ACCIDENTAL EXPOSURE
By
Doc Heller
Timeline: After "Enemy within" (Day 49)
Author's E-Mail: DrHellar@aol.com
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
This story has been sitting on the shelf for a while, and so I am happy it finally made it to the list. I finished editing it today and usually I wait two days after completing a story to post it, but I decided to make an exception for this story, it being Christmas and all.
After going through an idea dry spell for a while, I am pleased to bring you my seventh story, Accidental Exposure. This story is in the same time of my first story, "An Enemy Alone." It does involve bits from my last story, "When Good bye Means Forever," so I suggest reading it before reading this story. To give you the basic run down, this story is about True and what was most likely going through her mind upon finding Julia in contact with Reilly. This story does center around True, so for all True lovers, I hope you enjoy. Enjoy and send all feedback to Dr Hellar@aol.com.
Accidental Exposure
Doc HellerTrue steered the ATV madly into camp. She could feel herself shaking and calling out to her father. She was so scared. Julia had had a terrible look in her eyes. Why had Julia been in VR?
True jumped out of the ATV and ran into camp. Her father stopped her and she began explaining what had happened. A group was starting to surround her and Dad, but True didn't care. Her father seemed to get mad at her for 'spying' on Julia and Walman tried to tell her Julia wouldn't hurt her, but they were wrong. They hadn't just seen Julia.
The entire uproar was put to a semi stop when Julia came over. True was amazed at how quickly the older woman had managed to clean herself up. Julia looked like her normal self, so unlike that...that other Julia True had seen just a few minutes ago.
True stepped back into her father's protective embrace and felt so helpless. No one believed her, they all believed Julia. True knew they weren't taking her seriously because she was only a kid. But she knew what she had seen! Just when True thought all hope lost, Bess stepped behind Julia and sedated her. Told the small crowd she believed True. True couldn't help but feel a small sense of 'I told you so' to the adults who hadn't believed her.
True felt sick inside. No, not sick. Just confused. True tried hard not to think of the last time she had felt like this. Half the group had almost ended up--
No. True told herself. She would not think of it. She tried to think of anything but that time and what was going on right now. Tried to think of what Yale had told her today in lessons, but it had been erased in the recent excitement.
Her father had come in before and told her he would be back shortly. He had also said something about her getting to sleep. True had complied for once, but sleep would not come. So now she lay here in her cot tossing and turning. What Dad had told her about Julia had left her terrified. True had innocently asked about Julia, wondering what the grown ups were going to do with Julia. Dad had told her they were leaving Julia somewhere. That Julia wasn't a part of Eden Project any more. True wasn't sure how to take this. Yes, she had been spying on Julia in VR and she knew something was wrong--but the grown ups wouldn't tell her or Uly what.
True had thought Julia was pretty nice. Seeing Julia coming after her today scared her to death. She had thought Julia was so nice and now she wasn't sure what to think.
True thought about Alonzo. She wondered how he was taking it. She had been exposed to the real world for a long enough time to know something was going on between Julia and Alonzo. Uly said they would probably get a marriage contract soon, but the kid didn't know anything. Uly was so...so childlike sometimes. A lot of people didn't get marriage contracts and Alonzo was probably going back to the Stations with her and Dad. But now all of that secretive whispering didn't do much. Julia was leaving the group and True was stuck in this tent trying to get to sleep. Deciding she had had enough of listening to orders, she got up and snuck out of the tent. True wanted to know what was going on and she wanted to know now.
True crept out of the tent and saw several of the grown ups in a flurry around the med tent. Things were being divided into two piles, and from what True could tell one pile was medical supplies and the other was Julia's stuff. True could tell the group was very busy and that was when she noticed Walman.
Walman had a Mag Pro in hand and was guarding over a cot. A cot with Julia on it! This was too interesting for True to go back to her tent. She stood there watching, knowing if she was caught she would be in big trouble. True had been so intent on her vigil, she hadn't heard Alonzo approach behind her. When he softly whispered a statement, he caught True completely off guard.
