by SY Thompson
SIDNEY NOTICED THAT the device hovered in the air for a few seconds and then fell harmlessly to the ground. The jammer revealed four more imposters. Suddenly, she noticed Ronan no longer stood in front of the crowd. Sidney shook off the fear that paralyzed her before she bolted to Ronan’s side. Blood liberally smeared the beloved features and she wasn’t even sure she was still alive. Now she knew why Ronan kept disappearing even after she’d retrieved the motorcycle. She had her own agenda to keep and it hadn’t ended at scouting the area.
“Ronan,” she sobbed breathlessly, dropping to her knees and sliding her arms around the unconscious woman. “Ronan, please...answer me.”
The blue eyes lay closed against a very pale face. Sidney felt like her heart was ripped from her chest. Tears filled her eyes before they coursed down hot cheeks. Ronan had given up so much to save her and their world and now it would appear she had even sacrificed her own life.
She held Ronan close and whispered in her ear. “Please, you have to wake up. You can’t leave me, not after all we’ve been through.”
Sidney thought of all the times she had argued with this woman, all the times she had stubbornly refused to do what Ronan asked of her and all along she’d been prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice. She had steadfastly protected Sidney and led her to this courageous moment of self-sacrifice.
And I didn’t even have the guts to tell you that I love you.
“She’s still alive,” Abrams said, his fingertips pressing against the side of Ronan’s neck. “Get an ambulance,” he shouted to the nearest confused agent who at least had the composure to follow his instructions.
“She’s alive?” Sidney asked in disbelief. She saw the cautious look in her friend’s eyes, and realized he was trying not to give her false hope but she felt overjoyed by the information.
“Ronan?” She reached up to cup a soft cheek. “You’re going to be all right. Do you hear me?” Her voice grew stronger as she dared Ronan to defy her. “You’re going to be all right.”
Suddenly, men in blue uniforms pushed her out of the way and inserted I.V. tubes and other gadgets Sidney couldn’t identify. Two men wheeled a gurney over and gently hoisted Ronan onto it. They quickly pushed her toward the waiting ambulance. Sidney heard Abrams direct two of his men to the hospital to keep watch on Ronan as she scurried to the back of the hospital-bound vehicle.
“I’m sorry, ma’am. Only family members are permitted to ride in the back of the ambulance.”
“I am family,” she stated in a voice so deadly that no one would even think of arguing with her.
The ride to the hospital was the longest twelve minutes of her life as she held Ronan’s hand. For hours after that, Sidney paced in the hospital waiting room in fearful anticipation of Ronan’s prognosis. When they’d arrived at the emergency room, doctors and hospital staff whisked her straight into surgery. Since then no one had contacted Sidney with any information. She’d seen many people come and go from the operating theatre, but no one responded to any of her urgent questions. Finally, she marched up to the head nurse at the desk and demanded someone answer her questions. She didn’t know whether Ronan would be all right and wondered what was taking so long.
The white-garbed nurse stood to her full height, which towered over Sidney, before she answered in a stern but calm voice that Ronan’s doctor would speak with her as soon as she came out of surgery. Abrams had shown up soon after and offered her a cup of coffee just when she thought she might keel over.
“What? Taking care of your investment?” Sidney immediately felt guilty about her caustic attitude when his face closed up. “I’m sorry, David. I’m just worried. What the hell is going on in there?” She dragged her fingers through her hair.
The surgeon walked in just then. He reached up and rubbed a hand over his tired face. Sidney was on him before he had a chance to realize anyone was there.
“How is she? Is she all right? When can I see her?”
Dr. Morrison shook his head in confusion. “Easy,” he advised and held up his hands in mock self-defense. “I’ll be glad to fill you in, Ms. Weaver, although to be honest I wish the circumstances were better. “
“ Ronan,” she prodded impatiently.
