Shortlisted – Day 0004
Gareth fought the strain of cradling Caitlin in his arms as Harlin finished stowing the camping gear. As the air transport approached overhead, its noise amplified by the canyon, Harlin strode to him to shout next to his ear.
"You need to go up first and hook up the basket to lower it. While you're bringing her aboard, that will give me time to talk to the Ranger."
Harlin stepped toward the rope as it dropped within reach. Snagging it, he hooked the two military bags to the end and returned to Gareth.
"Here, I got her."
Gareth kissed Caitlin's forehead before shifting her into Harlin's arms, but she was still unconscious. For a moment, he locked eyes with Harlin, who responded with a nod.
Gareth ran to the rope. As soon as he secured himself, the rope started rising, pulling him and then the bags with the gear below his feet into the air. When he reached the transport, he climbed inside and brought both bags in with him.
The basket hung secured to one wall with netting. He freed it and set it down, hooked the rope, and shoved it outside for the winch to lower it to the ground. He grabbed a handhold to lean out and watch Harlin settle Caitlin into the basket and secure her. Harlin waved all done, and Gareth switched the winch override to manual reverse. Harlin ran off toward the Ranger as Gareth monitored Caitlin's ascent.
The basket swung into the hold and gently lowered Caitlin to the floor. Gareth slid the basket over to one side, detached it from the rope, and started securing it for transport. Caitlin stirred inside the basket. Her lips moved, but he couldn't hear her, so he kneeled and turned his ear to her mouth.
"I didn't want this."
"It's okay. This gives Harlin an excuse to turn on the lights and siren. You wouldn't want to deprive him of his fun now, would you?"
She started to say something, and he bent close with his ear cocked.
"I'll be fine... in a moment. This doesn't last for very..."
Gareth straightened to look at her, but her eyes were closed. He cupped his palm on her cheek and watched her, but she didn't stir. She'd lost consciousness again.
"Hang in there, Linn," he said, just as much for himself as for her.
He headed back to the door opening. The rope had already been lowered to the ground. The few minutes it took for Harlin to return to the transport ate at Gareth.
When Harlin climbed inside, he looked Caitlin over as he unhooked himself from the rope. He nodded in approval and pointed at the back wall. Gareth saw a box labeled with the medical symbol hanging on the wall and felt like an idiot. As he went to retrieve it, Harlin retracted the drop bar and closed the doors.
Gareth knelt down next to Caitlin and opened the emergency triage kit. Dismissing the standard injury supplies, he went straight for the triage sensors package. The simple diagram inside showed him where to stick the sensors—temples, heart, lungs. Once in place, he hit the switch inside the kit.
"Got it!" Harlin called from the cockpit. "Maat will take it from here. Come take a seat—we're moving!"
A gentle tilt, and the transport started forward with force, the motor noise climbing in pitch. Gareth fought his way forward to the co-pilot seat and dropped heavily into it. As he grabbed the extra headset hanging above him and donned it, the acceleration increased even more.
"Maat," Harlin said into his comms, "make up a report for us. Military personnel on training exercises heard the call go out for a missing hiker. Military personnel joined in the search and thanks to the expertise of Park Ranger Williams, the hiker was quickly located. The hiker was found to be dehydrated and disoriented, possibly suffering some underlying medical issue. The military personnel volunteered to take the hiker to a hospital facility immediately. Name of the hiker is being withheld at this time. Details to follow later. End report."
"The report has been sent to your office and will be distributed to the appropriate agencies. I have Mrs. Levant's medical sensor data, and it is being reviewed at the hospital facility. I have also cleared your airways—permission for rapid hospital transport granted. And I would like to remind you, you forgot to activate the outside light signals."
"Oh? Thanks, Maat." Harlin hit a switch and a blue light started flashing outside below each side window, indicating military on duty.
