Legends II - Legends of Love by Nicole Mayer

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Legends II : LEGENDS OF LOVE. (2/9)
by Nicole Mayer

"Hi, Julia!" called Uly as he strode through the hospital's main entrance the next afternoon. She turned, and smiled at the young man before her. Ulysses Adair was growing taller every day, his shoulders broadening and his voice deepening. Julia suspected that fairly soon, all the girls would be after him.

"Here again? Don't you have a home?" she teased, but they both knew that the hospital was like a home. For both of them.

"I've finished my lessons," said Uly conversationally. "So I thought I'd come down here and help out."

It was the same situation every day. Not that Julia minded. Uly was like a son to her, and she was delighted to see his growing interest in the medical field.

"Come here, Uly, and give me a hug," laughed Julia. She embraced him warmly and was glad they had not lost touch. When Devon had been left behind, Uly had turned to Julia, his doctor, for support and love. She had provided it willingly and the bond that arose between them had grown stronger every year.

"What's wrong?" asked Uly, sensing a tenseness in her embrace.

Julia sighed. "It's Alonzo. Again."

Closing his eyes, Uly wished there was something he could do to help. He loved Julia more than anyone else, even his adopted family, and was saddened to see Julia constantly having trouble with her husband.

"Is he asking you to quit again?" he asked with sympathy. Julia nodded, and pulled Uly into her office. There, they sprawled into their respective chairs and Julia sighed deeply.

Uly looked across at her. He could see the light from outside streaming in behind her, illuminating her hair with a warm glow. Her face was still beautiful, even though signs of stress lined the edges of her eyes. And Uly knew the person underneath was even more lovely.

"He just doesn't understand how important my work is to me!" Julia exclaimed suddenly. "I enjoy the long hours I work. I love helping people. And I can't just drop that. It was hard enough convincing Miguel to let me come back so soon in the first place!"

Uly listened silently, not wanting to interrupt her tirade. He knew how she felt. Ever since he had begun 'working' part time at the hospital, he'd been drawn into the world of medicine, especially the incredible satisfaction at truly being able to help people.

"I'm home most evenings, I see the kids plenty, so what's his problem? He should understand how I feel!" Julia flared. "I never used to complain about his cross country scouting missions!"

That wasn't entirely true, but Uly felt it best to say nothing. He'd stayed with Julia on occasion when she was lonely, however that had been many years ago. "He called me an absent mother. Me!"

Julia's voice took on a darker tone. "Do you think I'm abandoning the twins?" she asked Uly. "I always swore I wouldn't be like my own mother, caught up in my work...I love Ethan and Lissa so much."

"Maybe," began Uly nervously, "Alonzo's feeling a little left out." Even though he and Julia were very close, he still didn't feel comfortable telling her what to do.

Julia smiled sadly. "You could be right," she admitted. "But what am I doing dumping all of this on you? Come on!" Julia jumped up from her chair. "Today I'll teach you how to use the DNA sequencer." Grabbing Uly's hand, Julia's face was a little happier as she strode out of the room and pushed her troubles from her mind. There would be time enough to sort it out with Alonzo later.

Danziger's gear crackled to life. Grabbing it off the table, he jammed it on his head and sighed with resignation. Danziger had learned a long time ago that it was best to keep the device with him, even if he hated it. But there were too many dangers in being cut off.

He didn't expect to see Bess Martin's frantic face before him. "John!" she gasped. "I, I..." she broke off as her face contorted in pain. Her blue eyes were wide and frightened as she struggled for control.

"Where are you? At home?" Bess managed to nod weakly. "I'm coming over," he replied. "Hold tight, and keep this frequency open."

As Danziger raced for the door, Bess regained her breath weakly told him more. "I tried to call Morgan, but I can't reach him, I didn't know what to do, I don't want to lose my baby...." Bess began crying in between her gasps.

"Don't worry, Bess, you'll be fine," panted Danziger as he raced through the streets.

"I just feel so weak..." she cried as another wave of pain assaulted her body. Her face was ghostly pale, and her breathing shallow.

"Hold on!" shouted a panicked Danziger, but her eyelids closed and she slumped to the floor.

"Damn..." Danziger swore as he increased his speed beyond what he thought was humanly possible. He switched to the hospital frequency, and Julia's face hovered before him.

"Julia!" he shouted. "We've got an emergency! Bess just collapsed."

Julia's face showed a worried shock, but then the doctor inside of her took over. "Where is she now?" she asked calmly.

