DOWNWARD SPIRAL 3: AWAKENINGS

By Donnie Thomas

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Part I
Slowly, ever so slowly, John Crichton returned to consciousness. John sat up
slowly on the bed in the infirmary, looking around the dimly lit room. As he
tried to stand, muscles that had not been used for the past three monens began
to scream in protest, leaving the Human perched on the edge of the bunk in
agony.

"What the hell is wrong with me?" John whispered to himself as he finally
managed to stand.

Seeing no one else in the room, John moved to the other side of the room where
his clothes were laying on a bench and picked up his comm badge. "Hey Pilot,
what's going on? Where is everybody?" John asked, turning to the room's
viewscreen as Pilot's image appeared.

"Commander Crichton! It is good to see that you have finally regained
consciousness!" Pilot exclaimed, seemingly surprised to find the Human standing
alone in the middle of the infirmary. "I must inform the others at once!"

"Hey, wait, wait…just hold the phone a second Pilot!" John exclaimed, wondering
at the uneasiness he felt at the mention of the others.

John closed his eyes to try to compose himself, "What is going on Pilot? How
long have I been unconscious?" John asked, a note of pleading in his voice.

Pilot gave John a sympathetic look, "You have been unconscious for the past
three monens Commander Crichton, you lapsed into unconsciousness after your…."
Pilot's voice trailed off, not wanting to upset the Human.

John, however, was not to be deterred. "My what….psychotic episode? Mental
breakdown? I remember all that Pilot, you don't have to spare my feelings."

Pilot nodded, and changed the subject to John's other question. "The others are
currently in the Center Chamber, I shall inform them that you are awake."

"You don't have to tell them I'm awake Pilot." John said quickly, pulling his
clothes on as he spoke. "I'd like to tell them myself. You know, surprise them."
John finished with a lopsided grin on his face.

Pilot thought for a moment, he didn't really understand, but then again, who has
ever understood Crichton? "Very well commander." Pilot said reluctantly, "I will
let you tell them yourself."

John let out a nervous breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. "Thanks
Pilot, I'm gonna go get cleaned up, then I'll make an appearance in the center
chamber."

John turned and walked out of the infirmary feeling like he'd just run a
marathon. As he made his way to his quarters, John tried to figure out exactly
what happened to him.

*From the sounds of it, looks like I've been out of it for a while. Three
monens! I just can't believe it.* John thought to himself as he cleaned himself
up and donned a fresh pair of pants and a black shirt.

"Well, might as well bite the bullet and see if the others are ready to ship me
to the local galactic funny farm." John chuckled as he made his way to the
center chamber.

As he walked along, John couldn't help but feel concerned, he knew he had a
problem, he had admitted as much to Scorpius, or his mind's image of Scorpius
anyway.

"Hell, just the fact that I'm dreamin' about Scorpy is proof enough that I've
gone over the deep end." John said aloud as he walked along, not aware of a DRD
with blue electrical tape on one of its eyestalks following behind in the
shadows.

Part II

Aeryn Sun sat at the table absentmindedly munching on a green food cube, her
thoughts straying towards the unconscious Human lying in the infirmary. Aeryn
had been feeling very tense ever since Zhaan revealed to everyone that she and
Crichton had formed a powerful bond as a result of unity.

Aeryn was concerned as to what this bond would do to her own relationship with
Crichton. Gazing over at the Delvian, Aeryn noticed her staring towards the
entrance of the chamber with a glazed look in her eyes and a smile on her face.
Aeryn was about to ask what she was thinking about when a familiar voice stopped
her train of thought.

"Morning happy campers!" John boomed as he entered the center chamber, laughing
at the looks on the faces of his shipmates.

"I really wish I had a camera right now, you guys should see the looks on your
faces." John said, laughing as he took a seat at the table beside a still
speechless Aeryn. "Hiya Sunshine, miss me?" John asked mischievously, snatching
a food cube from the Sebacean's plate and popping it into his mouth.