He was flying well above ground obstructions, but still hugging the deck, Gareth noted. They were steadily accelerating until the ridge land below flowed past in a blur. Harlin eased the ship up to higher altitude, but never eased off the throttle until the tachometer digits on the controls display turned red in warning.
Gareth glanced back to check on Caitlin.
"How is she?" asked Harlin.
"I honestly don't know. She's still unconscious."
"Don't worry. Maat is monitoring her. If it were serious, he would tell us. If there was anything we could do, he would tell us. Right now, all we can do is get to the hospital as fast as possible."
There was nothing more to say, so Gareth climbed out of his chair to return to Caitlin. He paused to rest his hand on Harlin's shoulder. "Thank you. For everything."
"Don't get all mushy on me. I told you, I got your six."
Gareth nodded, headed back, and kneeled next to Caitlin. She looked so fragile. She was his entire world, and he was helpless to do anything for her. He bit down on the chaotic emotions within his heart and held onto one certainty. Taking her hand, he leaned down and whispered into her ear, "I'll be here when you wake up."
∞
Harlin brought them in for a smooth landing on the hospital roof. No sooner than they'd touched down, both side doors flew open. Four hospital staff members climbed in from either side and shoved Gareth aside. He jumped out of the transport, assisted by two more of the staff. Caitlin was hauled out, basket and all, and set on a gurney. Then she was rolled off, leaving Gareth and Harlin to follow.
Gareth kept pace with the group, but inside, a hand stopped him from getting on the elevator with them.
"You'll have to meet us on floor sixty-seven, sir. We'll take good care of her," one of the staff said to him.
Gareth glanced over her shoulder to see an IV being put into Caitlin's arm. Another member removed the sensors and replaced them with new ones as the elevator doors closed.
A pat on his shoulder from behind made him turn his head. Harlin pointed at the next elevator. The doors opened as if by the whim of Harlin's gesture. They both stepped inside.
"Thanks, Maat," said Harlin after the doors closed behind them.
"Glad to help," Maat's voice responded from the speakers above.
"Any news?"
"Mrs. Levant has a thyroid hormone imbalance and degenerative Myelin condition. She is being stabilized at this moment."
Harlin cocked his head. "My Ellen what?"
"Myelin is a lipid-rich material that coats and surrounds the nerve cell axion, thus insulating the nerve and assisting electrical transfer of signals."
"Like insulation on an electrical wire?"
"A fair example, yes. Mrs. Levant's electrical wiring is suffering a deterioration of its insulation."
Harlin pursed his lips, avoiding Gareth's gaze.
"Will she recover?" asked Gareth.
"She will be stabilized, yes. But there is no way to correct the underlying cause for her symptoms, Captain Levant."
Gareth heard these words, but inside he quaked with the finality of a gavel landing in judgement.
The elevator doors opened, and they stepped out onto the hospital floor. Gareth walked in a daze, looking out at the world from somewhere within himself. He watched his body go through its motions, following Harlin to the nurse's desk, but did not see. He listened as Harlin made inquiries and was told where to wait, but did not hear.
In the waiting area, Gareth's body took a chair and waited, but it was not him going through the act. Then a doctor stood before him, appearing out of nowhere. Gareth listened, nodded his head at the appropriate times, asked the basic questions. But it was not him asking.
Harlin guided Gareth to the room Caitlin was in, but it was his body that followed. He watched through his eyes as his body took the chair next to her bed, took her hand, and held it between his. For him, time stopped, but he was vaguely aware of Harlin saying something before leaving the room.
Nurses came to check on his wife, but nothing mattered. He sat frozen in position, gaze fixed on Caitlin's face.
Time did not exist.
A sunbeam shone through a window and crawled across the room in defiance. When darkness fell, a nurse came and turned on the lights.
How much time passed, he had no clue. But sometime in the night, Caitlin stirred and opened her eyes. That was the moment the universe began moving again, and Gareth felt the warmth of her hand in his for the first time.
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, and she turned her gaze to focus on him. She smiled at him, but he could see the pain in her eyes.
