By Erin_Cale
Disclaimer: See first part.
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Trance looked at the readings she was getting from the various instruments surrounding Harper�s comatose body. �This can�t be right,� she muttered.
�What can�t be right?� Trance almost jumped. She hadn�t heard Beka come in.
�Come here and look at this.� Beka walked over, looking over at Harper�s body briefly. Trance pointed to one of several diagrams. �This is what is happening to Harper. His brain has stopped sending messages to his organs. The brain itself is perfectly fine, getting all the oxygen it needs and everything, but it just seems to not want to tell the rest of the body what to do.�
�Why?� Both women looked up briefly as the doors opened to admit Dylan. After gesturing for him to come over, Trance continued.
�I don�t know why. I�ve never seen anything like it. Andromeda is helping me to keep his organs going, but it�s all artificial. Harper�s organs won�t function on their own and if they don�t start to soon, he won�t ever wake up.�
�He can�t die. We�ve been through worse than this, haven�t we?� The last sentence was directed towards Dylan as she looked at him with salty tears in her eyes.
�Yeah. He�ll be fine.� He put his arm around Beka�s shoulder and she rested her head on his shoulder, placing her arms around his waist in a hug so tight he almost couldn�t breathe. He didn�t complain, knowing just how much she needed human contact right now. And, to tell the truth, he didn�t really mind it all that much.
�Hmm.�
Both captains looked up at the sound of Trance�s voice. �What? What is it?� Beka asked, hope brightening her blue eyes.
�Well, I was just thinking� Do you two remember how Seven told us that she has tiny little machines lying dormant in her bloodstream that used to be used to heal her back when she was a Borg?�
�Yes.� Dylan�s eyes widened. �You�re not thinking of infecting Harper with those things, are you? What if they reactivate?�
�You accepted that risk when you brought Seven on board,� Trance answered.
�Besides, we don�t have much choice. Harper will die if we don�t.�
Dylan looked from one woman to the other, knowing that he wasn�t going to win this argument. �Trance, can you get some of the machines and alter them in time?�
�With Seven�s cooperation, yes.�
�Do it then.�
Trance nodded and set about to gathering the materials she would need before she called Seven back. Dylan, meanwhile, took one look at Beka and added, �We�ll be in the Mess Hall. Alert us immediately if there�s any change.�
Beka glared at him. �But-�
�We are going to the Mess Hall,� Dylan repeated firmly. �You didn�t eat breakfast or lunch because you were too busy. I�m not going to let you skip dinner too.�
Beka sighed dejectedly but followed as Dylan exited the room. She looked back just before the doors closed and saw that Trance was no longer working at the computer station but was now standing still by Harper�s side.
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