the sky. Julia had changed so much from when Devon first met her. It was a tragedy that the young woman was suffering from a fatal disease. Devon had come to look upon her as a good friend, as well as counting often on Julia for backup and level headedness. To lose a friend to such a disease...It felt like the time when Devon first learned Uly had the Syndrome. She can relate to what Alonzo is going through. "It won't be easy, but we'll have to." Danziger looks back at the med-tent, hearing silence. "I can't believe she's spent the last few days, cooped up in that tent, drilling Bess in first aid. She must have suspected something awhile ago. If it was my last couple of days, I'd want to spend them with my family and friends. Just enjoying life." Devon says softly, hugging herself. "I think if it were anyone else, we'd all do exactly that. But Julia knows she has responsibilities. She didn't want to leave us without any trained medical personnel." Danziger mulls, wishing there was something he could do. "She can't die, John. She can't. It's not fair. It's just not fair." Devon begins to cry. Danziger places an arm awkwardly around Devon's shoulders. "I know." *** In the forest, Alonzo and Julia walk silently together. He holds her hand, just savoring the feeling of her next to him. They move away from the campsite instinctively, searching for privacy. Ahead, Alonzo spots a small clearing and guides Julia towards it. Suddenly, he turns around to face her and holds out his arms. Julia immediately steps into his embrace. "Dance with me, doc?" Alonzo asks. "I'd love to, but we don't have any music." She smiles at him, determined to put her fear away, so not to spoil these last moments with him. "Ahh, but we do have music." Alonzo pulls out a VR module and gestures for her to put her gear on. Instantly the small clearing is transformed into a dancefloor with dim lights. In the background, Julia can just make out the words to the song. They sway slowly back and forth, content to hold each other, not needing to talk. The lamp is burning low upon my table top, the snow is softly falling. The air is still in the silence of my room, I hear your voice softly calling. If I could only have you near, to breathe a sigh or two. I would be happy just to hold the hands I love, on this winter's night with you. The smoke is rising in the shadows over head, my glass is almost empty. I read again between the lines upon each page, the words of love you send me. If I could know within my heart, that you were lonely too. I would be happy just to hold the hands I love, on this winter's night with you. The fire is dying, my lamp is growing dim. The shades of night are lifting, the morning light steals across my window pane. Where was the snow was drifting. If I could only have you near, to breathe a sigh or two. I would be happy just to hold the hands I love, on this winter's night with you and to be once again with you. As the song fades, Alonzo lowers his mouth to Julia's, capturing her lips with a gentle kiss. "I love you, Julia." he whispers in her ear. "I love you too, 'Lonz." she whispers back. He kisses her again. With gentle fingers he lifts the teardrops from her lashes and lightly strokes the fine hair from her temple. He bends his head and lightly feathers tiny kisses across her brow. His lips touch her eyelids, her cheekbones, the corners of her mouth so tenderly it makes her throat ache. He brushes the back of his fingers across her chin and cheeks as if she is made of fragile porcelain that must be handled with a delicate touch. As their passion deepens, Julia suddenly cries out, in pain. She immediately grabs her stomach, doubling over in pain. Alonzo quickly rips off their gear, and the area returns to the clearing. "Julia! What do you need?" He picks her up and runs towards camp. In his arms, Alonzo can feel her small body shaking. The convulsions are beginning again, this time in increasing intensity. "Mmmorrphine..." Julia manages to stutter. "Yale, 'Lonz here. Can you prepare some morphine for Julia? She's in pain, I'm bringing her back to camp. We'll be there in 5 minutes." Alonzo yells into his gear and he runs through the forest. He glances down at Julia, who's eyes are closed, and is gritting her teeth. He knows that the pain must be excruciating for her, but she won't scream, not wanting to worry him. "Julia, if you need to scream, scream." She shakes her head and moans. Alonzo bursts into camp, and veers off to the med-tent. Inside the med-tent, Yale is waiting for them. Alonzo lowers Julia to the cot as Yale injects her with the hypoderm. Immediately, Julia begins