Love looms in times of war

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CHAPTER 4

Meeting
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The bleeding cuts on Commander Bernard's body landed him a visit to the base's medical wing. He lay unconscious while a complete scan was performed on him in search for injuries. After making sure the pilot didn't suffer internal damage, Doctor Jean Grant treated his external wounds. His head and chest were bandaged while his minor injuries were covered with smaller adhesive sealants.

"Will this patient be transferred to the recovery room, doctor?" asked a nurse who was checking the readings on Scott's bed monitor.

"No, we were actually ordered to give him an A.R.D."

"Meta-duxilotrin?"

"That would do, but not just yet. I want to keep him under observation a few more hours. Captain Cooper will have to wait just a little longer."

The nurse nodded and only proceeded to inject the patient several hours later. Promptly after, the soldier would recover consciousness, but he would experience several side-effects. For one, his reflexes would not be normal. It was possible that his sleep patterns and personality traits would be altered too. After the effect of the drug wore off, he would need pain killers to keep functioning normally. The nurse had seen how much Jean Grant loathed to overexert a patient. In war times such as those, however, it had often been necessary to force injured soldiers to their feet at unnatural speeds.

The drug worked as expected.

"Doctor Grant?" the patient asked after slowly opening his eyes.

"Welcome back," Jean replied jovially. "You have a concussion, two broken ribs, several bruises and a few cuts commander," she informed while watching him bring his hand toward his head. "I wouldn't touch that if I was you," she warned. The patient's fingers froze centimeters away from the tender wound.

"My head feels like it's going to explode... " he told her.

"Try to breathe slowly, Scott. The pain will fade after a few minutes, when the medication you were given reaches its full effect."

"How long have I been here?" he asked trying to sit up.

"A few hours," replied Jean. Scott went quiet but the doctor knew what was on his mind. "I guess you want to know how long will I keep you in here, don't you?"

"There's something I have to take care of, doctor. Something important," he answered longing to be on his feet and out of there.

"I wish to keep you under observation longer," she commented, "but, I won't," she added thwarting Bernard's intentions to protest. "It seems Captain Cooper is in a rush to debrief you." She helped Scott to stand up slowly.

"You were given a single dose of an Aided-Recovery Drug, which means you'll be out of here very soon, but absolutely no flying for a few days, Scott. Is that clear?" He nodded. "I'll make sure Cooper understands as well."

"If you feel dizzy, experience nasal bleeding or cramps, return immediately." Scott nodded again. "Take these if the headache persists."

"Thank you Doctor," the pilot muttered and took the medication Jean was offering.

"You can go now. And I don't want to see you in here -as a patient at least- any time soon."

"I will do my best," he said lowly.

"You better."

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Scott Bernard couldn't stop thinking about one of his Invid pilots. He had lost track of her after the blast that killed Mendez. The first thing he did after his eyes were capable of focusing enough was to check hospital admission lists. He wasn't sure Invid were treated in the same facility, but he looked anyway. Her name wasn't there.

For the time being, he couldn't do anything else. Cooper was waiting for him. He walked towards the intelligence section and crossed the main entrance. Inside, in the waiting area, he saw Lieutenant Hopkins.

"Commander," her eyes shone, "I'm glad you made it back!"

"Thanks, lieutenant. Is Captain Cooper inside?"

"Yes. Along with Commander Woods," she said feeling sorry about the upcoming operations officer's reprimand. "She yells louder than she bites," she offered. He gave her a lopsided smile as a headache was gathering under his temples. He reminded himself to take a couple of painkillers before entering the debriefing room. "I better not keep her waiting," he said finally and she nodded.

"Commander, just one more thing..."

"Yes?"

"Tirol Base has sent reinforcements, they will begin arriving tomorrow."

"Good news at last."

"I thought you would want to know that Major Sterling's name is on the roster."

"Major Sterling..." he said lowly, his earlier enthusiasm vanished. "I... better go now," he said hastily and wondered if there was a chance that Hopkins knew more than she should about Dana Sterling and him.

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"...X-45 quadrant... trapped... assist... pr... ship... ged... re... medic... Hunter... injure... repea..." Vice Admiral Max Sterling's voice and image were severely distorted on the holoscreen. He looked tired and unshaven, still, it was him. For a fleeting moment, General Grant thought he had seen the distressed visage of Admiral Hayes Hunter. Sterling said "medic" or perhaps "medical" attention... Could Admiral Rick Hunter have been injured?

"That's all you could recover?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. Enemy interference is heavily corrupting the signal. But we know the transmission is recent by its signature, sir"

"How recent?"

"Hours."