"I'm almost at her house. I'll get her to you as fast as I can." Finally, Danziger rounded the last corner. He heard Julia cursing the fact that they didn't yet have an emergency vehicle for the hospital. It was something on the long list of conveniences they still had to do without.

Danziger burst into the Martins' house. There she was, collapsed on the kitchen floor. Danziger felt his heart constrict.

She lay on her back, so still, and so deathly pale. One hand was flung out, and the gear set hung awkwardly from her head. Danziger couldn't even tell if she was breathing. As carefully as possible, he scooped Bess up and hurried out the door.

"Get Dr. Vasquez down here now!" Julia ordered the young assistant who hovered nervously by the door of the emergency room. Her eyes wild, Julia desperately rechecked the medical scanners, hoping for some clue as to what had afflicted Bess.

Danziger stroked her long curls as she writhed on the exam table. She was in terrible pain, and there was nothing Julia could do to help her.

"Don't let my baby die..." begged Bess as she choked on her own words.

"You're going to be just fine, Bess, just fine," reassured Danziger over and over. He felt terribly inadequate as he held her hand, not knowing what to do as Julia raced around frantically.

"There is just *nothing* showing up on the scans!" protested Julia. "Her heart's beating erratically, her lungs aren't functioning..."

These were not words that Danziger wanted to hear. Bess cried out suddenly, then slipped into unconsciousness again. "We'll have to deliver the baby," Julia suddenly declared. She knew that Bess' chances were dwindling with every passing moment, and Julia realised that the baby's only hope for survival was to be born now. Before her mother died.

Dr. Vasquez burst through the doors. "I heard there was an emergency. What is it?" he snapped brusquely.

"I need you to deliver this woman's baby," replied Julia. "I don't think Bess is going to make it." It pained her to say those words, but Julia could not see any options left. If only they had more time....

She returned to the medical scanners again, but as she feared, nothing new could be found. With anguished eyes, she turned to Bess again. Bess lay silently, still, and the amplified sound of her erratic heartbeat from the monitors jarred throughout the room.

Dr. Vasquez carefully directed the laser across Bess' middle. A caesarean was the only option in her current condition. Suddenly, Bess' eyes opened wide and she shuddered. Her free hand flailed wildly, knocking the doctor's arm so that the laser sliced through her inner organs, only narrowly missing the baby. Bess emitted a silent scream.

Staring in horror at the mess below him, Dr. Vasquez let loose a string of words that Julia had only heard once when visiting the Quadrant back on the stations. "Will somebody sedate her!" he roared as the assistant rushed to comply.

There was blood everywhere, and Julia felt her stomach lurch at the sight. A major artery had been sliced open and Bess' internal organs were a mess. Julia moved in to stop the bleeding, but couldn't do anything until the baby was free.

"Uly!" Julia hollered. He was the only other person currently on duty at the hospital (if basic tasks counted). But Julia knew she could trust him to help, when they were desperately shorthanded of qualified people and every moment counted.

He raced through the doors immediately, having been nervously waiting outside.

"I need you to synthesise O-positive type blood. Now!"

Uly dashed off almost immediately, but not before he caught sight of the terrible mess. Bess.... His heart pounding with fear, Uly raced to the equipment, and the niggling sensation that something was very strange was pushed aside and forgotten until later.

"Okay, the baby's free!" declared Dr. Vasquez. Holding the tiny child up to the light, he performed a quick examination, but the baby boy appeared to be just fine.
"Here, you take him!" commanded Dr. Vasquez, handing the baby to Danziger. Danziger did as he was told, and silently backed away from the table. Bess was out for good now, and there was nothing he could do to comfort her. Besides, he was in the way of the frantic race to save Bess' life.

Danziger exited the room in time to see a hysterical Morgan Martin burst into the hospital. "Where's my wife?" he shouted desperately.

Uly raced past, holding a container as if it were the most important thing to him in the world.

"Morgan! Slow down," choked Danziger as stepped before the man. His voice was heavy with sadness, but Danziger knew he had to be strong. "Meet your son."

"My son?" repeated Morgan in surprise, realising the small bundle in Danziger's arms was more than a pile of cloths. Gently, Morgan took hold of the baby and stroked his tiny head. The baby had thick, dark hair, curly already, he suspected. Staring in wonder at the new life before him, Morgan momentarily forgot his frightened flight to the hospital.

But not for long. "Bess?" he asked again, his voice full of apprehension. Danziger could only shake his head.

"I'm sorry, Morgan, they don't know what's wrong." He felt it best not to mention the mishap as it would make the situation seem even worse.

