Terra Nova - Things Lost in the Fire ch23 [Skye/Lucas]
Title: Things Lost in the Fire
Fandom: Terra Nova
Ship: Skye/Lucas
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: bad language, sexual situations, AU
Chapter: 23/?
Summary: AU story. Skye meets a strange man at Snakehead Falls and ends up falling in love. But can happiness built on anonymity last, when the world around them is on fire?
Author's Note: A transitory chapter. I skipped a lot of the action to speed things along for the climax of the story, but hopefully this is still enjoyable.
Things Lost in the Fire
23. The Oath
Sleep wanted to claim him as he pressed his head against the wall, sinking further into the chair in the lounge. Carter fought his fatigue though; he knew better than to allow his senses to be fooled the silence, calmness and brightness around him. He needed to stay awake for now, couldn't falter until he'd made sure Lucas was alright. He'd demanded for a room where he could see what was happening at all times, but truthfully his mind or his eyes hadn't been on Lucas' surgery for awhile now.
He placed his hand inside his pocket, picking a crumbled piece of paper inside. Carter unfolded it carefully, reading through the short list of names, as Skye's voice haunted his mind:
There are so few names, Carter. I can't believe there aren't more.
Each name had a social security number attached to it, something to properly identify these people. His eyes were sensitive for one in particular though: Number eleven. Carter nearly said it aloud, but he had to hold his tongue here, so his lips moved without sound instead. He imagined her speaking that name to him with her hoarse voice, as she held onto him, begging him to do this for her.
She should've known he would do anything for her by now.
No one had expected things to go so wrong with Morris: Two dead, countless others injured. Mira had suffered some sort of acoustic shock after the gun had fired by her ears - the ringing hadn't subsided yet. But seeing the bastard dead on the ground, lying in a pool of blood had been satisfying after days of suffering through his antics, even if it had been achieved at a high price. Carter had been the one to close his lifeless eyes after making sure he was truly dead. No one had asked for a proper burial for this man, so they had left him in the jungle to be mauled by the carnivores.
Skye had been nearly hysterical after Carter had denied her suggestion to get Lucas treatment from Terra Nova. Carter had had one of the men hold her down while he and Mira had proceeded to cauterize Lucas' hand, burning the wound shut so he wouldn't lose anymore blood. She cried and screamed at him, begged him to cancel the plan, to consider Lucas' condition, or at least bring her with them. But leaving Skye behind had been one of Lucas' conditions for the trip, so Carter had known he couldn't afford to be persuaded by her.
Surprisingly, Mira had held her down, telling her that she needed Skye at camp with her (someone to be her voice and ears, someone she could trust). Carter hadn't expected Mira to give up without a fight - he'd been prepared to wrestle her down to have her stay behind - but even she had understood she was no use to them in her current condition. She'd pulled him aside for a moment, wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her jaw over his shoulder and told him about her doubts; how she had almost taken Morris' offer, because she would do anything for her child.
It's dangerous, Carter. That kind of blind love is dangerous. I can't risk it by going myself, in this condition, with this broken body. So I need you to find her, and bring her home. Please?
He'd gathered the volunteers, giving everyone an option to choose their own future. Not so surprisingly, there wasn't a soul who stood against the plan, not after Morris. Skye had gathered the list, gone from person to person, but most had nothing to contribute. After three years they hardly had any connection to their old lives. Some had more now than ever. Carter wrote down only one name on that list: number eleven, Sienna Cain.
And despite the fact that he had seen her countless times, as their employer had allowed Mira to sneak a peek of her daughter after their holographic meetings, Mira had pressed the only photo she had of her girl into his hand. It was faded, worn out by the extreme weather conditions, but he could still make out the woman and child smiling in it. He'd told her, no, he had promised, he would find her, but he doubted she'd heard a word he'd said. Carter had seen the tears in her eyes though, even after she'd been quick to wipe them away.
Ten volunteers with him and Lucas included had set off towards the portal. Mira and Skye had shot Lucas full of drugs and painkillers to numb his nerve system that was screaming for the damaged nerves in his hand. Again Skye had been begging Carter to reconsider, but even amidst his pain Lucas had told her to trust him. And they had fought, as her heart had screamed at her to stop him, and his sense and guilt had driven him into this plan in the first place. In the end, Skye had relented and seen them off before returning to the camp and accepting her part in this play.
