Paul Kater - Bactine

One man was up in the mast, keeping an eye out for the pirates, but they were not to be seen. Daniel and Brinno lowered themselves into the life boat and waited for the second plate to be lowered towards them. They manoeuvred the boat to the opening and started to close it from the outside.

A wave hit the life boat as Daniel was reaching out to make the last connection, which threw him off balance and into the water. Brinno helped him scramble into the boat and they laughed, despite the situation.

It did not take them long to close the hole from the outside, and as Daniel had changed into dry clothes again, the men who had worked on the inside had also done their best there.

Ulaman had gone in also, and assessed the situation. “We can’t go on like this. I dare only hope we make it back home with that patch.” So the ship was turned, the route around the strait was plotted as there was no way they would be able to sail up the stream, and they started the journey back.

As they were going, Daniel was extra alert for another attack. Another of those, with the ship damaged like this, and several men down, would be a terrible thing. There also was a continuous watch in the cargo bay to see if they were taking in water. Buckets were already in place for that occasion. At one time during the trip back, the life boat was lowered again, as the outside patch was loosening because of the constant beating it got from the water. By then they had reached relative safety though, being not too far from shore.

Pirates would not attempt anything here, Ulaman assured Daniel who remained vigilant despite that. The fact they had never done it so far did not mean they never would. Nothing happened, though.

“After the night we’re almost back,” the captain said. “Half a day at best then. The Seigner will not be happy we failed to deliver the cargo, but at least the ship’s not gone under.”

That was something to be grateful for, Daniel agreed.

Towards the evening Daniel felt sick. It felt like a fever was spreading inside him and he could not explain it. The people around him noticed that he was doing poorly also and commented on it, suggesting he should hit his bunk. He agreed eagerly and staggered down to his cabin, tumbling onto the bed.

Not much later Xandree and Ulaman came down to see him. Xandree had tea with her, and her small medical kit. The tea was the best she had to offer though, nothing in her kit seemed to be the cure for Daniel’s situation.

Ulaman thought it was the fact he had fallen into the sea. “Those chemicals do rotten things, Daniel. You should be okay in a few days.”

“I hope so. Don’t like this a bit,” the ex-soldier muttered. The tea made things more bearable for him, and Draiky the cook made it her personal mission to supply him with copious amounts of it, sitting by his bed and talking with him if he was not sleeping.

As he drifted in and out of sleep, the Pricosine reached port. Daniel was aware of people coming into his cabin and lifting him out on a stretcher. As they were carrying him up the stairs, Stroro’s voice warning someone to be careful or else, he passed out again.

“Mr. Zacharias? Can you hear me?” The voice was gentle and female.

“Yes, I can.” Daniel was quite certain. He opened his eyes slowly and stared at a friendly face with brown eyes and a white cap in tucked back dark hair. Beyond the face everything was white.

“Wonderful, Mr. Zacharias. Good to have you with us,” the nurse smiled.

Daniel was not so sure about that, but probably she was more coherent than he was.

“How are you feeling, Mr. Zacharias?”

“Somewhat better. Not so hot,” he determined. “A bit numb too.”

The nurse looked away from him. He tried to follow her gaze and discovered that he couldn’t. It was as if his head was held down by something, like an anvil. “I am in a hospital, aren’t I?”

“Yes,” said the nurse, her attention back with him. “You are taken care of as well as we are able to, sir.”

Somehow this did not fill Daniel with a lot of confidence. “What’s wrong with me?”

Another voice, male, spoke. The owner of that, a balding man with a short white beard, bent over him. “You are packed in ice, Mr. Zacharias. We have to admit that we are not all certain with respect to the cause of your affliction. It may have to do with the rather unusual substance your body is made of, so we have contacted your seniors in order to determine a treatment.”

Daniel slowly blinked. He noticed how sluggish it was. “Don’t give me the medical careful routine, doctor. Please, what is going on?” He did not feel like politeness now.

“To put it bluntly, sir, you seem to be falling apart.”

Daniel heard the words. Somehow they left him as cold has his ice-covered body was.

“It looks that keeping you in ice is slowing down the process, sir.” The doctor looked at him. “I am sorry, sir, you asked for this information.”

Daniel hoped he nodded. “I know. What are my chances?”

“We are not certain.”

“Let me in, you runt, I know him! And I’m here on business!”

Daniel’s heart jumped. Seconds later it did so again: Rhonda’s face appeared in his view.

“Gods, you look like crap,” she greeted him. Her face was hard. She started to push ice to the side and examined Daniel.

Daniel waited for her to say something, but she remained silent during the time she was looking him over.

“I need to talk to people, Daniel. I’ll be back soon. I promise.” Rhonda looked at him, this time in an emotional way he had never thought possible for her. She touched his forehead, then she left, taking the doctor with her.

The nurse started packing the ice onto him again, and the lights faded.

“Daniel? Daniel, can you hear me? Give him some more. Daniel?”

He crawled out of the grey fog. “I hear you.” Slowly his eyesight came back. “Hey, you.”

Rhonda stood watching him. “Hey yourself. I heard what a mess you got yourself in. You never grow up, do you? Playing pirate and going for a swim.”

“Seems that’s needed to get you back here,” he tried to grin. There was no feedback from his face whether the attempt had succeeded.

“You’re an idiot. Daniel, I need to talk to you and please listen carefully. It’s getting harder to keep you awake.”

At least she did not say ‘alive’, Daniel thought.

“We think to know what is happening to you, Daniel. Your friends from the boat said-”

“Ship” Daniel said.

“What? Oh, stop that. Your friends from the… ship said that you all were sprayed by something that made everyone sneeze. I assume you sealed yourself from it, because I found some of that stuff inside your Bactine parts, or what is remaining of them. It looks as if that stuff combined with the ocean water here is severely…”

“Daniel? Are you with us?”

“What? Oh. Yes.” Daniel had not noticed that he had been unconscious again.

“Damn that stuff,” Rhonda said. “I’ll have to be quick. The stuff of the pirates and the ocean water degrades and finally dissolves the Bactine. We have to operate on you or you’ll die. We can’t take you back to the star base for a new Bactine transplant. It is too far away, and also it’s never been done before. Daniel… stay with us… We are going to operate on you…”

There was pain. Not a deep and screaming pain, but a dull and throbbing one. It was everywhere. Daniel groaned softly and wished he hadn’t. It triggered some more pain, in his throat.

“Mr. Zacharias? Are you awake? Try and move a finger, sir, if you can hear me. Don’t try to speak, that will be too painful.”