by Cindy Borgne
I tried to raise my voice, “Is everyone okay?”
“Everyone’s fine.” He sat up, wearing scrubs. “How are you feeling?”
“Better, but where is Kayla?”
“She was so worried about you she refused to sleep or eat, and, uh, fainted.”
My heart skipped a beat. “How long have I slept?” I scratched out the words and broke out coughing.
“Three days.” He took a cup off the end table and lifted my head up.
“Oh no. She should’ve rested after everything we’d been through.”
“Have a drink.” Sonny held the cup by my mouth. “She’s fine. After that Bret ordered her to bed and she’s asleep in the next room. Her parents are with her.”
I took a sip. My dry mouth and throat absorbed all the water. I took another sip. Thirst overwhelmed me. I couldn’t control myself from taking down a large gulp.
Sonny pulled the cup away. “Not so fast. You don’t know if that will stay down.”
I leaned back on the pillow. “What about Nate?”
“They’re trying to figure out that device in his head. His tibia was fractured, but other otherwise he’s physically okay.”
“Did they find Clare’s body?” I asked.
“I knew you were going to ask that,” He took a deep breath. “I only heard that there wasn’t much left, and we didn’t have time to retrieve her remains.”
I cringed. She deserved better.
“Take it easy.” Sonny brought the cup over again. “Have another sip.”
I reached toward the cup. We both held it this time as I took a longer drink. I would’ve finished the water, but he pulled it away again. Over on the couch, Bret’s head turned toward us. He flipped over and pulled up his blanket. He wouldn’t rest unless his family and team were safe.
“So where are we?”
“We’re at Gentech, which is at the edge of the polar cap. This whole place is hidden underground in a series of craters, but outside, you would never know it.” He raised the head of my bed up, walked over to curtains across from me and pulled them open.
Beyond the window, huge leaves of palm trees hung down and swayed in a slight artificial breeze. I couldn’t wait to see more.
Sonny sat back down. “Let me see.” He rubbed his unshaven chin. “Oh yeah, you have two doctors. The kidney specialist said you have acute glomerulonephritis caused by that hallucinogenic drug Beacon gave you.” Sonny cleared his throat. “That’s medical speak for inflamed kidneys. I’ve been reading about it. She thinks the condition is reversible. If not, they have the facilities here to grow you another kidney.” He looked at the monitor and disconnected the tubes from my arms.
“Thanks, I know you’re tired.”
“No problem, I’ve been getting in naps.”
I touched my swollen arm where Sonny had installed the tube.
“Don’t fiddle with that.” Sonny leaned over and adjusted the bandage on my neck. “I see you’ve been scratching at this too. You gotta leave this alone. All that rubbing against the collar of the envirosuit started an infection.”
Bret sat up and rubbed his eyes. He stood up, wearing a wrinkled t-shirt and pajama bottoms. After a long stretch, he came over, unshaven with his hair on end. He shook my hand. “If it wasn’t for you, I’d be dead, so would Kayla and my family. Where do I begin to thank you?”
“You don’t have to thank me. We’re a team, right?” I asked, feeling great about my visions making a difference.
Bret nodded. “Whatever you need, you got it.”
“Phantom rides whenever I want?” I chuckled.
“Of course, and I’ll teach you how to fly it.”
“Wow,” I whispered, imagining myself at the control stick.
A bird chirped near the door wall. I wondered about the lake Kayla had mentioned. Wanting to see more, I tried to push myself up, but my arms trembled and I fell back down on the pillow.
Both Sonny and Bret hurried by my side and pulled me up.
“Do you want something?” Bret said.
“I’d like to see the outside.”
“Can he go out, Sonny?”
“Yeah, it’d be good if he moves around a bit.”
After helping me into a robe, they pulled me to my feet and kept a hold of my arms. In socks, I took slow, shaky steps toward the door wall. My stomach rumbled, and we all heard it and laughed.
“That sounds like a good sign,” Sonny said.
