CONTACT - Epilogue
by Laura Pickering
[Voice of Alonzo]
'The shuttle Narcissus landed at New Pacifica exactly 69 hours after we left Eve's satelite. Despite my warning, the colonists haven't seen hide nor hair of Councilman Reilly, they're on a constant alert though, just in case.
I fear nothing from Reilly and his kind. My only fear is that I won't be around long enough to see Julia recover, every hour I spend on this shuttle is an hour closer to what I am certain is the end. I haven't told Josh that I'm sick, I didn't want him putting me under, I wanted to make sure that they made it safely back to G889. I wanted to make sure that Julia would be among friends, and what I consider to be our family, once more. Now that I'm certain she'll be taken care of, I can... I can what? Go quietly? I'd never willingly do that. Lydia was right, it is a hell of a ride, and I'm loathe to give it up now, now that I've only just discovered what life is really all about.'
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Josh could see the crowd of colonists gathering outside the shuttle. Devon Adair and John Danzinger were at the front of the group, their expressions solemn. "Are you ready Solace?" He asked his friend.
Alonzo kept a tight hold on the woman cradled in his arms. Julia Heller hadn't regained consciousness since they had left the satelite. "As I ever will be." The dark haired pilot replied grimly.
Josh pushed down hard on the handle and the door swung open in a wide arc, squinting as the bright morning sun illuminated the interior of the shuttle, he disembarked from the craft that had been his home for the past 3 days.
Devon rushed forward at the sight of Alonzo and Julia, a barrage of question spewing forth before she could even stop herself. A sick feeling of worry and dispair sat in the pit of her stomach. "Oh my god Alonzo, what happened. Are you okay? Has there been any change with Julia?"
"I'm fine Devon." the pilot breathed, as Josh helped him down. "Julia's no better." He faltered, and looked down at his lover, a sad smile pulled at his lips. Lifting his head once more, he scanned the crowd until his eyes fell on John Danzinger. "John can you just...I can't..." He frowned and held out shaking arms.
As Danzinger reached out and lifted Julia from Alonzo's embrace, the pilot's eyes closed. With an almost silent moan, Alonzo Solace collapsed in a heap on the ground.
"Dr Vasquez!" Devon screamed in panic as she rushed to the pilot's side. "Get over here quick, please." She checked for a pulse, and was relieved to find one, even as faint as it was. Pushing his way through the crowd surrounding the shuttle, Dr Vasquez joined Devon at Alonzo's side. His dia-glove was already on his hand. He frowned as he scanned the pilot's inert form.
"What's the matter with him?" Devon asked after a few minutes, tears rimmed her eyes.
"Its not good Devon, he's lost a lot of blood." Looking up at Josh Heller, the doctor asked. "Did something happen to him up there?"
The young man shrugged, his expression pained. "I don't know, he wouldn't tell me what was the matter with him. I could tell he was sick though. He's going to die isn't he?"
For a moment the doctor didn't respond, then he drew in a breath and let it out again in a long sigh. "I can't be sure, although I can tell you that if he had been left any longer he most certainly would have. We have to get him to the hospital straight away. Mr Walman, Mr Baines, can you help me please." He asked looking to the two anxious faced members of the advance crew.
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[Voice of Yale]
"For a while it was touch and go for Alonzo. Dr Vasquez classed his condition as critical for the first two days. Thankfully the pilot was in the hands of a first class physician and an excellent medical crew, working day and night they managed to stabilise his condition. Alonzo was given blood transfusions to replace the significant amount of blood he had lost. Dr Vasquez's greater concern however, was that Alonzo's stomach wound had become infected. The doctor had immediately started Alonzo on an antibiotic prescription, hoping that it would remove all foreign elements."
"A week has now passed since the shuttle returned to New Pacifica. Alonzo has yet to regain consciousness, but Dr Vasquez is positive it is only a matter of time before he does. He assures us that Alonzo's body is merely recuperating, and when he feels he is strong enough, Alonzo will awake. I hope he is right."
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"You're looking a lot better today Julia." Bess Martin stated, as she re-arranged the flowers that sat on the young woman's night table. Looking down at the blond doctor's face, Bess smiled sadly. "Dr Vasquez says Alonzo's getting stronger by the day now, he should wake up soon."
"Bess, what are you doing?"