to relax, letting the morphine kick in. She smiles weakly at Alonzo. "How are you feeling?" Alonzo asks her, gently pushing her hair away from her face. In the light of the tent, he can see that her face is covered with faint red splotches. Worried, he starts to wipe her face with a cool, moist cloth. "Like hell." Julia leans back onto the bed, enjoying the feel of the cold cloth against her skin. The red splotches remain. Alonzo glances worriedly at Yale, who can only shake his head. She opens her eyes, making eye contact with Alonzo, "Pretty soon the morphine won't help. I'm starting to develop a tolerance, I'm already way over the safety level. If the dosage increases anymore, I'll die from an overdose. Maybe its better that way..." "That's never the way, Julia! There has to be something we can do." Alonzo gazes at her in horror. Sighing, she closes her eyes and turns her head away to face the tent wall. Yale gestures to Alonzo to follow him outside the med-tent. Outside, Devon and Danziger are waiting for them. "She is beginning to move into the final stage of the disease. The pain will increase in its intensity as her body tries to fight against the degeneration. I think we should consider giving her the additional morphine." Yale looks at Devon and Danziger, avoiding Alonzo's eyes. "But that will kill her!" Alonzo exclaims. At the silent looks Devon and Danziger are giving him, he finally realizes that they are considering letting Julia overdose. "'Lonz, if she's in a lot of pain, this might be the best way. We have to consider Julia here. She's dying." Danziger tries to explain, putting his hand on Alonzo's arm. Alonzo jerks his arm away, horrified and disgusted by Danziger's attitude. Suddenly, an anguished scream pierces the air. Running into the med-tent, Alonzo, Danziger, Devon and Yale are confronted with the sight of Julia screaming and writhing in pain. Alonzo's gut is knotted with fear, the others are frozen with indecision. Meanwhile, Julia is sobbing and screaming in pain. She begins to choke and retch; she is vomiting blood, her knees drawn up to her chest. Snapping out of his temporary paralysis, Alonzo rushes over, holding her stomach down as he feels the convulsive spasms run through her. Immediately Devon and Danziger take up a position on either side of her. Devon tenderly mops her forehead with a cool cloth while Danziger holds her head while she vomits. Yale digs for the morphine and injects her with it. It has no effect and he doesn't dare increase the dosage for fear of killing her. Julia gasps and heaves, until Alonzo wants to run mad from the med-tent. He is in a total panic, knowing she was going to die, and to die an agonizing death which he could do nothing to prevent. Julia is deathly pale now, with a blue colour about her mouth. Her stomach spasms every other minute, she is fighting to breath. Finally, she stops retching and vomiting. Alonzo doesn't know if this was a good sign or a bad sign. He does know one thing: if she starts to vomit again, he doesn't have the heart to let her go through this again. Julia opens her eyes and sees Alonzo bent over her. She is aware of Devon and Danziger at her side, but all her concentration is on the one person who matters to her most. The eyes that meet her are filled with anguish as the fear of death overwhelms her. "I'm dying, 'Lonz." He picks up her hand and kisses her palm. "I know." *** The hours of the night drag by slowly. Julia has fallen into a fitful sleep. Devon and Danziger are taking shifts, watching over Julia. Alonzo refuses to leave her side at all. Yale checks in frequently, but as there is nothing he can do, Devon has requested that he look after the children as the other three care for Julia. The four have decided that if Julia wants them to increase the morphine dosage the next time, it is her choice, and her choice alone. Devon continues to mop Julia's forehead. There isn't anything they can do to bring her rising temperature down, but Devon tried to do her best to keep her comfortable. Julia moans in her sleep and turns on to her side. Devon didn't think she had ever seen anyone suffer such misery so bravely in her life. Unless the pain was overwhelming excruciating, Julia had gritted her teeth, even biting through her lip to keep from screaming. Devon knew that Julia was trying to pretend that the pain wasn't that bad for Alonzo's sake and the rest of the camp. Outside the med-tent, Danziger had told her that the others have set up a vigil, not knowing what else to do. Alonzo sits beside her, his fingers entwined with Julia's. Devon glances over at him, noticing that he has