“Oh, yes.” He scratched his head absently and Sidney wondered if he was addle-brained, worried that he had just operated on her lover. “She’s still in critical condition. I’m afraid we won’t know for sure for another twenty-four hours. Still, I believe we got all of the bullet fragments out and that she’ll make a full recovery. She was a very lucky young lady.”
“What do you mean you believe you got all of the bullet fragments? Don’t you know?” Sidney felt flabbergasted. “Aren’t you a surgeon?”
“Hold on, Sidney,” Abrams advised and put a hand on her arm. “I’m sure she’s fine.”
“I really do think she’ll be fine. I hesitate to promise you something and not be able to deliver. My experience tells me that most people prefer to know the truth and from the few minutes I’ve spoken with you, I daresay you’re no exception,” the doctor assured her.
His words had the intended effect of connecting with Sidney’s logical side. She took a breath, trying to relax and listen to what he had to say, even if it wasn’t what she wanted to hear.
“I’m sorry, doctor. Of course, please continue.”
He looked at the floor for a moment. “She was lucky in that none of the bullets pierced any vital organs.”
“Or the Secret Service has some really terrible marksmen,” Sidney shot back sarcastically before she could help herself. “Sorry, Doctor. Go on.”
“Yes, well. Just because there wasn’t any damage to her organs doesn’t mean she’s completely out of the woods. Infection could easily set in and is generally the main cause for concern. She’ll have difficulty walking for a time as one of the bullets damaged the largest muscle of the thigh. Another round dislocated her shoulder and blood pressure is understandably low because of the blood loss. Still, barring any complications I see no reason why she shouldn’t make a full recovery.”
Sidney stayed at Ronan’s bedside from the first moment the hospital staff allowed it until she opened her eyes three days later. She filled those hours talking to Ronan about anything in general just to let her know she was there, speaking words to the unconscious woman that she had no way of knowing she could hear let alone understand. On the third day, she’d run out of informational tidbits about the uprising in Washington and began speaking from her heart.
“I’ve never told you how I feel about you,” Sidney said sadly, a catch in her throat. “It took you getting shot for me to be able to say the words aloud. The truth is I love you and I’ve never had feelings for another woman before. I’m afraid of that. Pretty cowardly when I hear it out loud, especially after you almost died saving the world, but that’s the long and short of it. I’m scared. Why, you ask?” Sidney’s short bark of laughter morphed into a sob.
“I’m afraid because everyone I’ve ever cared for has left me. I’m not even really sure I’ve loved anyone before, only that I wanted so much to be with someone so I settled on men who I thought were reliable, strong, compassionate. I guess I was only fooling myself. And then you came along and turned my world upside down.”
She took a moment to compose herself and wiped away the tears that ran down her cheeks before she continued. She felt the need to unburden her soul, even if she could never utter the words to the one that mattered most, not when she was awake anyway.
“And...I fell in love with you...so hard. I know it’s the most intense, all-encompassing feeling I’ve ever experienced. I only hope I can show you exactly how much, for the rest of our lives if you’re willing.”
Amazingly, white-blonde eyelashes began to flutter when Sidney concluded her speech. A look of confusion reigned in the icy depths until they focused on her. Ronan’s expression quickly warmed and a smile tugged at the corner of full lips.
Chapter Twenty-Three
; “HEY,” SIDNEY WHISPERED in that wonderfully husky voice that sent shivers down Ronan’s spine. “I thought you were going to sleep forever. About time you woke up.”
She tried to speak and coughed against a dry throat when suddenly Sidney thrust a cup of water with a straw in front of her. Gratefully, Ronan sipped the cool liquid for a moment before she fell weakly back against the sheets.
“Don’t you ever do that to me again.”
Ronan knew she’d frightened Sidney very badly and that was why she was angry. She deftly took it in stride, unaccountably pleased that Sidney looked exhausted from sitting at her side. She had no doubt Sidney had done exactly that. Ronan had a definite sense that she hadn’t been alone for a very long time.