"I'm right here, Linn."
"I didn't want you to see me like this," she said, her voice weak.
"Do you think I care about how you look?"
"This is the beginning stage, Gareth. They thought I had more time, but I guess I don't." She turned her head away as a tear spilled.
"I'm going to fix this, Linn. Here," he placed a button fob into her hand, "press this whenever the pain gets too much."
Her thumb pressed down as soon as she found the right spot.
"I need you to hang on, Caitlin."
She looked back at him. Two wet tracks glittered down her cheeks. "Gareth, I've had time to learn about this disease. Ahron's disease takes many forms, and I got lucky enough to get one of the worse ones. I'm going to die screaming from the pain as my nerves decay. Do you understand what that means? I mean, really understand? If I get lucky, my mind will snap before that happens."
"It won't come to that. I promise. Just hold on for a few short weeks. As soon as I come out, you're going into cold sleep."
"I don't want you to die for me."
"There isn't any other reason I would want to die for, Linn. Besides, even if I do die, I'll be waiting for you on the other side. I promise I will come for you, Linn. No matter what."
She smiled a weak smile, but her eyelids were drooping as the pain medication took hold.
"Hold on a little longer, that's all I ask. Then you can rest, and when you wake up, you'll be cured. I'll be right there when you open your eyes." He reached out and squeezed her hand again.
Caitlin was fading out, but she came back for just a moment, meeting his gaze. "As long as I can," she slurred, "Gar..."
Gareth released a long, slow breath. She was gone, thankfully into oblivion. He turned his head, sensing another presence.
A nurse stood in the doorway behind him. "I'm here to take some blood samples, Captain Levant." She entered the room. "And don't you worry. We'll take good care of her. In fact, the entire floor is on lockdown—no one will bother her. You're something of a celebrity. All the world has eyes on us. So don't worry about a thing—your wife will get the very best treatment there is."
Gareth nodded and stood up. "Thank you. Tell my wife I'm coming back, please."
"Where are you going? So I can tell her."
"Tell her I'm going to save her. She just has to hang on."
Gareth turned and walked out. He headed straight for the elevators. He knew Maat was watching when the elevator doors opened without being called. Stepping inside, he waited for the doors to close. "Maat?"
"Right here, Captain Levant," came the A.I.'s voice from above.
"Tell Harlin it's time."
"I have already updated him on events, and he is on his way to the roof."
The elevator was rising already. Gareth hadn't noticed it had started moving.
∞
Gareth exited the elevator and looked around the anteroom. No Harlin. Walking to the double doors leading to the roof, he peered through the thick glass. Still not seeing him, he turned as one of the elevator doors behind him opened with a soft swish. A somewhat disheveled Harlin stood there with an eyebrow raised in question. The signs of having just awakened were obvious.
"It's the middle of the night."
"I'm surprised you're still here," Gareth responded. "I thought you'd gone home or something."
"If I'd left, it would've been to the office to fill out paper and write reports about this whole affair. I figured I'd sleep in the waiting room and avoid all that. In case you needed me."
"Sorry to interrupt your beauty sleep."
"Actually, I think you saved me from a really bad crick in my neck." Harlin rubbed his nape with one hand. "What's up?"
"It's time to go." Gareth's voice was cold as he felt his resolve to fulfill a mission bring him into focus.
Harlin stepped out of the elevator. "An air car is coming. We need to go to my office before going to the launch port."
"That's fine." Gareth turned to look out through the glass doors as Harlin came up beside him.
"How are you holding up? We can wait until morning—go back and spend time with her."
Gareth dismissed the idea and whatever feelings he had about it, and faced Harlin. "You said your job was to get me on a shuttle asap if I'd made my decision."
"I did."
"I'm out of time. My decision's made," said Gareth, his voice flat.
Harlin studied him for several seconds. Then he let out a big breath and gave him a nod. "I got your six, Gareth."
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