She glanced around the small room, wondering why N'ck had said it was his favorite place on the ship. She didn't understand the reason for anyone's enthusiasm for the cramped, rather unspectacular vessel. K'vn had every right to be back where he belonged, of course, but her eyes failed to see the appeal. It was simply another ship, a cold and isolated place she had no desire to be.

An unexpected surge of grief shot through her as a flash of Home appeared in her mind's eye. The warm sun, the rise and swell of the land, the twin moons arching gracefully across the night sky... How long had it been since she'd been taken from what she so loved? Turns beyond reckoning... a lifetime. Home was far beyond her reach, and the truth that she'd never see it again brought a pain that she thought long since dulled.

Shaking her head, she pushed the feelings back. Giving in to sorrow and grief only led to a loss of control, a tanglement of emotions that could do no good. She was truly Lost, and nothing she could do would change that fact.

She sat down in a chair, not knowing what else to do. She didn't understand the function of most of the machines along the walls; N'ck had rattled on about many things, very few of which made sense to her at all. He'd promised to return soon, with learning and teaching tools. At least it would give her something to do until they reached K'vn's home. And then...

She bowed her head. Then, what? What would she do in such an alien place? K'vn had explained that she couldn't return to her duties as Healer. That her abilities and knowledge had to be kept secret. Healing was her heart and soul, her way of connecting to others and to making a difference. Without that...

Without that, she would forever be a prisoner.

~*~

Brian cast a covert glance at the man he'd never expected to see reseated at the helm of the Parrin. Although a light had appeared in Kevin's eyes, he was still far too pale... and disturbingly thin. That, at least, was something they might help with.

He grinned as he thought of the special 'supplies' AJ managed to get from the Sealk. According to the Weapons officer, a little sweet-talk, a good dose of charm, and a few winning hands at cards had secured the crates of top-end food items and luxuries. The fact they had come from Miles' personal storage bay only made the acquisition more satisfying. Of course, AJ had only done it for Kevin's sake... after all, it was the least the man deserved. Brian had turned a decidedly blind eye to the entire thing.

It would take a lot of time and effort to help Kevin return to some semblance of normality; although he would get the very best professional help, Brian knew what the older man needed most were his friends... his family. It would be a whole new life, full of changes and challenges, but he was sure they were up to the task.

“I need that download, Howie. Can you channel it to a portable?”

Brian snapped out of his musings and regarded Nick. He looked slightly apprehensive, which was unusual for the blond.

“Sure,” came Howie's easy reply. “Just take a sec.”

“Gonna start those lessons already?” AJ asked, leaning back in his chair.

“I'm not on duty, nothing's going on right now... yeah.” Blue eyes blinked. “Are you all sure it's me you want doing this?”

“The sooner Vosh can learn, the better it'll be,” Kevin said. “You'll do fine.”

“Besides, I can't do it all myself,” Howie interjected. “I have to review basic sign-language before I can try and teach her. I haven't had to use it since my certification test.” He tapped a few buttons and nodded. “There ya go, Nick. Should be ready to go on your station portable.”

“Thanks,” the youngest said as he retrieved the flat device. “I... hope I don't mess this up.”

“You won't,” Kevin reassured him. “And she learns quickly. Just relax... she'll pick up on your tension if you don't... and go slow.”

Nick nodded, gathered his portable, and left. There was silence for perhaps 20 seconds.

“You're going to have to be careful Vosh doesn't get confused,” Brian said at last, turning to Howie. “I want you to coordinate with Nick... get details as to what he's teaching, and slip him hints. He'll take it better coming from a fellow instructor. His confidence could use a boost.”

“Right, Cap,” Howie said easily.

Brian caught a look of approval from Kevin; he was surprised at how proud it made him feel. With a slight smile, he turned to his status report screen and resumed his duties.

~*~

“Hey, bro, how'd it go?” AJ asked as he met Nick in the corridor a few hours later.

Nick shrugged. “Not real sure,” he said. “There was a lot of stuff that I just couldn't explain. I mean... I started out simple, with the letter 'A'. I showed her an image of an apple, told her what it was. The name, she got. But when she wanted to know more, well... it got kind of difficult.”

