by M. K. Eidem
"Everyone?" Jen barely recognized her voice as she croaked out the single word.
"Yes." Mac didn't try to stop the tears that were flowing down her cheeks.
"Then why are you crying?" Jen still wasn't certain who this person was, but she knew she was important to her.
"Because you're awake and talking to me."
"Wasn't I before?" she asked, her gaze widening as she looked behind Mac.
Mac turned her head, following where Jen's gaze had gone, and saw Luol had moved up behind her. "That's just Luol, Jen. He's the Healer. Remember?"
"Healer…," Jen frowned at the male.
"You were injured, Jen. Don't you remember? The Zaludians attacked the base, and you jumped on one of their backs saving me."
Suddenly it all came back to Jen. All of it, and she felt her own eyes begin to fill.
It was just supposed to be a fun weekend. A chance for old friends to get together and play 'Warrior' up in the mountains. Todd had been so excited about getting together with his old college buddies. He'd insisted Jen go with him, telling her it would be a life changing experience.
He'd been right.
It wasn't until they arrived at the camp that Jen realized she was the only woman in the group. Well, except for the guide that had led them there. She'd told Todd she would just head back to town with the guide, but he refused to let her, telling her she would love it.
He'd been wrong.
She hadn't loved the baggy camo outfit Todd brought for her to wear. She hadn't loved the black gunk he’d insisted she smear in her white-blonde hair and over her pale skin so that they wouldn't give away their location in the forest. No, she hadn't loved any of it, but she'd loved Todd. So for him, she’d stayed, had done what he’d wanted. It had saved her life, at least to a point.
Mac had been the guide that led them up the mountain. She'd taken pity on Jen when she realized she would be the only woman in the group and decided to stay. The first day, things had been fine, and Jen had discovered why Todd had been so insistent that she stay. He wanted her there to cook for all his friends. She hadn't minded. It was something she loved to do, to take what some might consider raw, simple foods and make them taste their best. Some called it farm-to-table. Some getting back to basics. All Jen knew was that she had a knack for it.
Before her parents had died in a car accident, Jen and Todd had planned to travel the world. She wanted to learn how other cultures prepared food at the most basic level so she could come back and open her own restaurant. After her parents had died, she had to provide a home for her younger sister, Kimmy, instead.
The following two years had taken a toll on her and Todd’s young marriage, with Jen putting Kimmy’s needs before Todd’s, as he regularly accused.
That was another reason Jen had wanted to head back to town. She and Kimmy had a huge fight six months before. Jen had just gotten home after a lousy day at work, and Todd wanted to go out, just the two of them. But it had been Kimmy’s eighteenth birthday, and Jen wanted them to do something together as a family. Jen knew her sister had taken the loss of their parents hard, and Todd’s attitude hadn’t helped. He hadn’t been very understanding when she’d told him they needed to put their plans on hold until Kimmy was eighteen. He openly resented that Kimberly was living with them.
And Kimmy knew it.
It had all come to a head that night. The night they should have been celebrating. Todd and Kimmy had a huge fight. Over what, Jen no longer remembered. It ended with Kim storming off.
Kimmy was now an adult in the eyes of the law, and Jen felt she needed to let her find her own way.
Jen hadn’t seen or talked to her little sister since. Todd was dead set against her contacting Kimmy. He kept telling her it was their time now, and Jen was ashamed to admit she went along with him because it was easier.
Now she wondered why.
It had been on their second day when they’d been out playing combat that it had all gone to hell. She and Todd had been hiding in the forest, waiting to ambush their enemy, when they heard terrified screams echoing off the mountains. Thinking someone was hurt, she and Todd had rushed out into an open field, only to be surrounded by a group of large, hairy beasts that were making strange hissing-clicking sounds. They also stunk to high heaven. Jen now knew they were called Ganglians, but back then she'd had no clue. No clue what they were, what they wanted, or what was in store for them.
