∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞
"So what's going to happen to us?" It was Paul who asked the question after Mac finally stopped speaking. "If we can't tell them where Earth is?"
"I don't know," Mac told them honestly. "What I do know is that they are nothing like the Zaludians or the Ganglians."
"And this repair unit... it helps?" All eyes went from Mac to the three Jerboaians that had returned a short while ago. There were still large patches of fur missing, but what remained now seemed shiny and silky, healthy-looking.
"It does. I'm feeling much better, not so weak and tired. I was bruised and had a split lip yesterday. Today that's all gone. It can even heal scars." She looked at Jen and saw the shock on her face.
"It... it can take this all away?" She did a circular gesture in front of her face.
"Yes, it can repair all the scars, Jen. It can repair any internal damage. It just can't...”
"Can't what?"
"It can't repair your ankle."
"Why not!" Paul demanded.
"Because it's fully healed. If it weren't...”
"I see," Jen whispered.
"I'm sorry, Jen."
"It's not your fault. It's not anybody's fault." She looked up at her friends. "You all have to use this machine and their educator. Maybe then, between all of us, we can figure out where Earth is."
"You need to use it too, Jen," Mac told her.
"No. There's no reason to."
"No reason...”
"Mac, what good does it do to fix the outside if what's broken is on the inside?"
"Jen...”
"And I don't mean my leg. I mean my heart. They can't fix that, so what's the use. You guys have a chance though, a chance to fully recover from all this. To get back home and return to your lives. I don't."
"Don't say that, Jen!" Mac wrapped her arms around her friend trying not to cringe when all she felt was bone. "You still have Kimmy. You know she's looking for you. You got that text from her right before we left."
"That I ignored."
"So."
"Mac, you know Kimmy and I hadn't talked in nearly six months. For me to just ignore her when she finally reached out... she must hate me."
"I'm sure she doesn't. No one could hate you, Jen."
"Yeah, well you didn't know me before, Mac. I wasn't that nice of a person."
"That's a lie," Craig spoke up. "You've always been a nice person, Jen, a good one. Look at all of Todd's crap you put up with."
"Craig!"
"I know, and I'm sorry I shouldn't speak ill of the dead, but you did. I was on the receiving end of his phone calls and texts when you first took Kimmy in. He could have been more supportive."
"Maybe, but I wasn't that nice to Kimmy either, especially toward the end... now she'll never know how sorry I am."
"She will," Mac said, squeezing her hand. "You can tell her when we finally get back home, as long as you don't give up. You didn't in that mine, Jen. When we were all so hungry, you found a way to make the food stretch. We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you."
"And I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you." Jen squeezed Mac's hand in return.
"Then don't give up. Not yet. Not anyone." Mac looked at the nine men encircling them. "We've come this far together. Let’s see if we can't make it home together too."
The men mumbled their agreement, and Mac turned to look at Jen.
"Alright," Jen reluctantly agreed. "No giving up."
"I think we need to continue to keep Jen's existence a secret," Craig announced.
"What?" Mac's eyes shot to his. "Why?"
"Because we don't know what these... Kaliszians will do to her. Look at you!"
"Me?" Mac gave him a shocked look. "What are you talking about?!!"
"You were kissing one!" he told her angrily. "Why? How do we know they didn't do something to make you do that?!! That their machine didn't...”
"It didn't! Look that kiss... Nikhil and I...”
"Nikhil? That's his name?" Jen asked quietly.
"Yes. He's the one that found me in the mine. He carried me directly to the Healer, Healer Luol, and Luol put me in the deep-repair unit."
"How long were you in it?" Jen asked.
"Six hours."
"How do you know it was that long?" Craig demanded.
"Because that's what Luol told me when I asked."
"And you believed him?"
"Yes. There was no reason for him to lie about it."
"What happened next?" Jen pulled Mac's gaze back to her.
"They asked me some questions, most I couldn't answer, and then Nikhil took me to his quarters."