2313-37

The vessel seemed to sigh as it sank to the ground and Lou scurried, head first, towards the cockpit until the wall stopped her. The movement caused a burning wave of pure pain to shoot up from her leg. She felt nauseous at the intense pain that gripped her. Something was wrong with her leg, so wrong she didn't have the courage to look. She gripped the edge of a seat at her reach, fist clenching around the material to stop her from screaming. But she couldn't help the moan that escaped her.

"Lou?" Jimmy's frantic voice reached her from the darkness. "Lou, are you okay?"

"No," she whimpered, relieved to hear his voice, for a brief moment she had feared she was the only survival. "My leg hurts Jimmy, I-I-I don't know what's wrong with it."

"Oh God, Lou! Let me get the flashlight, everything is down in this thing, are you stuck somewhere?"

"Nooo," she whimpered again as a wave of nausea shot through her at the increasing pain.

She heard stumbling as Jimmy walked over the pending floor to get the light. Then a curse as he stumbled over something and a groan following. In a distance she heard Jimmy lash out at the Kid. "Goddammit, get yourself over to Lou, she's hurt! Now dammit!"

Kid said nothing and Lou closed her eyes at his callousness, he truly didn't care if she lived or died! She had to fight another scream threatening to escape her as the intense pain rolled over her again. She had no idea what happened next as she floated into herself and tried to concentrate on not crying or screaming. She heard somebody talk to her in a low soothing voice and a patch was put behind her ear. Something was put under her nose and oxygen filled her, having her relax at the knowledge that she was being taken care of. Then light appeared with Jimmy behind it.

The light disappeared again and Lou felt the crushing pain start to ease off. She closed her eyes and concentrated on listening to Kid's voice. She had no force to try and register what he said but his voice was calming her. When he grew quiet she moved her right hand and grabbed his coat hard.

"You're gonna be fine, Lou, I'll take care of you. It's fairly uncomplicated, not much tissue damage around it. You won't feel a thing in a while. Just hold on sweetie. Don't move, just trust me."

She wanted to tell him she did but Jimmy walked in and the strong light came back.

She felt a sting on her hand and turned her face to see Kid insert a needle in her vein. She whimpered at the sight, she hated needles, specially if they were stuck into her.

His confident voice calmed her immediately and she laid her head back on the floor and focused her gaze on the torn pocket on Kid's coat. Her breathing slowly becoming more even as her muscles relaxed.

Lou wanted to tell them both to shut up and Kid to do what needed to be done. The pain was alleviating, that was all she cared about.

"Please," Lou whispered, sailing on pleasantry as of now. No pain, no fears any longer. She felt a cool soothing around her leg. The beeping of apparatus lulled her further and holding on to Kid's coat she felt perfectly safe. Time had ceased to exist and she dimly heard the two of them talking. She listened in but it was like it didn't concern her at all.

"Just shut up Jimmy and hand me the flacon with BRC! And keep that line elevated! Get a hold of Noah yet?"

Jimmy watched as Kid retracted the grouse instrument out of Lou's leg. He felt sick at the sight, wondering why Lou wasn't screaming her lungs out. Kid was intently watching the malleable scanner film placed on her leg, waiting for the substance to take action. Sitting on his knees at Lou's side he had to lean over to see the progress up close. The instrument he was holding fell out of his and and rolled on the floor. Kid turned and tried to gather it but failed, he had to turn around and grip it with his right hand instead.

"Nothing's wrong Jimmy, just concentrate on logging the time. I'll remove the cooler, she's fine. It's already healed, just don't let her move at this point, it needs to stabilize first. Another minute and she'll be fine. "

Lou slowly started to ponder on the words spoken. She was out of the dreamland and slowly returning to reality. But this time reality had no pain or fear. She wriggled her toes and felt they finally worked again. Then she hesitantly moved her knee up, waiting for the pain to slug her back to her inert position.

"Yeah," Lou admitted and scrambled up to rest on her elbows, her leg was straight, only a needle mark showing something had happened. A needle mark accompanied with a slight bluish tone of her skin and her cut trouser leg. "You fixed it?" She looked at Kid removing the latex gloves, looking down on the Invitae on her leg. "Log?"

"You have a good set of bones, Lou," Kid removed the medication from her vein and and she smiled gratefully at him. He was good at this, he knew what he was doing. With light fingers he placed another patch behind her ear. "This is a mild analgesic, should keep you pain free. But you better rest now, this treatment takes a lot outta you, you'll see. Try and eat something and take it easy until you get outta here."