The Ganglians had pointed a small device at them, and she'd been sure they were all going to die. Instead, they woke up in a cage on some sort of ship, unharmed but without a clue what was going on. Across from them had been another cage containing about a dozen small, strange looking creatures. They'd only been about five feet tall and covered in fur with long hind legs, very short forearms, and long tails. They'd been huddled together and had kept looking from them to the closed door at the far end of the room as if they didn’t know who the bigger threat was.
When the far door opened and one of the smelly creatures wearing a white collar walked in, the creatures in the other cell all jumped up. Letting out high-pitched squeaks, they began circling a group in the center. White collar entered their cage, and several of the much smaller creatures tried to attack him. He just swatted them away as if they were annoying flies. He then grabbed one of the creatures from the center and dragged it out of the cell.
As they passed, Jen realized the struggling creature was female and that she was terrified. Shortly after that, they heard her high-pitched squeals and realized what was happening to her.
She never returned.
Jen didn’t know how long they were on that ship, but the guys made sure the Ganglians never knew she and Mac were female. The only time the Ganglians ever paid them any attention was when they fed them, which was seldom. During one of those feedings, White Collar grabbed Craig and held him down, forcing a device over his eyes. After several minutes, he removed the device and tossed it at Todd, then after a few more hissing-clicking sounds, he left.
Craig rose, pale but apparently unharmed. He told them that the thing they’d put over his eyes was a learning device and that he could now understand what the Ganglians were saying. That they expected him to make sure the rest of them used it too. It had taken some convincing, but eventually, everyone agreed to put on the device.
Even with the learning device, though, they didn't know why or where they were being taken. And the Jerboaians, who were the creatures in the other cage, couldn't tell them because they still couldn't understand them. They had all been hungry, tired, and scared. They thought it couldn't get any worse… but it had.
The Ganglians had sold them as slave labor for the mines to the Zaludians, another species they could understand because their language had been included in the learning device. The conditions in the mine had been even worse than on the Ganglian ship. The Zaludians had divided them into two groups and put half of them to work immediately, while the other half were led to the cave where they would live. Jen was sure they would die because what the Zaludians were demanding of them was a physically impossible task, at least for her and Mac. They weren't strong enough to do the work the Zaludians demanded of them, and they had seen how the Zaludians handled those that couldn't. The Zaludians beat them to death, along with anyone who tried to defend them.
Jen had been trying to figure out how to stop Todd from protecting her, because she knew she wouldn’t be able to do the work when the decision was taken out of her hands. The guys had already decided that one of them would always cover for her and Mac, working back-to-back shifts. The Zaludians didn't seem to care who worked as long as someone did.
Mac had found a narrow crack in the back wall of the cave that led into a smaller cave. She and Mac would hide there since they didn't know if the Zaludians would do to females what the Ganglians did. She'd felt like such a coward, such a failure. The others were doing what she couldn't, and were suffering for it. Moreover, she could do nothing about it. After all, she was
nothing but a chef. Someone who prepared food and made it taste good, but they weren't given enough for her to do anything with, let alone make it taste good.
Then it had happened. She'd taken what little the Zaludians had given them and was heating it to make sure all the bacteria were killed when something fell into it from the ceiling. Jen thought about stopping the guys from eating. But they'd been so hungry. And really, what did it matter if some unknown bacteria killed them. They were going to die in that God forsaken mine anyway.
Then something strange happened. They began to feel full for the first time in she didn't know how long, and no one died. After that, she would search the floors of the two caves for the feathery plants that typically hung from the ceilings, lighting the caves. She discovered that the more she added to the food, the better the guys felt and the more work they could do.
She and Mac made sure the guys ate first, taking what was left for themselves. After all, the guys were the ones doing all the work.
Every night, or at least after every shift Todd worked, she had slept beside him. She made sure to treat any injury he had, and that he knew she understood the sacrifice he was making to protect her.
• • • • • •
"Jen?"