Mrs Martin whirled around at the voice of her husband. Morgan stood in the doorway of the hospital room, his face questioning.
"I know it sounds silly Morgan, but Yale told me that talking to a person that's in a coma, sometimes helps." Off Morgans doubtful expression, she added. "Well, what can it hurt?"
Morgan crossed over to his wife, and took her in his arms. She buried her face in his long hair, as the tears started anew. "It can't hurt at all honey." He replied softly, gently stroking her curly hair. "I'm sure Julia appreciates what you're doing, but you've got to eat its dinner time you know."
"I'm not that hungry, why don't you go along to dinner without me."
Pulling away from Bess' embrace, Morgan looked his wife in the eye. "Bess, I know this is hard. Its hard for all of us, Alonzo and Julia were..." He paused to correct himself. "*Are* our friends too, but allowing yourself to waste away isn't going to help them. You have to eat." He told her firmly.
"They were so young, so happy, why did something like this have to happen?" She looked up at him, her eyes wide, as if expecting him to answer all of life's riddles.
Morgan merely shrugged. "I don't know Bess. You're right, its not fair, but there's nothing you or I can do about it. They have to help themselves now, the doctors have done all they can do." He sighed, and pulled another chair over to the bed. "Do you want me to bring you something to eat?"
She looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you." Bess sat down at Julia's bedside, as Morgan left to get them both dinner. She resumed her update of the colony happenings. She was in the middle of quite an entertaining story about Devon and Danziger's stubborn disagreement of the day, when an excitable declaration echoed throughout the hospital.
"Hey, Alonzo just moved his hand!"
Bess recognised the voice immediately as Ulysses Adair. The young boy, had been absolutely distraught about the Alonzo's condition. Through the contact with the terrians, Uly had forged a strong bond with the adult, and despite his mother's reservations Uly spent a considerable time each day at the pilot's bedside.
Bess almost knocked over her chair as she quickly stood up, and crossed over to Alonzo's room. A huge grin broke out on Uly's face as he saw Bess enter.
"Bess, his hand just moved." The boy exclaimed.
"Lets not get too excited just yet Uly, it may just have been a muscle spasm or something. Dr Vasquez says he's been having a lot of them just lately." Mrs Martin told him evenly, not wanting to disappoint Ulysses but not wishing to get his hopes up either.
"No, no I think he's waking up. The terrians told me he would."
"They did?"
"Yeah, last night in my dreams. They told me it was time for him to wake up, that his body and soul are mended." He beamed, and then frowned as if not quite understanding what they meant.
"That's great Uly." Bess replied genuinely pleased, but still a little uncertain. "Perhaps we should get Dr Vasquez though, just to make sure."
"Okay. Will you stay with Alonzo while I find him?" Bess nodded and crossed over to the pilot's bedside, as the young boy ran out of the room.
Sitting down on the side of Alonzo's cot she took the man's hand in hers. "Alonzo, can you hear me?" She was almost afraid to believe what Uly had told her. "Alonzo?"
The young woman looked on in amazement as the pilot's eyelids fluttered and then opened. "Oh my gosh, Alonzo, you're awake!"
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"Apparantly I'm well on my way to a full recovery, but I don't feel like it. My body is mending, but I'm not whole anymore, something is missing.
The others try to help, but they can't. No one can help me except you. I seem to feel tired all the time, I just have no energy, but I don't mind. The only time it doesn't hurt is when I'm asleep, because you're there.
We can be together forever - in my dreams..."
THE END... (of 'Contact' at least)
Chapter End Notes:
Well the end of that bloody neverending scourge of my existance has finally arrived.
Thank you for sticking with it for - 6 months? 6 MONTHS!!! Oh my god has it been that long, geez .
A special thank you also goes out to all those that took the time to send me notes of encouragement, etc. Thanks alot y'all I really appreciated it!
And for the last time - Comments and such on this final chapter are greatly appreciated at
Cheers all & until next time...
Laura :)
Thank you for sticking with it for - 6 months? 6 MONTHS!!! Oh my god has it been that long, geez .
A special thank you also goes out to all those that took the time to send me notes of encouragement, etc. Thanks alot y'all I really appreciated it!
And for the last time - Comments and such on this final chapter are greatly appreciated at
Cheers all & until next time...
Laura :)