Dark as Daylight Ch. 14

"Yes Captain."

"Thank you for saving me Teddy."

"You are welcome."

He leaned over his wife; she was still his wife, and until that changed, he would care for her that way. He lifted her off the grass, paying special attention to the 7 month bump she had in her middle. People offered to help him carry her inside, but he refused.

He said, "Regardless of what my wife said about me, or what she tried to do to me, she's still my wife. I will treat her properly, until that changes."

That statement spread around the membership of the Good Luck 1, before Elizabeth's examination was completed.

Elizabeth was preparing to deliver her first child, even though it was going to be a few weeks early. Newton was given 1 mg of Xanax so he could make it through the delivery process. Currently, he was asleep on a bench, just outside the infirmary.

Lucy told Elizabeth, "Your husband will be useless, during your labor, and delivery. First time fathers are normally that way, unless they are drunk."

"Would you ask Gray, Delicious, or Jennifer to come down here, and give me a hand?"

"Which one do you want? All 3 of them are standing outside."

"Would you send mom in please?"

"That's a great choice. There will be no argument within the Thyme family tonight."

**********************

When Gordon carried Zoey into the infirmary, Hannah frowned at him.

"No, I did not hit her. She fainted after she thought she killed me. Then, I was the first person she saw, as the smoke began to clear."

"I had to change my panties, when I saw you were still standing. How did she miss you?"

"I guess she is a lousy shot."

"There is a lot of day left for today."

"Thanks Hannah, I needed to hear that. My wife tries to kill me, and you say there's something worse than that out there waiting for me. What could be worse?"

"The smell of those cows."

"I'm kind of getting used to it. I'm not in love with it, but I'm getting used to it."

"Gordon, you are a pain in the ass."

"What a perfect way to continue my day. I get shot at by my wife, and she goes into a coma like state. What's wrong with her?"

"Let her the nurses finish doing their jobs, then I'll take a look at her."

**************************

The nurses finished undressing Zoey, covered her with a drape, and began checking her body for signs of anything unusual. Her hair was so dense, and so long, they nearly missed it.

"Doctor Daniels, would you take a look at this please?"

"What do you have Cornelia?"

"Look at the base of her neck, all the way through her scalp to the top of her head. They are not pimples. They are raised dots, like the back of a pad that makes it skid proof. Her body temperature is 97.6. The temperature on the top of her head is 104.2. Her brain must be very close to the terminal point."

"Get an ice pack quickly, and put it on her head. Joe lets switch places for a minute, so you can look at this patient."

"My patient isn't going anywhere. Explain to me what you have."

"Zoey has a 6.6-degree difference, between her body temperature and the temperature on the top of her head. I'm about to put ice on it to cool it down. As Cornelia said, these bumps look like a skid proof pattern. I didn't see anything like it in the medical journals."

"Don't feel bad, Hannah, neither have I. Take some pictures of it, and feed it into Callie. See if anything in her memory banks has it."

"Could this be causing her erratic behavior?"

"We won't be able to answer that, until we know what it is."

"Andrea how much blood did you take from her?"

"One vile, Doctor Daniels."

"Take 3 more, and put them in the refrigerator please."

"Yes Doctor."

Gordon walked back into the infirmary, and asked about Zoey.

"Why are you worried about her? Less than 15 minutes ago, she tried to put a bullet between your eyes."

"Doctor, if you had a weapon pointed at your head, from less then 3 feet, could you possibly miss?"

"No, it would be virtually impossible to miss from that range."

"I'm still here Doctor. How do you explain that?"

"She had to want to miss you. I had a perfect view of her face, as the 2 of you were talking. She did not want to miss you. She wanted you dead. When she pointed the weapon at you, and pulled the trigger, her arm was pointed at your eyes. I know what I saw Gordon, and Zoey had death in her heart, and mind."

"Hannah, how far is it from the bridge of my nose to the side of my head?"

"3 inches, possibly a little more."

"From 3 feet, how much of an angle would it take to move that weapon so the bullet would miss me?"

"I would say about 20°."

"How far away from us were you standing?"

"We were about 30 feet away from you."

"So, you were looking at Zoey from an angle of about 30°. You saw her put the gun towards my head. You couldn't possibly tell if she pointed it at my nose, or at my ear, could you?"

