SquidgeWorld Archive

The Switch 16: The Shape Of Things
A "Farscape" slash story
Written by Alison M. DOBELL
* * * * *

Aeryn could not believe they were doing this. "Are you sure, Zhaan?"

Zhaan's voice floated back to her across the com channel. "Yes, Aeryn. Pilot was able to trace the transport by locking on to the DRD's signal."

"This is suicide," Grumbled Rygel quietly.

Aeryn could not argue with that. She turned the prowler around and headed towards the new co-ordinates. When they reached the great maw of the budong both she and Rygel took a deep breath. Aeryn checked the readings she was getting from the DRD, now patched in to her prowler by Pilot. Carefully she guided the prowler in through the maw. They were immediately plunged into darkness. The prowler lights cast odd shadows. Rygel tried not to think what nameless horrors would cast shadows like that. Aeryn thought only of Crichton. "Pilot? I can't see a thing in here. According to the readings the transport should be dead ahead. Can you give us any more information?"

"You need to slow down Aeryn or you will attract attention by causing a wake."

Aeryn slowed down but still she could see nothing. "Pilot, where are they now?"

"Two hundred and fifty metras in front of your current location."

Aeryn was surprised they were that close. Sure Pilot had got the calculations wrong. Just then Pilot amended his announcement.

"Two hundred metras."

She frowned. "What?"

"One hundred and fifty metras."

"Pilot!"

"Yes, Aeryn?"

"Are you telling me the transport is coming *towards* us?"

"Yes."

Aeryn sucked in a worried breath. "I thought you said D'Argo had been knocked out?"

"We do not know. The DRD delivered the tranquiliser but we have no way of knowing how much entered his system."

"So D'Argo could be awake? He could have found the DRD, realised what we were up to and be heading towards us?"

"Yes."

Aeryn sucked in a breath and swore then changed direction. She did not want to meet D'Argo head on, especially if he was still in the mood he had been in last time she had seen him. "Pilot?"

"Yes, Aeryn."

"How many lifesigns are aboard the transport?"

"Two. D'Argo and John."

Aeryn let out the breath she was holding. "Okay, Pilot, I think it's time we introduced ourselves..."

* * * * *

The DRD was convinced that he was going to die. The Luxan turned a fierce glare on him, qualta blade quickly turned to rifle mode. He began to take aim and Artoo froze. Knew he could do nothing. Just as he was about to depress the trigger his eyes rolled up into the back of his head and D'Argo collapsed in a boneless heap, Artoo rolling out of the way as he came crashing down. Cautiously he skirted the body of the Luxan and rolled over to where Crichton lay. The human was at least no longer trapped under D'Argo's body. Artoo rolled up passed his shoulder and stopped at his neck, his lightstalks increasing in intensity as he bumped up against him, trying to wake him. A string of anxious chittering accompanied the movement. There was no reaction. Artoo tried again, this time opening his carapace to extend a small crane like extension with a pincer grip on the end. Carefully he gripped the side of his neck and pinched him. Crichton groaned but did not wake. Artoo pinched harder, this time drawing a thin ribbon of blood.

His eyes opened reluctantly, blurred and bloodshot. He mumbled something incoherent. Felt so sore, so tired and now pain was returning to him in full unmitigated measure. Swamping his senses. Artoo did not want to lose his advantage and let Crichton fall back into an unconscious stupor. He chittered loudly at him, prepared to pinch him again if necessary. Vaguely, Crichton became aware that he was not alone. Moved his left arm and felt something metallic. He raised his hand to see what it was and gently felt the outline of the DRD. His mind cleared slightly. He fought to keep the pain at bay. "Where am I?" He slurred.

Artoo chittered, delighted to have a reponse, trying to tell him what had transpired. With difficulty Crichton managed to sit and was promptly sick. Only just managing to turn his head to one side so as not to cover the little DRD. "Sorry, Artoo. I don't feel so good."

