"Yo, 'Lonz you awake?!" John Danziger called, as he opened the pilot's door. His grin turned to a frown, when he noticed that the hospital cot was empty. The tall mechanic was surprised to find that the young pilot wasn't in bed, and after drawing a blank by checking behind the door, and in the bathroom, he started to get a little concerned. He knew that Devon would have mentioned if Alonzo had been allowed to walk around, as far as John knew, Alonzo was still bed-bound.
A frown still creasing his features, Danziger went back out into the corridor to search for a nurse. As the hospital was a little deserted at this time of the day, it took him five minutes to find someone to help him.
As it happened Nurse Lewis was the person he found, she was knee deep in defunct immuno-suits. As the majority of the syndrome afflicted children had now been cured, they no longer had a use for them. Unfortunately, Nurse Lewis had drawn the short straw, she had been given the task of storing them away.
In a world of her own, and muttering heartily under her breath, the young nurse remained unaware of Danziger's presense as she struggled with the life-preserving uniforms.
Danziger waited patiently for a few moments, thinking that she would notice him. When she made no sign of having seen him, he gently tapped her on the shoulder.
Just like she had those few hours before, Lewis almost jumped out of her skin, at the mechanic's touch. Turning around to face him, the nurse offered John an embarrassed smile. *I have got to stop doing that.* she chided, as her breathing returned to normal once more.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." Danziger apologised. "I'm looking for Alonzo Solace, do you know where he is?"
"Yes, of course. He's in room 2b, its just down the corridor." Lewis pointed in the direction Danziger had just come.
Shaking his head, Danziger elaborated. "No, you don't understand. I know where his room is, but he isn't in it. I wondered if you knew where he'd gone. It's okay if you don't I'll just wait for him to come back." Smiling his thanks, John turned to leave. He stopped when Lewis offered a puzzling response.
"That's strange - for him to have gone I mean. He came to me earlier asking for some sedatives. He said he was having trouble sleeping so I gave him a sedi-derm and three capsules."
"Three capsules? Is it safe for a person to take three at a time?" Danziger asked evenly, as a million warning bells started going off in his head. Devon had mentioned he was very withdrawn earlier...
"Three at a time?! Gosh no. I told him they'd last him a couple of days, he wasn't to take them all at once." Realising what she'd just said, Lewis noticably paled. "Oh my, you don't think..."
"I don't know, but we have to find him quick."
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Alonzo found himself in a forest.
Trees surrounded him on every side, and it was dark. Pitch black, the only light was shed by the two moons high above. He held a mag-pro in his hands, its dull coated bulk gave him some comfort in this deserted place.
The pilot walked on and on, he had no destination in mind, and to be honest he had no idea where he was headed. He just had a hunch that he should head north by north east, so he did.
After another ten minutes of trampling through thick underbrush and avoiding ancient twisted trees, Alonzo came to a clearing. A clearing in the woods that he instantly recognised.
Julia's tent sat pitifully alone in the centre of the clearing, he didn't have to look to know that it was empty. If history repeated itself, like he was sure it would, Alonzo knew he would find Julia crounched behind nearby foliage.
With his heart beating hard in his chest, Alonzo slowly made his way over to a tree to his left. "Julia?" The pilot whispered.
He received no reply, only the impatient hooting of a nocturnal creature could be heard.
"Julia, are you here?" He repeated, a little louder this time. Instead of waiting for a response, Alonzo pushed the thick foliage aside.
Julia sat cross-legged on the cold damp ground. The pilot's dog-tag clutched tightly in her hands. "I've been waiting for you 'Lonz." She stated sadly, without looking up at him.
Alonzo was taken aback by her response, he crouched down on the floor before the young doctor. "You have?"
"Yes, I thought you'd have come for me sooner."
"I tried, but I didn't know how." Alonzo reached across and took her hands in his. "I'm sorry." He whispered.
Julia looked up at the pilot. Anger and despair in her eyes. "Why did you leave me Alonzo? You promised that you'd never leave me."
"Julia please, I didn't mean to leave. I would never have left you voluntarily, I couldn't stop them."
The doctor carried on as if she hadn't heard him. "Do you know how important you were to me? I never felt for anyone the way I felt for you."
Alonzo was very perturbed by the way she was speaking. 'You *were* important. The way I *felt*' What did she mean by that? "Julia, I know that. I feel the same way about you, that's why I want you to come with me."
Julia smiled sadly, and with a shaking hand she reached up to cup Alonzo's cheek. "'Lonz, I'd love to come with you, but..." She paused, and caught his eyes with her own. "I'm sorry, I don't think I'm ready for that."
"But why?" Alonzo pleaded softly. "You can't stay here forever. You can't live in a dreamworld."
"Why not? I can't go with you, and I'd rather stay here than go back without you."
Solace frowned. *Go back? Without me?* "Julia, where do you think I am?"