"You mean I'm all done?" Lou asked in surprise, "just like that? I can stand on it?"

Kid nodded and turned to put the things back into the MediPac. Lou was hurt that he didn't even bother to look at her.

"Just like that?" Jimmy groaned, "you didn't see what he did to you? I was about to keel over myself just watching it. Jeez I hate this bloody stuff." He paused and looked down on Kid, "Kid what's wrong with...?" Flacons rolled around in the Medipac, Kid cursed at his own clumsiness.

Lou rose and picked up the Invitae from the floor. "I'll do it for you Jimmy, after all I need to thank you for what you did for me."

"No Jimmy, wanna be sure you're all right, I'll find a way to thank you properly when we get back home. You ain't yellow now are ya?"

"Just don't tell the Kid if you find something squirely, I'm not being treated by him!"

Lou chuckled and grabbed Jimmy's arm. Placing the apparatus firmly over his pulse. She just moved slightly away from his path when Kid scooted over to sit against the cockpit wall.

"Stay still," Lou scolded as she lost her grip on his arm, having the Invitae tell her 'analysis failed'.

She was angry at the Kid, he seemed so distant, like he didn't care at all. Had he helped her only coz' it was his goddamned duty? Why didn't he hold her? Why didn't he give her the slightest sign he still cared for her like he used to. She steeled herself to threat him like air, the way he treated her. "You're kinda all right Jimmy, a little shook up is all!"

Thanks Lou," Jimmy replied and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close. Lou wrapped her arms around him in response. Standing there she realized she really did not feel any pain at all, her leg was as good as new. They stood holding each other, grateful but shaken, content to have something to hold on to.

"Now I'm just gonna take us home. You need your rest. I better go outside and try to get a hold of Noah."

"All right," Lou said and turned as Jimmy unwrapped her from his hold. She felt empty and desolate at Kid's silence. He never uttered a word during their conversation. Like he gave a shit!

Lou decided to not even look at him, if he really didn't care at all, hell then neither did she. "I'll try from inside the cockpit, maybe if we combine our channels we can get through to 'em! Kid, get outside and help Jimmy!"

"Try and get these damned lights on if you can, I'd hate for you to trip over something and fall on your face again!" Jimmy teased.

"Fall on my face? Who was it that let this thing drop in the first place? Watch it Jimmy or I'll lock you out and leave you here when we take off!"

"I should'a been flying this thing from the get go, we'd never had ended up here!"

"Yeah right! Kid, listen to her, now she's saying she'd'a had taken us straight home! Kid?"

They both turned at his silence. He would usually have a wisecrack to offer in situations like this. Now there was only silence.

Jimmy let the light shine on him, sitting leaned up against the cockpit wall. He must really be sulking this time. He sat slumped to the left, leading up against the wrinkled door. Head hung down. "Kid?" Jimmy repeated louder and reached out a hand to nudge him. "Come on!"

Lou's fingers were buried into his arm. "Jimmy," she stammered, "I think something's wrong!"

"What you mean something's wrong? He was fine a few minutes ago, what the hell could'a happened? Kid!" Crouching before him he shook his shoulder hard. A totally slack Kid slid over to the other side.

"Oh God," Lou exhaled and fell to her knees in front of him. "Quit kiddin' us Kid, you're scaring us!"

"Kid?" Lou whispered and took his face in her hands, making him face her. A shiver ran through her at the sight of the half-closed eyes and the lack of reaction. His skin damp with cold sweat. His breathing fast and shallow. She fumbled to get to his pulse. When she found it on the side of his neck it hammered violently against her fingertips.

Jimmy was cursing as he moved the light to search for the Invitae on the floor. He grabbed it eagerly and looked at it, then he realized he didn't know how to use it. "Shit shit shit!" He cursed, vehemently."Lou how do you change this thing to Kid's profile, I can't handle this thing!"

"Give it here!" Lou reached out to get the apparatus, her eyes never leaving Kid pale face. Her heart had started to pound violently again, in pure fear this time. Automatically she punched the code for 'human', 'male', 'Caucasian' and '26' in. She had no idea what his personal code was.

Resting it on his violently pulsating artery on the wrist she stared down at it. The minute that passed was the longest in history. Then it happened and Lou let out a whimper. Three red lights came on and a intermittent warning tone filled the silent vessel.

"That bad?" Jimmy asked in a shivering voice and Lou nodded, her eyes fogged from tears.