The droid muted his bleeps and electronic chatter to denote understanding and his sadness that he had been hurt. Crichton tried to stand but could not make it. He fell to his knees and took a moment to catch his breath, not looking at the little pool of congealed blood at his feet, unaware of the ribbon of red running down the inside of his legs. D'Argo had cleaned him up but he had continued to bleed internally after the Luxan had fallen asleep on top of him. Then his eye caught the pool of red. For a moment Crichton just looked at the blood at this feet, not comprehending. As realisation dawned he looked up slowly, aware now of his own nudity and the Luxan lying out cold half a metra from him. "I wasn't dreaming..." He murmured sadly. Such sorrow in his voice that Artoo was anxious for him. The little droid rolled closer and nudged his side gently. Crichton looked down. "Right. This is getting us nowhere."

Artoo beeped his agreement. Crichton tried again to stand, doing so in halting little stages, hanging on to the sides of the transport for support. Once upright he carefully located his clothes and dressed. It took him over an arn, each piece of clothing gradually helping him to feel more confident though he felt and looked like dren, he knew he was lucky to still be alive. What frightened him was that D'Argo could do this to him in the first place. Especially after what had happened with the baby. The baby. He paused and spent a microt thinking about Rion, a tiny smile touching his pained lips, his heart going out to the little guy with such love. Wishing and hoping that everything would turn out alright in the end for him. Something brushed his heart like an echo. So faint and distant that it could have been his imagination. He worked his way slowly to the controls, checked their position and was alarmed to find that they appeared to be deep inside a budong. He glanced over his shoulder at the inert Luxan. He supposed he should have covered him but he could not face going near him.

"A budong? Couldn't you have picked a better place, D'Argo? What were you thinking of?" He winced at his own question. "Oh, I forgot. You weren't thinking." He mumbled to himself, the words trailing off.

He assessed the state of the transport. It was undamaged and had enough fuel to get them out of here but which way was out? Artoo bumped his shoe. He looked down. "Okay Einstein, how do we get out of here?"

The droid chittered back at him. He tilted his head and listened. The droid repeated himself. "Okay, I'll just enter a reverse trajectory and see where that takes us."

The transport took off and headed slowly back the way it had come. He did not want to end up eaten and digested at this stage of the game. They had not gone more than a few hundred metras when the com sprang to life. Joy transformed his face. It was Aeryn.

"This is Aeryn Sun to the transport pod. Please respond."

"Hey, Aeryn! It's me."

A startled voice floated back to him. "John? You're alright?"

He swallowed. Best to skip the second half of the question. "Yeah it's me, where are you?"

"Close, you almost rammed into us."

"Us?"

"I'm in the prowler. Rygel's with me."

"Rygel?"

A grumpy voice cut in. "You can thank me later but for now let's get the yotz out of here!"

Crichton whooped. "Good to hear you Spanky, that's a big ten-four good buddy."

"I have no idea what you are talking about but we have got to get out of here. Now!"

"Yes, mam, just put the porch light on. Johnny's coming home!"

Aeryn rolled her eyes at Rygel but for once they were both smiling.

* * * * *

Chiana had been pacing up and down, trying to calm the baby down, when suddenly he went quiet. She stopped, fear icing the walls of her heart. She looked at him and was moved to see that he was starting to smile. A slow beautiful sunrise that bathed her in its' warmth as well. She sat slowly, awe on her face. Unable to take her eyes off Rion. "You're happy now?" She whispered.

The baby gurgled back at her. He still looked concerned but there was something else in his eyes as well. Chiana hugged the precious baby to her and kissed him as if he had just given her a priceless gift. Zhaan had gone back to the control room. Chiana decided to go and see her, to tell her that as impossible as it seemed, John was alright. She knew because the baby had told her so.