finally fallen asleep. Even when Julia is conscious, the pain is so intense, she is mostly unaware of her surroundings. Devon knows nothing she can say could comfort Alonzo; she remembers all too well the many nights she laid awake, holding Ulyssess' hand, wondering if this will be his last breath. On the Dreamplane, Alonzo wanders, calling out for help. A lone Terrian emerges in front of him, trilling. Alonzo's grief and terror convey itself through the Dreamplane and the Terrians are alarmed. "I'm sorry, but I can't help it. Emotions are a part of being human. Do you...would you...can you help her?" Alonzo holds his breath, knowing that the Terrians would in all likelihood deny any aid. Suddenly a second Terrian arises from the ground. Alonzo recognizes the Terrian as the one Julia helped with its leg. It trills something to the other Terrian who then disappears back into the earth. The second Terrian turns to Alonzo. *Bring the one who helped to the clearing. I will wait there.* it trills and before Alonzo can say anything, drops back into the ground. Alonzo jerks awake, instinctively looking over at the sleeping Julia. It doesn't seem possible, but her red splotches seemed to have increased in size and color. Danziger has replaced Devon and is quietly watching over Julia. "'Lonz? What's up?" Danziger asks, as Alonzo begins gathering Julia into his arms. "I was on the Dreamplane, the Terrians want me to bring her to them." Alonzo picks her up and starts heading towards the tent flap. "Alonzo! Wait! What do the diggers want? Where are you taking her? Are they going to heal her?" Danziger grabs Alonzo's arm, stopping him. "I thought you said they never interfere." "I don't know, Danz. They just said to bring her to the clearing." Alonzo shakes his arm free and speed walks to the clearing. Outside, the Advancers are gathered around, where they are holding a vigil. Upon spying Alonzo, many of the stand up, wondering where he is taking Julia. They quickly glance over at Danziger who shakes his head to let them know that Julia is still alive. Devon gets up and walks over to find out what is going on. "John, where is he taking her?" Devon asks, as she falls in step with Danziger, who is discreetly following Alonzo. "He said the clearing. He said the diggers told him to bring her. I'm not sure if it's his imagination or if he really dreamed it." Danziger glances over at Devon. "I thought the diggers wouldn't interfere ever. Maybe his grief is acting out or something. I'm no psychiatrist." They stop when they enter the clearing. In the middle of the circle, Alonzo has lain Julia down on the ground. She is breathing with great difficulty. A lone Terrian suddenly emerges from the ground. It moves to stand over Julia, and then both disappear into the earth. "There's nothing more we can do here." Alonzo turns around to face Devon and Danziger. "We might as well go back to camp." *** (voice of Devon Adair) It has been five days now since Julia was taken by the Terrians. I fear the worst. Her condition was in the final stages of the disease and even if the Terrians could help her, surely she would have returned by now. Alonzo refuses to even discuss the possibility that Julia may not be coming back. I don't want to leave, but I truly feel in my heart that Julia would want us to arrive in New Pacifica before the colony ship. "Alonzo, I think we should move out tomorrow morning." Devon approaches the pilot, who is nursing a cup of coffee. Alonzo has been volunteering for the night shifts, unable to sleep without his Julia by his side. "Devon, we can't leave Julia behind!" He is not surprised. He wasn't blind to the way everyone was already talking about her in the past tense and that Devon and Danziger had been discussing the best route to New Pacifica over the map the other day. But he cannot accept that Julia isn't coming back. Alonzo truly feels that the Terrians have the ability to heal her, and more importantly, he knows that Julia isn't a quitter. "'Lonzo, I'm not suggesting we leave her behind. But we don't know if the Terrians will return her to us. I think Julia would have wanted us to get to New Pacifica. She knew the colony ship and the children are depending on us." Devon explains softly. "When, Devon. When the Terrians will return her to us." Alonzo meets Devon's eyes and sees the pity within them. He grits his teeth, he knows that Devon doesn't believe Julia is ever coming back. "One more day, Devon. That's all I ask. If Julia isn't returned to us by the day after tomorrow, then we pack up camp." He doesn't add that he'll stay behind, until Julia can rejoin