As we went out the door wall, I squinted as my eyes adjusted to the bright light. We stepped onto a floor deck surrounded by a yard with tropical shrubs and flowers. Beyond the yard, a dock jutted out into a pond fed by a stream trickling over mossy rocks.
My mouth dropped open in confusion.
“How do you like your new home?” Bret asked.
“It’s beautiful and I love it, but why is a pond near a hospital?”
Bret chuckled. “Look behind you.”
I held onto Sonny as we turned around, expecting to see a building. Instead, there was a towering solid rock wall with doors, windows and balconies going up several floors.
“What is all this?”
“This small hospital is built into the side of the crater,” Sonny said.
“Most of our people live in rooms like these,” Bret said.
“Wow,” I whispered, amazed at the engineering, but also a feeling of freedom overwhelmed me.
“We built it this way in case of an attack and there are passageways inside the wall and underground.”
“I’m finally free.” I said, softly, trying to see the top.
Far above us, the colorful sky rippled like a rainbow. It made me dizzy and my legs wobbled.
“Whoa.” Sonny helped me over to one of the padded lawn chairs.
I laughed and pointed up. “How does that works?”
“It’s a huge screen across the entire ceiling that radiates light,” Bret explained. “Today they have the rainbow effect going, but it can also be set to mimic Earth’s sky or pretty much anything you want. Outside, above all this it looks like flatlands scattered with rocks. When you’re better, I’ll take you up there.”
A wide path went around the pond and through the forest. I couldn’t see the end of it.
“I know it looks big in here,” Bret explained. “But it’s only about a fourth as big as Marscorp.”
My stomach twinged again. “Can I have something to eat?”
“Sure, I’ll be right back.” Sonny went inside.
“What’s the boat for?”
“It was a student project that got carried away.” Bret sat down in a lawn chair. “The current will carry you through the middle of the post all the way to the other end.”
Sonny brought me a tray with a bowl of chicken soup.
“Thanks.”
Sonny leaned back in the lawn chair left of me. “Are you still going to teach me how to swim?”
“I can’t wait.” I sipped at the soup.
“We plan to turn the Noctis Labyrinthus into a contained environment too,” Bret said. “As long as the Marcs don’t get in the way.”
Despite the beauty and safety of my surroundings, Bret’s comment reminded me of how I had killed Beacon and I shuddered.
“What is it?” Sonny asked.
“Did Kayla tell you I killed Beacon with a knife?”
“She told us everything,” Sonny said.
“He kept coming after us and left me no choice, but why does it bother me?”
“Killing someone with bare hands or with a knife isn’t the same as shooting down a scouter,” Bret said. “And being forced to do something against your nature is scary for anyone.”
I remembered the laser blasts striking Clare. If only I could’ve seen another way, so she wouldn’t have had to sacrifice herself. She would’ve liked to see this place.
“I have to ask,” Bret said. “You were so sick. How did you manage it?”
“It was adrenalin. I saw that he was about to fire on Kayla, and I had to
stop him.”
“Beacon’s death was justice for many,” Bret said, “but let’s not think about it too much. It’s best not to dwell on such things.”
Bret was right. I was going to concentrate on the future. Now that I had my freedom so much was possible. I would use my visions to protect this place and all of Vallar.
Sonny brought out several blankets. We talked about pleasant things and fell asleep on the lawn chairs listening to the waterfall.
****
Later that evening, I woke up back in bed. It was dark beyond the window. Bret wasn’t in the room. Sonny was at his post in the chair next to me, reading over a dataviewer. He’d shaved and changed his shirt.
“How about some toast?” He set the dataviewer on the nightstand.
My stomach twinged at the mention of food. “Yes, please. I’m hungry again. Have you heard from Kayla?”
“No, but I sent her a message about how you’re doing.” Sonny eyed the bandage on my neck. “I need to change that.” It stung a little as he pulled it off. He put some cream on my neck.
Someone knocked on the door.