* * * * *

When the transport docked on Moya, Zhaan and Chiana were waiting along with a very anxious Aeryn and an oddly subdued but wary Rygel. No one was quite sure what to expect. As the door slid open, Aeryn did not wait for Crichton to come out but marched straight in. Rygel sighed, muttered something the others could not make out under his breath, and followed her in. Zhaan looked at Chiana, uncertain as to whether the young Nebari should see whatever was inside. She cradled the baby in her arms and was about to follow. A gentle hand on her arm made Chiana pause.

"Perhaps you should wait."

Chiana shook her head. "I have to know."

"The baby..."

"Rion knows more than you and me put together Zhaan. Where I go, he goes."

Zhaan gave her a curious look but took her hand away and followed Chiana inside the transport. When they got inside, Aeryn was kneeling next to Crichton. He had stayed upright as long as he could but his legs would no longer support him. He half sat, half knelt on the floor, the DRD hovering round him as if anxious. Aeryn had a hand on his shoulder, the other hand gently touched the side of his face bringing his downcast eyes up to fasten on hers. For a moment everything else in the frelling universe disappeared. There was only Crichton. The look in his eyes pierced her heart with so many emotions that she could not speak. Tears pricked her eyes but did not fall. She was relieved to have him back safe and sound but she did not like the look in his eyes. The pain, the sorrow, the haunting agony of nightmares lived through not dreamt. She cradled his cheek with her hand and watched the procession of emotions cross his face, the gentle love in his eyes as he gazed on her. His heart open for her to see. "Aeryn..."

She smiled slightly, a tear breaking free of its' prison and sliding down her cheek. He looked in wonder at it and raised a hand to touch her face then froze as if he had been struck. His hand was trembling so hard he could not control it to stroke her cheek. He bit his lip and she wanted to cry at the look of anguish in his eyes. "It's alright, John. You're home now. It's over." She wanted to reassure him that it did not matter but she could see by the look on his face that it did matter.

Then she folded her arms around him and he closed his eyes. Letting her be his strength, his harbour, the radiant centre of his entire universe. She felt him shudder in her arms and hugged him fiercely to her, suddenly overcome by a protectiveness that bordered on obssession. Rygel patted Crichton's shoulder gently but said nothing. Chiana stood frozen just inside the doorway, taking in a tableau that brought her nothing but pain. She was glad to see Crichton restored to them but it was painfully obviously that all was not well. D'Argo still lay unconscious on the floor, as naked as the day he was born. Zhaan saw the look in Chiana's eyes and how she averted the baby's face so he would not have any view of the Luxan. Quietly she went over to where D'Argo lay and knelt beside him, checking that he was not injured but just unconscious. Satisfied that he was not hurt, she looked around for his clothes. Finding them she carefully started to dress him. Something about the care she used and the respect she still gave to him despite what had transpired touched Chiana deeply. She was inordinately grateful to Zhaan. One day she vowed to tell her how much her actions meant to her but not now. Not today. Today it would take her all her time and energy just to function.

When Zhaan had finished dressing D'Argo, she helped Aeryn get Crichton to his quarters then left him in Aeryn's care. She returned to the transport to see Chiana looking down at the Luxan with such pain in her eyes that it tore at her gentle heart. "Come Chiana, give me a hand with D'Argo."

"What are you going to do? Even with the two of us we can't lift him and I have the baby."

"Rygel will look after the baby."

Surprise, shock and alarm all flashed on her face at once. "Rygel? Do I look completely fahrbot?"

Indignant, Rygel puffed himself up to his full diminutive height. "I will have you know I have dozens of offsping."

"Yeah, now tell Zhaan how many of them you've brought up. How many you've nursed or fed."

"I am a Dominar, I am not a nursemaid."

"There! You answered my question."

Zhaan gave Chiana a long suffering look. "Chiana, it is just for a few microts while we move D'Argo."

Chiana frowned. "How do you expect us to lift him?"

"I don't. Now allow Rygel to hold the baby while I rouse D'Argo."

