Return to Earth – 02

Daniel tossed and turned. The screams were coming from everywhere as he watched helpless people burning. He couldn’t help them. He tried to get to them but they got farther away. He was in space. The station was miles away. Its black and silver shell reflecting the sunlight as it turned on the axis. Five thousand people still went about their lives as the Emporium burned. What went wrong did he miss something? Maybe the deactivation didn’t work, did they change it? He tried to swim to the station. Tiny bits of light started to emerge along bottom where the emporium was. More screams echoed the others. He saw panic in her eyes as explosions rocked the station taking out one level then the next. Twelve levels full of all types of people. He screamed but heard no sound as a massive explosion blew the stations into bits and pieces. The vacuum of space extinguished flames and any life that might have survived the explosion. He was alone in space. He felt the sun on his face as he twisted around. Slowly all light started to fade. Darkness enveloped him. He screamed again and again for help. None came. He was alone in the darkness of space, a failure to protect once again.
Daniel bolted straight up as he gasped for air. His heart rate shot up sending the alarms in the room into a chorus of beeps. He tried to get his breath shaking his head as his eyes failed to open. There was nothing but muffled sounds and complete darkness around him.

“Marshal Miller, relax, calm down and take a deep breath. You are in the Medical Center. Please calm down and lay back,” a soft hand grabbed his arm and his reflexes reached and grabbed the wrist and pulled. The woman screamed as he locked his arm around her and squeezed. “Marshal please,” the woman’s voice got softer quieter as his arm locked around her throat. His mind was clearing as he started to hear more clearly. He heard several others rushing towards them.

“Marshal, “ a familiar female voice called him as she was grabbing his arm trying to break his hold. The woman in his grasp stopped struggling as the pressure he was applying started to lessen. As more sounds became clear and familiar. “That’s it relax. You are safe here. You really need to remember that,” the familiar voice continued and stoked his arm sliding towards his hand as he released the woman and felt a firmer hand lock with his. “Until he is accustomed to the blindness or it clears up everyone is to remain at least arm length from him while he is asleep. He may sleep more than normal but that is expected. Two people are to be in the room if he is to awakened. Now everyone out. The show is over,” she squeezed his hand as he closed his around hers.

“Not her, stay moment, please” Daniel whispered hoarsely. His hand trembled as he reached up and rubbed his face. “I’m sorry,” he said barely audible. His and moving in the air reaching out to where the woman had moved away. He turned his head toward the familiar woman and squeezed her hand tighter. “She’s okay right? Please tell me I didn’t hurt her.”

The doctor looked at the young woman and was about to answer when she stepped forward and took is other hand. “Marshal, I’m fine, shaken but fine,” she rubbed his hand in reassurance. “I’ve had worse hugs from my cousins.”

He heard her gasp as he held her hand tight, pulled it up and kissed the back of it. He took a deep breath turned his head and took another. Slowly he smiled. He shifted around as best he could and finally had to release the Doctor’s hand before he was able to reach over to the stand behind him. There was a vase of cut flowers and his fingers just barely reached. He heard the Doctor stifle a giggle as she reached over and pulled the vase closer to him his fingers moving around in the arrangement as she held it. It wasn’t until he touched a rose that he grinned again as he pulled it out of the arrangement.

He sat up and turned his torso toward the woman still holding his hand. He couldn’t see her but her voice was soft and youthful. The skin on her hand was smooth and callous free. He could smell a vague aroma of lavender and cherries. Not a great combination but he imagined she was on a tight budget and used what was available.

He pulled her hand and drew her closer and he heard her gasp and slightly resist. He smiled and shook his head. “Relax, calm down and take a deep breath,” he said to her, reciting her words to him. He reached up extending the flower letting the bud rub against her skin. He slowly drew it down her arm and across her hand before holding it out to her. “Don’t let something like this scare you. Do your job as you did and you will see good success in this job.” She took the flower and felt his hand let hers go. “I am truly sorry,” he said as he fell back onto the bed.

She laughed. “Just something to tell the grand kid about some day. But let’s not make a habit of it.” She reached over and caressed his face as she walked towards the door. “I’ll be back when the breakfast trays come around. Hope you like pancakes.”

Daniel followed her voice and just nodded. He shifted his attention to the doctor when he was sure the nurse was gone.
“I’m sorry, I don’t think I got your name. Are you Dr. Branson or Dr. Caspen?”

“Doctor Alisha Branson, Marshal Miller. It’s a pleasure to have a chance to introduce myself. Michele, Dr. Caspen, will visit when she can. She was called to maternity for a delivery. I’m certain she will be happy as well. She did ask me to apologize for her absence when you woke up.”

Daniel looked at the direction that her voice was coming from. She was moving around and from the sounds of things she walking funny. “How long am I stuck here,” he asked.
She tried not to laugh but a little chuckle escaped. “Not exactly the first question I expected you to ask. Nothing about your condition, what happened after you passed out on the food court. Just point blank ‘how long am I stuck here’.”

Daniel shook his head as she knocked something over on the floor and grumbled as she bent to pick it up. “My condition is not dead as I should be. Plasma gas is a corrosive agent even a small amount inhaled would cause air passages start burning dissolving away. The festering of tissue would close off the air passage there by suffocating its victim. If the gas made it to the lungs, the corrosive action would dissolve them as well. The person would start to drown as blood filled what remained of the lungs then succumb to asphyxiation. The process is uncontainable. As for my eyes I suspect that though I never had my eyes low enough to be fully enveloped in the gas, it is possible that fumes managed to get in and damage one or more of the organs that allow a person to see. So my condition is that I am dead or there is some new technology that I am not aware of that was capable of preventing my death. I can only hope that whatever there is after this life is not just an extension of this one. A lot of people have died believing they were going to a better place. Even though I am skeptical I do hope from time to time I am wrong and there is a better place after this one.”

Dr. Branson stood open mouthed. “I will be honest, I didn’t think you had a clear idea of what you were doing. Don’t take that as not be thankful, I am very, very grateful. There are not many would sacrifice themselves in that way for someone they didn’t know. You did and saved two lives. Even if the asshole didn’t deserve it. Seems you knew the consequences all to well. I’m not sure if that makes you noble or just crazy.”

Daniel lifted his legs and swung them down over the bedside. He would have been able to get up if his feet hadn’t hit something on the floor. The next thing he knew Dr. Branson was at his side and pushing him back down.

“Not yet. You’re confined to bed for at least another twenty-four hours.” Daniel groaned and tried to shift off the bed but she pressed him down again holding him by the shoulder. “It will be more if you argue with me.