Lou was about to yell at him as light started fluttering around them and one after one of the lights started working. A thousand emotions ran through Lou as she realized the vessel was back in function. For a moment there was hope, hope that they could fly off and get help. Then she realized how far they still were from any help and how rapidly Kid's condition seemed to deteriorate. They wouldn't get going anywhere until they knew what that would do to Kid, and why he was in this condition. Hopelessness gripped as she watched him, unmoving and his breathing getting more shallow by the minute.

"What's wrong Kid?" She asked while she held an eye on the Invitae, why wasn't his lungs functioning, why did his BP keep dropping? Why was it all happening so sudden and so rapidly, his heart would stop if this kept on, was he bleeding internally? A result from the impact? How come he didn't say anything, why didn't he tell them he was in pain? Lifting his eyelids to check his papillary reflexes she noticed how enlarged they were, and nothing happened in the strong light. He was rapidly slipping away. But she wasn't going to let him die, she'd fight for him. If he wasn't able to fight right now, she'd do it for him. "Get Noah!" she yelled at Jimmy while her hands traveled over Kid while the warning signal kept wrenching her nerves.

Jimmy desperately fought the EA, he flicked on every channel and sent the 'Mayday' in all possible directions. The was no answers, nothing but blinking, telling that his signals were going out, but nobody was getting them. "Where the hell are those lousy stinkin' bastards when you need 'em? Where the hell are they?"

Lou couldn't answer, she had finally found the reason for Kid's unconsciousness. Her hand was soiled with blood as she removed it from behind his ear. A raw gash sent blood dripping down his neck and out of his ear. "Oh God Kid! Kid, why didn't you say something? Why didn't you tell us you were sick?"

"Lou?" Jimmy sank down by her side and watched her bloodied hand. His eyes followed the trail up and caught the hair matted with blood. "Lou, maybe it ain't that bad. Maybe it's just..."

"But he was lucid when...oh God!" Jimmy sprang to life and left Lou. "Read me what the Inviate says, Lou, now!"

She looked at the blinking numbers on the screen, knowing the critical ones were signed in red. Blood red. "BP 85 over 50, dropping"

"Here Lou, you gotta help me. Hold his arm, I gotta get this in before his BP drops to nothing."

"You know what wrong with him Jimmy?" She watched as he inserted the long blank sterile metal into Kid's swollen vein and felt like throwing up when blood dripped out of it, onto his white skin. "Jimmy!"

"I'm a protor Lou, I know FirstAid, but God I never realized I was gonna need it like this. I've forgotten a lot Lou, you gotta help me here!"

"I'm not sure but I'm guessing subdural hemorrhage, maybe even subcortical. I'm hoping it's subdural, coz' if it's something else then by God we've lost him already!"

Lou had to close her eyes at the news. Of course, bleeding from the ear, the first sign!

"Oh God Jimmy, you're right. We need to intubate him, he might not be able to breath for himself soon. Why didn't he tell us he was feeling sick?"

"He did Lou, in that charming way of his. He told me to get in touch with Noah. I thought it was for you! Didn't bother to try when I realized Kid knew what he was doing. Concentrated on helping him help you instead. Trust him not to come out and tell us 'You better get Noah or you'll have a corpse to bury!' He told me, the goddamned bullhead. I just didn't bother to listen, it my fault!"

"Jimmy, shut up! Nobody's becoming a corpse here. It was just as much my fault. I never bothered to check him out, I gathered he was fine. I was angry at him for not---oh God Jimmy, I just didn't care!"

"Come on Lou, you were sick! Hold his head straight back, I gotta get this tube in! I realized he was having trouble with his left hand, like it wasn't obeying him. His eyes looked kinda funny too come to think of it. I asked him and he just brushed me off, the goddamned bullheaded fool. Get the tape. Gotta stabilize this thing in case he cramps."

"We gotta keep his head up Jimmy, the pressure on his brain has started to flash red too!"

"Mannitol," a flash of sudden knowledge seared through Jimmy's brain. "Lou. check the box for mannitol, it'll get the pressure down. Just hook it and the Invitae to his vein. It'll take care of it. Flick it onto automatic mode!"

"It's comin' back. Lou, we need to get oxygen into him 100 percent and pressurize it. Get the lines wide open!"

"Because I watched Kid's former girlfriend die in his arms from subcortical bleeding Lou! We had nothing and he told me what he would have done all the way until she took her last breath. It was all my fault back then too."

Lou turned to watch Jimmy, his voice trembling of raw emotion at the memory. She had never heard about this, this was something neither of them was talking about.

