AFTER THE FACT, PART 2
Alonzo strode across camp, as fast as a man who'd been shot two days before could stride anyway, chuckling as he glanced back at Julia's tent, and shaking his head. He couldn't remember knowing a woman so prone to blushing as the doctor.
"Alonzo, wait a sec," Morgan called from his tent, and jogged over to the pilot. "Have you see Bess?"
"Yeah, she's talking to Julia."
"Oh." Morgan looked over at the tent, his smile disappearing. Alonzo's faded as well.
"What do you mean, 'oh'?"
"Oh, nothing." Morgan could tell he had stumbled onto dangerous territory, and he had no idea how to back out of this one.
"Nothing, huh? Maybe if we tied you to the transrover and dragged you a klick or two, you might be a little more talkative?"
"You, ah, heard that, eh?" Morgan flushed deep red, and stared at the ground, shifting his weight from foot to foot and watching the eddies of dust-like sand that swirled up to cover the toes of his boots.
"Yes. I did."
"Oh."
"Look, Martin, I'm not saying the past didn't happen. I'm saying we have to live with it, and learn from it, and grow past it. And that means putting behind us petty differences and misunderstandings, you got that?"
"Absolutely." Morgan looked the pilot in the eye. Alonzo laughed bitterly.
"I don't know why I bother with you!" he snapped, and started off, but the slighter man grabbed his elbow.
"No, I mean it. Don't look at me like I'm an idiot. I know I was wrong, we all do. But it's a lot to get over, and throwing stuff back in my face isn't going to help. I've done some truly amazingly stupid things in my life, like hitting that eject button in that pod with a man and his daughter banging on the glass screaming for help. And you know what? I was sorry then, and it took a long time for everyone else to believe that I was sorry, that I could change. But you did. You all did, and I guess if anyone should be willing to give Julia another chance, it's me. I'm sorry, Alonzo. I'm sorry I took things at face value, and I'm sorry you think I'm a worm for doing so, but cut me a little slack here, okay?"
Alonzo simply stared, openmouthed, as Morgan finished his tirade, and stood there, back ramrod straight, colour high and eyes flashing.
"Apology accepted." Alonzo finally said, and Morgan grinned. "Good." He looked back at Julia's tent, and then his shoes again. "Good." he repeated, and hands in his pockets, went to go tell his wife what he'd just done. He had a feeling she'd want to know.
* * *
"Oh," Bess hugged Julia suddenly. "Honey, it'll be okay."
"How can you be so sure?"
"That boy is crazy about you, and you are just as crazy about him. So what if it's not your first time *exactly*? You can't be looking back when it come to this sort of thing, what's past is past."
"That's just what Alonzo said."
"Well, he's right. I'm right. You'll see." Bess patted her arm, and Julia smiled.
"I feel like, I don't know, a teenager. Except I never went through anything like this as a teenager."
"I bet you were a late bloomer is all." "I'm beginning to think I'm a very late bloomer, as in I'm only just starting to. He's just so amazing, Bess."
"I remember when I first met Morgan, I felt exactly the same way."
"It's hard to picture." Julia said wryly, and Bess chewed on her bottom lip.
"I know he rubs people the wrong way, but . . ." "I know." Julia smiled, and she really did. "When you love someone, you see sides of them no one else does."
"Precisely."
* * *
Julia smiled as she ran the glove over Yale's chest. "You're just fine. By tomorrow, you'll be up and around as if nothing happened."
"Thank you," Yale grasped her hand and smiled. "How are you doing?"
"Fine." she glanced up at Devon, who was holding the old man's other hand between her chapped ones, who returned her smile. "I'm doing just fine." She unstrapped the glove, placing it in her kit bag, and was almost bowled over as Uly came barrelling into the tent with True at his heels. The little girl hesitated a moment, and Julia's smile felt tight suddenly. She'd apologised to True, it was all she could think to do, but she had a feeling it would be while before the younger Danziger would be able to trust her again. She rubbed her still healing wrist unconsciously.
Uly poked True with his elbow, and she tore her eyes away from the Doctor and grinned at Yale.
"Uly and I made this for you," she handed him a bundle wrapped in a scrap of cloth, and the tutor puffed up with pride.
"Let's see, whatever can it be?" he turned the bundle over in his hands, and Uly leaned on the bed.
"You have to guess!"
"Is it a house?"
"No," the boy laughed. "It's too small for a house." "I see. Is it . . . a new wheel for the Transrover?" "If Uly and I could make those, my Dad would be thrilled," True rolled her eyes.
"It's a memory box," Uly announced, and it was True's turn to elbow him. "ow."
"You weren't supposed to tell him!" True grumbled, and Devon laughed as Yale carefully untied the sting that bound the surprise. The children had taken one of the empty tins that held spirolina bars and painted two moons and a hill on the front, with smiling flowers.
"You can keep your vr programmes in it, and stuff." True explained, and Yale gave each of them a one armed hug.
"It's wonderful, thank you."
"Okay, patient needs his rest. Out you two," Julia shooed the children towards the door. "If you need me--"
"I've got my nurse here," Yale smiled, nodding towards Devon. "I'll be fine."
* * *
"Alone at last," Alonzo said into Julia's hair, feeling her sigh. The camp was lit by small fires and the occasional lumalight as people sat in groups of two and three, eating the mash Julia and Bess had concocted from tubers that grew in the clearing. It was a quiet night, the two moons slivers of silver against a tapestry of constellations that were finally becoming familiar.
