Seeing The Light: 1
By ISIS
Disclaimers: Farscape is the property of Rockne S O'Bannon, Jim Henson Company et al. I make no claim on them. I borrow only. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Archiving: You're welcome to it; please tell me where it's at. (louiseboyden@earthlink.net)
Acknowledgements: Thanks as always to Quilt Lady for her great suggestions and criticisms.
"So what have you done to your pathetic Farscape this time, Crichton?" Aeryn asked, her voice dripping with teasing sarcasm.
John leaned forward and put his mouth close to her ear, grinning wickedly. "Just wait 'til you see what this baby can do now, Ms Sun. You'll be very impressed." He let himself indulge in a quick sniff of her scented hair, then leaned back in satisfaction.
Aeryn snorted with disbelief. "I find the fact that this bucket of dren is still flying impressive enough."
John grinned again at her tone, knowing that she was more than impressed by his ability to adapt Leviathan technology to enhance his primitive craft. But he also knew she would never admit it. He reached behind him to monitor the new thrusters he had added. Then he opened the comm to Moya. "Pilot, can Moya tell me when the next series of solar flares is expected?"
Pilot's voice came back, ragged with static. "As closely as we can tell, in another quarter arn. But Moya's sensors are badly affected by the radiation."
"That's okay, Pilot. Close enough. Make sure Moya stays a safe distance away. The locals tell us that when this star goes, the fireworks are quite spectacular."
"Will do."
John could not help a final question. "Hey, D'Argo, how's Zhaan doing?" Aeryn turned around to glare at his smirking face.
D'Argo's disgusted growl came darkly over the comm. "She's enjoying herself immensely. The only reason she keeps voting in favour of your time-wasting experiments is to get close to suns with solar flare activity."
In the background, John could distinctly hear Rygel protesting loudly. He chuckled. "Hey, Big Guy, you should be the last one complaining. Ever since you and Chiana hooked up ...," he let his voice trail off suggestively. Aeryn reached around and tried to smack him, but he ducked. "Hey, it's true!"
"It's no one's business but theirs, Crichton!"
"Except when they keep defiling various parts of the ship, and getting caught at it!" Rygel griped. "Body breeders!"
John laughed out loud and Aeryn could not keep the smile from her face. "And how are you doing, Crichton?" D'Argo asked, changing the subject.
"I'm fine, D'Argo, just peachy." Ever since his near misses on the Royal Planet, the rest of the crew had been very attentive, sensitive to even the slightest change in his behaviour. John was flattered by their consideration, but sometimes found it smothering.
Except now. John looked at the dark head of the ex-PeaceKeeper in front of him as she steered the Farscape module into position. He knew one of the reasons that Aeryn was with him now was to make sure he would be all right. He certainly didn't mind being smothered by his beautiful Sebacean shipmate. Not in the slightest. In fact, he wished ...
Just then, his instruments registered the beginning of intense solar flare activity, shaking him out of his reverie. "Uh, gotta go, D'Argo. We'll start our run in a few microts."
"Good luck!" the Luxan said, and signed off.
"Okay, Aeryn, you better put on those solar filters. These flares are going to be pretty strong."
"I don't need you to remind me, Crichton. Have you got yours on?" Aeryn asked abruptly.
"Yes. Fashion eye wear courtesy of Furlow of Dam-Ba-Da." John monitored the flare activity, then reached down and placed his hand on Aeryn's shoulder. "Okay, begin the run."
Aeryn expertly pilotted the tiny module in the now familiar slingshot maneuver the Human had taught her. The tiny craft shot into the planet's atmosphere, its gravity amplifying the Farscape's speed exponentially. She pulled out just as waves of powerful light and radiation washed over the module from the system's massive star. John gasped as before him he saw once more the whirling blue vortex of the wormhole. For a microt, he was again overcome by memories of his previous experience with the phenomenon, but he quickly recovered, beginning to take his readings for later study.
"Can you get us any closer,Aeryn?"
"Why?" she demanded suspiciously, working to control the speeding craft.
John sighed. "I just need a closer reading. I have no intention of going in, Aeryn. Trust me."
Aeryn said nothing, but steered the module closer. John checked his readings, satisfied that he was getting the data he needed. Just as he was about to ask Aeryn to move them away, he thought he caught a glimpse of something at the far end of the wormhole. For a microt, he held his breath, not daring to believe he could actually see Earth. Aeryn turned to ask him a question, but he was too focussed on trying to identify the system he could clearly see through the wormhole's funnel.
"Crichton! I said check the rear thruster!" Aeryn's voice cut through his musings.
"Right," he replied distractedly. He reached forward to hit the thruster control. Unfortunately, Aeryn chose that very moment to turn impatiently and try to reach the control herself. John outstretched hand knocked her goggles flying. Suddenly the cockpit of the module was flooded with intense light as a second flare erupted from the star below them. John was blinded temporarily, even through Furlow's goggles. He heard Aeryn gasp, then the light faded. Blinking to clear the white spots still before his eyes, John looked around to see that the wormhole had disappeared. He quickly checked the instruments and determined that everything was fine.
"Wow, that was amazing!" John enthused to his silent copilot. "Ready to go home, Aeryn?" He leaned forward and hit the thruster control, seeing with satisfaction that it was all right. "Aeryn?" he repeated. The module lurched unexpectedly. "Aeryn?"