She sighed and rubbed her temples tiredly. "I don't know 'Lonz. I never would have even entertained the idea before coming here, but I've seen such strange things, things that I could never explain. I mean, I don't strictly mean a ghost or anything like that. But this planet, with its metaphysical plane, people have seen weird things. You used to dream with the Terrians, I know Devon had some pretty strange dreams on Uly's birthday. I don't supposed dreaming with a spirit is too far fetched. That is if you're even here at all, I mean I could be dreaming the whole thing, I suppose."
As the pilot listened to Julia's mumbled musings, it became clear to him. "You think I'm dead?"
"Well, what would you call it? Alonzo I saw you die in front of me, remember?"
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Danziger ran on ahead, with the nurse breathlessly trying to keep up. On reaching Alonzo's room, he flung the door open. He hoped to god, that the pilot would be lying in bed, and that all this was just a stupid misunderstanding. Unfortunately the hospital cot was as empty as it was previously.
"See, he's not here." Danziger panted, trying to get his breath back.
"Where has he gone do you think?" Lewis asked nervously. *What was I thinking giving an obviously distraught man three sedatives.* She chastened.
"I don't know, but I think I know where to look."
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"Julia, I promise you I'm not dead." Alonzo protested, the doctor still didn't look convinced. "Do I look dead to you?"
"No." Julia replied quietly. "That doesn't make any difference though, you're most likely a figment of my masochistic mind."
Alonzo threw his hands up the air. "Julia!" He sighed. "Listen to me, I didn't die when you last saw me. Mitchell shot me yes, and I lost alot of blood, but the Terrians helped me. The Terrians helped save my life. Do you understand, I lived."
"Really?"
"Yes, really." He confirmed.
"Then where are you now?"
"I'm in the hospital at New Pacifica."
"Where am I?"
"You're in the hospital too. I'm with you now, holding your hand."
Julia automatically looked down at her hands and frowned, they lay in her lap. "I'm at New Pacifica? How?"
"Well after Yale and Danziger found me with the Terrian, they took me back to camp. The Colony ship was there already, so I took a shuttle, and your brother and me went after Mitchell and the others."
At the mention of her brother, Julia immediately looked up at the pilot her face questioning. "Joshua? Josh is at New Pacifica too?"
"Yes, he helped me rescue you."
"Josh." She whispered, as if it was some mystical word. "I haven't seen him for years, I didn't think I'd ever see him again."
"Well you can see him now, if you'd only come with me." Alonzo replied, with a smile. His legs groaned their protest as he quickly stood. "Comeon." He said, offering his hand to the young woman.
"But how? I don't even know how I got here, let alone how I get back." Julia responded dispondantly.
"You have to really want it Julia, its all in the mind." The pilot told her. Then thinking of the Terrians advice, he added. "And in your heart."
"That's easy for you to say, you're used to this type of thing." She stood nonetheless, and dusted at her pant legs. "Are you sure about this?"
"Sure about having you back with me?!" He asked. "Of course I am." He reached his hand out to her again, and this time with a little uncertainty, she took it.
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"There he is!" Danziger shouted over his shoulder, as he literally threw the door of Julia Heller's hospital room open. John rushed over to the pilot's side and immediately checked for a pulse.
As Nurse Lewis arrived in the room, she was shocked to see the body of Alonzo Solace sitting slumped in a chair at Dr Heller's bedside. "Is he...?"
"He's alive, but his pulse is very faint."
"Do you think he *did* try to kill himself." Lewis asked softly, her voice cracking slightly.
Danziger turned around to regard the young nurse. "Hey, its not your fault, so don't even think it. You were just doing your job, you couldn't have known he was going to try something like this."
Lewis nodded her head slowly, she still felt responsible no matter what the mechanic said. Clearing her mind of the reprimands that were likely to come later, she rushed over to the unconscious pilot's side. "We have to flush the sedatives out of his system, he can't have been unconscious for too long it may still be possible to pull him out of it."
"Okay, what do you want me to do?" Danziger asked, as he watched the nurse frantically sort through her med-kit.
"Can you hold him steady while I inject him with this?" She asked, as she undid a vial of pinkish liquid.
Danziger nodded, he tightly held onto the pilot's arm while the nurse readied the needle. A frown of concentration creased the young woman's brow, as she bent over the pilot's inert form. She gave a commentary as she worked.
"Okay, I'm going to inject him with this, its called Adrenomine." She explained holding up a needle filled with the pink serum. Lewis roughly pushed up the sleeve of Alonzo's flight jacket, and slapped his bare arm. Once she's found a vein, she inserted the needle. "This should give his body a jump start so to speak, and should hopefully bring him out of his current state of unconsciousness." Looking over her shoulder, Lewis smiled grimly at the mechanic. "Keep your fingers crossed."
Danziger stepped back when Lewis finished, intently watching for any change in his friend's condition. He felt a trickle of perspiration run down his cheek, and impatiently swatted at it with his sleeve. "How long will it take to work?"
"It should be almost instantan..." Lewis' reply was cut short when the pilot cried out loud, causing them both to jump.
