The Missions

by Donna McIntosh

  “Yana, Yana, do you read? Please contact HOME as soon as possible.”

  The light went off.

  Aaron slid over into the pilot’s seat and pressed the com link. “Is that you, Noel?”

  “Yes. Who is this? Aaron? Is that you, Aaron?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Where’s Yana? Is he okay?”

  “Yes, he’s fine. He’s sleeping. So is Sean,” Aaron answered beyond exhausted himself.

  “You found Sean? Is he all right?” Noel’s worried voice questioned.

  “He’s out of it but he seems to be all right otherwise.

  He didn’t recognize us, just kept staring straight ahead like he didn’t even see us.”

  “What’s Yana’s condition?”

  “He seems fine, just very tired. He had to transport us both and it took a lot out of him.” Tired, Aaron certainly could understand. Curling up and going to sleep seemed like the perfect idea to him.

  “He didn’t attempt both at the same time, I hope?”

  “No. First Sean, then me. Then we had to haul Sean all the way to the shuttle. I’m exhausted and I didn’t have to do any transporting.”

  “Transporting someone else takes a lot of energy, as you well know. Doing it twice in a row is exhausting, but rest will bring him back. Can you give me your coordinates?”

  Aaron scanned the panel and found the long series of numbers and letters and read them off.

  “Good. You’re less than an hour out of Alpha then,”

  Noel said.

  “That’s right.”

  “You’ll still have five and a half hours or so of flight before you’re home. You may as well get some rest then.”

  “That sounds like a splendid idea,” Aaron agreed as he massaged the back of his neck to relieve his tension headache.

  “Please find me as soon as you arrive.”

  “Yes, we will.” Aaron got up, checked both Yana and Sean then sat back down, reclined his seat, and dozed off.

  Aaron jerked awake a short time later when he heard Sean’s voice whispering.

  “Somebody, please find me.” Sean repeated it several times then returned to his fugue state.

  Aaron twisted around in his seat and watched. He couldn’t do anything. He just reached back and patted Sean on the leg. Yana, sound asleep across the aisle, didn’t stir.

  Aaron went back to his star gazing and eventually dozed off again. The next time he woke, Yana moved around in the back, putting together something to eat.

  “Did you get any rest, Aaron?” Yana asked.

  “A little. I talked with Noel earlier.”

  “You did? Everything all right?” Yana brought his coffee and food up front and sat back down in the pilot’s seat.

  “Yeah. He called right after you passed out.”

  “I’m sorry about that. I was exhausted,” Yana explained.

  “It’s okay. Noel said you’d need to sleep to get your strength back,” Aaron said, happy to have Yana back in the driver’s seat.

  “I’m fine now. We should arrive in little less than an hour.”

  “It’s been quite a trip,” Aaron stated wearily.

  “Uh huh,” Yana answered around a mouthful of food.

  “I’m glad I’m not on active duty anymore.” Aaron settled back beside Yana after getting himself some food.

  “This is too much stress for me. You’ve been in it now for twenty years, Yana. I thought you were retired?”

  “I am, but Sean has just started out and I want to go out on assignments with him.”

  “He may want to quit himself after this,” Aaron said softly.

  “If he quits, then I’ll quit; but not before.” Yana sipped his coffee. “Most of the time, I like the work. It’s always rewarding when you can go in and pull someone out of danger. I’ve had my share of rescues and I’ve been rescued a time or two myself. It’s not an easy life but it has its benefits.” He glanced back at Sean, still lost in sleep.

  A short time later Yana moved his hand over the panel and selected automatic docking. The craft floated into dock and gently settled down. They had to wait inside a few minutes for the air lock to engage and the docking area to fill with breathable air.

  Noel waited with a gurney for Sean and they hurried him off to Medical. Yana and Aaron paced the outer room waiting for news.

  Noel came out and spoke with them.

  “Well, he’s not in too bad of shape physically. It’s his mental state that worries me.”