"I need to see her!" Morgan shouted. Bess was everything, absolutely everything, to him. He would never have made it this far in life if it wasn't for her. Jumping to his feet, he strode towards the swinging doors, but felt a restraining hand on his shoulder.

"Don't go in there," Danziger warned. "She's unconscious. Julia is doing the best she can, and she'll take care of her."

Tears began to appear in Morgan's eyes. "Bess... I can't let her die..." he began, but let Danziger guide him to a seat.

"Your son needs you," he pointed out. As if on cue, the baby began to cry and Morgan held him close.

"Shhh, little guy," he crooned. Inside, he was desperately praying that Bess would be alright. His life had seemed so perfect that morning. Morgan had achieved the type of job he'd dreamed of all his life as he worked his way up through the ranks.

Marrying an Earth girl had been a big risk to his career, but it was Bess who'd convinced him to accept the mission to G889. Bess who'd stood by him during those turmoiled first months on the planet. Bess who'd taught him to believe not only in himself, but others as well.

At that moment, realised Morgan he would give everything to save Bess. Even his coveted position as Administrator. It had been a long, hard road for Morgan to convince the citizens of G889 that he was the right person for the job, but by the time the first elections came around, he'd won by a landslide.

There wasn't even any animosity towards him for naming half of the country side after himself. Morgan had declared that his name would never be forgotten.

But right now, he didn't care one bit if the Martins of G889 were never spoken of again. All that mattered was his family...especially Bess. He again drew the baby close to him, smoothing the hair on the tiny head.

"Your Mommy's going to be fine. I know she is," Morgan repeated over and over. As Danziger watched him, he wished he had that faith.

As Julia prepared for the blood transfusion, Uly realised what was bothering him. He could hear a strange, lilting noise... "Her blood, it's singing!" he realised. Julia's head snapped up in surprise. "What?" she demanded.

Uly stared in fascination at the pool of blood beneath the table. Concentrating hard, he discovered he could almost see the music in the rapidly congealing blood, but whatever lifeforce had been present was slowly decaying. The song was dying.

As fresh blood slowly made its way through Bess' system, the singing grew less and less.

"The bleeding's stopped," announced Dr. Vasquez as he sealed the last of her wounds. But it remained to be seen if irreparable damage had been inflicted.

"I've done all I can," replied Julia. She ran a diagnostic on Bess' condition, and sighed. Still, her heart was failing. In her sedated state, the symptoms were less, but still there. "I just can't figure it out," repeated Julia despondently.

"Wait!" interjected Uly suddenly. "Can't you hear it?"

"Hear what?" demanded an irritated Dr. Vasquez.

Uly strained his ears for the last few notes of the tune. "It's gone," he said a little wistfully. The music had encompassed an ethereal quality, one that reminded him of the planet itself.

Taking Bess' hand in her own, Julia's eyes filled with tears. She lay quietly, almost at peace as the mysterious disease that had ravaged her body neared completion. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, directing her eyes to the heart monitor.

Julia blinked in surprise. The readings suddenly showed a positive increase in Bess' condition! Switching to full medical mode again, she said, "Doctor, I'm getting stabilised heart readings. Do you agree?"

Checking his own equipment, Dr. Vasquez was astounded to see Bess' internal organs begin to function normally.

"Why?" he asked, astounded. Only Uly had an explanation.

"The singing is gone," he said simply. "There was music in her blood, and it was killing her. But you replaced her blood and it died."

Julia didn't understand what he was saying, but right then she didn't care. Bess would live, and that was all that mattered.

"You can go in now, Morgan," announced a jubilant Julia. Holding his son ever so carefully, Morgan walked into the hospital room. His heart constricted at the sight of his wife, so pale and thin, but there was a light in her eyes as soon as she saw him.

"Hi," she said weakly.

"Bess!" Morgan said, racing to her side. "I - I love you so much. I don't know what I would have done if...." He couldn't bring himself to say the words.

Bess smiled at him. "I was scared," she admitted. "But I thought of all the wonderful friends I have to take care of me, and somehow it didn't seem so bad."

"I'm *so* sorry you couldn't reach me," apologised Morgan, pulling up a chair. "When I got that call...."

"It doesn't matter," Bess shushed him. "You're here now."

Morgan tenderly kissed her on the forehead, then held up the baby for her to see. "We have a son, Bess. A son!"

Bess reached out her hand to touch the fragile newborn.

"Bring him close," she said, her eyes filling with tears of joy. As Morgan held the baby to her cheek, she closed her eyes and sighed blissfully.