Humor quirked her full lips before she responded. “I won’t.”
After all, it wasn’t every day that one had to save the world against a time travelling fascist Black Guard and Ronan felt pretty comfortable with the promise. Exhaustion pulled her back down into the depths of healing slumber. Many hours later, Ronan awakened from a dark, dreamless sleep. The acrid scent of antiseptic reminded her that she was in the hospital and prompted memories of what happened to account for her current residence. She remembered the sharp, biting pain from the bullets that had struck her body and was surprised to be alive. The last thing she remembered was Sidney’s worried face hovering over her as the vice president shouted for an ambulance. How long ago was that?
She frowned and knew there was something they’d missed. If she could only think, but she couldn’t with all the weight pressing down on her chest. Ronan opened her eyes and glanced down to see Sidney’s head resting on her. She smiled tenderly when she recalled she had been there all along. Even when Ronan drifted in and out of her anesthesia-induced haze, Sidney was there. Sidney’s upper body pinned Ronan’s left arm to the bed. Instead, Ronan reached over to stroke the thick strands of hair. At her soft touch, Sidney lifted her head and looked groggily at Ronan. An almost shy smile graced the wine-shaded lips.
“Hey there,” she said and clasped Ronan’s hand between her own. “How was your nap?”
“Long.” Ronan watched Sidney press small kisses onto her knuckles. “How long was I out?”
“Since the last time you were awake? Two days.”
Her stark expression made Ronan wonder if those days were
worse for Sidney than when Sullivan chased them through the swamp. She thought it was possible and, though the comparison might be unfair, the idea made her feel warm inside. Hope burned bright that Sidney’s feelings for her had grown.
“Have you been here the whole time?”
“Yes, I just couldn’t leave until I knew you were going to be all right.”
“Sidney, you need sleep,” Ronan admonished gently.
“What do you think I was doing when you woke me up? Besides, even if I’d wanted to leave I couldn’t. It’s just too dangerous.” Sidney cringed and became serious. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything. You need all your strength to recover.”
“Tell me, Sidney.”
Ronan could see something was wrong. Whatever she was holding back might explain the nagging feeling she had that they had missed something.
Sidney took a deep breath and hesitated. “We can talk about this in a few days, once you feel a little better.”
“No, I need to know. Please.”
Wordlessly, Sidney reached for the television remote that hung by a cord from Ronan’s bed. Scenes filled the screen of fires burning and people running through the streets. The words “Breaking News” ran across the bottom of the screen.
“This is Chris Irvin for CNX News. Rioting continues in downtown Baltimore, New York, and Los Angeles following the presidential inauguration five days ago. China, Russia, and France have also reported rioting and mass-hysteria that threaten to destroy the countries.
“As you know by now, all of this began when six members of the United States’s leading political party, including President-elect Angstrom, were exposed as impersonators though no one has revealed their country of origin or whether this was part of a terrorist agenda. The government continues to assure the people of the world that the threat was eliminated, yet pandemonium continues. All of us are asking, where did these people come from and what was their intent?”
Sidney lowered the volume and turned back toward Ronan.
“They don’t believe the authorities,” Ronan said. “They think there are more Guard members and the government is concealing information.”
“I guess we should have done this differently, concealed the truth about infiltrators from the public. We obviously couldn’t handle the truth.” Sidney looked back at the image-filled screen.
“This is my fault. I thought we were stronger than this. How arrogant of me to make that decision for everyone.”
“Hey,” Sidney said, sounding angry. “If you’re going to start laying blame then you’d better move over on that pity wagon. I seem to recall it was my idea to expose them on national television.”
Ronan started to argue but couldn’t. It had been Sidney’s idea, even if Ronan had gone along with it. Now, they needed to figure out a way to fix this. She knew they could, she had done something similar before. Hindsight was usually a luxury but in this case, it was critical.
