Earth's Last Angel (24 page)

Ben shrugs. ‘Suit yourself. He remains standing also. ‘I'll be quick then, I want to know what you think of us checking out some larger asteroids.'

Kenny stares. ‘The only large asteroid near us is in the hot spot.' He shakes his head. ‘No, that is completely out of the question. It's far too risky.'

Ben nods. ‘Ok, I just thought I would ask.' He begins moving toward the door. ‘Clearly the conversation is over,' thinks Kenny as he follows Ben.

Outside Ben's quarters, he stands for a moment pondering what he had just heard. It's not what he had expected. If he had known what was coming he might have reacted less offensively and played along.

‘He called me this morning' Helena say's getting herself in a fluster. ‘Lucky I had his door ID code. I can't understand why he didn't call me last night before he got this sick. I was here when he began getting pains, but he wanted me to go.'

Another spasm strikes, contorting Davis's face in agony. ‘Help me,' he gasps.

Helena looks at Kenny helplessly. ‘I don't know what's wrong with him.'

‘Food poisoning, perhaps,' suggests Kenny. ‘If we knew what he had eaten that would help.'

‘We were together and had the same food, same drink.' She stops. ‘Oh no, we didn't. He had a coffee and I said I didn't want one.' She turns and looks at Kenny in shock. ‘Was it the coffee?'

‘OK well, whatever the cause, we need to get him onto his bed and get fluids into him so he doesn't dehydrate. Could you go to the main medical kit and find the capsules in the bright pink packet? They will help, and ask Ben to come over to help lift Davis.'

As Helena leaves, he goes to the bathroom for the towels. On the basin is a cup. Kenny guesses Davis has carried it there when the first pains hit. He examines it, and sees a pale cloudy film coating the inside. He finds a plastic bag to put the cup in. he knows now this was not food poisoning, not of the natural sort, anyway.

He decides to hide the bag until they return to the Sobek. He put it in a drawer and covers it. At the sound of Davis throwing up again Kenny races to the linen cupboard, throws some towels across the bed then gets Davis some water. Davis is groaning louder. Kenny lifts his head and gives him a small sip but he can't manage more than that, and Kenny didn't want it passing through him anyway before he was safely on the bed. He checks the time. Helena had been gone for an hour. He was about to go and see what was taking so long when she returns followed by Ben.

She looks stricken. ‘There are no capsules in pink packets in any of the medical kits.'

‘That can't be right.'

‘We checked all the way through the kits,' Ben adds. ‘Someone has forgotten to put them in.'

Kenny thinks. It's more likely someone took them out. But who? Could Ben have done this? Denise was right. He will have to be careful. Then he remembers Helena had Davis's ID door code, but surely she wouldn't get help for him if she wanted him out of action? He decides it is time to keep Bekky safely close to him.

Ben helps lift Davis onto the bed, then moved to the bedroom door. Davis has begun crying out in pain, and Helena is sobbing as she tries to comfort him.

Kenny looks away. ‘I think the guys in the field should be called in, Ben, Davis will have to be taken back to the Sobek for treatment.'

Ben nods. ‘I'll call them in, now.' He dashes off, leaving Kenny wondering if he should leave Helena to watch Davis. She seems to be falling apart. He decides he has no choice. He has to call Denise but first he wants to check something.

When the news of Davis's illness reaches Enzot and Drummer, there is no need for them to pack up. They've had been sitting in the packed up drill rig, waiting for the call.

‘Isn't this risky?' Drummer asks Enzot.

‘If you've done your job right, they will all be too busy running around helping Davis, to be watching the monitors.'

Drummer thinks of the tube he poured into the coffee, he is hit by a pang of guilt.

Enzot is watching his face. ‘You did do your job right, didn't you?'

‘Oh, he got a dose alright, but maybe a little bit too much.'

Enzot's eyes narrow. ‘How much?'

‘The whole tube.'

Enzot shakes his head, ‘What were you thinking, you idiot?'

‘I didn't have a chance to think anything. Davis came back in the room.'

‘Well, you'd better hope it doesn't kill him. You'll have some explaining to do if it does.'

‘But you told me to do it.'

‘Says who?'