“How so?”

“I told her an apple was fruit. So she wanted to know what fruit was. I showed her images of oranges, bananas, pears, grapes... told her they were all fruit, just like the apple. It only made things worse.” He shook his head. “I changed tactics, and told her that apples were eaten, that they were food. That, she got. But when I explained that they grew on trees...”

“She didn't know what a tree was?”

“Not exactly. I mean, she understood tree, pretty much, but the idea that apples came from them seemed to puzzle her. She asked... at least, I think she asked... if all fruit came from the tree, and that's when I lost her completely. Apples, oranges, bananas and pears grow on trees, but on different kinds; and although grapes are fruit, they grow on vines.”

“And then you tried to explain vines...”

Nick let out a long sigh. “And so it went. I dunno, I'm not sure if I did more harm than good today. We didn't even get to 'B'.”

AJ crossed his arms. “Did she get mad?”

“Actually, no. Frustrated and confused, for sure... but she kept trying. Gotta give her kudos for that.”

“Well,” AJ said, “it sounds like a rocky start, but it's a start nonetheless. You're not calling it quits, are you?”

“Nah,” Nick answered. “We're done for the day, but I won't give up. I made a promise.”

AJ nodded. “Good. And don't worry, you'll figure it out.”

“See ya at the evening meal,” the blond said. “Duty calls.”

With a grin, the older man continued on his way.

~*~

She padded quietly into the small room, spying the man she'd hoped to find. She could tell he was asleep from his even breathing... that was good. He had much healing yet to do.

She yawned, feeling tired to her very bones. Her thoughts had finally settled down after the teachings- she would have to work much harder at understanding next time. N'ck had done his best, but she knew she'd disappointed him.

K'vn was still, his face mostly relaxed; the dreams had not begun to haunt him yet. Perhaps, now that he was with his people, the dreams could fade and lessen their hold on him. Then he could begin the healing of his spirit as well.

She studied him for a while. His strength and caring had amazed her, from the moment they had met. He'd endured terrible, unspeakable torture at the hands of the Enemy, but had never given up, never given what they wanted so desperately. It hadn't taken long before she had allied with him; she would have done almost anything for the brave yet gentle man who had shown her the first kindness since she'd been taken from her Home. Then, one day, he had stood between her and the Enemy, deflecting punishment meant for her... accepting cruel, painful blows without so much as a cry. It had shocked and humbled her greatly, and even if she'd had the ability to speak once again, words would not have been enough.

She had tried to thank him, although she didn't have much to give. He explained that it wasn't necessary, that he didn't expect payment for simply doing what was right... standing up for a friend. He'd named her friend... In that instant, K'vn had forever become her hero. He had proven that he was worthy of her loyalty and devotion... that he was not like anyone else she had met since her capture. There was nothing she wouldn't do for him.

So when the Enemy had begun the destruction of their own Ship, she had found the courage and means to save his life. It had seemed a small thing in light of what he'd given her.

She yawned again, realizing she'd been reminiscing for quite a while. She needed low Sleep, enough to restore her body and clear her thoughts. Although the cot where K'vn slept was large, his sprawled form took up most of the space. She hadn't been shown another place to sleep, so she took a blanket from a nearby chair and spread it on the floor. Although it wasn't very comfortable, it was still better than what she'd been used to most of the time on the Ship. Knowing that K'vn was sleeping peacefully nearby, and that she was safe and protected, she closed her eyes. Sleep followed swiftly.

~*~

Brian stared at the stellar display beyond the viewscreen, simply enjoying the sight. His duty shift was long over, but he'd elected to relax on the bridge. Leaning back, feet up on the edge of the main console, he knew he looked like anything but a Captain.

Quite frankly, he didn't much care. Soon he'd be a civilian again, entrenched in day to day living back Home... which, after six long years, seemed more of a fantasy than reality.

What will it be like? he wondered. He'd miss the beauty of space, the thrill of flying, and the tight camaraderie that he enjoyed with his crew. Ah, but Home...

Trees... sunsets... wind and rain and snow and vast, open skies. Real fruit, and birds... birds and butterflies and flowers. What a thrill it would be to see a rainbow, or a thunderstorm, or the waves kissing the shore in perfect rhythm at the seaside. To hear children laughing...

