Revelations, Chapter Three
11 Oct 2020Kodeyne
Rose looked up as the door slowly opened, and a female figure stepped inside. About Ophelia's age, dark curly hair to the shoulders, splash of freckles across a winsome face. The newcomer stepped forward, staring at the figure in the bed. Ophelia had described her well.Rose put the datapad down and stood. "You...must be Alison," she murmured. The younger woman met her gaze. There was a moment of recognition.
"Yes," the girl replied quietly, eyes flickering to the pale figure on the bed, the tubes and wires and casts.
"My name is Rose. I'm Ophelia's biological mother."
Alison stared at her.
"Long story," she said ironically.
Alison managed a momentary smile then moved to the bedside, pulling up a chair. She looked at the array of machines and their displays, which meant nothing to her. Reached out and stroked a lock of matted blonde hair. Ophelia lay slightly propped up, eyes closed, head to one side, mouth slightly open. Her breath hissed slowly. Alison took in the bruising on the face, noted the collection of old scars on the biceps. A faint sheen of sweat glistened on the pale skin.
"How bad is it?"
Rose slowly walked round the bed to stand next to her and watched as Alison gently took a limp hand in her own.
"Fractures of jaw, left radius and ulna. Most of the ribs on the left broken, punctured lung. Three gunshot wounds - internal bleeding. Right leg broken in two places."
Alison closed her eyes. Her voice shook. "How long does she have?"
Rose glanced at her sympathetically. "Longer than you would expect. She's going to make it."
"How...how is that possible? You were there. I saw you on the newscast..."
"Only to pick up the pieces. And she gave as good as she got. Not bad considering it was three on one. You saw the guy carrying her?"
"Yes."
"Again, long story, but he put a lot of his blood into her at the scene; I thought I was going to lose them both, for a while..."
Alison heard the suppressed emotion in Rose's words.
"That's why she's here, and not in a mortuary somewhere. That, and because her RemLok absorbed a lot of the punishment. She's healing nicely; the medics reckon she will wake up within a day or so."
"What happened? How did she end up in a fight like that?" Alison looked at Rose, face a study in misery.
"Someone claiming to be the man who...assaulted you contacted her directly, offering to meet and discuss recompense. And she went, knowing full well it was going to be a trap, if it meant she could get to him."
Alison's features twisted and she lifted that listless hand, gripping it tightly.
"You crazy bitch," she moaned, "You crazy, fucked-up psycho bitch from hell..."
She released the hand and stood suddenly. She startled Rose by embracing her for a moment, then ran out of the door, weeping.
Rose carefully took the pale hand that dangled over the edge of the bed, carefully laid it back on the sheet. Patted it and went to resume her seat.
"Oh, daughter," she whispered, "you do seem to have this effect on people. "
Twenty-two hours.
In the darkness behind the eyes, Ophelia became aware of a steady thud, like a bass drum in the distance.
Heart. That's still going, huh...
Exterior noise slowly made its way in. The humming of machines, whispered voices. She twitched as she smelt disinfectant. Slowly became aware of aches and pains.
Where was she?
She gradually forced rheumy eyes open, blinking until she could focus. Hospital room. Machines, tubes, wires.
Deja vu, anyone?
There was a person sat either side of the bed. She looked at the one on the right. Handsome woman, red hair, scar through one eye socket, prosthetic therein. Elegant black clothes.
"Mother?" Her voice was so weak, it was hardly audible. The woman smiled.
"Ophelia," she said, "my precious daughter." Rose leant over and carefully hugged her.
On the other side - the man she knew as TripleRazor. Like her, he was clad in a hospital gown and his face was very pale. But he smiled, took her hand and leant forward.
"Welcome back, Commander Kodeyne," he spoke, no irony in his voice.
"Where are we? Mars High? Those three men...."
"Dvorsi, dear," answered Rose, "by all rights, those thugs should have killed you. But the universe isn't done with you just yet."
She struggled to sit up; they both rose and helped her.
"It's all a blur," she whispered, "and then nothing."
TripleRazor sat back and regarded her. "You took those three on, by yourself. Two down and one got away. They damaged you beyond repair, petal. And that is how it should have ended. But, old romantic that I am, I conjured up a miracle and saved you."
"Tristan!" snapped Rose, "Stop winding her up. Poor child!"