Aeryn was stunned; it was like her brain had stopped functioning at the sight of
him. Even now, with him smirking at her around a mouthful of food cube, she
could think of nothing intelligent to say.

"John! Thank the Goddess you're awake!" Zhaan exclaimed, throwing herself at
John and hugging him tightly from behind, caressing his shoulder and neck with
her hands.

No one was more surprised at her actions than Zhaan herself, she knew that she
would have stronger feelings for John as a result of their more powerful bond,
but not even she had expected him to invoke such passion in her. It was all she
could do to keep from pushing him to the floor and ravishing his body.

Zhaan had never felt such intense emotions for anyone, and through their new
bond, she could feel John's and confusion at her actions, she had to stop this
before she did something the Human was not ready for.

"Forgive me John," Zhaan said as she reluctantly pulled away from him and stood
up. "You have been unconscious for so long, that I was overwhelmed by my
emotions at seeing you recovered."

Zhaan left quickly, heading back to her quarters for some much needed
meditation. But as she entered her room, one thought played itself over and over
again in her mind. *Soon John, soon you will be mine, and I will heal all of
your pain.*

Part 3

John stood on the terrace, having walked Aeryn to her quarters after a
relatively uneventful day. Now he took the time to relax here among the stars
before going to his quarters for some sleep.

*This is where it all started.* John thought, remembering that night three
monens ago when he had seen Scorpius in his head, when he had gone totally
mental and had pulled a weapon on Aeryn.

John sighed and pulled his recorder out of his pocket, he hadn't used it since
before he and D'argo had flown the transport pod to the oil covered moon to help
Moya escape the Peacekeepers.

*Damn, I didn't even record a message to tell Dad that I survived.* John thought
sadly, realizing that he hardly ever thought of his father, DK, or Earth
anymore.

*Well, might as well take the time to leave another message while I have a few
microts alone.* John thought with a smile as he clicked the record button,
unaware that a certain former Peacekeeper watched him from the shadows.

Aeryn had not let Crichton out of her sight all day long, after everyone else
had left the center chamber she and John had sat there and talked for arns.
After a while, they both walked around the ship for awhile before joining the
others in command.

As everyone finally realized how late it was, John offered to walk Aeryn back to
her quarters, Aeryn had been puzzled by this gesture but had accepted anyway.
They had walked to her quarters hand in hand, once they reached her door. John
pulled her towards him and captured her mouth in a kiss that left her
breathless.

John had stood there smiling at her a moment before bidding her goodnight and
walking down the tier towards his own cell. Aeryn had stood in the corridor
watching his back until he had turned around the corner, then she had climbed
into her bunk and attempted to get some sleep.

After several arns of tossing and turning, Aeryn decided to go to the terrace,
hoping the view would relax her enough to get some sleep. An immediate sense of
déjà vu filled her once she had entered the terrace, there before her stood
John, in the same spot he had stood the night of his breakdown.

For a terrifying moment Aeryn thought it was going to happen again until she saw
him pull his recording device out of his pocket and smile. Relaxing, Aeryn
slipped into the shadow of the door, not willing to let him out of her sight but
not wanting him to know that she was there.

As John started speaking into the recorder, it seemed to Aeryn that a heavy
burden had been lifted from his shoulders. Aeryn watched and listened in silence
as John told his father about all the trials that they had gone through since
the oil covered moon. Aeryn's heart broke as she heard John telling his father
of the visions and fears he had while in his 'coma', Aeryn stood as a silent
witness to John's return from the edge of madness, marveling again at the
Human's strength and resiliency.

When at last John succumbed to his sorrows and broke down sobbing, Aeryn went to
him offering what comfort she could. Just as John had awakened from the
imprisonment of his mind, John had awakened feelings in her that she had thought
buried after Velorek. Aeryn knew now that she loved John just as much as she had
ever loved Velorek, possibly even more so. Smiling down at John, Aeryn took his
hand and led him back to her quarters, where both of them finally found peace in
each other, and their dreams.

THE END