Wiphas
I can feel my body finally mending, healing, my Xerxerus no longer feels shackled. I try to wake up, but my body isn't ready yet. Everything goes dark again.
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Despair engulfs me and freezes my healing body. Dark suicidal thoughts reach me. I try to block it, but it is all-consuming. I realize that the dark thoughts aren't mine. Shocked, I recognize they come from Shane. Shayla, what the seven hells happened? I only remember us crashing on that damn planet. Everything else is a thick gray fog.
I can feel Shane still struggling, I try to send him my warmth and happiness that started to develop since meeting him. In my mind, I whisper to him,
"Shane, don't ever give up. Everything will be alright, I promise. I will protect you… forever…"
I can feel him draw strength from it. Battling his demons and then they vanish. I can feel him getting his resolve back. My Omega is a little fighter, I smile to myself. Calming down after those dreading minutes. Everything goes dark again.
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The fog finally thins, I feel myself grow stronger and less dizzy. I think that waking up is within my grasp. My body no longer hurts, I'm healed, I'm sure of it. My Xerxerus is calm and happy. Behind my eyelids is blinding white light. Too much light. I can feel something heavy and hot laying on my abdomen on the left side. The body heat burns throughout the sheet and clothes. I'm still not able to open my eyes. I start to hear white noise.
It takes time, but finally, the sound takes form. I listen to beeping, and one person near breathing deeply. Farther away but still in the room, I can hear people speaking. I can't understand what they are saying. Feelings return into my limbs, my muscle prickle.
Slowly I try to flex my fingers. It takes afford, but I finally manage. Next, I try to move my toes, it's easier this time. I try to move my arms and feet a few inches. It works, I flutter my eyelids. But the light is too intense. I groan and move my arm to cover my eyes. Footsteps come in my direction.
"Damn time, you wake up, Captain."
I start to grin.
"What did I miss, Doc?"
The light lessens, and I finally can open my eyes. I see Doc standing by my right side, looking critical over my med-data. I turn my head to the person lying on me. I gasp in surprise.
"Why does Shane sleep here?"
"Tsk, I'm happy he finally sleeps a bit. So if you would make sure to not wake him. I would appreciate it. He was sitting beside your bed for the last six days. Not leaving you."
I bit off more questions. Looking at Shane, I can see exhaust written all over his beautiful face. I nod at Doc, I can feel restlessness starting. But I force myself to calm down. Shane needs his sleep. So I lie still, not moving an inch. Doc taps something on his tablet, I can feel my upper body slightly rise with the bed. Shane didn't wake up from the slight movement.
I'm grateful for the new position. Doc passes me a cup with water in it. I drink it in a few gulps.
"So, what happens next?"
"First, let me bring you up to date," Doc says and starts to explain to me everything that happened since I lost consciousness.
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Afterward, I'm lying speechless. Doc left me and told me to get more sleep. But I'm not tired, and my mind runs a hundred miles per hour. The General comes in minutes after Doc leaves me.
"I'm General William Griffin, we are orbiting at the moment Terra-Solaris. Our technicians, with the help of your twin officers, are trying to find out if the evidence is fake. My family and I are sure of it. But the senator on Terra-Solaris already ordered me to escort Shane to his father. At the moment we have technical problems with our battlecruiser so we can't follow his orders. But we can't stall much longer."
"General, why are you telling me this?"
"If we can't find, that it's a fake before the patience of the senator runs out. I need you and your men to stage a kidnapping. I can't go against the orders of the government without being court-martialed. I do not believe this evidence is real, but I don't know which of my men I can trust anymore. We did not inform anybody of collecting Shane. So how did Jake Barker get this information?"
"How should we do this?"
After hours of strategizing with the General, he leaves me. I promised him to not tell Shane. It's better for the General if his reactions are genuine to his crew. I'm tired. Finally, I close my eyes and get restful sleep.