MINE

Chapter Thirty Five

"Nathan!"

Nathan heard his name in the distance but couldn't decipher the direction he was being called from.

"Nathan, please open your eyes."

This time, he recognized the voice. It was Borgina. He looked around him but couldn't see her. He was still in the green field but Brooke was nowhere to be found. He was all alone and confused.

"Nathan!"

The voice got even louder. He was about to ask Borgina for her location when his eyelids flung open.

"Nathan, can you hear me?"

"Yes." He replied.

He realized he was lying on the ground but not in the green field on Earth. He was still on MoonEx, living under artificial conditions he couldn't control. Disappointment washed over him, followed immediately by sadness. His little dream had made him think of Brooke and it broke his heart to know she was gone forever. The sadness was quickly replaced by anger as he remembered the events that transpired shortly before he passed out.

"Were you trying to get me killed?" He asked Borgina, getting up from the ground and walking towards his computer.

"Well, it's great to see you too." She replied, sarcastically.

"Did you turn the Oxygen off? Can you control the atmospheric conditions?" Nathan was furious.

"What do you think the answer to that is? If I could, wouldn't I have provided Oxygen outside when you needed to go to the store?" Borgina retorted. "I can't believe you just asked me that. Did you ask Nurse Reese if she did it? Oh, wait. You didn't. She's just way too special to be accused."

"Don't make this about her, Borgie. You never like anyone who gets close to me. I understand you're skeptical and all, but did you have to hurt me to make her leave?"

"What has gotten over you?" Borgina asked. Her tone was just as calm as Nathan knew it to be. It made him pause and question his actions. "You've known me forever. Have I ever done anything to put you in danger?"

"No." Nathan replied.

"What makes you think I will start now? Nurse Reese came in here and everything went off. She's been trying to cozy up to you since the first time she got here. Do you know what her intentions are? Isn't it plausible that she'll do this and try to pin it on me just so you'll discard me? You didn't bother to question her. Instead, you turn on me. How does that work? Did you see me active during that time? I don't know how I got shut down but I'm pretty sure she does."

"She shut you down?"

Nathan really didn't know what to believe. Nurse Reese had been in his arms, giving him a hug. There was no way she could have shut the systems down. Or could she? He remembered her making the cut in his arm when she found him out. He hadn't noticed her doing that. Could she have shut the systems down without him noticing it too? To be fair, he hadn't seen or heard Borgina through the experience. She could very well have been shut down like she claimed. Nurse Reese had walked out of the apartment and abandoned him there after all.

"If Nurse Reese is doing this, shouldn't I be protecting Borgina?"

Nathan became angry at himself. He had failed to protect Borgina the only time she needed him.

"I'm sorry, Borgina. I really am."

Borgina did not respond.

"Borgina, please. Didn't you say my smile was like the sunrise? Wouldn't you like to see it again?"

"Maybe." Borgina replied, turning away from him.

"Okay. We'll be one strong team going forward. I promise. No one will come between us." Nathan pleaded.

"Don't make promises you can't keep." Borgina replied.

"I intend to keep this promise until my dying day." Nathan assured her.

To Borgina, it was the best thing Nathan had ever said. She was indeed making progress with her plans and was pleased. Everything was the way it should be and she was going to make sure nothing changed that. Her first point of action would be to get rid of the intrusive Nurse Reese. She couldn't afford a glitch in her plan and Nurse Reese's presence could very well provide that glitch.

"Fine. I believe you. Just so you know, I've never liked the nurse." Borgina stated.

"I know. Apparently, she was trouble." Nathan replied.

** Do you believe Borgina? Was Nurse Reese responsible for the mishap? If not, why did she leave him there? Vote if you think this story deserves it and let me know what you think in the comments section. **