Sonny grumbled and wiped off his hands. “Hold on.” He opened the door and spoke after a long pause. “Yes, yes, b-but give me a second.” He told whoever was on the other side.
“Terrific,” he whispered and finished putting on the bandage. “Admiral Reese, Kayla and her parents are out there.” He ran his hand through his hair. “They’re all dressed up too.”
I fumbled around for the button to raise the bed. Under no circumstances could I be lying down with an Admiral present. I also wanted to look halfway decent for Kayla.
“I got it.” Sonny grabbed a controller and the bed came up.
I pulled the cover over my chest. Sonny straightened his shirt and opened the door.
Admiral Reese strutted in with confidence and wore her blond hair in a short swirl. Her shirt had the admiral insignia on the shoulders. She was forty-eight, but she looked younger. Streaks of gray ran through the hair of both of Kayla’s parents. I’d thought they’d be younger, but their wrinkled hands gave away that they had to be in their upper fifties.
Kayla entered last, wearing a regular uniform with a cute green beret. She grinned. I smiled back, but I kept it small as Reese was looking right at me.
“At ease gentlemen.” Reese looked at Sonny with a small grin at the edge of her lips. “I’m sorry for the late notice.” She motioned to Kayla’s parents. “This is Seth and Helen Mercier.”
Kayla gave me a small wave. I almost chuckled.
“Captain Yargar was supposed to be here, but he found some minuscule security detail he wasn’t happy with and had to take care of it.”
Kayla’s cheeks puffed out about to giggle over Bret’s perfectionist ways.
“I wanted to let you know we plan on having an awards dinner once everyone is recovered,” Reese continued, “however, I don’t want to wait to express my gratitude, so I brought the awards over so you can have a peek.” She opened the case. “For Sonny, I have the outstanding medical officer ribbon.” She displayed the case so both Sonny and I could see it.
“Thank you, ma’am,” Sonny said.
“You will all be getting the Vallar Medal of Honor.” She let us pass around the case. It was a blue ribbon with a star, which said “Vallar” above it. In the center of the star were the two moons.
Sonny looked at it and his cheeks turned red. “Ma’am, I can hardly believe this.”
“You all more than deserve it, and I have one more for Ian.” She opened the case. “The Purple Heart.”
A heart made of platinum hung from a purple ribbon. In the center of the heart was an engraved image of the planet Hinun.
My mouth dropped open. “It’s beautiful.” I went to touch it, but pulled my hand back.
“Go on,” she said.
I took it out of the case and held it up for Sonny to see.
He leaned down. “Incredible.”
I put it back in the case. Happy as I was, something was missing. My mind spun, trying to figure out what. Clare came to mind. I would’ve liked her to see me get these medals. This would have impressed her.
Reese snapped the lid shut and stood up. “I’ll keep these for you until the ceremony.” She turned to Kayla’s parents. “Mr. Mercier has something he wants to ask Ian.”
Seth extended his hand. “I want to thank you for resisting Admiral Beacon’s demands. I believe this is the main reason you both survived.”
I shook his hand. “Kayla had a lot to do with that too.”
“Yes.” He smiled at Kayla and turned back. “I have something for you to think about while you recover. Members of Vallar are considered minors up to age eighteen, which means anyone under that age requires at least one parent. Unlike the Marcs, we raise our own children with the old ways. It isn’t unusual for someone to need new parents, and the people here are eager to volunteer.”
I could tell what he was getting at, and I found it silly. Bret had given me ensign bars. I was a man.
“What I’m saying is my wife Helen and I have agreed to adopt you.”
“Adopt?” I didn’t like the sound of it.
“That’s how we make it official,” Helen said. “We would raise you as our own.”
They wanted to be my guardians. I hated this idea and strained to keep a frown off my face.
“Kayla never had a chance to tell you,” Helen continued. “But I’m a commander and Seth is on the Vallar council. We could help you reach your full potential.”
I wasn’t impressed. No way did I want to be Kayla’s brother. Did she tell them I was psychic? She shrugged at me like this was the first she heard of her parent’s idea.