"I don't like you Gordon. I don't believe I ever have. I wish they would have kept you in stasis. Your mind is too logical for me."

"Hannah, who would have thought about the C-4 being in the elevator shaft, and not in the landing gear, if I was still in stasis?"

"I'm going to have my husband kick your ass."

"I believe Jack would turn that request down. He watched what I did to Monty in 22 seconds. It wasn't pleasant for her."

"Monty was number one on the list. I guess you are now."

"There is Laura Schiff, and the big money is on her."

"When is the fight going to be?"

"She is due to deliver her baby next month. Anytime she's ready after that she will tell me, and we will arrange the match."

"How good is she?"

"The best story I heard about Laura was this one. She was a freshman in high school, and a real beauty. A very large football player accosted her, during school hours, in the hallway. She took him down, and nearly killed him. If it wasn't for the vice principals' intervention, she would have. No male ever went near her, or her sister, Anna, again.

"It must have made for a very lonely high school experience."

"I don't know anything about that. All I know is the high school football players never went near either of them again."

"Who is the big money on?"

"At last count it was a tie. I thought I would be the heavy favorite, because of the way I beat Monty. Someone knows something about Laura, that is keeping her even with me."

"You better keep training, you don't want to get hurt."

"I can't get hurt now. I have to take care of Payne, and soon my newborn."

"You're right, according to our schedule, Zoey and Laura are due to give birth, within weeks of each other."

"I don't know how Zoey is going to take giving birth, and then being away from her baby. I wish all this had never happened. I want my wife back. I want the woman I love back. Find something Hannah, help her, please."

"We are going to do everything we can to find out what's wrong with her, and give her back to you Gordon. Don't tell her she can shoot you again, because we need time to find out what it is that screws up her brain, and turns her into the wicked witch of the West or East, or wherever she came from."

"Doctor Daniels, she's waking up."

"Hannah, let me be the first person she sees please."

"Go ahead, we took her gun away."

"No you didn't, she dropped it."

"You are a fucking pain in the ass Gordon."

******************************

Zoey's eyes fluttered open. Gordon used a moist pad to clean the gunk that collected in their corners. As her eyes cleared and focused, she saw him standing over her.

"Gordon, you're okay?"

"Yes baby, we are both alive, and hopefully well. How are you feeling?"

"I shouldn't have shot at you. I don't know what got into me, but I was really angry with you."

"Do you remember why you were angry with me?"

"No, what did you do wrong?"

"I was asked to impregnate all females, under the age of 21. We needed more children to increase our population. As long as everyone knew I was the father, any other male could marry the woman, and have children with her, without fear of inbreeding."

"Gordon, when was the last time you lied to me, and got away with it?"

"Ummm, never!"

Hannah said, "It sounded like a really good story to me."

"Hannah that story wasn't even in his top 10 best list. You should hear what he comes up with sometimes."

"It was the best I could come up with on short notice. How do you feel?"

"I feel like I have a fever; is that why there is ice on my head?"

"When you were young, and your parents took you to the doctor, because of your mood swings, did any of your doctors check your head?"

"No, they checked my ears, nose, throat, and the rest of my body for rashes and things like that, but no one checked my head, except the psychiatrists. They were only interested in what was inside it. Why, what's going on?"

"After you fainted, Gordon carried you in here. Cornelia found the difference between the temperature of your body and your head was 6.6°. In other words, your brain was near the terminal point. That's why you have an ice pack on your head. 2 more degrees, and you would have suffered permanent brain damage, and/or both you and the baby would have died."

"I didn't feel sick. I did my normal duties every day. I didn't feel tired or anything like that. Shouldn't I have had some warning signs?"

"We believe you did, but now we have to prove it."

"4 months ago your moods changed. You went from good Zoey, to malicious Zoey. You started delving into everyone's lives, and putting them onto the screens all over the ship. People stopped talking to you, because of it. You got angry with them, and delved deeper into their private lives. The culmination came when you took a picture of Gordon kissing Monty, congratulating her on her pending marriage to Jackson."

"Monty's getting married? Who is Jackson? Where does he work? Do we know him? Come on, tell me."

Everyone in the infirmary was listening to this conversation, and could not tell if she was acting, or being truthful.

