Somebody Like Him

by

John Medkeff

and

Rebecca Miller

Mikala jerked awake with a gasp. She sat up slowly, grimacing at the stiffness in her back. She rolled off the sleep couch, reaching out to see how Darien was doing. He was asleep, but he felt…wrong. She grabbed a dressing gown off the end of her sleep couch and pulled it on. She ran her hands through her hair, trying to shake off the awful feeling she had from the dream. No, not dream. It had been a nightmare. Memory and worry had merged to torment her sleep. Mikala started to cough and clutched her side tightly as the moment pulled her back.

She shook it off and headed over to check on the others. She grimaced at all the sensors attached to her, but she resisted the urge to pull them off.

She moved to keep out of the way of the medical personnel moving between the others and the monitors. She chewed on her lower lip, eyeing the biohazard suits. She saw several crowded around Master Alidar's sleep couch and she hugged herself tightly, moving to find Darien's sleep couch.

Sandy watched it all from the observation room.

Mikala headed over to Darien's sleep couch and then sat in the chair beside it not wanting to wake him up.

*Are you feeling better?* Sandy asked.

Mikala jerked a little and glanced up toward the control room. She focused herself on reaching back telepathically to Sandy. *I guess. How is Master Alidar doing?*

*Not well. He's in worse shape than any of you.* Sandy answered.

*Can't you do something to help him?*

*Not that I've found yet.*

Mikala glanced around the room and then back over to Darien. *How are the others doing?*

*Better than Alidar, not as well as you. I think the immune-enhancing drugs I gave you for your surgery are slowing the virus down. *

*Can you use that to help them?*

*I am, but its only slowing things down.*

Taras walked up behind Sandy.

Mikala closed her eyes. *This is my fault. I should have just gone by myself.*

*Don't blame yourself. There's no way you or anyone else could have known.*

Mikala hugged herself tightly as she felt a cold chill sweep through her. She sighed and shifted to pillow her head on the edge of Darien's sleep couch.

*Back to bed with you.* Sandy ordered.

Mikala straightened up, her hand reaching for Darien's. *I'm fine.*

*You're starting to fall asleep. I don't want you getting cold.*

*Please, I just want to stay here for a little while.* She gave them a small smile. *I've been having some pretty vivid nightmare and I just need to make sure they are still here.*

*What kind of nightmares?* Taras asked.

Mikala ran a hand through her hair. *Just nightmares. People dying. Me being powerless to stop it. The usual kind.*

*Go ahead and hold Darien's hand for a few minuets. * Sandy said. * But then you really must get back in you own bed, and rest."

Mikala looked down and realized she was holding his hand tightly. She looked up and blushed slightly.

*If you are hiding something there, you don't need to?* Taras added.

She hung her head for a moment. *I care for him, Father. I wasn't sure what you would say about that.*

*I can see that. While it may someday put one or both of you in an awkward political situation its not really a problem.* Taras replied.

*I love him, Father. I thought I had loved Xanatos, but that wasn't love. This is different. We can sense each other. * She paused. *I think we share a bond of some sort. *

*Telepathic?* He asked.

She looked up at him and nodded.

*Was it deliberate or did it just from when you weren't looking?*

*It just happened. We realized it after he came for me on the Astral Plane.*

*Such a bond does not require love, but love is the most likely cause. The fact that it happened to you rather than being something you did makes love more likely.* Taras explained. *Most such bonds I've seen have been mother-child, which is of course also love.*

*I had something a little like this with my Grandmother, but not this deep.* Mikala closed her eyes again, resting her head on the edge of the sleep couch again, pillowed on her free arm.

*No, it wouldn't be.* Sandy said. *A lovers bond is the deepest kind. I have both.*

Sandy looked up from her monitors. * But remember this, Mikala. I need Darien Light, for Kieren’s sake. Do nothing to tempt him to the Dark side. As long as you remember that, have fun. *

Mikala smiled slightly, her thumb caressing the back of Darien's knuckles.

*I think Darien will be better for you than Xanatos was.* Sandy paused and studied one of the monitors. *Now that's promising.*

Mikala looked up. *What?*

*Darien is relaxing as you stroke his hand. A good sign for the love theory.*

She smiled. *Good*

* Now if we can the same progress on the virus I'll be happy."

Mikala nodded and laid her head back down again, closing her eyes. She felt more relaxed when she was with Darien. Maybe they would just let her sleep here for a little while. She didn’t have nightmares when she was with him.

*If you'll move for a moment I'll have your couch moved over next to Darien's. Then you can hold hands and get some sleep.*

Mikala roused herself and nodded. *Thank you.* Reluctantly, she let go of Darien's hand and stood up a bit wobbly to her feet. She rubbed her eyes. Force, she was tired and her head was throbbing.

She watched them moved the sleep couch in and crossed her arms tightly across her chest. She frowned deeply and then glanced up at Sandy. *I don't want to change him. What do I do to keep the Darkness inside me from infecting him?"

*Its not that hard.* Sandy replied. *Never ask him to do anything that would make him Darker. But most of all you need to want him to be light. His subconscious will try to please you. Don't send it the wrong signals.*

She nodded wearily, looking at him. *I love him, just as he is. I think it's his Light that attracts me. I've never known a man like him before. I still don't understand why--* she shook her head and leaned against the end of his sleep couch.

*Hold that thought. If you want him to be light then that will anchor him. We all respond more to what our lovers want than to what they are.*

Mikala nodded and sat down on the end of his sleep couch, trying not to sit on his feet.

One of the orderlies pushed her couch next to Darien's.

* And don't worry about not understanding why. You have a lifetime to figure that out.* Taras added.

She smiled a little. *I like the sound of that.*

Darien rolled over. *What's all the noise about?*

Mikala flushed a little and shifted her mental focus to him. *Sorry. Didn't mean to wake you up. How are you feeling?*

*Groggy. You look better or is just that you're up?* He asked.

She smiled. *I'm not sure. I've been up for a bit and I'm starting to get really tired. I'm waiting for them to finish moving my sleep couch so I can lie down.* She glanced up at the control room and bit her lower lip. *They know. About how we feel about each other. You were right, they didn't get upsets.*

*I didn't think so. Why are they moving your couch?*

She lowered her eyes a moment. *So I can be over here closer to you.*

*That's nice.*

She smiled a bit. *Go back to sleep.*

The orderly pushed the two couches together.

"All ready, my lady."

"Thank you," she said, getting up and swaying. She took a moment to get her balance and then she moved slowly toward the other sleep couch.

*Time to lie down, Mikala* Sandy added.

The orderly stepped over to her and offered his hand for support.

She nodded, taking his arm. "I'm starting to get lightheaded."

He led her to her bed. Then he slipped one arm behind her knees and the other across her back, lifted her up and set her on the couch. Finally he put the covers over her.

Mikala gave him a sheepish smile. "Thank you," she said. She settled herself and then rolled on her side toward Darien, reaching out to take his hand. She closed her eyes and relaxed. She smiled a little. Despite the circumstances, this was nice.

Darien's hand instantly closed around hers.

Mikala closed her eyes and drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

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