by Mikayla Lane
“It’s time for bed, baby. It’s been a long day, but a great one, and we have a lot of work to do tomorrow,” she said as she patted his hand.
Emily moved over to the bed she’d been using every night in the medlab. She flipped the switch to unlock it and moved it across the room until it was right beside Koda’s bed. She locked it in place before she hopped on it.
She pulled the extra-large blanket she’d asked Thjodhild for and spread it over Koda’s cool body and her own before she cuddled underneath it. Within minutes she was asleep.
Ten minutes later Joey transformed in her bed as Tristan’s winged form strode into the medlab. A winged, pre-teen Joey met Tristan at Koda’s bed.
With a wave of his hand, Tristan sent a command to deepen Emily’s sleep so they wouldn’t be disturbed. It was the same ritual they’d done for a week since Koda’s return.
“Are you ready?” Tristan asked Joey as he moved Emily’s bed away from Koda’s.
Joey nodded, her tousled blond curls bouncing with her enthusiasm as her blue eyes twinkled.
“Did you hear?” she asked. “They say it’s working.”
Tristan smiled and nodded his head.
“I heard my father tell my mother. We just need to keep helping him along,” he agreed as he lay his hand on Koda’s head.
“What of the human? They were supposed to go through it together,” Joey wondered.
Tristan grinned broadly and shook his head.
“That’s not going to be a problem. We just have to make a few visits like this to him to make sure his brain heals as well as Koda’s. The others are getting the cloned limbs; we can’t help with that, but Lt. Washington we can assist,” he said before he closed his eyes and concentrated on helping Koda’s beast to immerse itself in its new brain location.
Moments later, Joey sent her light inside of Koda’s body, lending her energy to Tristan’s.
*****
Grai shook his head in stunned amazement as he looked over at a smiling Tricia.
“Did you know?” he asked.
“I suspected when I saw him come back the other night after I checked on Grace. But he’s so sneaky, I couldn’t prove it until now,” Tricia replied with a proud grin at her son.
Grai turned back to the screen in his bedroom at Base Beta, watching as his son and Joey enveloped Koda’s bed in a blinding, golden light.
“This has to be why he and Joey are sleeping so long and eating so much,” Grai muttered as he rubbed a hand over his tired face. “How did I not know this was going on?”
Tricia put her arms around his waist and hugged him.
“Because you’re exhausted and because our son is one sneaky little guy, and he’d have done it with or without our permission. If he didn’t, Joey would have, and she’s too young and too weak to do it alone,” she whispered, kissing his bare back.
Grai wrapped his arms around his mates and sighed.
“They’re just kids. We can’t let them keep exhausting themselves like this. I need to go get them,” Grai said softly.
“No, you won’t,” Tricia argued. “Our son and that little girl are going to help him whether we want them to or not. If we get in their way, we’ll do more harm than good by making them find another way around us.”
“But this is too much for them,” Grai said.
His mind and heart were torn between letting them help his beloved brother and his duties as a father to protect his son and the fatherless girl trying so hard to help. In his mind, that little girl had risked far too much already to save Koda. He couldn’t in all good conscience allow her to endanger herself any more than she already had.
His heart couldn’t take seeing that baby in the condition she’d been in when they were first found. She’d been so emaciated, her breath barely registering and her heart stuttering to stay alive, and it had killed him inside to know she’d been willing to sacrifice herself and her sister for Koda.
Tricia surprised him by laughing.
“You’re kidding, right? Do you really think you’re going to stop them? Besides, they are only a little tired each day, but they’re happy and healthy otherwise. If you are still concerned, have Amun and Lauren check them out in the morning and make sure they aren’t going too far. But you and I both know Tristan is smarter than that,” Tricia argued, knowing she was right.
“Maybe we should move Emily and Joey out of there and have them sleep in the castle with everyone else,” Grai wondered aloud.
Tricia sucked in a surprised breath and smacked Grai in the shoulder hard enough to get his attention.