At that thought, he frowned. Would children have much to laugh about? The death numbers from Home were numbing, and hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of children would be bereft of a parent, or both... entire families had perished, he knew. Before any laughter, there would be grief and rage and anger and tears. Not just for children, but for them all.

Defeating the Enemy had been a positive event, to be sure, but now the true work of rebuilding had to begin. He had read reports of damages to major cities... some, like Epandra, had been razed to the ground. There would be no reconstruction in such places. With such sweeping damage, all energies and resources would be focused on repairing and reconstructing what could be saved. It would be slow, arduous work.

Yet, it appealed to him. To heal, to build, rather than destroy... that's what he needed. Wanted. He'd had enough of fighting; they all had. Going Home meant more than leaving the Parrin behind. It meant a whole new life.

“You look deep in thought,” said a voice from behind.

Smiling, Brian leaned back a bit more. “Yep. Thinking about what it's going to be like living at Home again.”

“I don't think it's really registered yet for me,” came the soft reply. “I mean... I never expected to leave that Ship, much less go Home.”

“And here we both are, heading in the right direction, at last.”

“It's nothing short of a miracle,” Kevin said, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder.

“I'd have to agree with that one,” Brian answered. “Up for a cup of coffee? I think AJ snagged some pastries before we left... disguised as 'medical supplies', if I'm not mistaken.”

“Still the same old AJ,” Kevin said, with a smile that bordered on laughter.

“Thank goodness,” the Captain agreed as he stood. “We'd better help him get rid of the evidence before someone reports them missing.”

“I think that's a fine idea.”

Brian paused just as they came to the doorway. “You think Vosh would like to join us?”

“I left her asleep in my cabin,” he said. With a frown, he continued. “I woke up and she was sleeping on the floor. Didn't Nick show her around and assign her a place to bunk?”

Brian's eyebrow raised. “Well, he... we... figured it'd be best if you two, ah, shared.”

Kevin looked puzzled. After a moment, he said, “I don't understand. There's plenty of room... unless the spare cabin has been turned into a storage area or something.”

It was Brian's turn to be confused. “No, it's available, but you... I mean...” He paused, trying to find the words.

“Spit it out,” Kevin said.

“Well, obviously you two are in a relationship, and it makes sense to assign you a single cabin.”

A blank look. “A relationship? But...”

“It's cool,” Brian assured him. “No need to hide anything, I think it's a good thing myself. I like Vosh, and if you're happy, then why-”

“Whoa, wait a minute,” came the interruption. “Vosh and I aren't... it's not like that. Not at all. We're just friends. We depended on one another back on the Ship, and I guess it grew from there. But it's not physical.”

“It's not?” Brian asked, surprised. “But then... what about the, ah, shower? The one you took together?”

“We didn't take a shower together, whatever gave you that-” Kevin stopped, recalling the incident. Incredibly, he blushed. “Oh, no, no... Vosh asked me to show her how the 'devices'... the fixtures... worked. We didn't have showers on the Ship. I demonstrated what she needed to know, and she waited in the bedroom while I got my shower. Then we switched places; after I got dressed I checked on her and she told me she wanted to stay longer. And before you ask, she peeked her head outside the shower door and signed it.”

“So you two aren't...”

“Definitely, absolutely not,” came the sincere reply.

Brian let out a breath. “She just seems so attached to you. Close. You can see how we misunderstood.”

“It's never been anything more than friendship,” Kevin said quietly. “She never told me exactly what happened to her when she was with the other prisoners, but I can guess. I don't know why she reacted to me the way she did. I'm just grateful she trusted me, for whatever reason.”

“I'll make sure the spare cabin is ready for her, then,” Brian said. “And I'm sorry we made the assumption.”

“No need to apologize. I'm sure she'll be much more happy there than on the floor of my cabin.”

“I don't know how she even fell asleep,” he said. “Nothing but the hard floor...”

“She had a blanket,” Kevin answered. “And that was a whole lot more than we had back on the Ship.”

Silence settled around the two friends for a moment, then together they exited the bridge. Kevin wondered, but didn't comment on, the slight, knowing smile on Brian's face.