  “He’s still not speaking?” Yana asked.

  “No, he hasn’t said a word to anyone. He mumbles a bit, like Aaron said, asking for someone to come find him.

  That’s about it,” Noel related.

  “Can’t you do something? Can’t you fix him?”

  Aaron asked.

  “Repairing a physical body is something we can usually do but the brain is another thing entirely. We don’t like to tamper with people’s minds unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

  “Do you think he’ll just come out of it after he’s rested up?” Yana asked.

  “That’s what we’re hoping for. I want to keep him here in Medical for a few days so we can keep an eye on him.” He shot a questioning glance toward Yana. “With your permission, of course.”

  “Yes, certainly, you have it. Is there anything I can do for him?” Yana asked.

  “Not right now. The two of you did good getting him back here. The longer a person stays in this kind of state, the harder it is for them to come back.”

  “Can I go in and see Sean now?” Yana asked.

  “Oh, certainly, go right ahead. Don’t stay too long though. He needs to rest.”

  Yana went on in and Aaron spoke with Noel.

  “This state Sean’s in—have you seen it clear up before with rest?” Aaron asked.

  “Yes, we’ve seen this condition before. It often happens when someone is faced with a situation they cannot bear and cannot escape. They check out for a while.

  Once they come to realize they’re among friends and the situation has passed, they usually manage to find their way back.” Noel made a note on Sean’s chart.

  “And if they don’t?” Aaron prodded.

  “If they don’t after an extended period of time, a consultation is held with the patient’s family and a path for recovery is decided on.”

  “You mean the mind games,” Aaron said with disdain.

  “They’re hardly mind games, Aaron, but we do manage to do a bit of manipulation and help with whatever adjustments are necessary and only with the family’s permission,” Noel explained.

  “Sean doesn’t have any family except for Yana and a brother he has little contact with,” Aaron remembered.

  “We would consult with Yana. He would have the final say,” Noel said with a comforting hand on Aaron’s shoulder.

  Noel’s com link buzzed and he excused himself, leaving Aaron in the waiting room alone. He thought a bit then followed through the door Yana took into Sean’s room. He stood silently in the doorway and watched. Yana lay on the bed beside Sean, holding him in his arms and whispering softly in his ear. Sean didn’t respond. He appeared to still be sleeping. Aaron started to back out when Yana caught sight of him and slid down off the bed.

  “It’s okay, Aaron. Come on in.”

  “How’s he doing?” Aaron asked and walked over, standing beside the bed.

  “He’s sleeping now. They gave him a mild sedative.

  I just hope when he wakes up he’ll come out of it.”

  “I hope so, too.” He’d grown to care a lot about Sean.

  “I’m sorry, Aaron.” Yana gave him a hug. “You helped me and I haven’t even thanked you yet. I’m grateful from the bottom of my heart. I couldn’t have brought Sean home without you. And if we’d had to wait another few days for Noel to get back, it may have been too late.”

  “You’re welcome, Yana. I like Sean a lot. If anything ever happened to him, my little Evie would never have g
otten over it. He’s a good man and he’s made you happy.”

  “He is a good man, Aaron. And I’m happier with him than I ever dreamed I could be.”

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  “How’s he doing?” Yana asked Noel after a nearly sleepless night of tossing and turning.

  “He seems much better this morning, though he’s not awake yet. I do think he will be waking soon. All his vitals are looking good.”

  “Oh, that’s good news. Thanks.” Yana followed Noel into Sean’s room where they stood on either side of Sean’s bed as he began to rouse.

  “What the…? Where am I?” Sean asked and made a feeble attempt to sit up.

  Yana reached out and took his hand. “Sean…”

  “Yates!” Sean jerked his hand back. “What’s going on?” He addressed the question to Noel.

  Noel exchanged a worried glance with Yana. “Good morning, Sean. My name is Noel. How are you feeling?”

  “This is obviously a hospital of some kind. Why am I here? How did I get here?” Confusion marred his features.