It had been the first light of dawn when they had ambushed the guards at the portal and seized it momentarily. Lucas had grit his teeth and worked as fast as he could to open the gateway. After that all they had had was hope. Hope that the others had reached their employer in this to announce their arrival, hope that Lucas' calculations were sound, hope that they could return back in one piece, and hope that the trip would not prove to be in vain.
Carter had helped Lucas walk (Lucas' arm slumped over his shoulders, his body keeping Lucas straight) as they had ventured into the open portal together. And on the other end, they had been greeted by a welcoming party. Carter had surrendered Lucas into their care, dug the empty medicine bottles from his pockets for the doctors, and begun the negotiations while they had taken Lucas into the hospital. Some of the others were claimed by disorientation, nausea, dehydration. Some had merely feigned these symptoms to gain a measure of peace and quiet. Carter had told them upfront he wouldn't be saying anything until Lucas had recovered.
A man had asked him about Morris and Mira. Carter had told them Morris was dead, ambushed by Taylor's men, and that Mira was taking care of the camp until their return. His explanations had sufficed - for now - as the feat of returning to 2149 had been enough to satisfy their employer for now.
Carter had sat in this room for hours now, his weary mind replaying the events of the previous night. The closer he came to sleep, the more inclined his mind was to think of Mira, of his promise to her. Here they were Miranda and James: two outcasts, nobodies. Back in Paradise they were just Mira and Carter, and where she went, he followed. Maybe if - no, when - things settled down, she'd let him talk and be the one to listen finally.
Something startled Carter from his thoughts and he fixed his position again, swallowing painfully and glaring at the operation room behind the glass wall. They were still at work, the countless figures clad in hospital maroon leaning over Lucas' unconscious figure. Carter had had to drag him here, nearly carry the man after the pain medication had started to wear down. He wasn't as worried now as he'd been. The Company wouldn't bother fixing Lucas if they believed he was useless, so there was hope for them still.
And yet his head pounded, the prolonged waking state wanted to take its toll and leave him weak in its wake. Carter banged his head against the wall softly, allowing the small pain and discomfort to disrupt him from the coziness of the chair and the stale air. He focused on Lucas and Skye holding one another, whispering gentle words, even as Lucas' eyes had been unfocused and his whole being had appeared almost too relaxed in her hold. He focused on Lucas shouting orders at the others to check and see that each soldier they'd knocked out was still in good health at the portal, making sure he didn't leave a trail of bodies for his father to find.
Hours were wasted between dream and reality as Carter waited for Lucas.
The ringing had not subsided. It nearly drove her to tears as it covered everything beneath its hum, like the gentle sea and its waves. Not that Mira had actually seen an ocean in her life. She'd seen films, heard the falling water here in Terra Nova and sat by the waterfalls with awe on her lips, but she had never been by an ocean. The noise muddled her senses, isolated her from her surroundings, although her thoughts remained clear.
It had been the right thing to send Carter through with Lucas.
Mira glanced at Skye who was moving from one person to another, trying her best to fix everyone. She'd thrown herself into work, refusing to think of Lucas. By the look on her face, it wasn't working that well.
Mira was stuck in this bed because of that girl; she'd actually had the guts to issue her a guard that made sure she didn't get up! And why? Because of some bruised ribs and the tinnitus that didn't go away. Truthfully speaking though, Mira did admit she was beat up. Every muscle hurt when she tried to move and every attempt to focus on reading lips seemed to take more from her than she would've liked. So she lay on the bed, resting and thinking.
Carter had promised to let them know once Lucas was alright. It could take them awhile to recover though, so until then they were on stand-by. It was useless to do anything until the other team was ready. They were weak now, and their enemy was gathering their strength, alarmed by this sudden move. Mira didn't suspect one bit that Taylor wasn't happy about their assault on the gate. If the man had any common sense he would be preparing for invasion now, securing the portal the best he could. And that was a bottleneck position that meant certain death for anyone who wanted to come back - unless you had an army.
Skye had assured she would try her best to negotiate a cease-fire, but Mira suspected Taylor wasn't as willing to believe her as before. He'd seen the girl he'd adopted turn into a traitor, a Sixer and a killer. No one knew if he had any good intents left for Skye. Mira wanted to believe so, but couldn't vouch for it.
People were petty in her experience. Too many betrayals had the potential of hardening a man until he trusted no one. Mira knew this quite well. She still had trouble trusting others, and yet Skye Tate had succeeded in gaining her trust against all odds. Mira had resisted, and every time she'd expected the girl to flee or freeze in fear she'd charged in headstrong, involved herself in their business more adamantly.
