Last Holiday on Terra

25

Julia was escorted to sickbay. I remained by her bedside, holding her smaller hand in mine. "Don't let go of me," she pleaded.

So much for running away...

Her animals were brought to her, including the horse. I was told that the mare was quite the sight to see prancing through the many corridors leading to sickbay...jeeez...even the horse didn't try to run.

I figured it all out: All this was a nightmare and I was going to wake up soon on the sofa with her in my arms...

The doors whooshed open and the mare walked inside, her nostrils flaring, eyes shining brightly and her ears pricked forward.

"Easy girl," she said quietly. "I know. I'm more than a little slightly nervous too."

I only halfway listened to their seemingly one way conversation as I sat in the chair next to the bed she was lying in...just felt wrong to listen in. She had been hooked up to the medical instruments; Drogo insisted. Finally, it was on the wall for all to see...the woman was absolutely terrified.

I need to be with her, Cee said with urgency. I am her guardian! Rowan! Why are you just sitting there!

Take a number honey. I've got dibs, Allie countered.

I sighed and said under my breath, "now's not the time you two—so kindly shut the fuck up?"

Drogo's clone approached and took her vitals. "I'm only going to say this once if only to record that it was actually said. So here it is: you need to calm yourself Julia. Now that that's done, I'm going to give you something to calm your nerves. Hell, I might give Rowan one too. He looks like he's about to croak before you. I'm surprised that you didn't try for a hasty exit—your Grace—

His tone was accusatory and not only was I not accustomed to hearing that tone, I found that I didn't like it one bit and it was all I could do not to react.

"Well, they know very well how to subdue the pair of you, don't they?"

She looked at him and shook her head. "Really Drogo? Now you decide to be funny?"

"Thought it might help to cut the tension in here. Even I can feel it and being an empath, I can only imagine how you're handling this. Suffice it to say, your levels are peaked and you are liable to go into cardiac arrest—"

"I'm about to be euthanized, Drogo," she said. "You know what? I've changed my mind—I don't want to do this—Rowan, please get me out of here!"

That was all that I needed to hear. I moved to get up from my chair but the air around me was thick and I could hardly move.

It was then that Azreal turned to face her again.

"It's not like that at all, Julia—they have assured me that it will be quicker than falling asleep—"

"FUCK! I've sat with so many of my own fur babies to help them transition—I have never felt this level of fear, EVER! I DO NOT WANT TO DIE!"

We watched the Deity assemble in the corner of the medical bay and finally, Azreal turned to approach her bedside carrying a small instrument that I guessed contained some kind of fatal tranquilizer in his ethereal hands. It was then that I realized that he was in the present and not between the worlds as deity is prone to do...this was as taxing on him as any of the rest of us.

I heard her breath catch and then, her animals reacted; Moose growled menacingly and the cats crouched, their ears flattening and whiskers flaring. Both were hissing their warnings. The horse was visibly uneasy, attempting to block Azreal's path. None of this could be helpful for her to witness.

Her breathing quickened as he approached her.

"Shit," Drogo shouted. "She is coding—out of my way, Az—"

Deity surrounded her bedside to keep him away but I managed to keep a firm hold of her hand.

"Doctor, she will be awakened in a moment."

"Az—" she whined. "Please—"

He lowered his face to hers. "Julie, if you have ever trusted me, trust me now—"

I watched another group of the Deity delegates transport another body into the room and I recognized her immediately. Her cranial tentacles, as red as rubies...I sat between them and one of the delegates placed her warm hand in mine; her body was already alive. So you will know...

A mask was placed on Julia's face which for a half second I thought was pointless since her body was about to be terminated. I almost missed Az was injecting the gaseous tranquilizer into the air tube.

"See you in a minute," he whispered to her. "I promise."

I felt her life's energy leave her body and travel through mine and out again.

In the blink of an eye, maybe even quicker than that, I felt Kianda's hand twitch in mine and then her fingers thread in between my own. My soul sang out, but my heart was broken...I had lost my Julia.

It's done. Damn, I'm going to miss her quirky self, Allie said uncharacteristically quietly.

They're a lot alike, Cee countered. But yes. I will miss her too.

I rolled my eyes at their terrible acting and released Kianda's hand and turned toward Julia's lifeless body and unsuccessfully fought the blood red tears from streaking my face.

Her eyes opened and Drogo was at her side, monitoring her progress. I felt her eyes on me as I lowered my face to Julia's. "I'll see you again some day, I promise," I whispered.

I looked up into the eyes of the Deity I once knew as my chief advisor. "We must take her now, Rowan," he said to me.

"No-I haven't finished saying—"

"Rowan, her body needs extensive repair, please—" he whispered. "We need to help her." It was then that he gave me hope in the form of a wink of his bluish-white eye.

"Rowan—"

Her voice was familiar, but at the same time, not. I turned my head to view her peripherally and felt immediately ashamed.

"Heyyyyy—"

I stared at her. Hard.

She pulled me down and whispered, "it's still me—"

"J—Julie?"

"Kianda," she replied quickly.

It was then I realized why Julia's red dress and those red earrings of hers dazzled me so...they were the same color as Kianda's cranial tentacles and her eyes. Her skin was the same bluish-teal that I remembered.

"I really must apologize for pitching such a fit earlier—scaring everyone like that, myself included." She sighed. She tried to move as so to sit up and Drogo insisted on her remaining flat on the medi-bed. "Can I at least have a pillow?"

"You don't like pillows," I snapped. "They mess up your tentacles."

"I think I've actually kind of gotten used to them. Besides, I think it's entirely appropriate to have bed head whilst in the medical bay."

I could only stare at her. I had dreamed of a moment such as this for so long that I still occasionally experience dreams...this however, no longer felt like one anymore.

"Are you hungry? I was starving when I came to."

"Yes. I could probably eat an entire tuna fish on my own."

Drogo cleared his throat. "Noooo."

She sighed. "I just knew you were going to say that."

"You can have a bit of flounder and some kelp. And if you're a good girl and behave, some sea berries for dessert," Drogo announced as he moved toward his office. The tone of his voice, as slight as it was told me that he was as heartbroken as I was.

She stuck out her tongue which caused me to laugh in spite of myself.

My Julie was still in there, somewhere...