She began to formulate a plan, or at least half of a plan. As Ronan connected the dots, she realized what had been bothering her. Even though they had revealed the Guard on the steps, their mission failed. It failed because not all of the imposters on Earth had been there. They’d replaced Gentry, yet he hadn’t been part of the political attaché. The Konservatives still had a foothold on the planet. Given the current state of things with the mass-riots and general chaos, it would be the perfect time for them to invade full-force and they wouldn’t need to bother with disguises. In trying to preserve their way of life, she and Sidney had made a bad situation worse.
“We have to go back.”
“Go back? What are you talking about?”
Angry at her own arrogance, Ronan tried to get out of the bed only to be held down by Sidney’s strong hands. “I have to fix this, damn it. I have to try something.”
“How? There is no way to fix this. All we can do is wait for things to settle down.”
“And when the Guard invades, what then? I tell you, it does not have to be this way. I can change things.”
“You mean like you did before?” Sidney asked. “When you came back in time to save me from being killed?”
Ronan nodded. “Yes, and even once again since then. Only last time I tried to save you, I was too late. You left for Rock Hall two days before you had in my original time line. By the time I arrived, the stalker had already been there. You died in my arms.”
Sidney shivered at this new information. “That was twice I died violently.” “Fate has a way of trying to set its original plan back in motion.” “But you went back to your time so you could come back and try again?”
“I very nearly failed again,” Ronan admitted. “I tried to come through a few minutes earlier than before but I bounced back to the gate. It’s one of the paradoxes of time travel. You can’t go back to a time where you might encounter yourself. I had to settle for sending you a warning and returning a few minutes later than I wanted.”
“The knife. Well, that explains how it got in my bed. Hang on, if we can’t go back to a time where we’ve already been, how are we going to undo all of this?”
Ronan shook her head. “I don’t know, but I know we have no choice. I have to go if only to know if we were successful. We missed at least one of the secret police because Gentry wasn’t there and the longer we stay here the less likely we’ll be able to change anything later. Since we missed one, the Konservative government could still come to power.”
Sidney nodded. “All right, I’ll go along with your idea but with one change. I’m coming with you.”
Ronan felt relieved. In her current condition, she’d need
all the help she could get. She was still belching anesthesia. “Thank you. I don’t want to go back to a world without you in it.”
SIDNEY WAS SURPRISED, but happy that Ronan wasn’t going to argue with her. She was far too deep into this mess and felt just as responsible for what was going on outside. The rioters had left the hospital untouched for now but if they continued, it would only be a matter of time. Many lives were at stake and Sidney was no shrinking violet. Someone had to take a stand and she was in the right position to do so.
“Good. Now, we just have to wait until you’re recovered and plan what to do next.”
“No, we have to go now.”
“What? You’ve been unconscious for two days. You were shot five times. They’re not just going to let you waltz out of here. I’m not going to let you waltz out of here.”
“Haven’t you been listening to me?” Ronan shouted back and winced from a lance of pain. “We don’t have the luxury of time, not from this end. Look at that television and tell me you want to wait.”
Sidney couldn’t say it. She looked at the screen and saw that things hadn’t improved in the last few minutes. The newscaster still gave constant updates on the muted set, but the scene had switched to show a burning skyline. Crimson washed the entire scene in the gloom of night and a caption underneath read, “Los Angeles.”
We did this.
She turned back to her lover. “Tomorrow, we wait until morning. But if you pull those stitches loose I will say ‘I told you so’ this time.”
“Agreed,” Ronan said and then smiled. “Now do you think I could have some water?”
Sidney rushed to get a glass of water for her and held the straw. “Any idea how to pull this off? This place is surrounded by the media, not to mention the general state of public unrest.”
Ronan pushed the glass away. “There was a red crystal in my jacket pocket. It’s octagonal shaped. We’ll need that since the time gate locks onto its signature for retrieval. If we have that, we can leave from this room.”
