Try Again

 Month 15 Day 4

1959 Hours

Tall Bear

Bear took his arm from around Beth's shoulders as he caught sight of Lt Cmdr Smythe standing in the hallway ahead. He was mildly surprised that Beth didn't complain about the loss of his arm, but she wasn't like most other women. She didn't usually encourage public displays of affection, but kept them all for private times.

"I wonder what he's doing here," Beth muttered.

I would think that's obvious, Bear thought to himself. Does Mac know he's here? He wants to keep her on a tight leash, and she's refusing all his overtures, so far. I'm pretty sure it's driving him crazy, but what's it doing to her? She hates being pursued. At least, hates it when she doesn't want the man. But she was engaged to Smythe once. Guess it all depends on her emotions. And she's got a lot of that in her.

"Good evening, Beth," Smythe greeted as they got closer. "Tall Bear."

"Has there been an accident in engineering?" Beth asked him.

"No, I just..." He cleared his throat. "I just came to check on Colleen. I understand she's undergoing the healing ray again this evening."

"Exactly why I'm here," Beth told him. "We might as well go inside and wait in the lobby." She plucked at Bear's sleeve as she headed inside, a sure indication she expected him to follow her, which he did. He'd made a commitment to Mac, and he wasn't going back on it.

Inside the lobby, they could hear Dr Davis' firm voice coming from the treatment room. "Drink it all."

"I'd rather have food." Mac's voice sounded somewhat confused and definitely exhausted.

"You're mostly asleep now, and it's been only a couple minutes since we turned off the ray. I'll see if I can find someone to help you get home, and you can sleep in your own bed."

"Tall Bear should be... waiting for me." Her thoughts seemed slow to form, and her words were a little slurred, as if she were falling asleep.

"Finish drinking, and I'll go see if he's here." In another moment, the doctor came to the lobby. "Oh, good, you are here," she said directly to the AmerInd.

"Mac sounds pretty out of it," he commented. "Don't know how she managed to make it to the mess hall and then home the last time."

"This session with the healing ray would have been even worse than last time," Beth explained. "Last time, they were treating a bruise. A severe bruise, but only a bruise. This time they were treating a torn ligament. Imagine 3 hours of feeling your muscles, connective tissues and bones all writhing within you."

Smythe shuddered and muttered, "I remember."

Dr Davis turned to the engineer. "She's still in a sling. I want her to keep wearing the sling until we see how much she's healed from this session. So, at least until her noon physical therapy session. She's built more densely than the average human, so I don't know how much good the healing ray might have done."

Smythe sighed with a touch of frustration. "I had hoped that by now—"

"I understand," Dr Davis told him. "There's not much information in the Fleet medical library about healing rays used on Gaelunders. Possibly because there aren't many Gaelunders in the Fleet. What information that exists is about healing broken bones, and seems to indicate they are healed at a slower rate than regular humans. Probably because they are more dense. But she got her after-drink, so she won't be starving. We'll know more about what tonight has accomplished after she sleeps."

"Well, then, that's what we'll do," Smythe said, because, really, what else could he say?

"Tall Bear, are you prepared to carry her?" Dr Davis asked. "She was trying to fall asleep as she drank. She might even be asleep by now. We could just bed her down here for the night."

Bear lightly flexed his back muscles and rolled his shoulders. "I'm ready," he declared. "She sleeps better in her own bed, which is equipped with heavy gravity. This isn't the first time I've had to carry her there."

"Well, then, she's in there," the doctor pointed, then turned her attention to Beth. "Did you need something, Temple?"

"I just wanted to make sure she got her after-drink," Beth stated. "Somehow, it got overlooked the first time she had the healing ray."

"As I told MacGregor, I don't understand how that happened. That's why I gave it to her myself this time."

"Good. That's my only reason for being here. Thanks for the company, Bear, I'll see you later."

"See ya around, Beth," he answered and walked into the treatment room.

Mac looked sound asleep, but half-opened her eyes as he stepped close to her. "TB, I'm not sure..." She reached out, as if to roll herself off the examination table.

"Don't even try it," he told her, gently pushing her to lay on her back again. "I'll get you home, just like I promised."

"But I thought..."

"That you'd be able to walk at least part of the way. Doesn't look like it. Don't worry about it." He picked her up, uncertain how much of what he'd said she had heard, for she certainly seemed sound asleep. Her head rolled and hung down behind her, as did her arm. Yeah, she's all sprawled out and a dead weight. He turned to start out, only to find Smythe in his way.

The engineer took a moment to raise Mac's head and rest it against Bear's shoulder, then placed her arm so that her hand was on her abdomen. "Is that better?" he whispered.

"Yeah," Bear agreed. Smythe got out of his way, and Bear started for Mac's quarters.

Bear was a little startled when Smythe surged ahead of him and pushed the button to call the lift. They got on, and Smythe told it where to go, then put it into express mode. They were soon getting off and headed for Mac's quarters. Bear walked right in the living quarters, then went to the bedroom and lay Mac on her bed. In all that time, she hadn't moved a muscle, except to breath. How does she turn the extra gravity on?

Smythe was already taking her boots off. When he had done that, he stood up straight and quietly said, "Computer, set gravity on MacDowell's bed to Gaelund normal."

As the woman sank a little further into the mattress, she sighed and mumbled, "Thank you, Smit."

The 2 men walked back into the hallway. "Thank you for your assistance, Mr Smythe."

"I knew she wouldn't really sleep well until she was in her own gravity well," Smythe returned. "Thank you for getting her home. I hope it isn't a frequent thing you have to do."

"No, it's not," Bear answered. "Just when she isn't capable of getting there on her own. This batch of injuries has been hard on her."

"Yes," Smythe agreed, and let the subject drop. With a curt nod, he walked off.

Just like I thought. He cares about her. What about her? Did their engagement mean anything to her?