Drummer feels his stomach churn as his predicament becomes obvious.

Enzot laughs. ‘Take it easy, mate. If you've at least covered your tracks, you'll be OK. That girlfriend of his will take the rap.'

Drummer relaxes. Enzot is right. The systems technician was the last person with Davis before he was sick. Drummer smiles, Helena has just become the scapegoat.

George is lining up another drill hole when Ben's voice blares into the rig. ‘All crew return to prospecting vessel 013 immediately. This is an emergency! All crew return to PV 013 immediately! George, shut down your drill rig and bring it straight in.'

Bekky hears it too and begins packing up. ‘What do you think this is about?' she asks, once they are on their way back.

George shakes his head and shrugs. ‘No idea.'

As George exits the rig, he is surprised to see Kenny waiting anxiously. Enzot's rig has already arrived and Ben is speaking quietly to him.

George edges nearer, trying to hear what is being said but they kept their voices too low and he gives up, turning in time to see Kenny and Bekky embracing.

‘So, are you leaving me then, Bekky?' asks George, with mock hurt, when the pair moved apart.

‘We can drop the pretense now, mate,' says Kenny. ‘Davis is seriously ill so we'll be going back to the Sobek.'

‘With Chaze flying us back?'

Kenny gives a wry smile. ‘Well, unless you have a secret pilot's license.'

‘I wish I did. What happened?'

Kenny looks around him. ‘Not here,' he says quietly, ‘in my quarters.'

George gives a nod. He is now more certain than ever that something is going on.

Kenny has already contacted Denise by the time George arrived. Since Denise already knows something is wrong, Kenny thinks it's quicker to explain to her than the captain. Besides, this is not the time to reveal his suspicions for all to hear. Denise listens intently while he explains the events in detail. When he has finished, she is silent for a moment.

‘Do you think Helena can be trusted?' asks Denise.

Kenny looks beside him to Bekky. ‘I don't know, but I'm not taking chances, and Bekky is staying with me, now.'

‘Good idea. I'll explain to the captain what you have told me. Is there any way you can get that cup to your place without being seen? There's always the chance it might be found in that drawer, especially if whoever did it goes looking for it.'

‘Yeah, well, I was in a rush at the time, but I should be able to bring it here somehow. I have to get back to Davis now to make sure Helena is coping. She seems too overwrought to take care of him.'

‘I'm not surprised, if they are that close. Yes, go help her. I'll call the captain now but don't be surprised if Ben already has. With something like this happening, he'll be covering his rear. Are you going to tell Helena you hid the cup?'

Kenny thinks for a moment and shakes his head. ‘I still can't be certain she isn't involved, even though it makes no sense for her to be involved, if you know what I mean.'

‘Yes, I know what you mean. Keep it just between the three of you for now and watch your backs.'

Denise looks anxious before Kenny closes communications. He didn't like worrying her, but it had got out of control so quickly and she is their only link to the outside.

When Kenny enters Davis's room, Davis lies with his legs drawn up in agony, beads of sweat rolling from his face. Chaze, Drummer and Ben are there too, kept at a distance by the wrath of Helena.

As Chaze moves in closer, Helena screams at him. ‘Leave him alone. Can't you see he's sick?'

Ben steps in, his voice calm and cajoling. ‘Now, Helena, I know how worried you are about Davis but you have to be reasonable. We can't take him back without him giving official consent for Chaze to take flight command of the vessel.'

Helena's eyes are wild. ‘Who says?'

‘Well the captain, of course. I can have him explain the procedure to you, if you like but it's going to make it harder on Davis. You can see he's getting worse.'

Helena looks at Davis, uncertainly, then she sees Kenny. ‘Is that true?' she asks.

It's was clear to Kenny that Helena isn't thinking clearly. Ben knows it, too.

Kenny nods. ‘Yes, it's the only way to help, Davis, Helena.'

She sags a little then sits on the bed. ‘OK, just be quick.'

Davis makes a cry like an animal and clutches at his stomach, but manages to focus on Chaze as he approaches. ‘Suppose you're enjoying this,' he forces out.

Chaze shakes his head vehemently. ‘Of course not.' giving a sly grin to Ben.

