Dirges In The Dark by SecondGuess

[Reviews - 0]
Table of Contents [Report This]
Printer

- Text Size +

“Julia, I don’t think I can do this.” Alonzo croaked, looking a bit green around the gills. He wasn’t the only one disturbed by the sight of John’s legs, now that the blankets had all been stripped from the bed, and the bandages carefully snipped away to avoid any hindrance should the doctor need to suddenly intervene during the bone fusion process.

Exposed to the group for the first time, Danziger’s injuries seemed beyond comprehension, the areas around the sutures shiny and tight, yet it seemed the deep purple bruises would simply slide off onto the ground, with no muscle tone or sturdy bone to support the weight of the ragged skin. His left leg, which Julia was carefully wrapping in a thin layer of gauze to protect it from the coarse fabric lining of the newly-modified brace, didn’t even resemble a human limb, so shattered was the area where his knee cap should be visible. It was not lost on anyone present that mid-thigh, there was a slight outward bend to the ravaged flesh, where Julia had been forced to remove a large section of shattered femur.

“Q-quit starin’.” Danziger whispered, snapping out of his fitful dose to find himself suddenly cold, and the center of much attention. Julia glanced at his face as she finished securing the gauze, desperate for any hint of impertinence, hoping that another flippant remark was on the way. Instead, she met fierce blue eyes, cold as steel and just as unforgiving.

There was something terribly sad about seeing him lying there, wrapped so carefully by herself and Bess, after Devon and True had judiciously vanished, in the make-shift gown that had been made from several donated items. While he’d slept, they’d threaded his arms gently though the sleeves of a very notorious black-and-white printed shirt, the collar cut off so it could be comfortably worn backwards.

Bess had quietly rambled a bit while they’d worked, explaining to Julia and an unconscious Danziger that it was important to wear something comfortable and familiar when you weren’t feeling your best, and while Magus had playfully suggested they take this opportunity to shred the thing for bandages, Bess had insisted that it remain for the most part, whole. They’d extended the fabric downward with strips of Cameron’s faded plaid. It hadn’t occurred to a single member of Eden Advance that John’s new attire was even remotely silly. To Danziger’s friends, the labor of love bore all the significance of the most sacred of shrouds.

“There’s an awful lot of you in’ere right now…sure we got room for the zebra?” Danziger asked seriously, dazedly scrutinizing the sleeve that definitely hadn’t been there when he’d last been awake.

“You look great, pal.” Alonzo assured him, guilty that his breech of courage might have been overheard.

“Bullshit.” He groaned, doing his best to throw Bess a teasing smile. “But the shirt’s…never looked better.”

“We’re about ready to get these braces on and give it a go.” Julia informed him with a wan smile. “You ready?”

Closing his eyes to marshal his strength, John gave them an almost imperceptible nod.

“Can’t be any worse than how I feel now…” He let slip, trying for a sense levity he simply could no longer feign. Hopelessly trying to quell the certain knowledge that his previous statement would prove horribly false, Danziger studied each of his friends intently.

The Martin’s were directly to his right, Bess’ hands worrying the textured handle of a Hypogun unconsciously. Danziger knew it was loaded to the gills with pain medication, should he back out or call ‘Uncle.’ Her husband had a supportive arm wrapped tightly around her, the other hung sorely at his side, the sleeve still pushed up from his recent donation of precautionary blood and platelets. Magus was perched atop Julia’s worktable, methodically running a sterilization wand over a truly daunting pile of bandages, Denner doing the same with the few instruments Julia had been able to grab in her desperate raid of the medical supply closet on board the Roanoke.

At the foot of the bed, standing in a half-circle behind the doctor as though they were her team of crack-pot footmen, Mazatl and Cameron stood at the ready to offer their strength, whether it be to lift John up of hold him down. Alonzo and Walman were also there, each holding a medieval looking brace in their white knuckled hands. Alonzo had relinquished the keeping of the larger one he himself had been intimately acquainted with to Walman, and the pilot himself held the smaller version they’d devised, to fit the lower portion of John’s right leg while still allowing movement of his knee, should the chances look good he might be able to recover some dexterity.

Devon he found after a bit of searching, sitting in her own lonely corner, looking for all world like a widowed war bride from a World War III vid chip. He wondered how it was that he hadn’t always felt the love for her that he did now. He’d wasted so much shankin’ time, clutching his pride like a prize, hating her for making him wish he could toss it to the wind, consequences be damned. Now he had nothing left in the world but these people, his friends and his daughter and the love he knew Devon had for him. He was the luckiest man alive; impending death notwithstanding.