“Let me tell you something! That girl loves your brother more than anything! Don’t you even think of moving them out of there, or you’ll find me and every other mated female blocking you from getting to her! It is Emily’s right to be exactly where she is, and you’ll not interfere! She’s earned the right to make her own decisions where he is concerned, and you won’t take that from her!” Tricia argued, stabbing him in his broad chest with a frustrated finger.
Grai sighed, knowing his mate was right. Emily had more than earned the right, as had Joey. He stared at the screen, watching his son and Joey continue their work on his brother for a few more hours. Tricia had long since gone back to sleep, and when Tristan and Joey let down the golden shield around Koda, he expected them to return to their beds.
Instead, he watched the pair make their way out of the medlab. Using the comm system cameras throughout beta, he followed their progress until they made their way to the hallway where the veterans, Traze, and David were staying two floors away from him.
He watched as they made their way to one of the doors, and they slipped inside. Normally, Grai would never think of invading someone else’s private space, but in this case he had to know what Tristan and Joey were going to do, so he punched in the emergency code to turn on the monitors in that room.
He watched, not realizing he was holding his breath as Tristan sent a wave of golden energy at the prone man before he and Joey converged on his bed. Just like in the medlab with Koda, they surrounded the bed of Lt. Jamal Washington with a golden light.
It didn’t take long for Grai to break into a smile. He figured out that the kids were making sure that Lt. Washington would have the same chance at healing that Koda had, and he couldn’t be more proud of the both of them for thinking of the brave, injured man who’d risked so much to help them.
Somehow, his brilliant and caring son had figured out what he had planned and was doing his best to help him make it happen. Against the wishes of his mate, he slipped out of his room and headed down the hall to wait for the kids to finish before talking to them.
Chapter Eighteen
Emily, Grai, and Traze stood nervously at Koda’s bedside, each of them trying to hide their excitement and fears over what was about to happen. It was a big day—not just for them, but for Koda too. Amun and Lauren were going to take Koda’s beast out of stasis and reactivate the part of the brain where they’d moved him.
They had spent days letting Koda work with his brain while the doctors mapped the connections he was making on his own, but his beast was left in stasis to heal and recover from its ordeal.
“Ready?” Amun asked, excitement clear in his voice.
Grai gave a sharp nod, and they held their breath as the doctors took Koda and Ax out of stasis.
Emily smiled broadly when the brain monitor leaped to life, showing that Koda was awakening. She covered her mouth to conceal her squeal of excitement when she saw the picture of his brain and the previously unused areas that were lighting up as his beast awakened.
“Koda, you’ve been a very busy man,” Amun teased, amazed at the progress he’d made in such a short time. “The worst and last part is ahead. Are you ready, Koda?”
Emily hadn’t taken her eyes off Koda’s beautiful face and gasped in shock.
“He blinked!”
“Koda?” Grai asked hoarsely, daring to hope his brother was already physicall
y responsive.
Seconds later the entire right side of his body began jerking violently, and Emily struggled to hold him down as Grai and a medtech rushed to help her.
“Get him restrained! He’s making the beast immerse himself fully in the new tissue!” Amun shouted as his hands flew across the keyboard, his eyes never leaving the brain monitor in front of him.
“He was supposed to wait!” Grai growled in frustration.
In typical Koda style, he wasn’t waiting when he thought he could do it on his own. Normally, it was a trait Grai admired, but when they were talking about Koda’s life and the quality of what was left of it, he wasn’t impressed.
“Come on, baby. You guys can do this,” Emily encouraged.
“We have full immersion in the left hemisphere!” Lauren called out.
“Both vitals are strong and syncing,” Amun added, glued to the monitors.
Amun no sooner spoke than Koda’s left side began shaking like the right had. Emily swiped at her tears as she watched the man she loved fight to come back to them.
“You’re doing it, baby. Come on, just a little longer,” she whispered in his ear.
“We have full immersion in the right hemisphere!” Lauren called out as Koda’s body stopped shaking so violently.