them. "Okay." Devon agrees. She was worried that Alonzo would have put up a bigger fuss. She was surprised that he agreed so readily, but she isn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. *** It is night again. Alonzo is on watch. The rest of the Advancers have begun to pack, in preparation for the departure tomorrow. When Bess asked if she could help him pack up Julia's stuff, he had declined. Bess thought he wanted to go through Julia's stuff himself and had left him alone. He decided not to let Bess think any differently. He knew Devon would throw a fit later if she learned Alonzo wasn't leaving without Julia. He did not tell anyone, but Alonzo too was beginning to lose faith. He had attempted to contact Julia's Terrian on the Dreamplane, but was unable to do so. He waited for a sign, any sign, that she would be returned any minute. He could hardly sleep, and when he did, he would wake up, reaching for her in his semi unconscious state. Alonzo had decided to take the night shift to avoid his well- meaning friends. He didn't want to hear them tell him everything would be all right. Here, on the night shift, it was just him and his magpro. In the dark, a rustle of leaves can be heard. Swiftly turning towards the noise, Alonzo shines one of the luma lamps from the area where he thinks the noise is originating. He cannot see anything out of the ordinary. The rustling however, continues to increase in loudness. Alarmed, he calls for Danziger and Yale on his gear for backup. The ground beneath his feet begins to rumble and suddenly, a Terrian breaks through the earth. Running up towards Alonzo, Danziger lets out a yelp, surprised. Yale walks quickly over, trying not to startle the Terrian. "Geez, that's enough to give anyone a heart attack." Danziger grumbles. He notices that the Terrian appears to be carrying something in its arm. Stepping into the light, Danziger realizes that the muddy form is Julia. Alonzo lets out a cry and runs towards the Terrian. He retrieves her from the Terrian's arms and quickly lays her on the ground. Yale runs over to them both and performs a superficial diagnosis. "It appears that her fever has broken." He also notes that the red splotches are completely gone. The Terrian trills something to Alonzo and disappears back into the ground. Devon and the other Advancers are now approaching, alerted by Danziger that Julia has been returned. "Alonzo? What did it say?" Devon asks, uncertainly. "He said that he has repaid his debt." Alonzo translate. Julia's eyes flutter open and eventually focus on Alonzo's face, hovering above her. "'Lonz?" she questions, huskily. "How are you feeling?" Alonzo asks her. "Like hell." She smiles. "But alive." *** "Everything checks out." Julia puts her diaglove away. Turning she faces Devon, Danziger and Alonzo in the med-tent. "As far as I can see, my DNA seems to have been completely repaired. In addition, there doesn't appear to be any Terrian DNA in my system at all." "That's great, Julia." Devon smiles at her. "Yeah. I just wanted to thank you both for taking care of me." Julia smiles back, a little awkwardly. "Yeah, well, you take care of us all the time, it was only fair that we get a chance." Danziger says, gruffly. Awkwardly he hugs Julia and leaves the tent. "I do believe he's embarrassed." Devon says wonderingly, shaking her head. She too hugs Julia. "So take the next couple of days off and take it easy, okay?" At Julia's nod, Devon also turns and leaves the med-tent. "I don't know how the Terrians healed me." Julia muses. "Some things are meant to be a mystery, doc." Alonzo smiles. "'Lonz, why did they heal me? You can't tell me that removing that piece of metal from its leg saved its life." Julia asks, confused. "Maybe you didn't save its life, but you certainly helped it when it asked. Maybe by removing that piece of metal so that it could sink back into the ground to heal itself was saving its life. What if it couldn't remove that piece of metal and could never return to the earth?" Alonzo asks, hypothetically. "All I know, that Terrian felt a great responsibility towards you. How's that saying go? When you save someone's life, that life now belongs to you?" "I guess." Julia frowns, still puzzled. "Come on, doc. You're alive! Isn't there anything else you'd rather do than try to understand Terrians?" Alonzo questions her, teasingly. "I guess." Julia smiles, stepping towards him. --END-- Musical credits: 'A Song for a Winter's Night' (on the Rarities, B-sides & Other Stuff, Sarah McLachlan) Characters are owned by Amblin Entertainment and Universal Pictures. No copyright infringement was intended.