“Where’s True-Girl?” He asked her softly, a direct question despite the distance between them and the softness of his voice. Devon rose slowly, approaching him with a thankful heart that he was lucid for these last few quiet moments, and that John’s suffering would be over-- one way or another--soon.

“She and Uly are with Yale. It was a small feat, getting her to leave, but you reminded her that you had honored your part of the deal, and now it was her turn to do the same for you.”

His eyes were bottomless pools of loss, deeply distressed at the absence of his daughter even as he wanted nothing more than to spare her this very sight. She took his hand and kissed it gently in an attempt to ward off his lost expression, spectators be damned. They had no more time for secrets.

“I don‘t…when did she leave? I was…awake?” He whispered, the bone-deep terror of his situation finally coming to the forefront.

“Shhh, it’s okay.” Devon soothed, stroking his hair as though they were the only two people left on G889. “You told her that you love her very much. You told her to be a good girl, and that you’ll see her soon.” She wiped a rogue tear from his temple with her thumb.

“I…I can’t remember that…” He confessed weakly.

“But she will, John. She will.” Devon promised with a strength of conviction she only experienced in matters regarding her own son.

“Tell her again.” He implored somberly. “Tell her every day, Devon. Promise me.”

“I will, John.”

“Devon…” Julia interrupted delicately, sending the real world crashing in around the couple. “We have to get going, he’s not stable.” She warned quietly, eyes averted. “I think we should get moving, so we can get John some relief as soon as possible.”

John nodded, his throat tight with tears, and Devon gave him a reassuring smile.

“Right. Let’s get those contraptions on.” She announced loudly, as though it was her right to issue orders in Julia’s jurisdiction.

“No time like the present! Kinda literally…” Morgan chimed in, haphazardly trying to lighten to mood in the tent, and to the quiet satisfaction of the group, Magus was the first to chuckle.

Julia moved to the foot of the bed, where Mazatl and Cameron were already taking their places to kneel at either side of the cot.

“The guys are going to support your legs while we lower the end of the cot, so we don’t jostle you anymore than we have to, okay?” Julia spoke calmly, in her element once again. “As soon as it’s down, Walman and I are going to get the brace on your left leg first. That should be the worst, but we’re going to move really quickly. Then Alonzo and I will get your right calf and we’ll bring the bed back up and be ready to go, just like that.”

“Just like that, huh?” Danziger repeated sarcastically, worrying his bottom lip. “Sounds like fun.”

“Hey, it was your idea, right?” The doctor teased, giving her patient a wide grin. It did the trick, and John seemed a bit more at ease than he had been a few moments before. She took a deep breath and touched both of her assistants on the shoulder, and they carefully began easing their gloved hands under John’s damaged legs.

He let out a brief hiss, his eyes opening wide at the shock of feeling multiple hands on the sensitive flesh.

“Well, when you get your own data log in the…New Pacifica Journal of Medicine…I want it noted that--whoa!” He gripped the cushion of the cot tighter. “That you were…chicken shit…about this whole thing.”

“No problem, John--easy, guys!” Julia cautioned as Magus and Denner slowly began lowering the legs of the cot. “I’ll be sure to put it right next to a big picture of you in your pretty gown.”

A low sound of pain found it‘s way out of Danziger, and Devon reached over to tuck a stray curl of hair behind his ear.

“Sorry, man.” Cameron whispered with tenderness in his tone as Mazatl looked to Julia expectantly, as though she would suddenly call the whole thing off. John swallowed another groan.

“Here comes the brace. We’re gonna try not to lift your leg if we can help it, okay?” Julia gave the mechanic a play-by-play, not looking away from the task at hand. Coming from underneath as best they could, she and Walman eased the splint into place, slowly adding support as Cameron eased his hands out of position.

“Oh my…Julia, hurry up!” John grunted, and the doctor slid the fiberglass molding they’d created with a resonance scan of Danziger’s previous charts carefully up his thigh, so the brace was cradling his entire leg from just below his buttock and down around his ankle. Bess swooped in the second Cameron vacated his post, aiding Julia in buckling down the synth-fleece lining they’d made from Devon’s winter coat. Quickly and efficiently, the lowered the hinged metal cage and secured the locks.

“Is it pinching anywhere that you can feel, Danziger?” She asked, and it was a few moments before he could compose himself enough to reply.

“No, i-it’s okay…it’s okay.” He breathed through pursed lips, trying for a few deep breaths.

“That’s good, John. Just try to relax…in and out…the left leg’s done.” Devon cooed, her eyes darting back and forth from his face and the bustling activity to her right. Squeezing his eyes shut, Danziger did his best to ignore her coddling.