"We must double our efforts, the SDF-3's holding on. We can't let them down! Get me all captains, ASAP."

"Yes, sir!"

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With his arms crossed, Scott waited for Ariel. So many questions were in his mind. Why was she here? Since when did she become a soldier? What was he going to do to about her? He knew that he couldn't afford being distracted; and she definitely distracted him. He was angry at her for putting herself in danger but a part of him was expectant and even eager to see her again. He couldn't handle the contradictory feelings he was experiencing. And, as if having people he cared so much about trapped by an unknown enemy and facing death at their hands wasn't enough, the news of Dana coming to be in harm's way had completely sunk his battered spirit. Not that his debriefing and Woods' reprimand had helped either.

Captain Cooper was thrilled with the Invid's performance. All Invid units had survived their first skirmish with the enemy. The casualties were reduced to human losses only. Scott took the news with a mix of rage and relief. By then, he knew for sure that Ariel was all right, but Cooper's coldness unsettled him. The members of his squad seemed to be expendable parts for the officer. Like nuts and bolts, a spring or some other piece of unfeeling metal.

During the interview, Bernard was told about an experimental procedure about to be tried on alien recruits. It was aimed at further improving their combat abilities. When he asked to learn more details, his question was shut down. If Ariel was going to be subjected to this experiment, he better find out what it was all about. That sudden military friendliness with the Invid seemed suspicious to him. Why did she have to come? Why did she leave earth's safety and her anonymity behind, why?

He breathed. At least he had made it back in one piece, unlike Mendez who... had disintegrated. If it wasn't for Ariel, he thought, as anger replaced his feelings of protectiveness towards her, I would have reached him! Nevertheless, deep inside, his sore mind nagged at him; he knew he was being unfair. In the precise moment, however, hotheaded Scott Bernard didn't want to listen to his own common sense.

She arrived at last and the door shut mechanically after her. They were alone, face to face after months of thinking of one another, but there wasn't any warm welcome, not a hug, not a kiss, less so a confession of love. All Ariel saw when he opened his blue eyes was pain and anger. He wasn't the Scott she remembered and he was injured. A white bandage was wrapped around his head. Not knowing if following the military protocol was in order, she tried to approach and salute at the same time and ended up freezing.

They shared the awkward feeling. He couldn't care less about the whole rank hierarchy at the moment. She wasn't a soldier. She was Ariel, an Invid. So human, though . His eyes caught how beautiful she looked. Pale perfect skin, long lavish red hair and fiery brown eyes...

She has been a friend. No, not a friend... a crush. A mistake. He refused to accept what he had felt -still felt- about her. It was only a kiss. Feelings were stirring inside him. There he was, the human officer, Invid-hater at one time, feeling... attraction towards an alien? Arghh! His internal turmoil and his inability to deal with it were getting him madder by the second.

"What are you doing here, Ariel?" he asked lastly. His voice was low.

"...Scott... sir," she was very nervous. "You requested my presence." The obvious answer came out and she regretted it immediately, feeling like an idiot.

"Why did you come to Mars Base?" His voice rose by a few decibels as he came closer to her.

"The REF offered safety and a new life for Invid who decided to enlist... I thought it would be good..."

"We are at war, Ariel! This is serious!"

She shivered but composed herself. "You think I don't know! I've been through war. This conflict has taken many lives and it nears earth, it has to be stopped..."

"Why would you care?"

"Earth is my home now, my friends are there... and..." she thought of the countless times she had imagined him facing danger, "I want to help."

"You want to help? Seriously, Ariel, you can barely handle your own mecha! Good help you are." He was inches away from her now.

"I... I didn't mean to... " She looked down, ashamed.

"People fought and died today! While you, an Invid, needed to be baby-sat!" He was yelling, letting his anger and frustration pour over her.

"An Invid?" He had said it with such scorn. "Is that all I am for you?"

"What else are you! Wait. What were you, originally? A trooper? A murderous enforcer before the Invid Regiss made you into this?" He pointed at her.

And then, instead of breaking down and crying, Ariel looked at him. How could he be like this? Her eyes were glowing in a way he had never seen. There weren't any tears, but still he was taken aback, realizing in that second that he had gone too far. An apology had almost reached his lips and broken the uncomfortable silence when she spoke instead.

"You are right. I'm just an Invid. What else could I be?" She said it with a voice as cold as his. "If that is all..." she added, tense.

He was quiet, feeling guilty and too confused to know what to say. Maybe it was better this way; still, he couldn't look at her.

"Yes, that's all." She turned to leave.

"I'll see that you're transferred, Ariel," he said before she left and when she couldn't hear him anymore: "I want you safe."

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