Mira sat up upon realizing one of their scouts was approaching her, and Skye caught this visitor as well, making her way to them both and leaving the others to help the wounded. The scout, Kiya, had been stationed at the portal to evaluate Terra Nova's response to the attack. Lucas had insisted that they keep the casualties to a minimum, and try and reason with his father, but Mira hadn't expected it to make a difference in the end. Taylor had shot Pillbrooke in cold blood when push had come to shove, had he not?
Kiya gave them both a nod of acknowledgement and claimed eye contact with Mira. She then began to speak slowly, making sure Mira could follow. "They've set up guard at the portal, fortified it heavily."
Skye could imagine Taylor's distress at the attack that had come out of nowhere. He had to be planning something with the others, sticking to the belief that the Sixers were out to occupy Terra Nova now that the portal was working both ways. And while he couldn't guard the portal day and night forever, he was sure to place a heavy resistance at the portal, lying in wait for the returning troops.
Would he give orders to shoot on sight? Would they even have a chance to lay down their arms?
"Taylor had set the whole colony on wide alert. No one's going OTG unless it's the troops bound for the portal," Kiya explained with worry.
Mira looked at Skye now, absorbed her clear worry. The noise had begun to take shape. It was like a torrent of water by her ears, foaming and raging. "We'll negotiate," she settled to announce.
Skye bit her lip nervously. "He has no reason to trust any of us," she admitted with great pain. And then her gaze fell to the floor as she smiled absent-mindedly, "But we'll try. Lucas is counting on us."
Because the truth was, they were coming back on their own and locking the door to the future for good behind them. They were finding the people missed: the people whose futures the Company had guaranteed them. Lucas had set to fix everything like he'd promised, even as he had no guarantee that his father, who'd they all had known would control the portal on this end, would even let him back alive.
"So far all they're doing is watching the portal, making sure no one slips back unnoticed. There've been no definitive orders on what they're supposed to do if someone opens the portal," Kiya offered a small piece of solace, a nugget of hope.
Skye proceeded to ask her more, needing any details she could have, but their conversation faded beneath the crashing waters, the foaming of their movement. Mira sunk back into her bed. Her mind was full of rivers, treacherous currents and the cold black water. Skye had comforted her that usually the ringing was temporary, that it would fade away eventually. Mira wasn't so sure.
She didn't hear herself whisper a prayer for clemency.
Lucas began to wake slowly. His head was heavy, but otherwise his body felt light and pleasant. Nothing but white greeted him once his eyes were open. He was used to noise and color, so the realization that there was nothing but calm white was a violent one. His body jerked, he felt the pull of tubes that connected him to the machines by his bedside and it only made him struggle more.
His voice was reduced to muffled groan, a desperate attempt to break the unnerving quiet. He succeeded, as hands landed on his, and suddenly he was face to face with another man. Carter, he realized slowly, as he examined the man's face. He was shaved, clean and dressed in unfamiliar attire, but it was him. Lucas felt ease return into his body with Carter's slow hush that aimed to calm him down.
"Carter?" Lucas coughed, and cleared his throat. He tried to move his hand to his face, but it didn't budge, leading him to glance at the bandaged limb by his side. He frowned in bewilderment. His face showed off each doubt better than words could've described them.
"They wanted to amputate, replace it with a robotic hand," Carter explained. "I didn't let them," he then added, a hint of rebellious smile on his face. It eased Lucas' tensed body more than he'd expected.
Lucas blinked uncomfortably, attempted to move his hand again, but the medication haze was too strong. "What did they say?" he asked.
"There will be lingering pain. Some nerves damaged beyond repair. You won't do surgery with that hand. The knife busted your precision mechanics, but for the most part it should work," Carter recited the effects like he was reading a shopping list. The dark rings beneath his eyes betrayed his tiredness. Lucas was surprised he'd been here right away to confront him.
"How long was I out?" Lucas then asked, wondering if… if he could've missed everything, slept his way through the onslaught.
"A few days. You've been in and out of consciousness. They said the blood loss was quite severe, but they have been surprisingly patient with you," Carter assured, insinuating that the revolution through the portal had not yet taken place. The Company was waiting; they needed him to be there as promised.
"They have been busy though," Carter then added, as if to remind Lucas who it was they were dealing with.