"John, take the controls," Aeryn said, her voice slightly panicked.
"Aeryn, what's the matter? Aeryn, talk to me!"
"Just take the controls, Crichton, and get me back to Moya!" she cried.
John looked at her perplexed. Then he spied the fallen goggles on the floor of the cockpit. "Oh no! Aeryn!" He reached around her and gently grabbed her chin, turning her face towards his. The sight of her blankly staring eyes started the rattlers churning in his stomach. Aeryn wrenched her face out of his hand and turned away from him.
John opened a comm to the waiting Leviathan. "Pilot, get us back on board immediately. And go rouse Zhaan. There's been an accident."
***************
Aeryn lay silently on the table in Zhaan's converted infirmary, stoically letting the Delvian pass the scanning instruments over her. Since her orders to John, she had said nothing, silently letting him lead her to the infirmary where Zhaan waited to treat her damaged eyes but roughly shaking off his helping hands as he tried to assist her up on the table. John had backed off after that, pacing back and forth in the entrance of the infirmary, biting at his thumb, waiting for the results of Zhaan's scans. He was barely aware of Chiana and D'Argo slipping in to see what had happened. Even Rygel hovered nearby, thankfully without comment.
When Zhaan set the scanner down and looked at the Human with sad eyes, he met her gaze with horror. Sensing a change in the activity in the room, Aeryn sat up. "What? What is it, Zhaan? How long will I be like this this time?" she demanded angrily.
Zhaan looked again at John and the others helplessly. Then she turned and tried to ease Aeryn back down on the table. "Lie back, my dear. Don't try to sit up quite yet," she said in a soothing tone.
"I'll sit up if I want to, Zhaan!" Aeryn exclaimed, pushing the priestess's hands away. "I'm not sick. I just caught another frelling solar flare in the face. So tell me, how long before I get my sight back?"
Zhaan sighed and stepped back, glancing again at her companions for support. "It's not that simple this time, Aeryn. This is the second solar burn you've experienced. And this time it was ten times stronger than on Dam-Ba-Da. There was no atmosphere to filter it out. Your retinas have been severely damaged."
"So what are you saying -- days, weekens, ... monens?"
"At least."
Aeryn turned her unseeing blue gaze in the direction of the Delvian's discouraging voice. "Never?"
Zhaan raised her eyes to meet those of her fellow crew members. She hesitated then replied, "Possibly. I'm sorry."
Aeryn sat saying nothing, the awful reality washing over her. John closed his eyes in despair, raking his hands through his hair. Chiana and Zhaan moved towards the stricken Sebacean in an effort to offer her comfort, but she angrily shook off their hands. She slid from the bed, placing a hand on its surface to steady herself, then she turned towards where she thought the door was. She took a few determined steps, then stumbled into the bed beside her own. "Frell!" she cursed.
John flew to her side, reaching out to guide her. At his touch, she pulled away, stumbling again. She spun around to face where he had been, her blinded eyes flashing with fury. "Don't touch me! Leave me alone!" She tried to make her way to the door again.
"Aeryn, please, let me help you!" John begged, distraught.
"Haven't you helped me enough, Human!?" she hissed at him with barely controlled anger. She tensed, instantly regretting her hurtful words but unable to take them back. John stumbled back as if she had hit him. In the awful silence, Aeryn stretched her hands out in front of her and slowly made her way forward, grasping the edge of the door. "Just leave me alone, all of you!" she ground out, before disappearing around the corner.
The others just stood in shock, unable to comprehend what their shipmate was going through. John slumped against the infirmary bed. Zhaan went to him and laid her hand on his shoulder. "John, give her time. She didn't mean what she said. She's in shock."
John shook his head. "No, Zhaan, she was right. It's all my fault. It's always my fault." He turned to face the others, his voice bitter with self-reproach. "I got her into this mess. I always get her into messes. How many time have I nearly got her killed? Now she's blinded. I deserve everything she said and more."
"Come on, Crichton, don't be like that," Chiana piped up. "Besides, Zhaan's no expert. We'll find a doctor. We'll get her eyes fixed. She'll be good as new in no time, right?" The young Nebari looked from one friend to the next optimistically.
Zhaan sighed and smiled sadly. "Yes, we'll do everything we can, Chiana. And you're right. I'm not an expert. The first thing we need to do is find a doctor who can treat this."
Heartened by a positive plan of action, D'Argo volunteered to work with Pilot to coordinate a search for a planet with a reliable medical facility. With a quick glance at John's bleak expression, Chiana followed the Luxan up to Command.
John turned to the blue Delvian priestess. "Truthfully, Zhaan. Do you think Aeryn's sight can be restored?"
Zhaan stared at him for a microt, then closed her pale blue eyes. "No, John, I'm afraid I don't. The damage is extensive." John dropped into a chair and let his head fall into his hands. "I pray to the Goddess that I am wrong."
"So what now?" John asked through his hands.
Zhaan dropped to her knee in front of the Human and took his head in her hands. "We help her even if she doesn't want it. We support her even if she fights us. And we never give up on her, especially if she gives up on herself."
John stared at her, then sighed, knowing the truth of her words.