~*~

The tiny hangar bay provided perfect acoustics for the rather risque song being sung by a gruff but happy voice. Every once in a while the rhythmical tapping of a tool on metal would accent the music; so involved with his work, the singer didn't realize he had an audience.

She sat down along the wall, arms clasped around her drawn-up knees, and took in sight and sound with a curious tilt to her head. The man before her seemed to be enjoying his task; she couldn't begin to understand what, exactly, he was doing to the sleek machine, but he obviously did.

She arched an eyebrow when he stood and did an impromptu shuffling spin... was this a kind of dance? A ritual? He sung louder, then went back to his work.

It was odd that he could be so happy, doing such things. But the thought arose: was it the work that made him so lighthearted, or was it something else? The mood of the other three men had changed as well since K'vn had come to the small ship. They, like K'vn, had begun to smile more often. There was a bond between them that was plain to see, and through their connection they drew strength and light.

She'd heard K'vn laugh... an alien sound to her ears. She still saw the pain and darkness behind his eyes, but every once in a while something else would appear. She knew it was because he was finally with his bond-brothers, his people.

Her heart did not know what to feel. She was glad that K'vn was healing, but now there was a coldness creeping into her bones that no amount of warmth could touch. While he was where he belonged, among friends who would help him move forward, she was more lost then she'd ever been. Here, she had no purpose. She would not be allowed to be a true Healer once they reached K'vn's home; it was, in reality, all she had ever known how to do. Surely there would be much to learn on the new world, but...

She sighed. Learn, yes, but to what end? She would forever be alone, useless in an alien land. She did not understand why she had not been allowed to join her people long ago. It had seemed she would Cross many times, yet it had not happened. While K'vn had needed to escape the Enemy, deserved to be reunited with his kind, she...

Not for the first time, she felt a twinge of regret that she had not perished with the Ship.

She watched the man before her; his resemblance to T'rrn was still startling, and despite herself she felt a wash of sorrow for the memories it conjured. The pain that followed it was strong, and she bowed her head, resting her forehead on her knees. He'd been the last link to her world, and she missed him more now than ever before. Grief, renewed by Al'x's incredible resemblance to her beloved friend, hit hard. Tears which she had pushed aside so many times came in force, refusing to be held back any longer. Silently, she felt them fall.

~*~

“...and the girls of Roak, it's no joke, can set you on fire like a- GAH!” AJ dropped his spanner when he turned and saw Vosh's huddle figure. He'd never heard her come in; when-?

He swallowed, overcoming his initial surprise when the woman didn't move. He hesitated for a second, then picked up the tool. Still, she didn't stir.

“Uh, Vosh?” he asked carefully, glancing around in hopes that Kevin would magically appear. No such luck.

He took a tentative step towards her. “Vosh?” he called again, a bit more softly. His uncertainty gave way to concern and he knelt nearby. His hand hovered near her shoulder; he was loathe to touch her, but obviously something was wrong.

Gently he touched her shoulder, fully expecting her to move. But when he got no reaction, he frowned.

“Hey,” he called a bit nervously. “You okay?”

Finally, she raised her head. He was shocked to see her tear-stained face and the desolation in her eyes.

She sniffed, then drew back slightly. Self-consciously she swiped the wetness away and blinked as if belatedly realizing where she was. When her eyes widened, she began moving away from him.

“No, wait,” he said as he held up his hands. “It's okay, really. What's... what's wrong?”

She stared at him, a mix of apprehension and anxiety on her face. She didn't attempt to explain.

AJ bit his lip, wondering what to do next. He really wasn't good at this kind of thing, not like Brian or Howie was. “Are you hurt?” he ventured. When she blinked, he said, “In pain? An injury?”

She blinked again, and for a moment he didn't think she'd respond. Then, very slowly, she gave a brief shake of her head.

“Oh,” he said, mind whirling. If she'd had a physical injury, he would have known where to take her, had a clue what to do. “Uh, well, do you want me to get Kevin?”

This time the 'no' was more emphatic, which surprised him.

“You two have an argument?” he asked, not being able to imagine it.