"You should be in bed."
True spun around and looked at Alonzo. He looked terrible. Like he had been fighting, or something. He was a mess. She caught her breath and before she could speak he spoke again.
"I should probably order you back to bed or tell your.." True interrupted quickly, "No please don't tell my Dad! I'll go back to my tent." True paused and swallowed, "I..I just wanted to know what was going on."
Alonzo seemed to be processing True's question for a moment, but his eyes soon became far away and distant. It reminded True of when old people recalled memories of their youth. It sent shivers down her spine. True thought Alonzo was really nice and brave. And even though she would never tell anyone, not Uly, Bess or even Dad, she thought he was kind of cute too. "I probably shouldn't tell you this kid, but Julia's a spy for the Council." True stared at Alonzo, her voice a high whisper. "A spy? For the Council?" Alonzo's eyes continued to be far away, and his voice was following suit. "Yes. Now go back to your tent."
True looked at Alonzo and realized he wasn't joking. Usually she would blow off his orders since he wasn't Dad, but she was too confused to not follow orders.
When True stepped out of the tent the next morning, she found the camp to be eeirily silent. People were packing for the day's traveling, but no one spoke. True scanned the camp briefly and seeing her Dad at the Transrover, she walked over to him.
John Danziger turned around before his daughter came up and smiled at her, although True could tell the smile was just to give her some comfort. "Morning True-girl. You sleep well?"
True nodded and was about to ask Dad where Julia was, but stopped herself in time. She thought about asking her Dad to fill her in on what had happened last night, but decided against. So instead she stayed quiet and fell into the depressing mood along with the rest of camp.
When John Danziger walked into his tent that night, he was assaulted with a fire of questions.
"Dad, did Alonzo really go back for Julia? Is Julia really gonna come back?" Danziger couldn't help but smile. This was the most excited he'd seen True since she had come running back into camp saying Julia was following her. He took a deep breath and decided to just shoot straight for the bulls eye. "True, Alonzo did go back for Julia. And I'm not sure if Julia is going to come back."
"Dad, if Julia does come back will we let her stay?" "I'm not sure True girl, I'm really not sure." True nodded and gave her father a hug, surprising him. He returned the hug and smiled when she asked him to tell her a story.
So, Julia was a part of the group again. True was glad she was, otherwise Dad might be dead. They all might be dead. Dad told True Julia was now one hundred percent a part of the group and was no longer associated to the Council in anyway. But True had been watching the grown ups and some of them still avoided Julia. True didn't blame them. She wasn't ready to trust Julia either. She still saw Julia as that maniac who had chased her down the hill and into camp. True wasn't sure if she could ever trust Julia again.
True had managed to avoid Julia and was glad Julia seemed to get the message. True had it all figured out on how to avoid Julia. All she had to do was stay in perfect health until another doctor came along. The only problem was, the way things were going that was next to, if not, impossible. While walking away from camp the day after the whole ZED incident, trying to think of ways to avoid getting hurt, she did exactly what she had been trying to avoid. She stumbled over a small root in the ground and fell. Dusting herself off, she looked at her left knee distastefully. A small trickle of blood was already coming from a cut, and her pants had a small rip. Oh great, True thought to herself. Now I'll have to go see Julia. True paused as an idea suddenly hit her. She could clean the cut herself. True got up and tried to remember where that stream was where they had gotten water yesterday. Remembering which was she set off, her mind working on overload. All she would have to do is clean the cut off. And tonight she could ask Dad to mend the rip in her pants. He wouldn't ask how she got the rip, since she got so many and never knew where half of them came from to begin with.
Of course, to keep suspicion down she would have to keep any blood from getting on her pants. That would be the hard part. Already there was a fair amount of blood on her knee and if she continued to stand the blood would eventually begin to run down her leg. Then blood would be on her pants and she would have to see Julia. Even if she told Dad she had already seen Julia he would make her go to Julia again, or even worse, ask Julia about it. What could she do? She certainly didn't know how to mend anything and even if she did, someone would be sure to notice the blood before she managed to wash her clothes.
