SquidgeWorld Archive

He could not stand it. Everywhere he turned there was Scorpius. Not content with torturing him in the Aurora Chair and chasing him across the frelling Uncharted Territories, he now had his neural clone inside his head. Driving him steadily and mercilessly insane. He was shaking. Seeing Scorpy in every mirror. Hearing him almost constantly now. Unable to sleep. To relax. To get any peace from him. He had begged D'Argo to kill him but the Luxan could not see what he saw, hear the taunting silky words that rang in his head like a death knell. Did not realise what the clone was capable of doing. Of making him do. He was terrified of his increasing loss of control, his grip on reality so tenuous that he could feel himself slipping into madness. He pulled his gun and pointed it at his head. "I am *not* going back in that frelling chair!"

Alarmed, Aeryn started walking carefully towards him. Not wanting to startle him into pulling the trigger. She had been looking for him ever since D'Argo had told her what he asked him to do. Worried that he would do something stupid. Her worst fears were being realised in the most disturbing of fashions. Her steps slowed as she drew near him, her voice pitched low in an attempt to calm him down. "John. Let's talk about this."

His hands were shaking badly, trying to fight the chip, to pull the frelling trigger. "No talking, Aeryn. Done talking. Not going back."

Unseen by either of them, D'Argo slipped out on to the Terrace and crept up behind Crichton. Aeryn's eyes widened as she saw him then the Luxan lunged and wrapped his arms around Crichton. The human yelled then cried, his anguish and sorrow breaking two more hearts besides his own. Weeping, shaking, trying so hard to pull the trigger as he sank to his knees. D'Argo dropped to the ground with him but did not let go. Afraid of what would happen to his friend if he did.

Aeryn had tears in her eyes. She had never seen him like this. She faced him now, put her hands out and gently untangled his fingers from the gun. He was so distraught, his eyes wide and agonised. Such distress she had never seen in a being before. She could not imagine what he was going through. Could not forgive herself for failing to notice what was happening. For thinking this was something he could just snap out of like some bad dream. She embraced him and her tears joined his. "We are with you, John. We won't let you go."

He closed his eyes tight and let them hold him as he cried. No more than a microt from his own self destruction and they all knew it. He wanted so desperately to die. They wanted so desperately for him to live. They loved him. Needed him. The chip inside his head gloated. Exhulted in the human's agony. Taunted him relentlessly. Would give him no rest.

Aeryn rocked him gently. "You have to fight it, John."

He shrank in her embrace as if trying to make himself so small that the clone would not notice him. "Can't. Can't. Can't."

She kissed his forehead, cradled his face in her hands. Eyes so bright with tears she could hardly see him. "We'll help."

He still had his eyes closed. Lost in his misery. He opened them slowly, tears running from eyes red from crying. "He's inside my head, Aeryn!"

D'Argo added his strength to Aeryn's, his deep voice filled with concern. Love and understanding. "We know, John."

Aeryn wiped the tears from his face with a gentle hand. Trying to hold back her own. To be strong for him as he had always been strong for her. "We'll find a way." She whispered. Her voice firm with a resolve that was as much desperation as it was conviction.

He had been through so much. Survived so much. Given so much to each of them. Now it was time to give something back. To protect the fragile mind of someone who had become so precious to them they could not think of going on without him. Would not dream of leaving him behind.

"We'll find a way." Echoed D'Argo.

Crichton closed his eyes while in his head Scorpy jeered at them. Jeered at them all. He knew he had won. Crichton knew it too. But he did not have the strength, did not have the heart, to break the bad news to them.

"We'll find a way." Aeryn repeated softly, her arms tightening around him. *We'll find a way, John, because we must*.