Eden (27 page)

She half laughed, exasperated. She was torn between frustration and genuine amusement at Bodie
’s
unwillingness to see any good in Fly.

“Jen,” Bodie began. “There
’s
something I have to tell you. My legs are getting -”

A sharp crack filled the air, and Bodie
’s
words were cut off as and the ground beneath them shook.

Jenny shot up. “An earthquake!”

Bodie stood up also, he wobbled, but he grabbed her arm and urged her forward.

“Not a “quake,” he gasped. “The ship
’s
breaking up.”

Jenny
swiveled
around, and would have run inside had he not been holding her arm tightly. The giant spaceship vibrated until it blurred. Dust
spiraled
from it in great swirling clouds of black and grey.

“Fly
’s
in there!” she screamed.

Bodie pulled on her arm.
“Move!
“

Reluctant, but aware that their lives depended on it; she placed an arm around Bodie
’s
middle and helped him to safety. She didn’t acknowledge his ability to walk; she was too distressed to notice.

They reached the top of the hill and continued to watch the ship
’s
destruction with a helplessness they both felt.

After the first crack, part of the ship sank within itself. The beast, which had been recovering after all from its injuries and was tied behind the ship, stopped bellowing abruptly as it was buried under falling debris. The noise of the collapse engulfed them in its savagery. Then the
spiraling
dust mushroomed in one giant, dirty cloud high above in the blue sky.

Jenny was still. Her mouth was covered by both of her hands. Her entire expression was one of disbelief and unacceptance. Bodie was pale beneath the grime that covered both their bodies. He too,
was under the grip of total disbelief.

“Noooo!”

Bodie stood helplessly beside her, as the tortured scream erupted from her lungs, and the spaceship hung open like an exposed dollhouse. Walls inside crumbled like paper. Then it was over, dust filled the air like a murky grey fog, and the ship was a mess of debris in the valley.

A vast silence settled over everything. Then Jenny was off, slipping and sliding down the hill, faster and faster, until she was lost in the wreckage.

TWENTY-EIGHT

Bodie moved gingerly down the hill on his bottom. Once there, he stood and shuffled slowly through the wreckage. Every movement hurt and sent fresh pain rocketing through his legs.

“Matt!” he yelled.

Jenny ploughed through, shouting and screaming their names until she was hoarse. She dragged away huge steel sheets causing her to hands bleed; then dropped to her knees to peer beneath the demolished ship, only to pop up again to continue with her search.

Bodie was worried she might fall through and become lost herself. He called her back, but she either ignored him or failed to hear. He walked where he could, and peered through the dust until his eyes smarted, but he felt useless. He faltered, cocking his head, then began waving frantically to Jenny. She looked in his direction, her eyes huge and haunted in her soiled face, but reading Bodie
’s
expression she stopped, and listened with him.

They both heard a muffled shout, and Jenny headed towards it, leaving Bodie to watch. He waited as she climbed over the mounds of metal and wire, knowing he wouldn’t be able to lift his injured legs over the ship
’s
remains.

She shouted something, and he shuffled forwards until he was near enough to see. There was a steel grille of some kind, and beneath was Matt. He was pinned under, with an expression of frustration rather than pain.

“It
’s
Matt,” she called. “He
’s
OK. The surrounding walls have taken the brunt of the collapse, and pinned him in this cage.” She pulled away the remains of the crumbling wall as she spoke, and soon Matt was able to help himself and ease his body from the metal
prison.

Bodie closed his eyes, wondering how much worse it could get. He opened them as Matt stood up. Jenny moved away almost immediately, her eyes
scrutinizing
every spare inch of broken spaceship.

Matt was on his knees moving metal sheets and thick lengths of cable out of the way.

“He was...” he coughed, “near me when it happened.”

Bodie tried another step forwards but there was just too much to step over, and he continued to watch, feeling more frustrated and useless as time slowly moved on.

Together, Jenny and Matt eased tonnes of rubble, but it was Matt who uncovered a grazed hand. And even from where Bodie stood, he saw heat leave Jenny
’s
face. He wanted to cry for her.

At last Fly
’s
arm was freed, and Jenny pressed the palm of his scarred hand to her wet cheek.