‘Going to be sick,' gasps Davis. Helena passes Davis the bucket by the bed and Chaze steps back as Davis retches into the bucket, vomiting mostly bile and fluid. As Davis finishes, Chaze cautiously moves nearer again. ‘You're getting worse, Davis. Stop delaying or we won't be able to get you back to the Sobek in time.'

‘How dare you,' Helena cuts in. ‘Do you think he's deliberately doing this?'

Davis grabs her arm. ‘He's right. There's no choice.' He clutches his stomach again and groans. ‘OK, he says when the wave of pain lessens. I pass command of this vessel to Chaze, co-pilot. I relinquish command.' Another wave of pain hits him and his eyes glaze. He loses his grip on consciousness.

As they begin filing from the room, Kenny notices Enzot standing at the bathroom door. He follows the others, smiling at Kenny as he passed him.

George had been about to leave his quarters to see what was happening when the monitor beeps. It has to be Kenny. Few people call George, he knows it's is because he seems aloof, withdrawn from people. No-one would have guessed that a man his size could be shy. His wife had been amused by it. She was the complete opposite and all his friends were originally hers, but he didn't mind. His thoughts are cut short by Kenny's anxious face on screen.

‘Would you bring a stretcher to Davis's quarters, please George? Those stupid mongrels just walked out when they got what they wanted.'

George knows who he meant. ‘Sure, no problems. How is he?'

‘Asleep at present, just from sheer exhaustion, I think, poor bugger. I've sent Helena to the storeroom for more towels. I didn't want her to hear us, and I wanted to check something. It seems I was right. Enzot was at the bottom of this.'

‘How do you know that?'

‘He was in the bathroom while we were all in Davis's bedroom. When I went in there after they had gone I noticed he had laser cleaned the bathroom, but only as a cover for lasering the coffee cup clean.'

‘The one you hid?'

Kenny nods. ‘I don't suppose I hid it that well. Now I know why he smiled at me.'

Worried George says, ‘That's not good, you might be a target now.'

‘George, we could all be a target, but the most urgent thing right now is to get Davis strapped in for the takeoff. They seem keen to go as soon as possible.'

‘I have to say, I'm not happy having them in control.'

‘No, neither am I, but what choice do we have? The others may not be involved with Davis's poisoning. Maybe it's just a bit of power play with them'

‘So, you're saying, just let them have their bit of fun until we get back?'

‘Yes, though don't be too agreeable. We don't want to get them suspicious.'

George sighs. ‘I'll get that stretcher.'

He locates a hover stretcher on the dock near the medic room, and He begins wheeling it toward the door to the biosphere. Drummer opens the door from the other side and George moves the hover stretcher aside to let him through.

Drummer stops inside the door. ‘Here, let me help you with that,' he offers, reaching for the stretcher.

George blocks him. ‘Do I look like I need your help?'

He pushes the hover stretcher towards Drummer, forcing him to move from the doorway.

‘Hey, what's with you?' yelps Drummer, as George passes him. ‘I'm just trying to help.'

He's stuck silent by the fury on George's face, his neck frill erect, color pulsing as it vibrates creating a fearsome sight as he turns to face Drummer. ‘Not one of you cared whether Davis lived or died in there.' George sees the shock on Drummer's face. ‘Yes…Kenny told me.'

‘He's not going to die, is he?' Drummer stammers.

The fear on his face seems real to George. Could there really be some trace of conscience in him? George is still wary. It may just be a con act, he thinks.

‘I don't know,' says George, still enraged. ‘But it doesn't take a doctor to know it's serious.'

‘Well, he'll be back on the Sobek, soon,' calls out Drummer, trying hard to convince himself that Davis will be OK.

George continues up the corridor with the stretcher.

George arrives at Davis's quarters to hear Helena's excited voice. ‘I found them in with the towels!' she says.

Kenny holds up the pink packet to show George. ‘There's only a few in here, but it's better than nothing. ‘Either we weren't meant to find them or they were planted so we would.'

George sees Helena looking puzzled. ‘What do you mean, planted?' she asks.

Kenny is hesitant and glances at George, who nods. ‘She has to know. She could be at risk, too.'