He then smiled at the Doc and turned around again, taking a look into the cockpit.
"I value your dedication to this...but there isn't much anyone can do, I am sure of it. I will somehow live with it. Thanks for your time and care, Doctor Holliday."
He then got into the cockpit and closed the cockpit, lifting the ship up and heading back to Liberty as soon as he undocked from the docking ring.
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Several days after his initial consult with Ian and his meeting with Dr. Lemelin, Doc again found himself chatting with the geneticist.
"Well, Doctor," he explained, "I can't be certain that it will work but I did perform some gene therapy on the samples you sent. I didn't reverse anything nor did I isolate the cause but I did manage to stop the spread. How I'm not totally sure. I just wonder and hope that injecting these samples back into him that they'll continue stopping the spread. I just can't guarantee anything."
"Rej, that is more hope than Ian had when he arrived. We will try it but please continue," Doc replied.
"I will, John. Rejean out" and the channel closed.
Doc then sent a communication to Ian.
Ian, please report to me as soon as you get this. I think we may have something that might help. I can't promise anything nor can I reverse what's happened but I may be able to stop it. I await your arrival."
It was morning. Doreen arrived for work, coffee in hand, when she met up with her boss, John Holliday, between the receptionists desk and her office. Two people waited in the waiting area, both reading something to pass the time. On this morning, the attractive red head was in a mood and wanting explanations from her boss on his recent long absences.
"Mornin', Doreen," he said as he went to give her a friendly hug.
"Um, John, can we speak for a minute, please?" she asked.
"In a few minutes if you don't mind," he answered.
She firmly replied, "No, now. A few minutes lately has turned into days on end."
He just nodded as he said "all right" and then they headed into her office. "What's on your mind?"
Doreen sighed, trying to contain her anger with him. "John, where have you been? These absences have taken a toll."
"I've been working on a few projects," he said evasively, "and I had little choice in my disappearance."
"You could have said something, John! Do you know what it's like telling patients who want YOU that you'll be back shortly when I really have no idea if you will or not?" she answered sharply.
Doc sighed himself, "Doreen, if you knew where I was and what I was doing and someone wanted to find out, certain people would have done a lot of harm to you to get that information."
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" she asked firmly.
After a short pause, he simply replied, "No, I guess not."
"Midori was worried sick about you," Doreen continued, "you didn't even tell her. John, you abandoned your family and this institution."
He turned sharply to her, "My family is none of your business, Doreen!"
"It is when she calls me wondering where you are!" she screamed, "Did you know that I stayed a few nights at your estate so that Benjen would have a caretaker? I worked a lot of extra shifts, John Holliday, to cover yor absence so it is my business!"
She sobbed, "at least Midori has staff to help. I'm a single parent. Benjen has no father and for a few days, didn't have a mother either."
He began to turn away, realizing her pain. "Doreen, I'm sorry. I...I didn't think of anyone else. I just wanted to protect you by not saying anything."
"Protect me?" she demanded enraged with tears, "Protect me?" With all her strength, she slapped him, sending his glasses flying.
"Protect me from what, John! You owe me that!" she demanded as she went to slap him again.
Catching her hand, he held it until it lost strength and then released it as she sobbed.
She was right, he did owe her that. He stood before her and began to explain.
"For the last couple of years, I began research into the mysteries of that vial, evil, drug cardamine. I hate it. I hate how it enslaves people and how it's makers use it to push for their agenda. To me it's the same thing as slavery, an issue that divided my father and I. I thought I was close but.............I failed."
"John," she said softly, "you are playing with fire when you do work like that. My God the Outcasts may kill you on a good day."
"Which is why I kept it quiet," he answered, his hand on her shoulders, "I couldn't let you know...or Midori. That is why my research lab is in a place that no one will ever find."
He then sighed, "I also got rid of all the evidence, all the research and logs. Whatever may have leaked is so heavily encrypted that Eris herself won't be able to read it."
There was silence. Relief for him as the weight of secrecy was gone and her anger was released.
"John, are you OK?" she asked.
"Yeah," he answered simply and then he asked of her, "If you need some time off, you deserve it."
"Just today," she answered smiling, "mom and son time is needed."
"Go!" he smiled, "spend time with that boy!"
With that, she left and he went about his day.
An Eagle entered the atmosphere of Gran Canaria, slowly drifting down on a landing pad. The cockpit opened up and the pilot climbed out. Looking more confident, concerning his plans here, the man walked towards the Medical Center. It had been a while since he last was there. He received, a longer time ago, a message from Doctor Holliday to return to Canaria.
He just shook his head to himself, wondering why he didn't came here directly after he had the accident in Liberty, not even 2 months ago. He knew, or rather assumed it was the beginning of the prior stage of his 'infection'.
As he entered the center, he headed to the reception. "Greetings. I am here to see Doctor Holliday. I have no appointment made up before, but he sent me a message...one and a half month before. Can't really recall when that was exactly. The name is Ian Johnson...Doctor Holliday probably knows why I am here..."