Jen blinked, the concern in Mac's voice pulling her back to the present. "I remember, Mac," she murmured.
"How are you feeling?" Jen's eyes went from Mac's concerned brown ones to the gently glowing, violet eyes of the large male standing behind her. The male she knew was the Healer Luol.
"I feel fine." She frowned at how her voice broke.
"Stop it, Jen," Mac ordered gently, then reaching to the head of the unit, picked up a glass of water she'd placed there. She had put one there every day knowing Jen was going to need it when she woke. Slipping a hand behind Jen's head, she put the glass to Jen's lips then ordered, "Drink."
Jen wanted to argue, but with the water barely touching her lips, she realized just how parched she was. She greedily swallowed as if it were ambrosia.
"Take it slow, Jen. There's plenty."
• • • • • •
Treyvon's short, blunt nails bit into his palms, stopping himself from reaching out and unceremoniously shoving Nikhil's Ashe away so that he could be the one caring for Jennifer.
He wanted to be the one satisfying her thirst.
He wanted to be the one whose touch comforted her.
He wanted to be the one she trusted to do those things and so much more.
Instead, he had to stand to the side and do nothing.
Nothing…
Just as his ancestor had done all those years ago, causing the Great Infection.
"General?" Luol's quietly uttered word made him realize he was lowly growling, and he quickly stopped.
"How is she?" Treyvon demanded quietly.
"I haven't had time to check her readings." The look the General gave Luol told him he had better do it quickly.
Mac heard none of what was going on behind her. She was concentrating on making sure Jen had what she needed. "Do you want more?" she asked, blindly handing the glass back to Nikhil, knowing he would be there to take it.
"No. I'm good."
"Stop!" The harshness of Mac's tone had every male in the room stilling. "You don't have to lie anymore, Jen."
"I'm not...”
"You are." Mac cut her off. "You're doing what we both did back in that mine. We made sure no one knew how badly we were hurting. Or how hungry we both were because what was the point? It didn't change anything. But it's not that way now." Mac leaned down so she was nose to nose with Jen. "Take a moment, Jen, and really think about how you feel. Don't just automatically answer."
Jen gazed into her friend's eyes and for the first time in what felt like forever, she stopped saying what she knew everyone wanted to hear or what she didn't want to admit even to herself and listened to her body. She was sore and had some pain, but it wasn't excruciating like before.
"I… I feel better," she admitted, her eyes beginning to fill, "not great, but better."
"You still have pain?" Luol suddenly appeared at her other side, his eyes glowing with concern even as he demanded. "Where?"
"I…," Jen looked to Mac for help, not understanding what the male was saying.
"You can tell Luol, Jen. He only wants to help."
"But I can't understand him."
"What?" Mac gave Jen a confused look, then realized Luol had been speaking in Kaliszian and that while she understood him, Jen had not. "Luol, you need to talk in Zaludian so she understands you."
"My apologies… Jennifer," Luol hesitated, not sure how to address this female. But when neither female protested his use of her first name, he continued. "I did not mean to speak in a language you do not yet understand. If you could tell me where you have pain, I will see if I can alleviate it."
"Tell him the truth, Jen," Mac said. "He can't help you if you don't."
"My throat is sore," Jen admitted.
"And?" Luol questioned because he knew there had to be more than just that.
"My leg," Jen said grudgingly. "Mac told me about your repair unit. And while I'm sure you've done all you can, it still hurts."
Jen watched as regret filled the Healer's glowing eyes. "I am sorry that I cannot repair all the damage done to your lower leg. If I could, I would. But I can help manage the pain. There is no need for you to suffer needlessly."
"It doesn't matter," Jen said, and everyone could hear the stark acceptance in her voice.
"Jen...”
"Mac, it doesn't," Jen cut her off. "Whatever pain I'm feeling… I deserve."
"No!" Mac instantly denied.
"Yes, but you and the guys don't. You did everything you could."