"They have hired some kind of a private army, questioned everyone about Morris. Apparently the timing is ill. We don't have the tactical advantage since Taylor is waiting for us."
Lucas swallowed again, choosing his words carefully. "Has everyone gotten rest, a decent meal?" he asked, sounding perfectly innocent. The way Carter leered back at him told him they had been busy with preparations even while he'd slept. Good, the quicker they got everything in order, the quicker they could make a run for it.
Lucas struggled to get himself to a sitting position. He noticed Carter's jacket laying the chair by the bed, and draw his conclusions from it. "You've been here the whole time?" Lucas asked.
Carter didn't answer, just shifted his eyes a bit.
"Don't you have something more important to do?" Lucas questioned, remembering all too well what should've been the man's first priority. His question made Carter uneasy, guilt rested on his features. Somehow Lucas didn't find the energy to get mad, or ask about it again. There was time to find the girl, to whisk her to safety like the rest.
"I promised Skye I'd look after you," Carter noted.
Lucas remembered dreaming of her. She'd held him, wrapped him in blankets and struggled to stop the bleeding. She'd refused to let him come here, kept begging for him to succumb and be treated in Terra Nova. And he'd tried to assure her as the dizziness, the cold and the nausea had tried to take him for good.
"Of course you did," Lucas sighed.
Lucas's eyes found the window. It was covered. "Open that would you?" he asked, motioning at it with his head.
Carted heeded to his request, and the view that opened froze them both. The ugly brick walls that separated the good parts of town from the bad ones, the dying shades of brown and red all over without a trace of green, of life, opened beneath. The sky was tainted by the dome and its unyielding structure.
For a moment Carter remembered why he'd come on the expedition. To save a dying world that needed those resources. Well this was a bad time for heroes, and the intentions of the Company hadn't been so noble after all, now had they?
For a moment Lucas remembered how he had hated to be torn from this simple, predictable world. And how the lush forests, the cruel wilds and the flow of water - just harmless, precious water - had taken those prejudices and destroyed them.
This wasn't home for either, not anymore.
Lucas glanced at Carter. "Get some sleep," he advised, whilst his eyes on the downright depressing scenery. "And then go find her."
Carter didn't argue. He had a long list, and number eleven was someone he'd wanted to meet for some time now.
Fandom: Terra Nova
Ship: Skye/Lucas
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: bad language, sexual situations, AU
Chapter: 23/?
Summary: AU story. Skye meets a strange man at Snakehead Falls and ends up falling in love. But can happiness built on anonymity last, when the world around them is on fire?
Author's Note: A transitory chapter. I skipped a lot of the action to speed things along for the climax of the story, but hopefully this is still enjoyable.
Things Lost in the Fire
23. The Oath
Sleep wanted to claim him as he pressed his head against the wall, sinking further into the chair in the lounge. Carter fought his fatigue though; he knew better than to allow his senses to be fooled the silence, calmness and brightness around him. He needed to stay awake for now, couldn't falter until he'd made sure Lucas was alright. He'd demanded for a room where he could see what was happening at all times, but truthfully his mind or his eyes hadn't been on Lucas' surgery for awhile now.
He placed his hand inside his pocket, picking a crumbled piece of paper inside. Carter unfolded it carefully, reading through the short list of names, as Skye's voice haunted his mind:
There are so few names, Carter. I can't believe there aren't more.
Each name had a social security number attached to it, something to properly identify these people. His eyes were sensitive for one in particular though: Number eleven. Carter nearly said it aloud, but he had to hold his tongue here, so his lips moved without sound instead. He imagined her speaking that name to him with her hoarse voice, as she held onto him, begging him to do this for her.
She should've known he would do anything for her by now.
No one had expected things to go so wrong with Morris: Two dead, countless others injured. Mira had suffered some sort of acoustic shock after the gun had fired by her ears - the ringing hadn't subsided yet. But seeing the bastard dead on the ground, lying in a pool of blood had been satisfying after days of suffering through his antics, even if it had been achieved at a high price. Carter had been the one to close his lifeless eyes after making sure he was truly dead. No one had asked for a proper burial for this man, so they had left him in the jungle to be mauled by the carnivores.
Skye had been nearly hysterical after Carter had denied her suggestion to get Lucas treatment from Terra Nova. Carter had had one of the men hold her down while he and Mira had proceeded to cauterize Lucas' hand, burning the wound shut so he wouldn't lose anymore blood. She cried and screamed at him, begged him to cancel the plan, to consider Lucas' condition, or at least bring her with them. But leaving Skye behind had been one of Lucas' conditions for the trip, so Carter had known he couldn't afford to be persuaded by her.
