Sol, always trained to have a simple mind, never thought about this before... His appearance was not looking very trustable to others, he knew that much, and understood doc now. He could be a spy, and he could mean to hurt doc. He stood and wondered for a second... There was no way he could prove that he is not a spy or something like that.
Sol got up, took his cardamine breather into his hands, and tore it apart.
"Doc... there is no way I can show you a proof about this," staring at the pieces of the breather in his hands, "but I decided to die instead of going back to killing innocents to live..."
Looking into the eyes of Doc from behind his strange looking goggles, "I am willing to let you test your unproven methods on me, but I am not dying as a slave to cardamine," his voice was calm while saying that...
Here I am now... my life depends on another person again... Sol thought, wishing it would be the last time either way, as a free man or dead.
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Doc sat a bit stunned that Sol would just put his whole life on the line for a stranger with little luck in his research. Still, he nodded, impressed that he would do so.
"I think you just proved a lot in your action," Doc said calmly, "it takes guts to do that...putting your faith in me as you have."
Doc began to explain what he knew. "I have experimented with alien organisms, infecting them with cardamine of the liquid variety. I found that when they were given to someone with cardamine in their blood, they attacked the cardamine and left behind a sort of anti-body after they died out. That's the good of it. Sadly, when someone who has been an addict there entire life, the cardamine is infused with their organs thus your enhancement. The organisms not only attack the cardamine in the organ, they end up attacking the organ itself. This is where I run into problems."
He thought a moment and continued, "Listen, it's not the drug that makes you kill, it's your loyalty to the Outcasts and the orders you obey. That will be easy to do compared to the addiction you will fight."
Quietly, he escorted Sol to a room where he was admitted and given some hospital clothes. After he gave Sol some privacy, he returned with some equipment.
"This may be a bit extreme to you but it'll give me some time to work with," he explained, "when you sleep, your body functions slow down but your natural resistance increases. You know, when your have a cold or flu, you often feel better after rest. Well, I do the same here, hoping that your natural resistance will kick in. Also, if you're sleeping, you don't crave. I will say this, I will keep you sleeping for quite awhile, months perhaps. But before I do that, I want to run some scans of you to form a base so please, lay down."
Sol was glad because he understood doc's words as there is still a possibility for his cure, and one day his people could be cured as well. He was ready to do whatever was necessary...
But something he had to ask before they started, as it was consuming his thoughts since he saw her...
"That girl... Anna Prentice... I saw her here earlier..." spoke nervously as he laid down, "I know, probably I will not get an answer... But still, why was she here?"
Sol laying down, hoping for an answer, and getting himself mentally ready for a long sleep, or maybe his last...
"Is there anything you wouldn't do to get what you want?"
"Is there anything else to life other than getting what you want?"
"Someday it will all catch up to you Sam, and God help you when it does..."
It did catch up to her alright...Violent decompressions, ejection, a flash from the nose of the bloody piss
coloured "Eagle"...Actually it didn't just catch up, it damn right hit her in face without mercy...Reality's a
bitch isn't it? Even more so when it's somewhere out there behind the curtain of the coma induced bliss...But
bitches...they never change, they stay out there somewhere and return when you least expect them. Light,
a blinding light as her eyes slid open, followed by a piercing pain in her brain. The world slowly came into
focus like a dust covered picture in the rain in its moment of clarity before the moisture twists the image
deforms the silhouette and changes the colours. All the "smart" metaphors a two bit story writer could think
of were not nearly enough to describe what Samantha felt in those moments right after she woke up. Her
entire body felt'¦painful. Her skin was dry somewhat senseless itself but horrendously painful underneath the skin
resonating with the various surgical cuts covering her torso. Strangely enough that did not bother her at all,
what did however was an itch she felt originating from her right leg. With almost a heroic effort she
managed to 'crawl' with her fingers to the point of origin. And there was nothing'¦ nothing but phantom pain.
[font=Palatino Linotype][color=#FFFFFF]'You weren't planning on showing up to any beauty contests anyway Samantha' she thought
The check revealed that her left leg was still there bringing a slight sensation of relief not that there was any
need for it. The intubation tube in Samantha's mouth was preventing her from calling the nurses not that she
would have the strength to do so anyway, instead she used her fingers to 'crawl' once more to the side of
her bed where she found a rather large round button and pressed it assuming that it was the 'assistance
button'
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As Doc scanned Sol to get his baseline for him, he answered his question.