"Mommy?" called a small voice at the door. "Ari!" responded both of her parents. "Come here, sweetie," invited Morgan. The little girl raced across the room and peered anxiously at her mother.

"Are you going to be alright?" she asked, her voice quavering.

"Mommy's going to be fine," reassured Morgan. He patted his knee and allowed Ariel to climb up.

"Meet your little brother, Ari." She looked at him carefully, taking in all the sights of such a tiny baby.

"What's his name?" asked Ariel. Bess and Morgan looked at each other.

"I was thinking..." began Bess.

"What?" her husband pressed her.

"Maybe we could name him after John. He's been such a good friend to us, and he held my hand through the operation...."

"And he sat by me in the waiting room," continued Morgan. "Okay, then, John it is."

"Hello John," Ari welcomed her brother. Morgan hugged both his children close and locked eyes with his wife, knowing that nothing was more important than his family.

"I love you, Bess," he whispered for the thousandth time, and meant it with all of his heart.

"Good work, Julia. You saved her!" congratulated Danziger. He was more than a little shaken by the day's events, but felt a lot calmer now that he knew everything had turned out alright. However, there was on small thing on the edge of his consciousness that was bothering him....

Julia smiled gratefully. "It's a miracle. I'm still not sure why, but it was the blood transfusion that saved her life. Or so we think." She relaxed against the waiting room chair, pulling her hair free from the high ponytail. It felt good to sit down.

"She was suffering a complete system failure," continued Julia. "I couldn't get any reading on the medical scanners, and we had no idea what was wrong. It's like nothing I've ever seen before..." and suddenly, Julia broke off as she fully comprehended her words.

"Complete system failure..." she repeated. "Oh-

"-my God," completed Danziger. His face drained of colour, and he was whiter than a ghost.

"We forgot..."

That was what had been bothering both of them all day, a sense of deja-vu that had been lost in the frantic pace. But now that they could sit, and think....

"She's still in the desert..." said Julia numbly.

Danziger jumped to his feet. "Damn!" he cursed, kicking the wall. "I promised her! We promised we'd go back!" Whirling around, Danziger grabbed Julia by the shoulders.

"What's it been? Eight years? And we freakin' forgot all about her!" he raged. He was angry with Julia, angry with the whole universe, but mostly, angry with himself. After all they'd been through together, he had forgotten his promise to Devon Adair.

Julia sunk weakly into her seat as Danziger released his hold. She felt intense guilt course through her body. All this time, and she hadn't even thought about going back for Devon. Even when the Syndrome children were healed and the hospital up and running, she still hadn't thought of Devon. Somehow, one distraction rose after another until her situation no longer seemed important.

And they had forgotten. Her plight had vanished without a trace from their memories, and all they thought of was the friend they had loved, but lost forever.

"The whole city's called Devon! How could we just forget?" raged Danziger. "I can't believe we did this to her! How?" he asked nobody in particular.

"I didn't even try looking for a cure," whispered Julia numbly as the memories of her old friend came flooding back. "Even when I had the time."

True and Uly wandered into the room, talking animatedly. But when they saw the stricken faces of Danziger and Julia, they stopped short.

"Did something happen?" nervously asked Uly.

"Yeah," laughed Danziger mirthlessly, "something did happen. A long time ago."

Confusion crossed the teenagers' faces until Julia explained. "Devon," she said softly. "We never went back for her."

Uly's face paled. True took his hand, and led him to a seat, but inside she was trembling with horror as well. She vividly recalled the pain and the misery they'd all endured so many years ago, and could not believe that it had slipped her mind. "I abandoned my own mother," said Uly dully. Of course, he hadn't completely forgotten her, she was just something he thought of less and less as time passed. Time did heal wounds, but it also stole important memories.

A distressed silence descended upon the room as each person silently blamed themselves. Finally, Danziger could take it no longer.

"How soon can we organise a team?" he asked. "We're not putting this off any longer."

"I'm going," announced Uly.

True quickly chimed in. "So am I."

Julia looked suddenly worried. "We still don't know what was wrong with her," she stated.

"Well then, get analysing Bess' records! Didn't you say it was the same thing?" flared Danziger in annoyance.

"You're right, I'll go look," Julia replied unsteadily. She felt sick to her stomach. Devon had trusted Julia with her life, and look where it had left her.

But she still didn't know why the blood transfusion had saved Bess unless she believed Uly's strange story of the singing blood. Striding over to the young man, Julia said, "Uly, I need your help."

Willingly, he followed Julia from the room.

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