"At least until someone decides they have a cut that needs looking at."
"Busy day?"
"I think every single member of Eden Advance has found an excuse to come see me today, I should be happy."
"Aren't you?"
"How can I not be? I've got the best looking, most wonderful, fastest healing guy on the planet wrapping his arms around me. I feel like I can do anything." She pressed a kiss into his palm.
"Best looking, huh?"
She punched his shoulder playfully, and then leaned back, staring at the stars. "Morgan's been particularly nice, he even helped with dinner."
"Is that a fact?"
"You didn't . . . say anything to him, did you?" "Who me?"
She turned around and placed both her hands on his shoulder, briefly touching her lips to his. He buried his hands in her hair, and returned the kiss. For a long moment, they were the only two people in the world. Then the other 13 people in the world came rushing back with loud rattling of dishes, and nosily cleared throats, and a chuckle here and there.
"Hey, get a room!" Walman called from the nearest campfire, and Julia buried her face in Alonzo's shoulder as the pilot grinned.
"Mind your own business!" he called back, and using the crutch for support, stood. He held out his hand, and Julia took it, smiling shyly.
* * *
Bess watched the little scene play itself out with a glowing sense of pride, and she wished the couple well as they slipped off into the shadows in the direction of Julia's tent.
Morgan took her bowl, wiping it out with sand and a swatch of cloth, following her gaze.
"I hope those two are happy," he said softly, and Bess squeezed his hand.
"They are. And you know what?"
"What?"
"They're givin' me ideas," she waggled her eyebrows and Morgan stacked the dishes doubletime, and kicked sand over the embers of the dying fire hastily as Bess ran ahead and crooked her finger in a timeless come-hither.
* * *
Devon looked out over the sea (okay, pond. There were only fifteen of them, afterall. Sixteen if you counted the 'droid) of expectant faces, and took a deep breath.
"I know the last week has been . . . Well, pretty eventful." This understatement was greeted with a few smiles, and nervous chuckles, but the memory of Reilly and the Z.E.D. cast a pall over Eden Advance's mood.
"I think you all know why we're having this meeting. We have a choice. A fairly clear cut one, but a hard one none the less. We can stay here, in the blackout zone, which we know is safe, or we can keep going, and meet the colony ship in New Pacifica when it arrives. We don't know how far the blackout zine extends. It could be hundreds of kilometres, it could end at the edge of the mountains. We have no idea what's out there. But staying here, we run the risk of running out of supplies, and food before winter. There are risks on both sides of the argument, and that's why I think we should put it to a vote."
Danziger nodded his approval, and waited for the inevitable questions.
Perhaps not so inevitable. Everyone remained silent, and she fidgeted nervously.
"Okay, if no one has any questions, we can put it to a vote. All in favour of staying here?"
Of the bunch, only Baines raised a hand, and Denner punched him in the ribs. He grimaced, but lowered it nonetheless.
"Wow." Devon couldn't stop the small exclamation, and there was a smattering of laughter. "Okay, this seems moot, but all in favour of breaking camp and continuing?"
Fifteen--no, *sixteen* raised hands. "True, one is enough," Danziger grumbled good naturedly. "Okay, it's decided then. Julia?" "Yale and Alonzo should be whole and healthy, fine for travel by morning, I don't see any problems."
"I think I was pretty whole and healthy last night," Alonzo whispered in her ear, and she pinched him. "Ow!"
"Um, before we break, I think there's something we'd like to say," Cameron stood, and Devon blinked, but gladly gave him the floor.
"Julia, I know you probably know this already, but well, I want to tell you anyway, on behalf of all of us," he glanced around and was met with nods and smiles. "We're real sorry about the way we treated you, and we're all real glad you're back with us."
Julia's blue eyes went wide, and she looked from the grinning colonist to the rest of Eden Advance. Her throat suddenly became thick with teras, but this time they were of gratitude, and she hugged Cameron spontaneously, unable to find words. The big man hugged her right back, lifting her off her feet, and when she let go there was a line forming, Eben, Bess and Denner right up in front. Devon couldn't help grinning, and felt Danziger's hand fall on her shoulder.
"Didn't take long at all, did it?" "You were right."
"I'm always right."
"Don't push it."
Danziger backed off, grinning, and looked to see True wrap her arms around the doctor's neck.
"I'm sorry, Julia," the little girl whispered. "Me too, kiddo. But everything's going to be just fine from now on. I promise I'll never do anything to scare you again. Unless it's for your own good."
"Deal," True laughed into Julia's shoulder, and the doctor straightened up, eyes bright. Alonzo slipped a hand around her waist, and kissed her hair.
"So, where to from here?"
"You mean in general, or did you have something specific in mind?"
"Oh, very specific." Alonzo grinned. Devon watched them walk off, and smiled. A pretty tumultuous week, but they'd managed to pull themselves together pretty nicely. Pretty nicely, if she did say so herself.
END
Chapter End Notes:
tara@unm.edu * Never attribute to evil what can be
Lady Johanna Constantine * satisfactorialy explained by stupidity.
Mom or just plain Tara *
*** check out my always improving homepage: http://www.unm.edu/~tara ***
Lady Johanna Constantine * satisfactorialy explained by stupidity.
Mom or just plain Tara *
*** check out my always improving homepage: http://www.unm.edu/~tara ***