"Anna," he stated pausing, "I can't tell you why she was here anymore than I could tell her why you are. While there are no House laws governing doctor/client priviledge, I use it as a moral code. I keep all my records confidential."
He could see the disappointment in Sol's reaction, "My apologies but that's how I work."
Sol was now laying down as Doc scanned doing deep tissue scans, taking detailed readings of the well sculpted man. As he did, he mumbled to himself but audible to Sol, "what I wouldn't give for your information before the cardamine." Once his scan were complete, he began setting up equipment.
An EKG, a fluid drip feeding into his arm and several other monitors over his body.
While he was doing his best, while he treated Sol with the utmost of respect, Doc was concerned as he thought that he may well lose this man. But he remained confident.
"Sol, I'm doing this to keep you monitored," he explained, "I can monitor you even from my home or anywhere within the system." He paused a moment and gave a look of thanks, "I'm honored that you have put your faith in me." After a short pause, he finished, "Well, any last comments or concerns? The next thing I do will put you to sleep and keep you that way for awhile."
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Doreen's first stop on her next shift was Samantha.
"Any changes?" she asked of the attending nurse.
"Stable, Ma'am," she answered.
She looked over the area where Samantha's leg was removed. It was healing well but the burns still hid a lot. Internal scans were positive but still, as Doreen looked, the severe burns covering her body would be a problem. Sure, she could give her a good prosthetic and get her healthy again but the physical scars would be a very daunting task. Unsure of where to go with it, she thought of the man who taught her much, John Holliday. If anyone had an idea, he would.
Leaving the room, she went to search him out, stopping in to check on Midori Holliday. Still, she slept but was stable. She stopped at the coffee bar and called John Holliday on her com.
"John, I need to speak with you when you have a minute," she asked, "could you meet me at the coffee bar?"
"I'm with a patient," he answered, "I need about 20 minutes."
"See you then," she replied, sitting over her coffee.
Sol expected that the doc wouldn't answer his question, he respected that and agreed with him. After all Sol was also a patient and the doc knew a lot more than Sol wants others to know about him. Sol tried to get Anna off his mind for now, there were more pressing concerns.
As Dr. Holliday set up the equipment, Sol got himself ready for the worst, but was still hopeful. He knew that after he was put to sleep, if he could wake up, his life would be forever different... as a free man or something else he didn't care to imagine right then. There was no going back now, he burned the ships. Strangely this made him feel at ease.
When the doc asked the question, Sol thought about it for a minute... Nothing... Sol wanted to say nothing about this. He had no family or friends to be concerned for and he made peace with everything in his mind...
He was ready.
"Nope... there is nothing I want to say..."
Sol cleared his thoughts and tried to get used to the equipment surrounding him. That was not necessary though, as he would be sleeping soon. The last thing he would see before sleeping was the yellow flower he laid on the stand next to him.
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Doc said little else. With the IV already in his arm, the drug that would keep him asleep was added. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep. As he slept, Doc checked him over, making sure everything was right. After some 20 minutes, he was confident. Still, he had to wait for a time before he could safely do much else. As time was on his side, he left instructions to the attending nurse to watch him closely and call if anything changed. Doc then covered his patient with a light blanket and went to meet his former student.
He met Doreen at the coffee bar as she gave him her friendly smile.
"So how may I be of assistance?" he asked her.
She sighed, a bit disappointed in herself, "You remember that patient of mine, Samantha, the one with the sever burns?"
"Yes, I remember," answered Doc as he accepted his coffee from the clerk.
"Well, her wounds are on the mend but the burns....Grafting won't do much," she stated, "I could, um, use some advice."
Doc smiled, "Oh but I can. I have the perfect solution for her." He pointed skyward. "My burn unit on Med.Force.One. Once she's recovered enough from initial surgery, you can send her there. Of course, you would have to accompany the patient."
"That's all well and good, Doctor Holliday, but I can't authorize that without the ship's owner's consent," she replied with joking sarcasm.