Gordon decided to test her.

"I have to get Payne from the nursery, and take her back to my room. I'm sure when they are ready to release you, one of the nurses will be happy to stay in your room with you, for a few hours, until you get your bearings."

"I have you, why would I need a nurse?"

"Zoey, you filed for a divorce from me. We don't live together anymore. I have custody of Payne, and when our baby is born, I'm going to ask for custody of it, also. You are not stable. You tried to kill me today. Everyone on this ship watched you try to do it. I can't trust you with our children, and you can't be trusted with your own life."

"I would never file for a divorce from you. I would never do that to you, or to me. We promised we would live together forever. Why are you saying these things about me? Why are you going to take my babies away from me?"

"Don't you remember what you said in court this afternoon? You accused me of beating you. You accused me of hitting your stomach, while you were pregnant. That's why we went outside. You were given a loaded weapon, and shown how to use it. You pointed it at my head, and pulled the trigger. By some miracle, you missed me. You looked at the gun, let it fall from your hand, and fainted."

"Gordon, I didn't; I couldn't have. It's not possible. I love you too much to do something like that to you. You never hit me, and I would never accuse you of something so terrible to anyone; especially me. Is this another one of your stories; if it is, it's not funny."

"Well, what do you think? I think she's telling the truth. I don't think she has any memory of the past few months."

Doctor Finch said, "Let's run her blood to see what's there, or what's missing. We have a record of her blood on file from when she delivered Payne. I would love to do a lumbar puncture, but if I screw up, it could affect the baby, and Zoey. I don't want to take a chance with 2 lives at stake."

"Joe, that's why we set up Callie to assist you."

"Why weren't you were around to help the Indians invent the wheel?"

"My mommy wasn't born yet."

"Now I know why Zoey wanted to shoot you. I'm next in line."

"You can't do a 'Lumbar Puncture' by yourself, and I am supposed to worry about you holding a gun?"

"I know how to use a knife."

"Take care of my wife doctor."

"I don't like you."

"There is a lot of that going around today."

*********************************

"Zoey, I want your permission to have Callie help me do a 'Lumbar Puncture.' It's nearly the same thing I did to you to help take the pain away, when you were giving birth to Payne. The difference is I go deeper into the spinal cord, and extract fluid. The first thing I look for is to see if the fluid is clear. Then we can do a battery of tests on it to see what's going on inside your body. You can sign all the papers you want, but it doesn't mean a thing in our society. It's either a yes or no. We know each other, and we would never hurt one another, unless of course it was Gordon."

"Thanks a lot, Joe. It's not like I didn't have enough fun this afternoon."

"Your mother should have spanked you more, when you were a baby."

"She didn't have to, she had Monty do it for her."

"You don't know how I wish I could have seen that."

Zoey said, "Do you want to know the best part of his growing up years, Doctor Finch?"

"Absolutely Zoey."

"I was in the basement, watching Gordon get his ass kicked, by one of the members of Monty's security force. They would do this, for exactly 1 hour, 6 days a week, every week. When it was over, he would be all sweaty, and exhausted. Then Monty would look at him, and Gordon's shoulders would slump. He would walk over towards the ice bath, strip down to his shorts, and jump in, until his head was completely submerged. When he emerged from the freezing cold bath, the scream that followed made me laugh. Monty took me by the arm, and asked me if I would like to join him.

I said in fear, "No thank you; this is a very expensive outfit."

From then on, I wore my best dresses to his training sessions, with no panties underneath. I knew Monty would never have me strip to my bare skin, because we were still under 18 years old."

"You were very brazen young woman."

"I was also a very proper young woman. While he was taking his shower, I could sit in the kitchen, and talk with his mother, sister, and Monty, without fear of being exposed. When I heard the shower stop, I knew he would shave, and brush his teeth, to get ready for me. It was our ritual.

In the meantime, I would stop what I was doing, excuse myself, and walk to our room. I would take off my shoes, slip my dress over my head, and hang it up properly. I would turn down our bed, put out an assortment of oils, and take out our paddles. By the time he opened the door to our bedroom, both he and I were ready for sex.

When he walked in, and threw off his towel, he looked like a Greek god. His muscles were ripped. He didn't have a 6 pack, or an 8 pack. Gordon walked around our room with a 9 pack. The first time I saw it, I thought it was fake.

