by Steve Simons
~~~~ Later ~~~~
A nurse checks readings on the monitors and is quite startled as Dar-Reg moves, his arms stretch outwards and he yawns. The nurse quietly says, Disturb you sorry, to do, me not intend.
That's OK sleep me too long anyway. replies Dar-Reg.
Been here you many days? asks the nurse.
Er.... three or four, count I lose. answers Dar-Reg.
Doing well, they are, waking signs two have. then she points at Aseer-Alc and Tom.
At last! says Dar-Reg and then realises that it sounded quite mercenary.
These two your children? asks the nurse.
No, visitors they here, when explosion, they injured. replies Dar-Reg.
The nurse looks sympathetically at the boys, Thought I, they too young to be here based.
Just then Aseer-Alc stirs and utters the predictable phrase, Where am I?
The nurse replies, Safe you be in the medical unit.
In here how long I be? asks Aseer-Alc.
Dar-Reg takes up the conversation with, About four days, fell on you bits of wall, after explosion cause.
Another one? asks Aseer-Alc, then she asks, How boys, alright?
Dar-Reg nods at the nurse, who takes over and says, well doing, the boys, well. she points to their beds and bang on que there's a moaning coming from Tom.
Get up can I? asks Aseer-Alc.
Why? asks the nurse.
Re-assure Tom, that he alright, must I replies Aseer-Alc.
The nurse assures her, Do that, I can.
Aseer-Alc replies, Speak they, not the same as us though.
Get I lead medic, check you over. says the nurse, then she heads off out the door.. She returns shortly afterwards with another woman, she looks at the readings on the monitor and asks Aseer-Alc and asks some questions. Then she gives Aseer-Alc the all clear to get up and attend to Tom.
Meanwhile, Tom appears to have one humdinger of a headache, judging by all the moaning that he's doing. The medic turns her attention to his monitor and then to Tom himself. She then confirms to Aseer-Alc that Tom has a headache and instructs the nurse to increase Tom's pain affectant. She turns back to Aseer-Alc and tells her that the headache should wear off quite quickly, but also warns her that because of Tom's injuries he was likely to have lost memories of the explosion and what lead up to it.
A few moments later, Tom opens his eyes and asks where he is and further asks if this is a hospital.
Aseer-Alc replies, This is a medical centre in a military centre.
Tom asks, Am I abroad? Why are they speaking strangely? He nods towards the lead medic, then adds and why am I in a military place?
I do not know what abroad is. replies Aseer-Alc, then continues, but you are in Eurosector and as for the military center, you came through the gateway and ended up on restricted land.
Oh the gateway thingy, yes I remember the wooden stockade, then the escape and &. oh yes the cliff.... a helicopter thing, then its all hazy from that point. says Tom, then remembers Barry, Where's Barry, is he alright?
Yes, he's right beside you, he is still not awake. You were both in an injury, an explosion. reassures Aseer-Alc.
The nurse takes Aseer-Alc to one side and whispers to her, Warn you better had I, injury other boy, to arm, is quite serious , part of arm missing, repair him almost complete, still him must keep arm though; attached him, still is regen equipment.
Aseer-Alc thanks the nurse, then turns her attention back to Tom. She says, Apparently Barry had bad injury to arm, but it is almost completely repairs. We have equipment that cause re-growth of bone, skin and things. Barry have one of these equipment on his arm, he must not move it until his arm fully repair finished.
Tom takes Aseer-Alc by surprise when he asks, Whereabouts in Europe are we?
Eurosector, not this Yur rope that you speak of. Replies Aseer-Alc.
Are we still in England? Tom asks.
I know not how this gateway works. replies Aseer-Alc, the continues, whether you travel to exact same location, but in a parallel place or what. I suppose you could be in the place that you named, but in a different.... what would you call it?
Barry replies, Parallel universe, and what was that about my arm?
Aseer-Alc glad to hear that Barry sounds well, turns her attention to him and replies, Your arm was damaged in the explosion, but is being repaired. You have not to move it, as you have equipment on it doing repair. And movement may.....
The lead medic interjects, affect repair, move arm, you, then repair not good.
Barry asks, Where are we Tom? Why am I hearing things backwards?
Tom replies in quite a knowledgable tone, Oh we're in a parallel universe and this is somewhere in Europe, possibly England and don't you remember, these people talk doing words, er... labels or names and then something else; can't remember what you said it was now.
What I said? I don't remember ever saying any such nonsense. Why am I in hospital? asks Barry.
There was some sort of accident and we ended up here and you've got to keep your arm still as it is being repaired. replies Tom.
It was an explosion. says Aseer-Alc.
Barry in a stern voice asks, You haven't been playing with matches again Tom have you?
Tom goes bright red and replies, Of course not!
Aseer-Alc comes to Tom's defence saying, No no it was not Tom's doing. We are in the middle of a what did you call it, a battle in our universe and it was our enemy that caused the explosion. Tom had fallen over a cliff and was hanging on...
Tom interrupts asking, What was I doing hanging onto the side of a cliff?
Aseer-Alc resumes, You had just come through the gateway and in the darkness of night, fell over the cliff not knowing it was there. Our people saw Barry trying to rescue you and came to your aid, whilst also trying to investigate what you were doing on our restricted &... military land.
Tom asks, Why did you leave the gateway open if you didn't want people on your land?
Just then someone else walks in, and interrupts the conversation. He speaks directly to Aseer-Alc but his voice can be clearly heard by the boys as he reports, Good news Mam we successfully replicated the comms device and two of our security people have successfully opened the gateway and gone through it. They have been gone for 14 hours now.
Aseer-Alc asks, Do we know where they have gone?
It is Barry who answers, No.... there is no way of telling where they have gone, nor any guarantee that they will come back either. Were they armed?
The man does not answer, but instead looks over at Dar-Reg as if seeking authority to speak.
Dar-Reg nods and the man replies, Yes they took tactical weapons with them.
Are they likely to use these in anger? asks Barry
Both Dar-Reg and the man ask, What you say?
Aseer-Alc says, Oh yes I see what you mean, are they likely to use the weapons without being fired upon first.
That's right. replies Barry enthusiastically.
The man s somewhat thrown by Barry's response, so there are a few moments silence before Aseer-Alc prompts, Do answer, you, the question, use weapons, they, without being fired upon?
The man pauses before answering, Possibly
What brief, they, given? asks Aseer-Alc.
The man somewhat awkwardly shuffles his feet before replying, To secure weapons they were to do.
Barry exclaims, Oh great, not content with starting a war on your own planet you've gone somewhere else, possibly even our home planet to start one there. He looks over at Tom and says, Well we might get home, but goodness knows if there will be much left by the time we get there and these..... these.... people have finished with it!
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