Her shoulders slumped and she looked away. Her 'no' was clear, but lacked energy.

“Can I get anyone? Brian, Howie? Nick?”

Her answer was to clasp her arms around herself as if cold.

“I take that as a no.” He thought for a moment. Then, an idea came. “Is this a, a woman thing? I can call over to Aleta, she might understand.” He blushed. “I'm not exactly the best one to give advice on that kind of... of subject.”

She lowered her head and he watched as the tears began again.

“Oh, man,” he muttered, at a complete loss as to what to do now. He would rather be facing a squadron of Enemy fighters than the situation at hand.

But Vosh looked so lost, so miserable, he knew he had to do something. Not knowing how his gesture would be received, he sat down near her and patted the floor.

“Come on, sit with me.”

For the first time, she met his gaze directly. For a suspended moment neither one moved. Then, to his surprise, she did as he requested.

“No more questions, okay? Just... let whatever it is out. I'll be right here.” Awkwardly, he placed an arm around her shoulder.

When she turned into his embrace and began crying again, he knew he'd made the right move.

Time seemed meaningless as he simply let her weep, trying to calm her with small words of comfort. It occurred to him that she probably didn't understand anything he was saying, but deep down he knew it didn't much matter.

Eventually her shaking eased, and her breath evened out. Still, she didn't move away. AJ didn't mind, until his arm began to cramp. When he shifted a bit, she still didn't stir; frowning, he drew back just a little and regarded her.

Vosh was asleep.

He wasn't able to wake her, despite several shakes and name-calls.

“Oh man,” he said quietly, “I wish I knew what was going on in that head of yours.” But, of course, no answer was forthcoming.

He didn't want to leave her on the cold hangar-bay floor; if she was going to sleep, it'd be best in her own cabin. It took a bit of doing, but he finally managed to pick her up. He regained his balance, gave a silent thanks for automatic doors, and left the bay with his burden.

~*~

Kevin muttered a small curse as he mis-keyed another entry. He closed his eyes for a second, rubbing at the headache that had emerged over an hour ago.

“Maybe you should take a break,” came a gentle suggestion.

“I want to get this done,” he replied in a tired voice.

“Kevin, they want a full report, from the last mission until your arrival on the Sealk. But they don't want it today... and we've got four days left for you to work on it. Take a break.”

He opened his mouth to protest, but the shaking of his hands stole the words away.

“I suppose I could stretch my legs for a moment,” he relented.

“Stretch them on the way to the lounge. Get something to eat while you're at it.”

“Is that an order?”

Brian grinned slightly. “Only if you give me no choice.”

With a wry smile, the tall man rose. “Okay, okay, I'll see if there's any apples left. I used to dream of them, especially when...” He broke off, shaking his head against an unwanted memory.

“You'll have all of them you can eat soon enough,” Brian said evenly.

“Yeah... thanks,” Kevin said in a suddenly dry voice. He left the cabin without saying more.

“This is really hard for him, huh?” the Navigator said quietly from his corner chair.

“Yeah,” Brian answered. “Bad enough to go through it, and then having to do a detailed report, reliving it over again...”

“Then I bet the brass will want to hear it in person,” Nick said with disdain.

“You're probably right,” came the answer.

Nick studied his boards again, then sighed. “It's going to be hard on him for a long time, isn't it?”

“After the brass get done with him, and he's discharged from the service, there will be tons of people that want a piece of him. Interviews, parades and celebrations... stuff that won't be all that bad. But when the initial fervor dies, and he starts working through his experience with a therapist, I think it's going to be hard. Very hard.”

Nick's voice dropped to a whisper. “Do you think he'll ever... be okay?”

Brian considered the question for a long moment. “I think he's strong enough to put it behind him, eventually,” he answered. “But we have to understand that what he's been through has changed him. He'll never be exactly the same Kevin we once knew.”

“This war has changed everything. And everyone.”

“Yeah, it has.”

“But we'll be there for him... at least, I plan on sticking by his side.”

“We'll be there for him,” Brian said with certainty. “Along with AJ, Howie and Aleta. And Vosh.”

When there wasn't a reply, the Captain glanced over at the youngest crew member. “What?”