  “Please… explain!” He ordered.

  “A… you’ve been… not well and we’ve been looking after you,” Noel explained.

  “But why? What’s wrong with me?” Fear replaced the uncertainty.

  “You don’t remember anything?” Yana asked.

  “What I remember and don’t remember is none of your business, Yates. Why are you here and what do you want?” Sean tried again to sit up and Noel pressed the lever on the side of the bed raising him to a sitting position.

  Yana backed away a few steps, pain spiking in his chest. Sean didn’t remember him. His heart ached at the look of distrust on Sean’s face. He hadn’t seen that look in ages, at least not since they’d been together this past year and a half.

  Noel tried to smooth things over. “Yana is the one who found you and brought you in. He saved your life.”

  Sean stared at Noel, trying to make sense of words that made no sense to him.

  “It’s true, Sean,” Noel said.

  “Found me where? If he found me somewhere, it’s because he’s probably responsible for whatever happened to me. What do you want, Yates?”

  “I… I just wanted to make sure you were okay,”

  Yana said.

  Sean glared.

  “You don’t remember anything at all?” Noel asked.

  “Anything about what? Are you going to tell me what happened; why I’m here in this hospital bed?” He glanced back and forth between Yana and Noel.

  “You were in need of medical assistance, so you were brought here. Physically you’re okay, but apparently you are suffering some memory loss,” Noel explained, glancing toward Yana.

  Sean didn’t like how the doctor kept looking at Yates, like he had a reason to do so.

  “Memory loss?” Confusion creased his brow as he massaged his temples and tried to remember.

  “What’s the last thing you recall before waking up here?” Noel asked.

  “I was at my desk; in my office. At least… I think I was. It’s all kind of foggy.”

  “Well, don’t let it worry you,” Noel advised, “A little bit of disorientation is not uncommon. Just try and relax and get some rest. The important thing here is that you’re safe. I’m sure things will start coming back to you.”

  “How long have I been here under your care?” Sean asked Noel.

  “Just over night.”

  “Oh, good. Not all that long. I need to get out of here.” He started to get out of bed and Noel stopped him.

  “Whoa, there. I think you need to stay put for a while. After all, it’s Saturday. You don’t work on Saturdays do you?”

  “It’s Saturday?” Sean shook his head, trying to clear it. “No, I don’t normally work on Saturdays unless I’m in the middle of an important case.”

  “It would be best if you stayed put until a little of that confusion clears up,” Noel said.

  “Can you at least tell me what happened to me?”

  Sean asked, mentally checking out his body and didn’t seem to find any injuries.

  “It would be much better if you remembered on your own. I can assure you, you’re going to be just fine. It might take a little while to clear up the confusion in your mind but I’m sure it will all come back to you.” Noel placed comforting hand on Sean’s shoulder.

  “Did he really save my life?” Sean asked, nodding towards Yates who now stood at the foot of the bed and ready to walk out.

  “Yes, he did,” Noel answered and started to walk out as well.

  “Wait, don’t go. Can you stay… just a while, until things clear up a little?” Sean pleaded with the doctor.

  “Sure. I can stay a while. But I don’t think I’ll be able to answer many questions.” Noel pulled up a stool beside Sean’s bed. “It’s best if you put the pieces together by yourself. The sooner you remember, the sooner you’ll be back on your feet.”

  “Can you tell me anything?” Sean asked.

  “Not much. Can I get you anything; how about some coffee or breakfast?” Noel rose from the stool.

  “Actually, I am hungry; starving in fact.” Sean answered relaxing a little once he was alone with Noel.

  “I’ll see about getting something brought in. I’ll be right back.”

  Sean nodded and settled back to wait.

  Noel went out into the outer room to find Yana sitting and staring off into space.

  “He says he’s hungry. That’s a good sign. I’ll get something for him to eat,” Noel said; his eyes not missing the slight movement of Yana wiping a tear away with the shrug of his shoulder.