Surprisingly, Mira had held her down, telling her that she needed Skye at camp with her (someone to be her voice and ears, someone she could trust). Carter hadn't expected Mira to give up without a fight - he'd been prepared to wrestle her down to have her stay behind - but even she had understood she was no use to them in her current condition. She'd pulled him aside for a moment, wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her jaw over his shoulder and told him about her doubts; how she had almost taken Morris' offer, because she would do anything for her child.
It's dangerous, Carter. That kind of blind love is dangerous. I can't risk it by going myself, in this condition, with this broken body. So I need you to find her, and bring her home. Please?
He'd gathered the volunteers, giving everyone an option to choose their own future. Not so surprisingly, there wasn't a soul who stood against the plan, not after Morris. Skye had gathered the list, gone from person to person, but most had nothing to contribute. After three years they hardly had any connection to their old lives. Some had more now than ever. Carter wrote down only one name on that list: number eleven, Sienna Cain.
And despite the fact that he had seen her countless times, as their employer had allowed Mira to sneak a peek of her daughter after their holographic meetings, Mira had pressed the only photo she had of her girl into his hand. It was faded, worn out by the extreme weather conditions, but he could still make out the woman and child smiling in it. He'd told her, no, he had promised, he would find her, but he doubted she'd heard a word he'd said. Carter had seen the tears in her eyes though, even after she'd been quick to wipe them away.
Ten volunteers with him and Lucas included had set off towards the portal. Mira and Skye had shot Lucas full of drugs and painkillers to numb his nerve system that was screaming for the damaged nerves in his hand. Again Skye had been begging Carter to reconsider, but even amidst his pain Lucas had told her to trust him. And they had fought, as her heart had screamed at her to stop him, and his sense and guilt had driven him into this plan in the first place. In the end, Skye had relented and seen them off before returning to the camp and accepting her part in this play.
It had been the first light of dawn when they had ambushed the guards at the portal and seized it momentarily. Lucas had grit his teeth and worked as fast as he could to open the gateway. After that all they had had was hope. Hope that the others had reached their employer in this to announce their arrival, hope that Lucas' calculations were sound, hope that they could return back in one piece, and hope that the trip would not prove to be in vain.
Carter had helped Lucas walk (Lucas' arm slumped over his shoulders, his body keeping Lucas straight) as they had ventured into the open portal together. And on the other end, they had been greeted by a welcoming party. Carter had surrendered Lucas into their care, dug the empty medicine bottles from his pockets for the doctors, and begun the negotiations while they had taken Lucas into the hospital. Some of the others were claimed by disorientation, nausea, dehydration. Some had merely feigned these symptoms to gain a measure of peace and quiet. Carter had told them upfront he wouldn't be saying anything until Lucas had recovered.
A man had asked him about Morris and Mira. Carter had told them Morris was dead, ambushed by Taylor's men, and that Mira was taking care of the camp until their return. His explanations had sufficed - for now - as the feat of returning to 2149 had been enough to satisfy their employer for now.
Carter had sat in this room for hours now, his weary mind replaying the events of the previous night. The closer he came to sleep, the more inclined his mind was to think of Mira, of his promise to her. Here they were Miranda and James: two outcasts, nobodies. Back in Paradise they were just Mira and Carter, and where she went, he followed. Maybe if - no, when - things settled down, she'd let him talk and be the one to listen finally.
Something startled Carter from his thoughts and he fixed his position again, swallowing painfully and glaring at the operation room behind the glass wall. They were still at work, the countless figures clad in hospital maroon leaning over Lucas' unconscious figure. Carter had had to drag him here, nearly carry the man after the pain medication had started to wear down. He wasn't as worried now as he'd been. The Company wouldn't bother fixing Lucas if they believed he was useless, so there was hope for them still.
And yet his head pounded, the prolonged waking state wanted to take its toll and leave him weak in its wake. Carter banged his head against the wall softly, allowing the small pain and discomfort to disrupt him from the coziness of the chair and the stale air. He focused on Lucas and Skye holding one another, whispering gentle words, even as Lucas' eyes had been unfocused and his whole being had appeared almost too relaxed in her hold. He focused on Lucas shouting orders at the others to check and see that each soldier they'd knocked out was still in good health at the portal, making sure he didn't leave a trail of bodies for his father to find.