"If we had, you never would have been hurt!"
"Stop. It wasn't your fault. You weren't even in the outer cave when it happened. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't even be here. I…" a cough suddenly racked her frame, and Jen found herself gasping for breath.
"Luol!" the exclamation came from Treyvon.
"Just relax, little one," Luol encouraged, ignoring Treyvon as he moved to see the readings on the control panel. Frowning, he grabbed the manual injector and filled it with the appropriate mixture. Moving back to her side, he paused when he saw her eyes widen in fear. "It is only something to help you relax. It will not harm or hurt you. My vow." He waited for her stiff nod, then quickly pressed the injector to her neck and pulled the trigger.
When her breathing immediately began to settle, he smiled. "See, I told you it would only help."
"I… thank you," Jen whispered.
"You are most welcome. Now, you need more rest."
"I…," Jen started to argue even as her eyes began to close.
"I'll stay with you, Jen." Mac took her friend's hand and gave Nikhil a grateful look as he slid a chair up behind her so she could sit. "You just rest. We'll talk more when you wake."
With a nod, Jen squeezed Mac's hand, and as she closed her eyes, an exhausted sigh escaped her lips.
• • • • • •
"What just happened?" Treyvon demanded as the three males stepped into the outer room, leaving the females alone.
"It seems Jennifer is in the early stages of Churian fever," Luol told Treyvon, making sure his voice didn't carry into the other room.
"Churian fever!" Treyvon stiffened at the thought. "How could she have contracted Churian fever?"
"Her body has been severely stressed, General. We both know that Churian fever only strikes when that happens. It begins in the lungs, making it difficult for the person to breathe. If it goes untreated, it can be lethal. Hers is not," Luol quickly reassured Treyvon. "But I injected her with a booster that will stop the spread of the disease. Once we have replaced what was depleted from her system, her body will be able to fight the rest of it off by itself."
"You are sure?" Treyvon demanded.
"Yes, General. What truly surprises me is that Jennifer is the only
one that has exhibited its symptoms. We are all aware how the Zaludians treated those they enslaved."
"Jennifer is the only one?" Treyvon looked to his Squad Leader. "Your Ashe did not suffer from it?"
"No, as terrible as my Mackenzie's condition was when I first discovered her, she never suffered from the effects of Churian fever."
"I believe it is due to the severity of Jennifer's previous injuries, General, and how long she has suffered from them. They have taxed her system in a way the others were not. "
"But you will be able to remove it completely from her system. Correct?" Treyvon demanded.
"Yes, General, she is only in the early stages. Once she is rested, I will give her a breathing treatment that will neutralize the rest of the virus."
"When will you finish removing her scars?" Treyvon asked. He hated seeing even the remnants of those terrible scars on her face. Yes, they were better than they had originally been, but still, nothing should mar the utter perfection that was Jennifer's face.
"Once I'm sure her system can tolerate it," Luol told him. "I still don't know what caused her not to wake and want to do nothing unnecessary that might cause it to happen again."
"You consider the removal of her scars unnecessary?" Treyvon growled.
"In regards to her overall health? Yes. They can be treated once we are sure she has fully recovered."
"You will keep me informed, Luol," Treyvon told him.
"Of course, General."
With a stiff nod, Treyvon forced himself to leave.
Nikhil looked to Luol. "You will inform my Ashe that I am with the General?"
"Yes," Luol told him then watched him leave.
• • • • • •
The clearing of a throat had Treyvon looking up from where he was sitting behind his desk in his Command Center, reading yet another report. It was nearly time for Midday Meal, and he'd been reading reports since before Pontus's one sun had risen. He was happy for the interruption.
"Squad Leader Nikhil, what can I do for you?" Treyvon asked leaning back in his chair. He'd always been impressed with Nikhil Kozar. Not just because of his size, which was immense, or because of his strength, which was greater than his own, but because Nikhil rarely spoke unless he had something to say.