Emily took Koda’s hand as his body trembled uncontrollably. Amun and Lauren had explained that it would happen until Koda and his beast began to master the new pathways in the previously unused part of his brain. It was a good sign that he would regain control of his body movements, and she couldn’t be more thrilled even though watching it broke her heart.
“We have full immersion. Now it’s up to the beast and the neuroband therapies to help him complete what remapping he can,” Amun explained as he turned to Emily, Grai, and Traze. “At this point, his prognosis is completely dependent on the effort he puts in. He has the potential to reach a 97 – 98 percentile range.”
Amun couldn’t be happier with the news. He’d hoped for the best like everyone else had, but he’d also known how desperate the situation was. Koda’s recovery was nothing short of a miracle.
“Emmmm . . .”
“Oh my god!” Emily shrieked, leaning over Koda to see if he really did talk. “Koda?”
“Emmmm . . .” Koda muttered as his lips trembled and his eyelids fluttered.
Emily squeezed his hand, the tears falling down her face unchecked.
“I’m here, Koda. Open your eyes, and you’ll see me. And Grai, and Traze. And everyone who loves you . . . we’re all here,” she whispered brokenly.
“Rah . . . rah . . . oooh,” Koda stuttered. His eyelids continued to flutter as if he were trying to figure out how to open them.
“What?” Grai whispered, trying to think of what Koda could be saying.
Emily wiped her tears and forced a chuckle.
“Little Roo is doing wonderful here with our people. You were right; she and Tristan are best friends. She can’t wait to see you again.”
Grai grinned as he realized Roo was his brother’s nickname for little Joey.
“Koda, it’s Grai. Do you remember me?” he asked, desperate to know his brother hadn’t lost his long term memory.
“Gah . . . Gah-ra . . . br . . . ot . . . errrrsss. Tray . . .” Koda stuttered.
Grai wiped at his tears as Tricia took a sobbing Traze in her arms.
“Yes, Grai and Traze. We’re your brothers. We’re so glad to have you back . . .” Grai whispered hoarsely, his emotions threatening to overcome his composure.
Koda’s eyes suddenly opened, closed, fluttered again, and finally opened again. His dark eyes turned to Emily, the first voluntary movement he’d made since she’d know him, and she was thrilled at the small gesture.
She smiled broadly through her tears and squeezed his hand.
“You are making huge leaps and bounds, baby. Can you look to the right now and see Grai, Traze, and Tricia?” she asked gently, not wanting to push him, but knowing she had to if he was going to recover.
Koda’s body continued to tremble against his will as he moved only his eyes to the right where he saw Grai, Traze, and Tricia all smiling at him through their tears. As much as he’d missed them and loved them more than anything, it was for Emily and Roo that he’d fought the darkness and hell itself to come back to.
“Lah . . . aaaa . . . tah,” Koda stuttered as he looked at Grai.
Grai burst out laughing and into tears at the same time and laid his head on Koda’s chest while he regained control of himself. He stood back up and squeezed Koda’s shoulder.
“Yes, I was really damn late. I’m so sorry,” Grai whispered hoarsely. He wondered every day if he would forgive himself for not finding them sooner.
“Ohhh . . . kkkkayyyuh,” Koda replied before turning his eyes back to Emily.
“You’re doing great, baby,” Emily whispered. “Can you try to look up, then down?”
It took a few minutes for Koda to figure it out and more than a few times of concentrated effort to finally look up and then down. Once he figured it out, he focused all his concentration on doing it again and again until it didn’t take so much effort each time.
“You’re doing beautifully, baby,” Emily said with pride when he’d moved his eyes in different directions. “I know it’s taking a lot of effort, but it’s paying off.”
“Ffff . . . orr yahh oooh,” Koda replied, struggling to form the words.
Emily shook her head emphatically.
“No. For us, your family, and you.”
Traze leaned his head down next to Koda’s, made a goofy face, and took a picture with his comm before he stood again and grinned.