Hours were wasted between dream and reality as Carter waited for Lucas.
The ringing had not subsided. It nearly drove her to tears as it covered everything beneath its hum, like the gentle sea and its waves. Not that Mira had actually seen an ocean in her life. She'd seen films, heard the falling water here in Terra Nova and sat by the waterfalls with awe on her lips, but she had never been by an ocean. The noise muddled her senses, isolated her from her surroundings, although her thoughts remained clear.
It had been the right thing to send Carter through with Lucas.
Mira glanced at Skye who was moving from one person to another, trying her best to fix everyone. She'd thrown herself into work, refusing to think of Lucas. By the look on her face, it wasn't working that well.
Mira was stuck in this bed because of that girl; she'd actually had the guts to issue her a guard that made sure she didn't get up! And why? Because of some bruised ribs and the tinnitus that didn't go away. Truthfully speaking though, Mira did admit she was beat up. Every muscle hurt when she tried to move and every attempt to focus on reading lips seemed to take more from her than she would've liked. So she lay on the bed, resting and thinking.
Carter had promised to let them know once Lucas was alright. It could take them awhile to recover though, so until then they were on stand-by. It was useless to do anything until the other team was ready. They were weak now, and their enemy was gathering their strength, alarmed by this sudden move. Mira didn't suspect one bit that Taylor wasn't happy about their assault on the gate. If the man had any common sense he would be preparing for invasion now, securing the portal the best he could. And that was a bottleneck position that meant certain death for anyone who wanted to come back - unless you had an army.
Skye had assured she would try her best to negotiate a cease-fire, but Mira suspected Taylor wasn't as willing to believe her as before. He'd seen the girl he'd adopted turn into a traitor, a Sixer and a killer. No one knew if he had any good intents left for Skye. Mira wanted to believe so, but couldn't vouch for it.
People were petty in her experience. Too many betrayals had the potential of hardening a man until he trusted no one. Mira knew this quite well. She still had trouble trusting others, and yet Skye Tate had succeeded in gaining her trust against all odds. Mira had resisted, and every time she'd expected the girl to flee or freeze in fear she'd charged in headstrong, involved herself in their business more adamantly.
Mira sat up upon realizing one of their scouts was approaching her, and Skye caught this visitor as well, making her way to them both and leaving the others to help the wounded. The scout, Kiya, had been stationed at the portal to evaluate Terra Nova's response to the attack. Lucas had insisted that they keep the casualties to a minimum, and try and reason with his father, but Mira hadn't expected it to make a difference in the end. Taylor had shot Pillbrooke in cold blood when push had come to shove, had he not?
Kiya gave them both a nod of acknowledgement and claimed eye contact with Mira. She then began to speak slowly, making sure Mira could follow. "They've set up guard at the portal, fortified it heavily."
Skye could imagine Taylor's distress at the attack that had come out of nowhere. He had to be planning something with the others, sticking to the belief that the Sixers were out to occupy Terra Nova now that the portal was working both ways. And while he couldn't guard the portal day and night forever, he was sure to place a heavy resistance at the portal, lying in wait for the returning troops.
Would he give orders to shoot on sight? Would they even have a chance to lay down their arms?
"Taylor had set the whole colony on wide alert. No one's going OTG unless it's the troops bound for the portal," Kiya explained with worry.
Mira looked at Skye now, absorbed her clear worry. The noise had begun to take shape. It was like a torrent of water by her ears, foaming and raging. "We'll negotiate," she settled to announce.
Skye bit her lip nervously. "He has no reason to trust any of us," she admitted with great pain. And then her gaze fell to the floor as she smiled absent-mindedly, "But we'll try. Lucas is counting on us."
Because the truth was, they were coming back on their own and locking the door to the future for good behind them. They were finding the people missed: the people whose futures the Company had guaranteed them. Lucas had set to fix everything like he'd promised, even as he had no guarantee that his father, who'd they all had known would control the portal on this end, would even let him back alive.
"So far all they're doing is watching the portal, making sure no one slips back unnoticed. There've been no definitive orders on what they're supposed to do if someone opens the portal," Kiya offered a small piece of solace, a nugget of hope.