Doc just smirked with raised eyebrows, "Well, the patient's doctor didn't ask yet."
She then sat there with a joking frown, batting her eyes at him. "Please?"
Doc just took her clipboard and signed the authorization. Then, he sent her an access code to her datapad.
She just smiled, "Thank you" and kissed him on the cheek.
They then sat over coffee, planning for the transfer of Samantha.
"While I'm at it," she continued, "a prosthesis. Can we do that up there as well?"
He just looked at her, annoyed it appeared before he gave a smart alec remark, "Would you like some fries too?"
"Sounds good," she snapped back.
After finishing there coffee, Doc assisted with the freed slaves while Doreen went to attend to Midori Holliday.
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Doc was finished with his rounds for the day, having administered Sol's first dose of the anti-toxin he had been working on. A low dose to start as too much would be deadly for someone addicted for years.
With work done, he went to where Midori slept. He was alone with her having given the attending nurse a break. She looked so at peace laying there. Doc was somber as he took a chair at her side. He turned to a sound system behind him and turned it on. An old song fit his mood as reality was hitting him hard.
One Year of Love was less than their time together but the song hit him hard as he spoke to her, fixing her hair.
"I am so sorry, Dahlin'" he spoke, "you didn't deserve this." He sat quietly, hoping she would wake-up but didn't.
"If you're punishing me, well, it's working but for Eris sakes don't do this to your children," he said.
"Our newest daughter has your eyes," he continued, "our son, well, it's hard to say. We need to come up with names."
He let her hair be as he took her hand. Tears started to run down his face, the song still playing. "Dahlin', I'll put these robes away if it so makes a difference. You were right in what you said." He again paused, hoping she would awaken. She did not.
"Stop this," he demanded in a whimper as his head fell to her chest, Doc finally falling apart.
As he sat with her, Doreen quietly turned and left as she had gotten to the door to enter. This wasn't the time for her when he needed some privacy.
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The next morning found Doc again at his wife's bedside, continuing to read through Spoon River Anthology. In one hand, he held hers. In the other he kept the old book open from which he began to read about the character, Mary McNeely.
To love is to find your own soul
Through the soul of the beloved one.
When the beloved one withdraws itself from your sould
Then you have lost your soul.
It is written: "I have a friend, but my sorrow has no friend."
Hence my long years of solitude at the home of my father,
trying to get myself back,
and to turn my sorrow in supremer self.
But there was my father with his sorrows,
sitting under the cedar tree,
a picture that sank into my heart at last
bringing infinite repose.
Oh, ye souls who have made life
fragrant and white as tube roses
from Earth's dark soil,
Eternal Peace.*
As he finished, he felt her hand make a gentle clasp of his own. Moving the book to the table beside the bed, he leaned closer.
"Dahlin'," he said softly.
Her head never moved but her eyes fluttered a bit before opening a bit. Still, she lay silent, staring forward.
"Dahlin', can you hear me?" he asked of her.
Her eyes first looked his way then her head slowly turned as she looked at him.
"John Henry," she said in a whisper, "Good morning."
He took her hand a bit tighter, "welcome back." He then softly smiled, "I missed you."
Although she was too weak to move, she could feel her now empty belly.
"My children," she asked in a whisper.
Doc smiled, "you gave birth to a boy and a girl. They are doing fine in incubation. We just don't have names for them yet."
She gave a nod of approval.
Doc sighed, swallowing his pride, "Dahlin' I am so sorry for arguing with you that night." He then nodded, "you were right. Too many don't want peace and do not share my vision. I will therefore hang up those robes."
"No," she said weakly, "do not remove them. They who you are. Just choose clients wisely from now on!"
There was then a moment of silence to where they just looked at each other, him stroking her hand. About this time, Dr. Nagger entered the room. Noticing that she was awake, she started picking on Doc.
"Disturbing my patients, Doctor?" she asked of him.
"Absolutely!" he answered.
She then checked over Midori, letting her know that once able, she would be allowed to hold her children, even if it was for but a few minutes. After several minutes, a still weak Midori fell back asleep.
Doc himself left the room feeling relieved while Doreen felt satisfied.
*Taken from the book "Spoon River Anthology" by Edgar Lee Masters.*
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