Wounds Still Linger (4/?)
Title: Wounds Still Linger
Ship: Guzman/Mira, Skye/Carter, Wash/Taylor
Genre: Drama/Angst/Romance
Rated: PG-13
Word Count: 2560
Summary: A long overdue confrontation takes place between friends.
Part One
Part Two
Part Three
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Her booted feet hit the earth below, each strike on the ground perfectly in time with a beat of her heart, her breathing harsh even to her own ears. The large leaves of plants and hanging branches graze the skin of her arms and face in her hurry, leaving scratches in their wake, a white knuckled grip on her gun.
She doesn’t know how long she’s been running, time holds no meaning for her at the moment. All she cares about is finding her way back to the camp they set up last night, a sign that she’s getting closer to the open fields where they left the rovers (hopefully one remains). A place where she stands a chance against any lurking threat, to avoid being trapped and herded by predators.
She allows herself to rest after a few more minutes, stops running when she finds a place suitable for refuge, open enough to see an incoming attack but offering enough protection to afford her some time to catch her breath and sits on a fallen log. She pulls her water bottle from her pack and takes a drink, the liquid a welcome sensation to her parched mouth.
Her senses are on edge, she knows there’s something, someone out there, can feel it. She catches movement in her periphery, knows it to be a warning to get the hell out of dodge, and with that she throws her canteen back into her pack and moves on.
-----
He knew there’d come a day when he’d become the voice of reason, when he’d turn out to be the levelheaded one of the two. He’s looked forward to it, to hold one over Mira if only for bragging rights. He’s often been the one in need of reprimanding, usually at her hands. Can’t deny that he enjoys riling her up, to see her calm and cold exterior (her persona as their leader) crack because after it’s all said and done, she always ends up laughing over his antics.
But this is no laughing matter. As much as he’d like to shrug this off, she’s put herself in a vulnerable position. Lucas was an unknown variable. You never knew what to expect with him.
As Sixers, they knew hardship, were fairly intimate with it and learned early on that another person at your side was invaluable to survival in the wilderness.
Two is one. One is none. Simple as that. So for her to do something as reckless as this left him feeling agitated and angry.
He’d parted from the group after Washington and the kid were taken as far as the campsite (took longer than he’d expected due to the lieutenant’s condition), was told by Taylor that he’d leave a rover for his use, Reynolds giving him an almost imperceptible nod as he departed.
He knows he’s probably overreacting. The area they’re in isn’t known as hunting grounds for any dinosaur but things quickly change in the wild. Mira is more than capable of handling herself. Yet there is an ominous feeling in the air, an unease settling in the pit of his stomach as he makes his way deeper into the jungle.
-----
She pushes herself forward. Each step bringing her closer to her destination. Her pack weighs heavy on her shoulders, slows her down and as much as she’d like to toss it she knows it would be foolish to discard, the contents inside could mean the difference between life and death.
If she knows Carter (and she does), she shouldn’t be surprised that he’s more than likely searching for her instead of heading back to the colony with the others, without a doubt furious (and not just because of the blow to his head). What she did was...careless. Had it been the other way around, he’d never hear the end of it from her.
She hears the slasher before she sees it as it charges towards her, barreling through brush and vegetation. Its loud roar causes her to wince, her ears not as attuned to their piercing screeches as they once were (strange how quickly the body adapts to change). Her reflexes remain sharp however, despite being unused for some time (no need for them inside the gates) as she quickly turns and aims at the offending creature.
Its howl of pain is music to her ears as she takes another shot at the reptile, putting it out of its misery. As much as she’d like to rejoice in her victory, the possibility that more slashers remain hidden halt any celebration on her part.
She knew slashers hunted in groups, were classified as night predators, so to be tracked during the day was a bit odd. Perhaps this one went in search of food on its own, was pushed out of its pack. Casting one last glance at the dead animal lying near her feet she turns to leave. No use in guessing its motives. All that mattered now was making sure she stayed alive and found Carter.
-----
The sound of a sonic pistol firing resonates through the jungle, echoes in the distance. He quickly looks up into the heavens, the sky a clear blue where the canopy of the trees didn’t hinder the view, and searches for a disturbance. Sees a large flock of birds that take flight overhead from a nearby tree. He’s close.
When he hears a weapon fire a second time he takes off running in the direction of the noise.
-----
As she makes out Carter’s figure in the distance, she quickly lowers her weapon after realizing it’s not another slasher and lets out a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. She scans around them before she rests her eyes on her friend, waiting for him to reach her, his pace slowed to a brisk walk after he catches sight of her. She meets him halfway and once they’re face to face he looks at her with a blank expression.
She can deal with him giving her the silent treatment later. All she wants at the moment is to get the hell out of here.
“We need to go. Killed a slasher about 60 yards back and I don’t want to find out if it has friends,” says this as she sidesteps him, walking in the direction he just emerged from.
She hears him let out a frustrated sigh, the crunch of leaves as he turns around. “What the hell is wrong with you Mira?!”
Not in the mood to answer for her actions, not after a slasher attack, she responds with the same fervor he used to question her. “I told you this was something I needed to do. I didn’t need you for this. You should’ve left with the others.”
“Is that how things are?! You the boss of me?!” His face clearly expressing his incredulity. “I’m not your second anymore. But I am your friend. You know? Friend? Someone who gives a shit if you’re about to do something stupid.”
The last word is emphasized as he steps up to her. Not one to ever back down she stands motionless as he encroaches on her personal space. They remain still, both as stubborn and determined as the other before he breaks the silence with another question.
“Did you even find him?”
A moments pause before she utters a short “no.”
His chuckle lacks all humor as he shakes his head. “You got lucky.”
He steps away from her and paces for a few seconds before he continues, once more standing inches from her person. “You’re selfish, you know that?”