"Jimmy?" She whispered and felt her eyes fog again. From both the knowledge and the fresh pain in Jimmy's voice.

"I loved her Lou, I loved her just like Kid did, maybe more and I caused her death! I can't have him die too. Not like this, not by my hands."

"Just keep him breathing Lou, just keep him breathing. Coz' soon we're gonna have to drill a hole in his head."

Lou turned back to watch Kid struggling for his life, while she rhythmically pressed oxygen into his lungs. He was so still, even the eyes under the half-closed eyelids never moved. He was probably nearing the end, the pressure still rising inside his skull, squeezing the life out of him, stopping the blood from keeping his brain alive. She just couldn't look at him any longer, the memories of her misjudgments of him made her hate herself. Thinking he didn't care she had put on a display of flirtations with Jimmy, wanting to hurt him. All the while he was bleeding, rapidly losing strength and she never bothered to ask him how he was. He had asked for help in that shy way of his, hoping one of them would understand, not wanting to intrude. She never bothered to listen. Never bothered to thank him for patching her up and calming her, relieving her from pain. Where had she been when he needed her? Wrapped up in herself, cursing him for his distance and callousness. When in fact it was she who had turned her back on him. Putting the ventilator onto the floor, pumping it against the hard surface, counting to keep a steady rhythm she reached over to touch him, to run her fingers along his jawline and finally taking his clammy hand. "I'm so sorry Kid, it'll never happen again. Just come back to me. I didn't mean anything. Don't leave us, I need you. You know that."

"Huh?" Jimmy turned his head to watch her and she shook her head. "Nothing' Jimmy, I was just talkin' to 'im. Just do what needs to be done, just ..."

"Picking up phase three alert here Noah, we gotta get to them!" Rachel's voice came in to them, like she was standing right there with them.

"Rach!" Lou shrieked, "you gotta help us, it's bad ..." she started sobbing, realizing she just couldn't say the word. She couldn't say 'he's dying' out loud. Even if she in fact knew that it was precisely what was happening. "Noah please help!"

The was a silence that was driving Lou out of her mind. They needed orders, they needed to be told what to do, they needed help! "Please," she finally begged.

Noah sighed, he had thought they were all dead and gone. He felt relief and it must have shown on his face. Lou's teary face turned to him and she whispered 'please'. Like she thought he had forgotten them. He hadn't, no way he had. But his mind was raking with the report that blipped its grim graveness before him, falling BP, rising intercranial pressure, polsock that rested well below what was good for anybody. All the signs said that there was a massive bleeding, inside Kid's skull. Hopefully not in the brain. They were maybe half an hour away from them. Should he tell them to wait for him? But he couldn't do that, it was plain wrong, he'd have to help them do what needed to be done for Kid. Right now before the pressure caused irreparable brain damage, if it hadn't already. Helplessly he glanced up at Rachel, standing behind him. Her hands on his shoulders. He flicked the EA-voice off and looked at her.

"Rachel, he dies if they don't open him and let that blood out. But if they go in too deep he dies all the same. And that will be on them, not on me and I'm the one who should be there."

"But you ain't Noah, you gotta help them do it from here, talk them through it. At least, give'm a chance."

"Always!" She smiled at him and her smile gave him the confidence he needed. It felt bad trusting somebody that wasn't trained to do what he was about to ask them, he so wanted to be there himself. But he couldn't. He have to stay and look at it from afar, helpless if things went wrong.

Rachel flicked the EA-voice on. "Jimmy I want you to take the scanningsheet and ...."

Jimmy was on it before she had time to finish the sentence. Rachel's hand squeezed Noah's shoulders. "That's right Jimmy."

Lou scooted away to give Jimmy room as Noah instructed him to turn Kid's head to the left. She lost hold of Kid's hand.

"No Kid," Lou begged and leaned forward to place a hand on the shoulder, "not now sweetheart. Noah and Rachel are here to help you, Jimmy too. Don't go anywhere."

Jimmy held his eyes on the screen, tensely waiting on what was going on. This was far above his knowledge, he had no idea what was causing the reactions.

Lou retracted her hand and looked at Jimmy, they were taking this so slow. They needed to proceed faster, what were they waiting on? Didn't they know she was losing him!

Rachel looked confused at the readings. "Uh Lou, I think you better put that hand back."

"What?" Lou didn't understand why they were doing this, waiting, not doing anything for him. Just sitting staring at the readings.

She put the ventilator between her legs and squeezed, nestling her hand around his slack arm. "I'm here Kid, hold on."