So that's his real name.
"Sorry, dear," he said, bowing his head. Then he looked Ophelia straight in the eye.
"Ophelia...when I was very small, I was diagnosed with a rare birth defect. Usually fatal. But in this system, scientists had created an unusual variant of the progenitor cell. Designed to heal the unhealable. Charaka cells, they call them. They cured me. And the cells remain in me, almost like a symbionte. When we found you..." He exchanged a glance with Rose. Ophelia saw that shared moment of remembered horror.
"In a heap. Barely alive. I knew the only way to save you was to get those Charaka cells into you. So I used a medpack to do an emergency transfusion. Joined up our circulatory systems..."
"Gave you far more blood than he should have done," said Rose, glaring at him.
"It worked, didn't it?"
"Not the point. You could have died too, asshole! And then he insisted on carrying you back to the ship, even though he could hardly stand himself. Flew you back here because this is where those cells were created, and the only place that could help you."
Ophelia let out a shaky breath and folded her hand round his.
"Thank you," she said simply.
She held her other hand out to her mother and the three sat in silence for a few minutes.
Finally, Tristan broke the silence. "Medics say you should be up and about very soon. As long as you don't plan to over-exert yourself in any more fights or anything." He caught her eye and winked.
Rose looked up suddenly. "Your friend is about somewhere," she murmured, "Alison."
Ophelia sat up, wide-eyed, gasping as pain shot through her.
"Where is she? Where? Gods below, I have to see her!"
"She's not far away," said Tristan, "bear with me a mo..."
He rose and left the room briefly.
"Up in the arboretum," he said softly when he returned.
"Ahhhh...." mumbled Ophelia, "I gotta see her! Help me!"
They called one of the medics, who listened to them, checked the displays, nodded, and carefully disconnected the last of the machines from her arms. "You should be okay for an hour or so. Then we'll need to plug it all back in. We'll get you an autochair," the man said, "you won't be walking any distance for a little while..."
She steered the autochair round the corner, glided down the corridor and slowed to a halt as she entered the arboretum. The smell of plants living permeated the air, and the eyes feasted on lush greens punctuated with bright colours.
Alison sat on a bench, head down, shoulders hunched, arms wrapped around herself. Ophelia stopped and stared for a moment, carefully stood up from the autochair, took a few shaky steps and sat down beside her.
"Hey, girl..."
Alison did not look up. She shivered.
"Ali?" She gently put an arm over her friend's shoulders. Alison leant into her, the scent of her glossy black hair filling Ophelia's nostrils. She absently twirled a dark lock around a finger.
"Your hair's nice again," she murmured. Alison shivered once more, and spoke in a small voice.
"When I saw that newscast...saw you'd been attacked....I...thought you were dead. Then I turn up here and yes, you're still alive, but I feel shit because of everything that's happened because of me!"
"No. Everything that happened is because of that scumbag. He'll be getting his comeuppance very soon. We're going to nail the fucker in court."
"Ah hell, that's good to know. But even so. Now I understand what you've suffered with all these years."
Alison took a long, shuddering breath, continued to stare at the tiled floor.
"Remember when we were just kids? How we would make-believe what our lives would be like? The jobs we would get, the men we would marry, what we would call our children...."
Ophelia hugged her tighter.
"Yeah..."
"Well. Here we are. And look at us now."
"Oh, Ali..."
"You call yourself worthless, Ophelia. But you've saved my life and you've nearly died for me, you daft bitch. I'd hardly call that worthless!"
Ophelia closed her eyes briefly, feeling the burning sensation behind the lids, the lump in her throat. Alison's voice was ragged with emotion now.
"You gave me a second chance when I thought I was ruined. No-else could have, would have, done that. My guardian angel."
Alison lifted her head and raised a trembling hand to Ophelia's face, moving it round to hers. There was a long moment as they looked into each other's eyes.
"I can't stand it any more, Ophelia. Last night, I realised why you did what you did. And that I felt the same way," She paused, exhaled. "I love you! I love you so much!".
Began to cry. "There. I've said it..."
Ophelia's face was wet with tears.
"I love you too," she sobbed, "always have, always will..."
Alison ran a hand through blonde hair, cupped the back of Ophelia's neck, drew their heads together and kissed her.
No more loneliness.