Maybe Bess could help.
No, that wouldn't work either. Bess would mention it to Dad and then she'd be in the exact same place as before. It was times like this that True hated the fact the group was so small.
By now True was sitting on a rock next to the stream and would have probably continued to plot forever had she not been interrupted. "Looks like a pretty bad cut. Want me to look at it?" True looked up and saw Julia. True felt the red come to her face, no matter how hard she tried to keep it down. Oh, of all people to find her! True tried to give Julia her best glare and replied defensively, "No, I'm fine." Julia nodded and kept the smile off her face. She knew True had been avoiding her and she didn't blame True at all. She was trying to honor True's request, but that cut on True's knee looked pretty bad and definitely need treatment. Julia was quiet for a few seconds, trying to figure out how to approach True, when True got up and began walking back to camp. "True wait. That cut needs treatment," Julia called after the girl, as she began her pursuit.
True didn't even acknowledge Julia and continued walking. Determined to not cave in so easily. She ignored the doctor's cries to hold up for a minute. At one point True's pace slowed, but she soon continued again at a faster pace. Julia matched True's pace, but made sure to give the child some distance. Making sure to keep her cool, Julia began to speak, "True, please listen to me. I know you probably hate me, but the only one here who is going to suffer is you."
Julia couldn't help but smile as she heard her own words. This was starting to sound like some bad holovid. But how else could she approach True? And above all else, why did True have to have her father's streak of stubborness? True suddenly whirled around and looked at Julia. Julia was taken back by how much True resembled her father at that moment. Even her voice had some amount of John in it. "I'm fine. I am not suffering." "Which is why you're limping?"
True glared angrily at Julia. "I am not limping." "Yes you are." Julia smiled, causing True to get even angrier. "What's so funny?"
Julia took the smile off her face and replied evenly, "The fact that you sound exactly like Alonzo."
"I am not like Alonzo," True stated flatly. She had heard her father remark once that Alonzo was...how did he put it? Too proud for his own good? "No, you're not. But right now you're being too stubborn for your own good." Julia paused for a moment, then bent down until she was eye to eye with True. "True, I know you will probably never forgive me. But I will tell you I am sorry. That wasn't me. Trust me, if I could erase these past few weeks I would. If I had been smart, I would have told Devon the first week and gotten rid of the device then." Julia had already tredded this ground so many times and knew it would not be the last time. True processed the information, weighing down the fact she had sworn herself to never trust Julia again to the fact her knee was throbbing in pain. Yes, Julia had betrayed the group and frightened her. But True had Julia to thank for the fact Dad was still alive. True looked down at Julia's left arm and realized it was still in a sling. True heard the voice in the back of her head telling her she should forgive and forget; but how could she? "True? True, are you all right?"
True looked back up at Julia, as if for the first time ever. For the first time since True had been caught spying, she didn't see that terrible woman who was running after her; instead she saw the woman she had been in awe of. Those first weeks Julia had been so ackward on this planet, but she had become so perfect soon after. She was smart and pretty and so nice to True. True had decided from the beginning she wanted to be like Julia. She wanted to be brave and smart. She wanted people to depend on her and her abilities. She wanted to be a doctor.
Who was more surprised neither could say. Suddenly True just reached up and gave Julia a hug. Julia hugged the young girl as well and for a fleeting instant thought of Jennifer. True seemed so much like Jennifer sometimes. Julia could feel the grief starting to creep up, but she quickly pushed it back.
"Your knee's really bothering you, isn't it?" True nodded and the two walked back to camp.
Seeing True reaccept Julia did a lot towards making Julia a part of the group again. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that there would be times when Julia's former alliance would be brought up or even played upon. Yet everyone know that order to survive on this new planet they had to be willing to forgive and forget.
-The End-
This text file was ran through PERL script made by Andy. Original text file is available in Andy's Earth 2 Fan Fiction Archive.