"Okay, that makes it easier. We're gonna go now, no idea to stall it any longer. You did a fine job with him so far. Now we're gonna take it home."

Jimmy gruffed something and looked at the sharp metallic edge of the device he was holding in his hand. The pic of the skull that belonged to his friend Kid showed up on the screen besides Noah and Rachel. Lou whimpered at the sight of the dark shadow pressing on the soft tissue.

Jimmy realized his hands were shaking, he wouldn't be able to do it. He wouldn't, because if he missed and went trough the delicate barrier it would mean Kid died. "Lou," he said, "Lou please."

Lou forced her eyes away from the screen and looked at Jimmy. Immediately she realized Jimmy wouldn't be able to perform the operation, he wouldn't because he was scared to kill the one she loved. He was asking for her to do it. She turned to look at the Kid and knew she was his only chance at this point. And she knew he would have wanted her to do it, just like she would have wanted him to do it if it was her lying on the floor, touch and go.

"Breathe for him," she simply ordered and Jimmy scooted over. "I'm on it, just tell me how."

Noah hesitated for a moment and glanced up at the woman behind him again. She squeezed his shoulders.

She placed herself so her leg supported Kid's side, she got so close to him she felt his erratic heartbeat. Her anger at the people on the screen began to rise. They weren't here! They didn't see and sense Kid slipping away. They only saw the numbers on a screen. She was about to bark at them when Noah's voice came back.

"Okay Lou, place the point on the neck right where you feel the tendon and the skull meet."

""Roger," Lou affirmed, and watched the result on the screen. Realizing the angle was wrong she tilted the device so it laid in perfect line with the membrane inside.

"Good. Now hold it perfectly still. It should automatically do the rest, but you need to be still, no flinching or shaking. It takes off with a kick so be prepared. You ready?"

"Squeeze your thumb and index finger and it will happen in two seconds. Just remember to hold still and wait. If you move, it'll sense it and retract before it shoots out and we'll have to start again."

Lou squeezed her fingers slightly and held her breath. Her whole body intent on keeping absolutely still. If the world came to an end or an earthquake happened, nothing would budge her. She clenched her jaw as she felt the kick and in the same instance the metal shot through the bone and aligned perfectly into the shadow that was taking Kid from her. "Gotscha," Lou wheezed at it, trionfing at her victory.

"Good, now the AOP will align itself and you have to concentrate on keeping his head still. Flick the top onto the locked position. You still with us Jimmy."

Jimmy finally dared open his eyes and glance at the screen. Of course Lou had done it, the device was in, and nobody was dead yet.

"Halfway trough troop, now you gotta give'm some anticoagulant and wait for relief. Lou, take the flacon named CHA 5%. That's right, that's the one, just fill the syringe to 5 cc and couple it to the AOP, it'll take care of itself. You just keep him breathing till it's done its thing. Don't move you hear, just sit tight and...."

"Jimmy!" Frantically she looked at her companion, hoping he had done something to the EA to have them disappear. "Jimmy" What the hell are you doing!"

"Keeping Kid breathing Lou, I don't know what happened!" He moved toward the EA on the floor, trying to figure out what was happening. Then he looked at Lou and met with her wide eyes, eyes emanating such fear it tore at his heart. But he had no soothing words to offer, he had nothing. And Lou knew that, she knew full well he was just as helpless as she was in this situation. And Jimmy hated himself for it.

The only sound in the ASA was the oxygen going in and out of Kid's lungs, an eerie sound, like a giant wheezing.

Then there was a scraping at the door and the vessel sank to the left, causing Jimmy to lose hold of the ventilator. Lou laid herself sideways over the Kid, her thighs holding him to his place. She held on frantically, his weight shifting to her. A thud and finally a crack resulted in cold wind rushing into the vessel.

|Prologue||Chapter 1||Chapter 2||Chapter 3||Chapter 4||Chapter 5||Chapter 6||Chapter 7||Chapter 8||Chapter 9||Chapter 10|
|Chapter11||Chapter 12||Chapter 13||Chapter 14*||Chapter 15||Chapter 16||Chapter 17||Chapter 18||Chapter 19||Chapter 20*|
|Chapter 21||Chapter 22||Chapter 23||Chapter 24||Chapter 25||Chapter 26||Chapter 27||Chapter 28||Chapter 29||Chapter 30|
|Chapter 31*||Chapter 32||Chapter 33||Chapter 34||Chapter 35||Chapter 36||Chapter 37||Chapter 38|