Her eyes narrow. This wasn’t what she was expecting. Insults? Yes. Questioning of her intelligence? Sure. But not this.
“You’re not the only one who’d like to take him down. You’re not the only one that’s hurting but you act like you are. The only difference between us and you is that we’ve made an attempt at moving forward.”
“It’s not like a have many options.”
“Bullshit! You have someone! And he’s probably going crazy wondering what the hell is going on with you! Have you even thought about what he’d go through if you didn’t come back alive from this little expedition?! He already lost you once! That you’d do this to him again is beyond comprehension!
She’s never seen him like this before, never seen him lose control, at least not with her. He’s never yelled at her, never gotten this upset. And as much as she’d like to get angry at his treatment of her, she can’t because she knows he’s right.
He’s right.
And the shame that washes over her is overpowering and unrelenting. She closes her eyes, attempts to keep her face from contorting from the pain she feels inside.
Isaac.
The wind picks up at that moment, a breeze flitting past them as she opens her eyes, sees Carter’s shoulders sag a bit, the weight of the day’s trials leaving him after his verbal onslaught. He looks torn between wanting to comfort her and letting it all sink in for a moment longer.
She gazes over his shoulder, not able to look him in the eye just yet, as she collects herself and in doing so she sees the slight shifting of greenery. It could easily be the wind, having picked up strength, the sign of an approaching storm. But she’s not given any more time to decide if that’s the case as bushes and plants are trampled on and a slasher emerges, heading straight for Carter who’s acting as a shield in front of her.
His head turns to look behind him as she grabs his right arm, places the other on his left shoulder and uses her body weight to exert the force necessary to push him out of the way. The carnivorous dinosaur was too close, doesn’t give her enough time to lift and aim her weapon that laid uselessly at her side.
She hears the thud and expulsion of air from his lungs at his hard landing on the ground as she throws herself to the side to avoid the charging beast, would have been in the clear had the reptile not turned and struck down with its tail, catching her side not one but two times. She feels the razor sharp blades pierce her skin and slice it open, can’t help the shout that escapes her. Her side is on fire, feels as if she’d tear apart by the slightest movement.
The sound of Carter’s weapon discharging grounds her as she sees the animal fall, lifeless. Warm hands turn her onto her back, inspecting the wound. He shrugs off his pack, opens it in search of his medical kit.
“Damn it Mira,” the only words to leave his lips as he does his best to dress the large wound, his forehead furrowed in concentration.
He slowly helps her rise from the ground after asking her if she’s ready, throws her pack aside, wraps her arm around his neck as he wraps his own carefully around her waist.
“We can cut through here (he points to their right) to get back to the rovers. The terrain is more uneven but the trees are closer together. They’ll help deter attacks, just in case.”
She only nods, the pain coursing through her stealing her voice as he begins to lead them away, holding more than his fair share of her weight.
-----
The news of Lt. Washington’s return to Terra Nova spread like wildfire and brought forth a mass of bodies to the infirmary in the early morning hours. It seemed every colonist wanted to see the woman who had returned from the dead, the woman who had sacrificed her life for the Shannon family.
After it was made clear that she would not be leaving the clinic for at least a week, Commander Taylor, through one of his famous speeches (the man did have a gift for oration), made sure to inform everyone that she was not to be bothered but assured the masses that they would all have the chance to give her their well wishes personally in a festival to be held in her honor.
That brought a smile to his face, the urge to laugh almost overwhelming, He knew Wash and her dislike for being the center of attention. Wondered briefly if the commander had cleared this with her before coming to the conclusion that it was unlikely. He’d bet two weeks wages.
The man was beyond happy. Their once despondent leader had been born anew. He knew it was due to more than having his friend back, his second-in-command. Wash was his life, his love. (How he came upon that knowledge was a story for another day.) They deserved to be happy. And perhaps now they wouldn’t need to kept it a secret (and he wouldn’t have to worry about walking in on them anymore.)
The day had progressed slowly. He’d spent the entire day in the command center dealing with paperwork (his way of trying to stop his mind from drifting to Mira; was assured by Taylor that she’d be back if Carter had anything to do with it) until he could no longer deny his growling stomach. Making his way to the market in search of anything appetizing, he passed by snippets of conversations but didn’t pay too much attention to them.
The variety of food, colors and scents brought back memories of the time he’d taken Mira with him to choose the ingredients for their six month anniversary dinner. She had insisted she wanted to take an active part in the process. They didn’t make it past preparing the appetizer before they found themselves in bed (or hard surface).
Christ.
He couldn’t even get through his lunch break without the woman taking over his mind. He leaves after choosing one of his favorite quick meals and heads back to the command center. The fact that he actually made a significant dent to the stack of paperwork sitting on the corner of the desk is a telling sign that he’s made a notable effort to avoid falling back on old habits but now that said stack is waining and the sun has set, he can no longer put forth the effort.
He places his elbows on the glass tabletop, covers his face with both hands before brushing one through his hair. He was tired. Damn tired.
His comm. unit springs to life, beeps three times before he answers.
“Guzman.”
“Lieutenant, received message from Carter relaying current location. ETA: two hours. Mira severely wounded from slasher attack. Asked to have medical staff ready.”
His voice catches in his throat. It takes him a moment before he can answer without any sign of distress, hopes the soldier on the other end doesn’t notice the slight shake to his voice as he responds.
He slams a fist down on the desk after the connection is severed. This is precisely the type of scenario he had forbidden himself to contemplate but nonetheless had come to fruition. After he recovers from the slew of emotions wrecking havoc on his damaged heart he takes leave to ensure preparations are met for their arrival and inform Taylor, all the while praying he’d have the chance to tell her he loved her one last time.
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