“Yeah, well, I've been wanting to talk to Kev about Vosh, but he's been so occupied with things the last couple of days...”

“Something about her lessons? Howie said she's done really well.”

“Once we figured out how to teach her, things got better, yes. But something's wrong now.”

“Such as?”

“Well, before, she seemed eager to learn, you know? But today, no matter what I tried to show her, she just wasn't interested. She told us she didn't want to learn any more.”

“The three of you have been going at it pretty intensely, maybe she's just getting overwhelmed.”

“Unlikely,” he said with a shake of his head. “She's really smart, she almost never forgets anything. We had her set the pace, and she's always looking at the portable because she wants to learn more than we show her in a session. That was, up until today.”

“She not feeling well?”

“I don't know,” he said. “Howie asked her, but she said she was fine.”

“Well, despite the progress we've all made in understanding each other, Kevin still communicates with her the easiest. I can mention it to him when he comes back from his break.”

“Well, that's kind of the thing,” Nick said with a frown. “Howie suggested that she take the day off from work and spend some time with Kevin, but she... well, she refused.”

“Refused.”

“Yep. Said quite clearly that she didn't want to talk to Kevin, and that it wasn't his concern. At that point she got up and left the lounge. I looked for her before I came on duty, but couldn't find her. She's probably in her cabin, but she wouldn't answer.”

Brian considered it. Vosh had seemed fine yesterday when they had all eaten together for the evening meal. She'd looked at Howie and Kevin for translation during their conversations; there had been no animosity between her and Kevin then.

“Maybe she's a bit put off because Kev's been so busy,” he offered.

“I don't think that's it.”

“Me either,” Brian admitted. “I wonder if it could be that since Kevin's had to recall all that happened to him as a prisoner, it's conjuring up ugly memories for her, too. I know he's having a rough time...”

“And he's told us she was a prisoner way longer than he was. I guess that could be it.”

“I'll get to the bottom of things,” he said. “I wanted to talk to the both of them about our upcoming arrival Home anyway.”

“Home,” Nick said in a soft voice. “It doesn't even seem possible.”

“I know. But in just a few days, we'll be standing planetside looking up at the stars rather than traveling among them.”

Nick's smile was echoed by his companion and the two resumed their duties, lost in pleasant thought.

~*~

AJ made his way down the corridor, glad he'd kept up with his extra physical training. Vosh was light, but she was dead weight; by the time he turned the corner that led past the lounge, he realized he'd need a bit of help. Most of the Parrin's doors were automatic, but the individual sleeping quarters required a handprint verification. And at the moment, he didn't have a hand to spare.

When he heard a voice ahead, he knew he was in luck. Someone... Howie... was in the lounge. Perfect.

“A man needs a hand out here,” he called as he neared the entryway. He turned into the room, instantly capturing the attention of the occupants within.

Kevin stood in a flash, his eyes locked on the limp figure in AJ's arms. He heard an unintelligible mix of words, and the edges of his vision began graying oddly. Blinking didn't help, and the deck beneath his feet began to tip unexpectedly.

Everything became a confusing flurry of noise and motion; there was a tight grip on his arm, and someone was pushing him in a direction he didn't want to go. He tried to breathe, but suddenly...

He'd finally succumbed to the intense pain, despite his resolve to bear it out. The Enemy had done more damage than usual, and he'd felt the sickening snap of several ribs just before new pain erupted below them. He'd cried out involuntarily, and then the nausea had hit.

The retching had produced a new level of agony, and he saw blood on the floor just before he gave in to the darkness. He knew that this, finally, was the end...

He woke an unknowable time later, disorientation clouding his mind. Eventually he realized that he wasn't dead, and that he was back in his cell lying on what passed as a cot. Then, the memories had hit, and he waited for the surge of pain to accompany it... but the expected never came.

Gingerly he had touched his ribs... they were sore, but didn't move wrongly. He'd been positive they'd been broken, he remembered the sickening sound of bone breaking... a tentative probe of his abdomen produced only tolerable soreness. What had happened? Surely he hadn't hallucinated the session, the-

His mind had cleared in a flash and he bolted upright... a mistake that cost him nearly a minute of time as he waited for the dizziness and vertigo to fade. Finally his vision clarified, and he saw what he'd hoped he wouldn't.