A look of shock registered on the Nebari's face. She took a step back in horror. "You're going to wake him up? After what he just did to John? To the DRDs?"

"D'Argo may be many things Chiana, but he is not about to kill us."

"Don't be so sure." Said Rygel. "Look what he did to get to John. He almost wiped out all the DRDs then took John into the belly of a budong of all things!"

"Rygel, you are not helping."

"I will not lie to you, Zhaan."

Chiana tilted her head, her eyes anxious. "Why wake him?"

"Because if he is awake he can walk."

"At least bind him, Zhaan. Hezmana knows how he'll react when he wakes."

"I am not afraid of D'Argo, Rygel."

"Then maybe you should be."

The debate suddenly ended as the object of their discussion began to move. The deep groan telling them more clearly than anything that Zhaan would not have to revive the Luxan after all.

* * * * *

Aeryn undressed Crichton gently, disturbed by how wrecked he appeared to be. The dark shadows under his eyes, the haunted look, the near constant trembling that he could not control no matter how hard he tried. His distress evident even through his joy and relief at seeing her. She caught her breath as she took his shirt off, biting her lip at the streaks of blood encrusted on his chest where D'Argo had bitten his nipples until they bled. They looked so sore. She was careful not to touch them, paused instantly when Crichton moaned painfully as she started to ease his leather trousers off him. She frowned. What the frell had D'Argo done to him? With difficulty she kept her anger in check and finished stripping his clothes off him, noticing the blood that had run down his legs. He needed a shower but no way would he make it that far and he was too heavy for her to carry then hold upright while he was washed down. She needed help. She needed Zhaan.

Her critical eye travelled slowly over his ravaged body. As she returned to look at his face she saw him looking back at her. She swallowed, not sure how to frame her words. "I can't imagine what you've gone through..."

"Don't."

That one soft word almost undone her. "Why did he do it? D'Argo's your friend."

His look was helpless. As baffled as her. "I don't know, Aeryn. It was almost as if he was possessed."

"You've been bleeding."

He did not say anything, just looked at her, drowning in those dark eyes that captured his soul so effortlessly. He did not want a life that did not have Aeryn in it.

"When Zhaan comes we're going to shower you then see to your wounds."

"It's okay, Aeryn."

Bright anger flashed before she could stop herself. "No it's *not* okay, John! D'Argo almost killed you."

He closed his eyes a microt. When he opened them again Aeryn was staring anxiously at him, noticing that he seemed to be having difficulty focussing. Just then Zhaan appeared. She smiled at Crichton then noticed the blood. A quick flicker of the eyes to Aeryn and something almost tangible passed between them.

"Zhaan, John needs a shower..."

She nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Carefully they managed to get him to the shower. Between them they gently washed him down, mindful of how sore he was. Once he had been cleaned and patted dry, Zhaan set about trying to check how bad the internal bleeding was. She knew any penetration would be extremely painful for him so she gave him something for the pain and asked Aeryn to hold him. A look of dark concern took root in Aeryn's eyes. She fastened them on Zhaan as if vowing to do terrible things to the Pa'u if she hurt him. Zhaan got to work, Crichton blacking out as she began her inspection. Aeryn looked at her anxiously but Zhaan assured her it was the best thing that could have happened. Once finished, Zhaan applied a special healing balm then covered him. She looked at Aeryn and realised that she had two patients to treat not one.

"Aeryn. Someone needs to stay with John, watch over him. Inform me if his condition changes."

Aeryn nodded. "I will do that, Zhaan."

"Thank you, Aeryn."

Zhaan glanced at the DRD which had followed them from the transport, smiled, then got up ready to leave. With a deep heartfelt sigh she prepared herself to go and check on D'Argo. Hoping against hope that she was doing the right thing. That she would find out the reason for what was happening. There had to be an explanation otherwise everything she thought she knew about Ka D'Argo would be thrown to the four winds leaving her with nothing. D'Argo was her friend as much as any of the others were and you did not give up on friends...


END