The girls at my school would proudly say that their boyfriends had cocks that were 5 and 6 inches long, and 3 or 4 inches around.

When I saw Gordon, erect, for the first time, he was nearly double in both measurements. I didn't know if I wanted to run away, cry, or die.

He told me to be careful with that thing. It had never been used before, on anyone. He knew it was loaded, and it could explode at the slightest touch.

He was right. He was fondling me as it went off. What a mess he made, and it was all over me.

When he used that thing to open me, for my very first time, everyone within a 3 block area must have known about it. The pain was excruciating, even though he tried his very best to keep me comfortable. We read books, by female authors, together. There were contradictions in every word they wrote. One said the girl should be on top, while another said it was best for the boy to be on top. Others said you should do it, while lying on your side. Another said we should do it from the back, because the penetration is straight into the vagina. In the end, we were both so confused, Gordon let me decide how I wanted it done. He knew I was going to be in pain, due to his size, and I loved his concern for me.

I decided to do it the old-fashioned way, with him on top of me. He did not put any of his weight on me. He kept it on his forearms, and knees. He went in slowly, until he touched my hymen. He kissed me, and moved back. He took my virginity, and my breath away, in one stroke. It hurt like hell, I bled profusely, and later, I came like a waterfall. He was magnificent.

When Jennifer was sure we were finished, she knocked on our door, came in, kicked Gordon out of the room, and came to tend to me.

You will have to ask her about the first time she bought him condoms. If she doesn't kill you for asking her that question, you will die laughing from her story. She told me about it, while she was cleaning up the blood, from my virginity. Believe me, it helped, as I laughed through my tears.

Dinner was funny that evening. Gordon and I were seated on opposite sides of the dinner table that night. Doctor Luck noticed there was a difference between us. He started in on Gordon, and would let up.

Finally, Gordon went into his act.

"Dad, I am never having sex again."

"Why, what happened?"

"Zoey nearly killed me. You should have seen all my blood on the bed. I believe she cut my femoral artery. I rushed to the bathroom, and put a tourniquet above the area. When I stopped the bleeding, I covered the area with antiseptic, and put a pressure bandage on my thigh. You should see the scrapes and cuts all over my back, chest, and arms. The girl is a vampire. I have teeth marks on my chest and abdomen, too.

I don't what type doctor to call in reference to her. Then, she had the nerve to pick up a paddle, and smack me with it. I mean it dad; this girl is off her bean. I'm never having sex with her, or any other girl again; unless, of course, the girl comes with references."

I flew out of my chair. If it wasn't for the serving spoon, in the bowl of mashed potato's, I would have cleared the table, and had my nails attached to his throat. I didn't make it, and my body lay across dinner.

Gordon ran around the table, and smacked me on the ass with the ladle that was stuck in my shorts.

I was indignant. I regained my feet, with most of the evening meal attached to my clothing.

I said, "Mom, don't worry about the table, or the floor. He will clean it up when we get back, or his arms will be in casts."

Doctor Luck said, "Please, not his arms, he can't work without those. You can break his legs if you want to, but leave his head and arms alone."

"Thank you Doctor Luck, I'll be back soon."

Gordon was standing by the front door, when he yelled to me, "You won't be back, until after you've run 5 miles."

"5 miles, I've never run 5 miles before."

"You will tonight 'Tubby."

"Tubby, when I run up your backside, you'll find out who's 'Tubby."

I ran towards him, but he stuck out his arm to stop me.

"Are you going to run barefoot, or would you like to put your sneakers on?"

I kissed him, punched him in his abdomen, turned and said, "I hate you."

********************************

With Callie's help, the Lumbar Puncture went very smoothly. The fluid was clear. It was a great beginning to this procedure. It meant there were no active bacteria's in the fluid, which could have indicated meningitis, or encephalitis. Now it was up to Callie, and the advanced machines they had on board, to diagnose if is Zoey had contracted Guillain-Barre syndrome, Multiple Sclerosis, or a Brain Cancer. None of these outcomes would be welcome. All were, almost certainly, death sentences, because Dr. Finch said he did not have the proper medications, on board, to fight them. The tests would be ready in 10 days.