Julia and Alonzo were already making progress on his lower right leg, repeating the same efficient patterns they’d practiced long into the night. The shorter replica stopped just above the ankle and at the base of the knee, as the doctor was hopeful that if the bones of the calf began to heal correctly they would be able to restore motion to John’s foot and knee.

From where she stood, dutifully supporting John’s right heel in her cupped hands as Julia tightened the bolts, Bess’ feather-soft voice called out to a distressed Danziger.

“You know, John, this big ol’ foot really is in just about perfect condition. I’ll bet you’ll be putting it through its paces in no time.”

“Ya think…that one’s good…should seen leftie in his prime…” John teased back as best as he could, so concentrated he missed the faint tearing sound as the fingernails of his clenched hand ripped clean though the sheeting. Devon glanced at her friends in action, noticing that not a single set of eyes traveled to Danziger’s left side.

“Oooh! Easy!” He shouted hoarsely, his ragged breath catching as he struggled to lift his head. Devon gently held him in place with a cool palm on his cheek.

“Shhhh, deep breaths Danziger. Try not to get worked up.” She comforted, her tone even and sweet.

“Christ, Adair! I’m not…in labor! Knock it off!” He snapped, feeling far to much like a helpless child to allow himself to be treated like one.

“Okay, I’m sorry.” She instantly amended, her voice refreshingly void of any sarcasm. John nodded; an acknowledgement and return apology all at once.

“And…done!” Julia assured him a few moments later as Mazatl and Cameron carefully erected the lower portion of the bed. She and Alonzo carefully eased his leg to the cushions as Walman and Magus positioned the larger brace. “Okay, take a minute…take a breath, John.”

With a gasp, the breath Danziger hadn’t even realized he’d been holding burst forth, and Devon’s hands were on him again, the cool cloth against his brow.

“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Bess asked, slightly elated as her husband and Denner let loose a short burst of applause. Bess nudged her husband gently and he nodded, taking one more glimpse at the panting mechanic before ducking quickly out of the tent to report back to the others outside that the first stage of the procedure had gone off without a hitch.

“Sure. Let’s do this every day.” Mazatl agreed dryly, and Danziger chuckled weakly in appreciation.

“…wassa…easy part…” He mumbled, his entire body teeming with exhaustion. Maybe he would just take a nap, let all his overly-confident pals deal with the vaccine themselves.

“Everything feels okay, Danziger? No sore spots?” Julia asked, unconsciously taking his temperature with the DiaGlove as she spoke. He shook his head faintly, looking amused and exasperated and a bit loopy.

“No comment…s’too easy.”

“Do you want to rest a bit before we continue?” The doctor inquired as she studied his stat readouts, her expression making it obvious that this would be against her better judgment, but she would grant a brief reprieve if he asked for one.

“Naah, let’s just…go…” He sighed, taking a small sip of water from the mug Devon offered silently.

“Okay. You heard the man.” Julia responded, already on her way to her workbench to retrieve the old-fashioned syringe already loaded with a small concentration of the potent vaccine. Instantly the group broke formation, everyone busily hurrying on to their next position or task. It occurred to Danziger, as he watched from beneath droopy eyelids, that he’d never seen them work more beautifully together. He hoped that, whether he was with them or not, they would face every future obstacle with the same tireless fortitude and care they’d shown him.

“Guys…“ He spoke up almost timidly as Julia returned to his side. “I just want to thank you all. For helpin’ with everythin‘…but also…for stayin’ together. And for always trustin’ me. And each other.” Danziger paused briefly, to clear his throat. He did his best to meet everyone’s eye, to send up a small prayer of thanks for the others not present and for his baby girl. “Never had a better crew…and I never knew what it meant to be…a true friend, till you guys showed me. The New Pacifica colony isn’t gonna know what hit it.”

As he finished, the slightly embarrassed blush of his cheeks soothed by Devon’s gentle ministrations, he closed his eyes to shy away from the center of attention, to give his friends the privacy to compose themselves.

Someone squeezed his arm, and he opened his eyes slowly to see Julia kneeling beside Devon. With a final reassuring smile she pulled the gown up just far enough to reveal his hip, where she began disinfecting a site for injection.

“Hey, Boss? Before we continue mercilessly torturin’ you, ya got any more words of wisdom?” Despite his flippant tone, Walman’s voice was rife with affection.

“Yeah…” Danziger answered, Julia and her needle poised to strike. “Don’t shank up.”

You must login (register) to review.