“Please be alive.” Her whisper carried over to where Bodie still stood, and his heart broke at her distress. How could he and Matt have even thought of killing him? It’d be like killing her, too.

“Let Matt uncover him, love,” he called.

She shook her head, and grimly helped Matt remove the steel chunks from his face. Then Matt leaned forward and placed an ear against Fly
’s
mouth, listening for evidence of breathing.

Bodie waited, and when Matt looked up nodding, he almost slumped to the ground in relief. Matt pulled off the remaining debris until the alien
’s
shoulders and chest were exposed, then he and Jenny each took an arm and proceeded to drag him out.

Bodie went over as soon as they were clear, and lowered himself awkwardly beside Fly
’s
body. The face was pale beneath the dirt; the eyes closed as though asleep. Clear liquid streamed from one of his ears and blood plastered his hair against his face in congealing
clumps.

Jenny was openly crying now the need for calm had ended. She seemed almost on the edge of hysteria, and rocked back and forth on her heels, hugging herself.

“Ssh, sweetheart, ssh,” Bodie rose, reaching for her, and wrapped his arms around her. “He isn’t dead.” No
t yet, he added in his head. “D’
you think a selfish bastard like Matt would rescue a body?”

She shivered in his embrace, but fell silent. They watched Matt in astonishment as he tipped back Fly
’s
head, pinched his nostrils together, opened his mouth, and then pressed his own against the blue tinged lips.

Then Bodie was on his knees, all pain in his legs at that moment forgotten. Without disturbing Matt he located Fly
’s
pulse, then turned and gave a thumbs-up sign to Jenny.

They worked in silence, all shocked and distressed. Jenny built a fire; Bodie found blankets and pillows among the already salvaged goods, and placed them around Fly
’s
lifeless body.

“He nearly died,” Bodie said, watching as Jenny scouted the area for more foil covers. “I thought that
’s
what we wanted.”

Matt was silent, watching the unconscious figure on the
ground.

“He still might,” he said. “He has a bad skull fracture, doesn’t
he?”

“It doesn’t look good.” His forehead, the only place on his face without a scar, was beginning to
discolor
, but the cerebrospinal fluid, which had leaked from his ear, had thankfully stopped.

Bodie had secured a wooden brace around his head and shoulders, in effort to keep his head and neck from moving.

“Why’d you save his life?” asked Bodie. “You had a perfect chance to kill him. Jen was looking for him in a totally different area from the one where you uncovered him. Within the hour he
would’ve
died from natural causes and we wouldn’t have taken any blame. “

The flame lit Matt
’s
face in different shades of orange. “I know,” he said. “Don’t think that it didn’t cross my mind.”

“He
’s
saved our life, given us food and shelter,” Bodie said. “We never even said as much as a thank you.”

“He never tried to kill me,” Matt finally had the courage to admit. “When we had that fight in the forest he merely defended himself. I did all the fighting.”

Bodie frowned. “But I thought you said he left you for dead?” “He knocked me unconscious.” Matt grimaced in memory. “When I came to, I found I’d been left in the recovery position next to a tree, and covered with leaves. I was cold but thanks to the shelter and leaves I wasn’t frozen, and the wolf people made no attempt to attack me. With hindsight, their presence probably protected me from other animals. “

Both men fell silent, and watched as the flames danced over Fly
’s
comatose body. Bodie had bandaged his head with washed, but tattered, old rags, yet fresh blood was beginning to seep through.

“That cut could do with a stitch,” Bodie said, almost absentmindedly.

“His neck could be broken,” said Matt. “The splint you made isn’t strong enough to keep him still.”

“I know.”

“Put a hand over his mouth and nose.”

“
WhatP
Bodie stared at Matt in amazement.

“Do it. Do it now while Jen
’s
not around,” Matt urged.

Bodie looked back at Fly. Even lifeless he seemed dangerous and alien, but
familiar.

“I couldn’t,” he said.

“Likewise.
That
’s
why I couldn’t leave him to die. We owe
him.”

Bodie almost laughed. “That
’s
the biggest change of heart I’ve known anyone to have. Sounds like you
’re
feeling guilty.”

Matt gave a lopsided smile. “I am.”

They both dropped their eyes towards Fly.

“He
is
going to make it, isn’t he?” asked Matt.