"Noooo!"
"'Lonz, its okay its me Danziger. You're gonna be okay."
Alonzo looked up at the mechanic with blurred eyes. "Where am I?"
"You're in the hospital, you took too many sedatives but you'll be alright now." Lewis explained softly.
"No! No, please you have to put me back under. I almost had her." The young pilot begged.
"Calm down okay. Almost had who 'Lonz?" John asked.
"Julia!" The pilot answered sharply. "I almost had her then, you have to put me back to sleep."
"I'm afraid I can't do that Alonzo. Its alright, you were just dreaming, look Dr Heller is right here." Lewis told him, resting a hand on his arm in reassurance.
Alonzo pulled his arm away in disgust. "Why the hell did you wake me up? I knew what I was doing, I went to find Julia, to bring her back. She won't be able to find her way out without me, I may have lost her for ever."
Danziger frowned, the pilot wasn't making any sense, he may even be dilerious from the drugs. He was just about to suggest this to Nurse Lewis, when Solace jumped up from the chair.
"You have to give me another sedi-derm." He demanded, grabbing Lewis' arm.
"Mr Solace please calm down." Susan implored, suddenly scared by the pilot's behavior.
"Let her go Solace." Danziger instructed stepping closer to the two. "Sit down and take a breath okay, your obviously a little dis-orientated."
Alonzo grabbed the Nurse's other arm and forced her to look at him. "Listen, you have to put me back under. Now!"
"Let go of her now, man." Danziger growled, grabbing the pilot's arm. Alonzo turned his attention away from Lewis and glared at the mechanic, reaching down he pulled John's hand off his arm and tried to push him away. As he still wasn't in A1 condition, his shove had little effect on the bigger man. Danziger wrenched Alonzo's hands off of Lewis arms, and pushed the pilot backward.
Stumbling over the chair behind him, Solace lost his balance completely, and tumbled over onto the cot.
"You son of a bitch, you did that on purpose." Alonzo snarled unreasonably. With trembling hands he lifted himself up and off the cot. The force of his weight had made Julia move onto the edge of the bed. "Look what you made me do." He said quietly, all traces of anger had left him as quickly as it had come. Bending over he scooped Julia into his arms and lifted her back into bed. His vision blurred as his eyes filled with tears.
Danziger didn't know what to do. He had always found it easier to deal with anger, than hurt. Standing awkwardly between the pilot and the nurse, he said. "She's all right Alonzo, you didn't hurt her." Gaining Lewis's attention, he motioned for her to go over to the cot. "Nurse Lewis can check on her if you'd like."
Alonzo nodded his head, which caused a few stray tears to fall onto Julia's blanket. Standing back, he allowed Lewis to examine Julia. "I'm sorry." He whispered to the medic.
Susan gave him a small smile as she fitted a dia-glove onto her arm. She was all prepared to assure the pilot that Julia's condition hadn't changed, when she realised it had. Nervously biting at her bottom lip, Lewis turned to face Alonzo.
Noticing the Nurse's uncertainty, Alonzo felt a stab of panic. "What is it?"
"I don't know. Her readings have changed." Looking to Danziger, she asked. "Can you please find Dr Vasquez. I'm not sure, but I think she's coming out of her coma."
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Alonzo's was awakened from his light doze, when his gear bleeped. After tiredly rubbing at his eyes, he reached up, pulled the Visual feed over his eyes and opened the channel.
An equally tired looking Joshua Heller looked back at the pilot. Ever since Dr Vasquez's confirmation that Julia was indeed pulling out of her Coma, the younger Heller had been calling Alonzo every half an hour for an update.
"Still no change yet, man." Solace told him. "I promise as soon as she shows some change you'll be the first to know."
Josh didn't try to hide his disappointment, it was pointless he knew Solace felt the same way. "I can't believe I'm out hunting for a stupid Cargo pod, when Julia finally shows some improvement." The young man complained. "I'm on my way back, but Cameron reckons it'll take us at least another two hours to get back to camp."
"Okay, take care." Alonzo told the young man who he was already starting to think of as a close friend. "Solace out."
Pulling the gear off his head, Alonzo tilted his head from side to side in an attempt to loosen up his stiff neck. He then proceeded to stretch his aching limbs. He was so focussed in this exercise, that he hardly heard the quiet voice.
"Alonzo?"
"Yes?" Alonzo replied as he turned to the doorway. He frowned when he saw that the door was shut, he could have sworn he heard a voice.
"'Lonz?" The voice repeated, hoarsely.
Solace stopped dead when he realised where the voice was coming from. With wide eyes, he hurried over to the cot. "Julia?" He asked nervously.
The young doctor coughed lightly when she tried to reply. Alonzo's chest tightened. With a fair amount of effort. Julia opened her eyes, and looked at the pilot. "Hey 'Lonzo." She said weakly with the barest hint of a smile she could manage.
-The End-
Chapter End Notes:
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!!