Skye proceeded to ask her more, needing any details she could have, but their conversation faded beneath the crashing waters, the foaming of their movement. Mira sunk back into her bed. Her mind was full of rivers, treacherous currents and the cold black water. Skye had comforted her that usually the ringing was temporary, that it would fade away eventually. Mira wasn't so sure.
She didn't hear herself whisper a prayer for clemency.
Lucas began to wake slowly. His head was heavy, but otherwise his body felt light and pleasant. Nothing but white greeted him once his eyes were open. He was used to noise and color, so the realization that there was nothing but calm white was a violent one. His body jerked, he felt the pull of tubes that connected him to the machines by his bedside and it only made him struggle more.
His voice was reduced to muffled groan, a desperate attempt to break the unnerving quiet. He succeeded, as hands landed on his, and suddenly he was face to face with another man. Carter, he realized slowly, as he examined the man's face. He was shaved, clean and dressed in unfamiliar attire, but it was him. Lucas felt ease return into his body with Carter's slow hush that aimed to calm him down.
"Carter?" Lucas coughed, and cleared his throat. He tried to move his hand to his face, but it didn't budge, leading him to glance at the bandaged limb by his side. He frowned in bewilderment. His face showed off each doubt better than words could've described them.
"They wanted to amputate, replace it with a robotic hand," Carter explained. "I didn't let them," he then added, a hint of rebellious smile on his face. It eased Lucas' tensed body more than he'd expected.
Lucas blinked uncomfortably, attempted to move his hand again, but the medication haze was too strong. "What did they say?" he asked.
"There will be lingering pain. Some nerves damaged beyond repair. You won't do surgery with that hand. The knife busted your precision mechanics, but for the most part it should work," Carter recited the effects like he was reading a shopping list. The dark rings beneath his eyes betrayed his tiredness. Lucas was surprised he'd been here right away to confront him.
"How long was I out?" Lucas then asked, wondering if… if he could've missed everything, slept his way through the onslaught.
"A few days. You've been in and out of consciousness. They said the blood loss was quite severe, but they have been surprisingly patient with you," Carter assured, insinuating that the revolution through the portal had not yet taken place. The Company was waiting; they needed him to be there as promised.
"They have been busy though," Carter then added, as if to remind Lucas who it was they were dealing with.
"They have hired some kind of a private army, questioned everyone about Morris. Apparently the timing is ill. We don't have the tactical advantage since Taylor is waiting for us."
Lucas swallowed again, choosing his words carefully. "Has everyone gotten rest, a decent meal?" he asked, sounding perfectly innocent. The way Carter leered back at him told him they had been busy with preparations even while he'd slept. Good, the quicker they got everything in order, the quicker they could make a run for it.
Lucas struggled to get himself to a sitting position. He noticed Carter's jacket laying the chair by the bed, and draw his conclusions from it. "You've been here the whole time?" Lucas asked.
Carter didn't answer, just shifted his eyes a bit.
"Don't you have something more important to do?" Lucas questioned, remembering all too well what should've been the man's first priority. His question made Carter uneasy, guilt rested on his features. Somehow Lucas didn't find the energy to get mad, or ask about it again. There was time to find the girl, to whisk her to safety like the rest.
"I promised Skye I'd look after you," Carter noted.
Lucas remembered dreaming of her. She'd held him, wrapped him in blankets and struggled to stop the bleeding. She'd refused to let him come here, kept begging for him to succumb and be treated in Terra Nova. And he'd tried to assure her as the dizziness, the cold and the nausea had tried to take him for good.
"Of course you did," Lucas sighed.
Lucas's eyes found the window. It was covered. "Open that would you?" he asked, motioning at it with his head.
Carted heeded to his request, and the view that opened froze them both. The ugly brick walls that separated the good parts of town from the bad ones, the dying shades of brown and red all over without a trace of green, of life, opened beneath. The sky was tainted by the dome and its unyielding structure.
For a moment Carter remembered why he'd come on the expedition. To save a dying world that needed those resources. Well this was a bad time for heroes, and the intentions of the Company hadn't been so noble after all, now had they?
For a moment Lucas remembered how he had hated to be torn from this simple, predictable world. And how the lush forests, the cruel wilds and the flow of water - just harmless, precious water - had taken those prejudices and destroyed them.
This wasn't home for either, not anymore.
Lucas glanced at Carter. "Get some sleep," he advised, whilst his eyes on the downright depressing scenery. "And then go find her."
Carter didn't argue. He had a long list, and number eleven was someone he'd wanted to meet for some time now.