Bodie looked up; at Jenny
’s
small figure against the dusky sky. “I hope so,” he said. “For her sake.”

She came over; she was trembling so loudly her teeth could be heard rattling.

“We
’ll
take him back to your house,” said Bodie rising. He thought of the boat, and thanked God that it had finally been finished. “We
’ll
go now before it gets any darker. Is the boat still this side of the river?”

Jenny dragged over a mattress from the bedroom, and laid it before the newly lit fire. Matt staggered in a moment later with Fly, like a bag of flour, over his shoulder. Bodie was behind him, holding onto the wooden brace, which surrounded Fly
’s
head and shoulders, to keep him as still as possible.

Once he was lowered onto the mattress, the three stood helplessly around. Matt was soaked with river water and he was shivering violently. Jenny, her face pinched, motioned him out.

“I
’ll
show you to the bathroom,” she said turning, and didn’t see the looks Matt and Bodie gave each other. Matt followed her out after a shrug.

“Yes!” His voice sang out from the other room. “And the water
’s
hot!”

Bodie smiled, Jenny was obviously not hallucinating as they had both thought when she first mentioned the bathroom.

Fly had worked hard, and built her a house that wouldn’t look too out of place back home. He noticed the buggy
’s
rear seat used as a settee, and sank down on to it gratefully. He massaged his thighs then looked around at his surroundings with something like awe on his face. Then his ideas changed; his thoughts about Fly turned a sharp somersault, and landed upside down, inside out. He let his eyes fall towards the still form by the fire.

Jenny came in and, without glancing at him, sank to her knees beside Fly.

“Apart from his ankle and skull there aren’t any other broken bones,” Bodie said, wanting to comfort but not sure how. She seemed to be retreating. “But the ankle is a break not properly mended before, isn’t it?”

Her fingers moved over Fly
’s
swollen ankle.

“You love him...
I’m
sorry I doubted you.”

She didn’t answer. Her body was hunched over, and her jaw moved silently as if she were whispering secret words into Fly
’s
ear. Bodie wondered if she knew he was still in the same room.

“Jen, this house... it
’s
beautiful. He hasn’t left any detail out. Everything he
’s
done, he
’s
done for you.”

Tears spilled from her eyes.

“He loved you,” he said. “He probably didn’t understand the emotion because love isn’t something his race is accustomed to, but being here and seeing this, I know that he did.”

“Does”

They both looked up at Matt standing in the doorway. His hair was still wet, but he was dry, and he had put on the spare Itor clothes, which Jenny had left out for him.

Jenny held out her hand to him, and he crossed towards her to
take it.

“Thank you,” she said. “You saved his life. I don’t know why.” She frowned, and swallowed deeply. “But
I’m
glad you did.”

“I don’t know either,” he said. “Maybe
I’m
going soft.”

Jenny gulped. She turned her head, buried her face in her hands, and wept.

“Hey, hey!” Matt crouched beside her, and placed an arm around her shoulders. “He
’s
going to be fine - isn’t that right, Doc?” he called over his shoulder.

“Er, yeah,” Bodie cleared his throat, more surprised by Matt
’s
sudden ability for sympathy than his question. “Of course, he is.”

“He looks so...” she sniffed, wiping her streaming eyes on the back of her hand. “Why did this have to happen? Why now, when we were just rebuilding our lives?”

“I know,” said Matt. “But it could’ve happened at any time - when
all
of us were inside.”

Her smile was watery. “
I’m
glad you got out OK. It would’ve been awful if both of you had been injured.”

“I was lucky I was on the stairs when it happened, else I could very easily have been lying here next to Fly. “

“Oh, Matt, why did we fall out? Was it really because of who I
was?”

“That and the pressure of juggling work, studying, continuous medicals, and tests for this, tests for that.” Self-consciously he darted a quick glance at Bodie, as though he was embarrassed that he was a witness to his confession. “I thought I had found somebody like me - struggling to make it alone, and broke. For a time you made me feel needed, and then I found out you were neither struggling, alone or broke. In fact you had a very wealthy family, and an extremely famous dad.”

“You hated me for that?” she looked incredulous.

“I think Matt
’s
trying to
apologize
,” Bodie said. “Fly was never in any danger from him or from any of us.”