“I got the Koda channel going on the comms so everyone can see how you’re doing. It was easier than answering the constant questions from everyone. Seems a lot of people like you for some reason, bro,” Traze said with a huge grin on his tear streaked face.
Koda barked out a laughing/choking sound, and a tear slipped down his cheek as he looked at his little brother.
“Mmm . . . isssss . . . dah. Oooh tooh,” Koda said.
Tears ran unchecked down Traze’s face as he threw himself across Koda’s chest and hugged him tightly.
Koda tried harder than he thought possible to move his arm, his hand, anything, to touch and comfort Traze, but nothing moved. His eyes pleaded with Grai to do something to help Traze calm down. He hated to see his fun-loving and kind-hearted brother so upset.
Koda was relieved when David stepped in and pulled Traze off of him, sat him in a chair, and kept his arm around him while Traze tried to bring himself under control.
“Koda,” Amun interrupted. “I know you and your beast are probably tired right now, but we need to run some more tests. Do you think you can do that?”
“Yyeesss,” Koda whispered.
“Koda, think about moving a finger on your right hand,” Lauren said, watching the brain monitor.
Koda tried again, struggling so hard against what seemed to be a blockage in his mind that sweat popped out on his forehead, and he panted from the effort.
“OK, stop. Now try with your left,” Lauren ordered.
They spent another few hours going through test after test until Koda was so tired he was drifting off to sleep until he heard Emily talking to him.
“Koda? Do you think you can stay awake long enough to say good bye to Elmer and Tom? They need to move on, and they’d like to see you before they do,” Emily said sadly, wishing that the two men didn’t have to leave them.
“Yyyeesss,” Koda said, forcing his eyes open so he could see the men he’d come to admire and think of as friends.
Elmer and Tom approached the bed as everyone else left the area to give them some privacy. Ten minutes later Elmer and Tom walked away, wiping tears from their eyes. Emily hugged them both as she went back to Koda.
“I’m going to help them leave, but I’ll be back. Get some rest, baby. I won’t be far away,” she whispered as she kissed his cheek.
“Lll . . . uvvv oooh,” Koda whispered back.
Emily couldn’t stop the tears as she squeezed his hand.
“I love you too.”
Before she completely broke down, Emily kissed his hand and walked away while she still had the strength to and followed Elmer, Tom, Tristan in his warrior form, and Joey in hers, out of the medlab.
The small group assembled outside, having said their good byes earlier. Emily hugged both of the men while her tears flowed.
“Emily, it is time,” Tristan said. “There is no need to worry; there’s a wonderful place waiting for good men like these two. Thank you for everything you have done for my family. May your journey be complete with the happiness you have more than earned.”
Tristan bowed in respect to them while Joey burst into tears and threw herself into Elmer’s arms.
“Thank you, thank you. I will never forget you. Either of you,” Joey said as she looked over at Tom and hugged him too.
“You behave yourself, little Roo, and take care of your sister,” Elmer said hoarsely as he pulled Emily and Roo in for another hug.
Tom threw his arms around them all as well and they stood like that for a few minutes.
“Love you guys,” Emily whispered.
She opened her eyes and watched the men’s forms go from solid to opaque before they disappeared entirely, leaving her holding only Joey in her arms.
“I would not be surprised if you saw them again, long before you expect to,” Tristan said with a smile.
He pulled both girls in for a hug and led them back into the medlab building.
*****
The next morning, Emily awoke to a sound and immediately looked over at Koda to make sure he was alright. She jumped out of bed, pushed it aside, and stood beside Koda, staring into his dark eyes.
“Can you do it again?” she whispered, hoping she wasn’t dreaming.
Koda smiled, only part of his mouth tilting upwards while the other hung slackly. He grunted again, the sound that had awakened her, and Emily gasped as he moved the three middle fingers on his right hand.
She squealed in happiness as she grabbed his hand and squeezed it, marveling at his fingers moving in her hand.