Vosh, pale as chalk, curled up a few feet from the cot. He called her name, felt her thin wrist for a pulse...

No pulse... no!

He'd pressed fingers to her neck, panicked... there. A pulse, faint, uneven... but there. Her breathing was so shallow he could hardly detect it; she was deeply unconscious, barely a step above death...

She'd healed him... but now...

She shouldn't have risked it, he'd told her before, he knew she didn't have the reserves... he'd seen what it cost, and forbidden...

But now... no...

“Focus!” came a sharp, insistent voice. “Kevin, breathe... deep breaths, keep your head down... slow and steady...”

The world tipped, dimmed, then righted itself.

“That's it, keep breathing deeply.”

He felt a strong hand on his back... when had he sat back down?... and realized it was Howie's sure and steady voice anchoring him. He concentrated on gathering his wits, signaling he understood. A minute later, he cautiously sat upright.

AJ's wide brown eyes met his gaze. “Holy gods, what was that?” he asked, a tinge of panic in his voice.

“I... it... Vosh!” he said, remembering. “She-”

“Easy,” AJ said quickly. “She's right there, on the couch. Are you all right?”

“Why is she... she looks so pale,” he said, starting to get up.

“Nope,” Howie said simply, pressing down on Kevin's shoulder to prevent the movement. “I barely kept you from hitting the floor the last time.”

“She's asleep, Kev,” AJ answered. “She's not hurt or anything, she just... well, it's a long story. But she's really okay. Just sleeping.”

With a trembling hand, Kevin gripped the table edge. It seemed to help, a bit.

“Flashback?” came Howie's simple question.

“Yeah,” he whispered. “When I thought she'd died, healing me... I woke up to find she'd nearly killed herself doing it...”

“But this is different,” AJ replied. “I swear, it's nothing like... that time.” He shot a glance at the Comm officer. “She fell asleep in the hangar bay, and I was just bringing her to her quarters. I only stopped here because I needed someone to palm the door.”

“The hangar bay?” Kevin repeated, confused. “What was she doing there?”

“I don't have a clue. I just turned around and there she was. You okay man?”

“Yeah, I... sorry, I didn't mean to overreact like that, it's just that-” He stopped, at a loss for words.

“It's okay,” Howie reassured. “You steady now?”

“I think so,” he said, giving a nod.

“Let's give things another minute, and then we can take Vosh to her quarters, get her settled in.”

“Yes... yeah, okay.”

“And then I'm going to call Aleta, request she make a trip over here to check everything out just to be sure.”

“Good idea,” Kevin said distractedly, watching Vosh.

Howie didn't mention that he wasn't talking about the woman on the couch.

~*~

Kevin palmed the sensor and the doorway instantly slid open. AJ stepped through, careful not to jostle the still-sleeping woman in his arms. He gently settled her on the bed and stepped back, glad to see her color was evening out.

“What was she doing in the hangar bay?” Kevin asked once more.

“I don't know,” AJ said. “I never heard a sound... I was working on the flitter, just readjusting the hydraulics, and I turned around... poof, she was there.”

“Did she say anything?”

“Nothing. Matter of fact, it took me a bit just to get her to look at me. The only response I got was when she started crying.”

Kevin's eyes widened. “Crying? Vosh... was crying?”

“I guess that's what she wanted, a place to have a good cry. For some reason that I've never understood, women seem to need to do that once in a while.”

“Not Vosh,” he said slowly.

“Kev, she is a woman, and-”

“No... I mean, she's never cried. I've never seen her do it. She told me that for her to cry would show... weakness to the Enemy.”

“But we're not the Enemy,” Howie said softly.

“Maybe this is the first chance she's had to let it all out,” AJ said. “I mean, she's safe, she's not a prisoner.”

“True, but-”

“Let's let her rest, we'll talk later,” AJ said.

“I'll call over to the Sealk,” the Comm officer said, putting a hand on Kevin's shoulder.

Kevin looked like he was going to protest until his shoulders slumped and he nodded tiredly. Leaving Vosh alone, the three headed for the bridge.

~*~