Eve awoke slowly. She felt as weak as a rag doll. Her knees failed her as she tried to get up, and she sat down on the edge of the bed. She was no longer in the intensive care unit. She felt dizzy and her ears were buzzing. "It may be the after-effects of the fever," she thought trying to fought a strange feeling. She tried to summon up her strength. Eve heard the two scamps chirp in the next room. "Well, they too have made it!" and the others too, fortunately. Then a sudden nausea forced her to retch, but it wasn't from herself ...: "Vickie!" Vickie was sick, very sick indeed. Eve focused on Vickie. The ship had been infected - Eve immediately knew it - and was struggling. "How did they manage to vaccinated her?" Eve wondered then scolded herself. "Silly me, sure Jay found a way." She called Vickie. The ship didn't reply. Vickie was fighting the pain and upheaval that the vaccine caused, a truly violent reaction on her. "Come on Vickie, later you'll be better!" Eve tried to support her gently. The ship barely reacted, all focused on her fight and on something else that she cherished as if it were very precious. Eve had never felt such care in Vickie's mind. "I have to tell Jay," she thought and that feeling she was fighting off since she woken up, hit her the hardest like a clout on her face. "Jay!" Eve's heart seemed to skip a beat. "Jay!" Eve called mentally. No answer, but the quality of that silence terrified her. Not finding him next to her, when she woke up, had lulled her in the illusion that he had business somewhere in the space. But unconsciously she knew it was not true. Even when in the hyperspace, there was a certain feeling of his presence in her mind. Just a resonance, but there it was. Now the silence was deafening. "'Cool it, Eve!' Jay would said, 'analyze the situation!'" she thought. In the depths of her mind she still felt the strength of Jay's hug, his love that embraced her soul, then suddenly, nothing. It was not like the silence before, when she had not yet given him the gift. Nor was the same silence when he closed his mind. She felt the 'ticking' of his mind behind the mental screen very well. A gap opened in her stomach. Eve analyzed the memory of Adam's death. But Adam wasn't telepathic. This silence was different. Eve tried to remember her own perceptions at the time of the old queen's demise. But she only remembered her relief for the stopping of the old hag's constant grilling. Yet, Eve was certain that this silence was different. Once JS told her about the black holes. No one could see a black hole, but everything was affected by this singularity. Jay's silence was like a black hole. It was absolute, singular. This silence called up a presence, not a lack of it. But it was different from what she had ever experienced. "You're well again!" Vasquez said coming in with Lee. Lee checked her parameters, everything was back to normal: "You've to eat something", he said looking uneasy. "Jay? Where's Jay?" anguish engulfed Eve's voice. Vasquez frowned at Lee, urging him with her chin. Lee sighed and told Eve what had happened. "That section is sealed up and the ship ... I don't know." "She's sick." Eve spoke like a robot. In Lee's mind she clearly read that he believed Jay was dead. "Jay is not dead!" her throat stiff and sore for the effort to hold her tears back. "He left this for you." Vasquez said placing a hand on hers to comfort her and handing her a letter. They left her alone. "Eve, my love, I do this for Vickie, for our people. The captains didn't come back, the songs say. So I'm going devil-knows-where, but, I swear, I'll never leave you. While there's a spark of life in me, I'll try to get back to you. I fear nothing, for you are with me, my love, my Eve." --- ZOOM IN, Please. Thanks to all people who appreciated the previous picture! Thanks for viewing and drop a note if you like!