By: Bull Demon


"Can.. I mean.. If he's..?" Harlan asked, obviously in shreds over the
whole mishap.
   
"I'm afraid not for a few days, Mr... Band. Forest doesn't want to cause
him extra stress," she explained. Harlan nodded though still tried to see
past her. Davenport turned to Forest who was watching and she nodded
reluctantly. "For a moment." Harlan looked at her with confusion as she
stepped back to let him in.
   
"Thanks.." he said as he walked into the warm room.
   
"Be very thankful, Harlanband," Forest remarked. "If this were my ship he
would have no visitors for at least 48 hours."
   
"I said thanks, didn't I?" he snapped. Forest just smiled and winked at
him. She signaled Davenport and Rosie to follow her and they stepped out of
the room. Harlan watched the door close completely before walking over to the
bio bed. "H-hey, Radu. It's me, Umm.. Harlan." Harlan sighed and looked
around the room. His eyes finally fall on his comrade sleeping soundly.
"Umm.. I just have to say something... and I can't believe it took this for
me to get the nerve to say it. Ahh.." Harlan laughed a little at himself. He
sounded like a little kid apologizing for putting glue in his sister's hair.
He cleared his throat and sighed, shifting uneasy from foot to foot. "Now
there's the part about how to say it?" he muttered. He rubbed his hands
together and pulled a chair over next to him. "I guess I'll try and just say
what I feel like I usually do. I don't even know if you can hear me or not
but I need to say something. I've treated you so awfully ever since we met.
I'm amazed at the self control you have, man. If I were in your shoes and
someone like me was being a jerk, I would tear them limb from limb. How do
you do it?" Harlan asked. "Or, more importantly, why do you do it? I know you
didn't kill my dad.. I just needed someone to blame besides myself. I just
can't make myself understand it was all an accident... that he was trying to
help one of your kind and got hit by mistake. I only have myself to be mad at
now. For treating you like a piece of space dust.. I'm sorry..." Harlan's
voice broke and he dropped his eyes to his lap. He ran a hand over his
watering eyes and swallowed hard. "I...I'm just... sorry.."
   
"Very well said, Mr.. Band," Davenport said from behind him. Harlan nearly
launched from his seat after hearing her. When had she come in? How much had
she heard?
   
"Ms Davenport.." he muttered, turning back to his newly found friend. She
smiled and set a hand on his back.
   
"I think you see what we've been talking about these few years," she told
him. Harlan nodded.
   
"I just.. I mean... I feel like a jerk," Harlan said, dropping his face to
his hands.
   
"I think he'll forgive you," Davenport replied, watching her sleeping
student. "In fact I'm willing to promise you he will. But, in compliance with
Forest's orders.."
   
"Yeah.. I know.." Harlan muttered, standing up. He paused and looked at
Radu one last time, patting him on the shoulder. "I'll see you on the other
side, okay, buddy?" He gave a shaky sigh and let Davenport guide him out,
leaving the boy to rest.

* * * * * *
    
Forest sat entering data into a data bank that Rosie had given her. It
had been nearly two hours since she pulled the tranquilizer from his
treatment but he still slept. With a sigh she walked over to the window and
looked at the planets all around them.
   
"Such a beautiful Universe and I work in the bowels of the most hated race
there is.." she muttered, pushing her hair to around her shoulders. "There
must be more to life then work and toil.." A slight noise caused her to turn
around to see Radu finally beginning to come to. She went over and rested a
hand on his bandaged shoulder. "Welcome back," she greeted when he opened his
eyes the best he could. "You're all patched up inside and now all you have to
worry about is healing." She picked up his free hand in her's. "You have any
strength in you?" she asked, hoping he was awake enough to respond. She felt
a very slight squeeze on her fingers and she smiled. "Good boy," she said and
set it back down. "You know what the hand motion is for okay?" she watched as
he made a weak thumbs up, something Harlan had always done to Bova. "Since
you won't be able to talk for a few days I think we'll stick to that. Good
idea?" she asked. He replied with another thumbs up and she smiled broadly.
"Why don't you get some rest, okay?" He dropped back out almost instantly.
Forest sighed and looked at the vital screen. He still had a ways to go to
being in the stable zone but she knew he'd get there soon. With all the moral
support he had behind the doors now, any major improvements wouldn't surprise
her. She sighed and picked up the log again, the data she had now more
promising then an hour ago.

* * * * * *
    
I finally did it. After the horrifying day Radu and I spent on the
Khain.. I now can see Radu as person and not a cold blooded killer. I wish I
could spend some more time with him. Forest came out of the Medlab earlier
this evening to announce Radu had woken up from the seditive she gave him.
She has been spending a lot of time with Rosie going over how to continue his
care after her and Elmira leave the Christa. Elmira said something about them
going to look for an outpost that needed some extra hands. Neither want to go
back to the Khain and I have to say I don't blame them. The list of do's and
don'ts is a huge file. Rosie's already worried she's going to make a mistake.
Suzee and I have both asked Elmira to look into the future to see if Radu
will pull through this but she refused. She said she could never live with
seeing his death twice. Again, I can't blame them...

* * * * * *    

Harlan looked up from his journal with a sigh. It was dinner time but he
wasn't Hungary. After hearing Forest talking with Rosie about the liquid diet
Radu would be on until his stomach healed, he had lost all want for food. The
sounds of his normal narf meals blended and thinned with mixture that Forest
had given her. He shuttered at the thought. Forest also had given her a list
of warning signs of infection and drug allergies. Then came the part that
disappointed Harlan. Forest told Rosie to keep him heavily sedated for the
next week or so. She said his healing would be slower but more complete.
Snapping off his journal he tossed it into his drawer and left the bunkroom.
On his way to the galley, he met Elmira who looked pleased.

Go to part 8, the finale!!