  “What about you? Have you eaten?” Noel asked.

  “No. I’m not hungry,” Yana murmured.

  Noel got back into Sean’s room just in time to see him trying to get out of bed.

  “Hold on there; where you going?” Noel asked as he steadied Sean.

  “Bathroom. I need a bathroom… now!” Sean said, looking around the small room.

  “Right over here.” Noel helped Sean cross the room and waited outside the door for him. He didn’t look too steady on his feet.

  Sean barely made it inside, got the door closed, and his gown pushed aside before he ejaculated. Shock washed over him. That hadn’t happened to him in years. He finished his business then made it back to his bed with Noel hovering at his side and lending an arm for support.

  “I need to get out of here,” Sean stated once more as he sat back down but even as he said the words, he knew he was too weak to go very far.

  “When you’re stronger,” Noel sympathized.

  “What the hell happened to me? Can’t you give me a clue here? I need some help.” Frustration crept into his tone.

  “I would if I could, but let’s play it my way for now and see what happens. Give yourself a little time to relax and maybe it’ll all start coming back.” Noel pulled the covers back up over Sean.

  “God, I want to get out of here! I just want to get back to my condo and sleep in my own bed.” Sean rubbed his eyes.

  Breakfast arrived and Sean ate in silence. He commented when he had finished, “At least the food is good here. Doesn’t taste like any hospital food I’ve ever had before.”

  “It is good. That’s just the way I like my scrambled eggs; not runny,” Noel said.

  “I know you can’t tell me anything specific but I just can’t believe Mitchell Yates saved my life.” Sean pushed the food tray aside.

  “All I can tell you is that he brought you here.”

  “Do you know if whatever happened to me—was he a part it of it or did he just accidentally find me?” Sean asked.

  “Do you have any feel for that at all?” Noel asked.

  “No, I don’t. Except, I can’t see him helping me. I’ve been after him for years and he knows it. He had to have just found me somewhere?” He looked to Noel for confirmation but all he got was a blank look. “You’re not going to help me here, are you?” Disappointment rus
hed in to fill him.

  “I’ll help you in any way I can, but I can’t give you the answers. You have to figure those out for yourself. You said the last thing you remember was sitting at your desk?”

  Noel settled down on the stool.

  “Uh huh; that’s right.”

  “Which desk? The one in your office or the one in your condo? Describe it to me.” Noel asked.

  “My desk? It’s just a desk.” Sean said.

  “Close your eyes and think about that desk. Can you see it?” Noel prodded.

  “Yes.” Sean nodded.

  “What’s on top of it? Tell me what you see.” Noel made notes as they went along.

  “Papers, files, a silver frame, a deck of cards.” Sean tried to relax and answer the questions completely.

  “Look down at the carpet. What color is it?” Noel suggested.

  “Multi colored; blue, gold, dark red, green. Gem tones, I think they call it.”

  “Okay. Open your eyes.” Noel concluded the questioning.

  Sean did as suggested.

  “You said you had papers and files on your desk.

  Do you remember what they were?”

  Sean strained to remember but shook his head and said, “No. Nothing.”

  “Okay. You said you saw a silver frame. Who’s it a picture of?”

  Sean thought for a moment then said, “I don’t know.

  I think it’s… no; that doesn’t make any sense.”

  “What?” Noel prodded.

  “A little blonde girl. But that’s not possible. What would I be doing with a photograph of a little blonde girl?”

  He felt recognition, but just out of reach.

  “What color is the carpet in the living room of your condo?” Noel asked.

  “White,” Sean responded.

  “Your office at work?” Noel questioned further.

  “Beige, why?” Sean became more and more confused.

  “That’s not the carpet you just described.” Noel looked up from his notes.

  “But I saw it! It was multi colored, dark gem tones,”

  Sean insisted.

  “Are you sure it was your desk?” Noel asked.

  “Of course I am. I was doing some work…