“It’s the least we can do considering you had a lot to do with ridding Mars of Admiral Beacon,” Seth said.
Sonny stared at the floor and tensed up. I sensed this hurting him. I suspected Kayla and I had something in common in that her parents weren’t there for her often. How could they be? Both had demanding careers - like Clare. I didn’t need another guardian who was never there. Sonny was the one who never left my bedside – not them.
“I appreciate the offer,” I touched Sonny’s arm, “but I have a father.”
Sonny looked down at me with glassy eyes and touched my shoulder.
“Oh, I didn’t know,” Seth said. “Are you his real father?”
“Ah no.” He wiped his eyes quick. “But I, um, um. . . .” He stopped stammering, but Reese grinned at him in a way that made it difficult for him to find the words.
“We’ve adopted each other,” I said.
Sonny resumed breathing and cleared his throat. “Exactly.”
“I see,” Seth said. “We’ll have to make it official then. I’ll have the documents transmitted to you.”
“Thanks,” Sonny said.
With my hand on Sonny’s arm, I sensed his tiredness. “Sonny’s been at my bedside since we left Argyre. He needs to get some sleep.”
“That couch folds out into a bed,” Kayla said.
“Yes, but . . .” Sonny turned around and looked at the monitor behind my bed.
“We have plenty of medical personnel capable of tending to Ian,” Reese said. “Some of them told me you won’t take more than a nap.”
“Sorry everyone.” Bret came through the door along with Rachel, Alexis and Hannah.
They all congratulated me on the medals. It was good to see everyone safe and well, but the crowd was making me tired. Sonny picked up on it.
“Sorry everyone, but Ian has to rest.”
“And so do you,” Reese said. “Bret will stay and make sure.”
Bret nodded. Everyone gave a brief goodbye and went out, however, a minute later Kayla snuck back in.
She sat down on the edge of my bed. “If my dad would’ve asked me about it first, I would’ve told him. Anyway, I think he’s impressed with you. I mean you’re the youngest person ever to have those medals.”
It wasn’t
a big deal. Clare was the real hero. She deserved the medals.
“Just so you all know I plan to use my visions to protect everyone. As soon as I’m strong enough, I’ll do regular surveillance.”
“Be sure not to start until you’re completely better, and your kidneys . . . .” She glanced down and touched my arm. “You might need a transplant.”
“I know. It’s okay.” I didn’t want her to worry about me and wished we were alone in the hope that she might say something more about the “I think I love you.” comment.
Chapter 31
As I recovered, I enjoyed any moment I had with Kayla. Unfortunately, we were never alone. Sonny always made up an excuse to leave when she came, but it never worked. My doctors checked on me frequently. Too many people wanted to meet me, even though they didn’t know about my psychic ability. They knew I killed Beacon and that was enough to make them curious.
Even Admiral Reese came every other day because she happened to be on vacation. One time she even wore stained gardening overalls. Sonny admitted he found it hard to speak around her and thanked me for filling in for him. I couldn’t help but laugh because he never had that problem before.
Sonny applied to get into the training program for assistant physical therapists, but in order to qualify he had to score in the upper nineties on a test. If he didn’t, he would be enrolled in refresher courses. Sonny didn’t want that to happen, so he studied for hours. He even had me quiz him on medical terminology.
Bret came by all the time. He brought me small parts from the Phantom and taught me how to put them together.
I visited Nate too. The Vallar scientists discovered that the implant blocked out Nate’s long term memory and most of his emotions while stimulating both motor functions and dream centers of his mind.
They explained that without the device he wouldn’t be able to walk. So after a fifteen hour surgery, they were able to reprogram the device and so it stimulated both his memory and motor functions.
Instead of only responding to questions or orders, he progressed to asking questions constantly. However, his mind was like a young child’s. There were still many holes in his memory. He couldn’t read or write and didn’t remember falling out of the midrange or helping Beacon.