He sighed as the receptionist told him to take a seat in the waiting room, waiting for the doctor to arrive. He was sure this time. He wouldn't move away without having a result at least. He looked through the windows, watching what's happening outside.
After hours and more hours of waiting, he then left the center again, realizing nobody is there, actually. He walked away from the civilated area, trying to find some rest there...
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Doc entered the reception area, realizing he was late. It had become an all too common occurrence of his lately.
"Doctor, a man was here waiting for you. A Mr. Johnson?" she explained. "He just left and wasn't well."
"Thank you, Sandy," he replied.
He then opened a com to a local security detail, "I need you to find Ian Johnson....ASAP. Tell me where you find him."
Doreen arrived at the center on a foggy, Canaria morning. She was cheerful as she came in. The Center had become well established and she was pretty much in charge of it. Subtle changes, mostly in scheduling, had left the staff in good spirits and morale. As she came in, she met the resident in charge to brief with him before he went home.
"Anything unusual?" she asked of him.
"No, no, fairly quiet," he responded, "just a couple of overworried mothers with young children coming in but they were discharged."
After a brief pause, he continued, "Say, did you hear? Dr. Holliday turned over the Ambassador's robes of TAZ to one of his own."
"Really?" she said in surprise, taking a sip of coffee, "maybe he'll bless us with his presence for once."
"It would be nice," he replied. "It would also be nice if you would let me take you out to dinner at some point."
She just smiled and replied, "I already told you, I don't date co-workers!"
With that, she began her shift, making patient rounds.
She awoke from a long sleep. Laying still, she stared straight up. It wasn't home. She began turning her head to the left, a sore proposition since she hadn't moved in days. She saw only a picture on a wall. Then, she turned to the right. An empty chair and medical equipment were next to her. In her right arm was an I.V. drip.
She wasn't in pain, only slightly uncomfortable. Her chest felt.......strange. She could breathe normally but felt a bit of a tickle if she tried taking a deep breath. If tired was all she felt then she had little to complain about.
"My kids" she thought as she started going back to sleep, "how are they?"
She awoke and began to panic. Her heart rate rose and she began to cough as she started taking deeper breaths. The monitor sent a signal to the nurse's station. With seconds, a doctor arrived.
"Shhhh," said the young man, "Relax, it's OK" he told her as he took her hand.
She began to settle down as the young man in doctor's whites began checking her over, his stethoscope on her chest.
"You sound much better," he told her.
She lay silent as he checked her over. Finally, she spoke.
"My children," she asked weakly.
"You're children are well," he told her, "your oldest, Emiko, has sat vigil with your husband once." He chuckled and smiled, "she's quite the talker!"
"That she is," answered Midori, "I.......I must......" She then fell back to sleep.
The young doctor then met with his supervisor, telling her that Mrs. Holliday was doing much better and all signs were normal.
Married to Ambassador John Henry "Doc" Holliday
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Doc sat in the chair next to her bed as she slept. By instinct, he turned every few minutes to look at the monitor. She was going to be fine but he still worried of his wife.
On a small table next to him was what was left of a tray of food. Doc wasn't used to being a visitor so he felt a bit strange. Still, the cuisine at Canaria Medical was better than anywhere else since it was often fresh.
He paused from writing in his journal to watch his wife sleeping. She was comfortable. Earlier, he had brushed her hair out. He watched her chest rise and fall with a smile. She had survived a brush with death as her body fought off pneumonia. He was grateful. Even still, she would go through life probably needing an occasional treatment of oxygen. To him, it was a small price to pay.
As he sat, he was writing some information in a journal of his. He constantly looked around, afraid someone would notice. Finally, his protoge, his appointed chief resident entered the room.
"Excuse me, Sir, but visiting hours are almost over," joked the red headed doctor.
Doc could only laugh.
She smiled re-reassuringly, "Midori will be fine. I'll alert you when she awakes. Go home to your children."
"I think I will," Doc answered, "Have a good night, Doreen." he stated. With that, he left, headed for his quarters on Med Force One.
The group of nurses rushed Jack out of the medical ship and into the Canaria Medical Center. One of the doctors rushed out of the medical center to meet them.
"What happened here?" He exclaimed, seeing that Jack's arm was missing. "We don't know!" Said the nurse. "He just showed up in the hangar bay at Shasta... We were able to keep him alive on life support. He was carrying a crystal. He said he needed to see Doc." "A crystal? Oh Eris you chose the weirdest ways to send followers to us.... Get him into the ER quick!" The nurses nodded and rushed him to the ER. The doctor unclipped the communicator from his belt.
"Doctor John Holliday to the ER. Doctor John Holliday to the ER. We have a patient here that urgently needs your assistance... Oh, and he has a crystal." He decided to add at the end. That was sure to get his attention.
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