The photosphere on Unity dimmed for nightcycle, but there was always a glow in the Outer Atrium bleeding from the Entertainment Level. The darkness of the Earth forest was becoming more alien by the minute, and Beka was feeling more and more anxious about the things around her she couldn't see. She kept her eyes on the ground and her body as close to Jon as she could get without touching him.

     Suddenly, Jon grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop. "Listen!" he whispered.

     She strained to hear what had alarmed him. Are there larger animals getting close? Gradually, she sorted the myriad of subtle noises and recognized the sound of running water.

     "This way," he said and turned her toward a clump of low bushes.

     As they parted the shrubbery, the sound became clearer. A ribbon of glistening water cut through the dark floor of the forest.

     They moved to the spring that was feeding water through some large stones to form a fast-moving stream. Jon said, "I don't really know how to tell if it's safe for us to drink." 

     "I remember hearing about the water down in the Community Level turning toxic once. They were told to put some on their lips first, then swish some in their mouth. If they didn't get sick after a few minutes, it was okay. I think."

     "I guess I should have paid more attention in that hopelessly-lost-on-the-planet course," he said ruefully.

     She slowly realized he had made a joke and gave him a tired smile of appreciation. "Yeah, me, too. What was I thinking?"

     He gave her a brief smile. "Well, I’ll give it a try."

     Awkward with pain and exhaustion, they knelt beside the spring. "It looks clear, and I don’t notice any bad smell,” Jon said. “And most of our food on Unity is imported from here and must have been irrigated with water like this.”

Beka nodded. She cupped some of the water in one hand. "Here goes," she said, and dipped her mouth and chin into her hand. She turned to Jon. "No problem so far."

     He reached a hand into the flowing water and copied her movements. He sipped some of the water, then quickly spit it back out.

     "Does it taste bad?"

     "No, but an expert once told me I was supposed to just swish it in my mouth."

     She grinned at his mock seriousness. "Yeah, I've heard that somewhere, too. Very recently."

     "While we're waiting to see if I go into convulsions or turn orange or something, you should wash your feet so I can take another look."

     She pressed her lips to stop the No that came immediately to mind. It’s a good idea, and why would he have offered if he doesn’t want to do it? She rolled over onto her butt and pulled off the right boot. She could see the dark stain of blood on the makeshift bandage. He stared at it, too, but didn't comment as he lifted her foot and began unwrapping the strips, moving slowly when an area was stuck to her wounds.

     Once both of her feet were bare, he looked at her, all trace of his earlier smile gone. "I think the water is good. You should soak your feet for a while."

     "All right."

     "Stay here. I'm going to go downstream a bit and see if there's a better place for you to sit."

     She bristled at the way he kept giving her orders. But she admitted all of his ideas so far had been good ones. "All right."

He stood and walked into the darkness. Beka felt her throat tighten as she lost sight of his broad back. She reached for the staff and gripped it with both hands as she strained to see him in the darkness. After a few minutes, he returned, and her chest relaxed.

     "There's deeper water with some boulders further down. I think that'll work. Do you want to drink some here from the spring, first?"

     She nodded and turned back onto her knees. He brought handfuls of water to his lips. She watched him for a moment, then stretched her hands into the gentle flow of water. The water felt wonderful going down her throat. It tasted fresh and clear, like the ultrafiltered water few could afford on Unity, though it was very cold.

     Once they had their fill, Jon picked up his boots in one hand, and helped her stand with his other. She walked beside him, leaning heavily on the walking stick. She pinched her lips to keep from groaning, but she couldn't hide her limp. 

     When they reached the rocky pool he'd found, she waded into the knee-deep water, Jon's hand on her elbow, and clumsily sat on a boulder. The frigid water stung her feet abominably, her dull headache became a sharp stab above her eye, and she let small hisses slip from her pressed lips. He sat behind her on the boulder and pressed his side against her back. Through her pain rose the thought, he really seems to be safe. She leaned back against him.

     She nearly dozed in the silence, trusting his support at her back. He noticed and said, "We should try to sleep here. It's impossible to see very far ahead or what's around us. I can't see the stars at all, so we could be going in circles, for all I know."

     She took a deep breath. I really, really do not want to sleep on the ground in this forest. But she was too tired to protest.

     "At least here, we have water," he pointed out.

     "Yes. Makes sense," she mumbled, fighting to keep her eyes open.

     "Here, I'll bandage your feet again. Then you can get some sleep."

     She pulled her feet out of the water and turned around. Sleep where? She peered into the darkness, but saw only shades of green and gray. With her hands on the cold, rough stone behind her to sit upright, he rebandaged her feet. When she straightened, he replaced his boots. 

     He bent to the water, saturating one of the cloth strips, and dabbed carefully at the wound over her right eye. With a loud sigh, he said, "We'll find a doctor tomorrow."

     He took her arm to help her stand, handed her the staff, and led her through the trees to a small clearing. He removed his jacket and laid it on the ground, indicating she should lie on it.

     That's not right. Not fair. It’s his jacket. But she didn't like the idea of laying her head on the bare ground. "I have an idea," she said and pulled her tunic up. She could see he wanted to protest in the instant before he turned his back to her. She turned away from him and pulled her chemise over her head, ignoring his muffled objections, then whipped the tunic back over her bare, shivering torso. She tore at the chemise with her teeth, ripping it down the center front, then spread the thin fabric on the ground. It had dried since her swim and would keep her hair and face out of the dirt.

     "Now you can keep your jacket. Here." She picked it up and held it out to him. He turned and took it from her, but didn't put it on.

     She lay down, her shoulders and head on one end of the torn chemise, her arms folded tightly against her chest. "There's room for you to put your head on this, also, if you like."

     He dropped to his knees by her hip, scowling down at her. She felt a sudden tremor of fear in her belly, seeing his jaw set in a menacing frown. She kept her face expressionless as she stared up at him. Where did I lay the staff?

     "Please don't argue with me about this." He laid his jacket across her arms and chest.

     Her hyper-alert body jerked in surprise. She opened her mouth to protest, then realized that was exactly what he'd asked her not to do. She gazed into his eyes, uncertain, disoriented. Then she took a calming breath and accepted he was trying to keep her as comfortable as he could. She straightened the jacket under her chin, and said, "Thank you." When he nodded, she added, "On one condition. We'll take turns wearing your jacket."

     He scowled down at her for a long time, then shook his head, rose, and walked away. She heard him talking to himself, looking around on the ground. What is he doing? He is so odd.

     When he walked back, he was carrying a rough, flat stone. She tensed, once again ready to fight or flee. He didn't look at her as he sat down close to her leg. He lifted the walking stick and used the stone to smooth a short length at one end. When he was satisfied with the way the wood felt against his palm, he set it on the ground near her. Then he lay down at an angle to her, with his head near hers on the chemise. He crossed his arms and his ankles, and with a loud sigh said, "We'll take turns. Get some sleep. I'll stay awake and keep watch as long as I can."

     Beka let her eyes close and her body relax. She smiled at her small triumph, as she surrendered to her need for sleep.

     She woke again, so cold her bones were aching. Unusual odors stung her nose. Her feet really hurt. And the bed felt like... like she was lying on the ground. She remembered suddenly where she was and opened her eyes. She wondered how long she had slept. It was still uncomfortably dark. Jon's jacket was still across her body. She turned to see his head next to hers on the chemise.

     With a wrench in her chest, she sat up.

     She was alone.

 

*****

 

     Jon Castil squatted down to rinse his hands in the frigid water of the forest stream.

     “How the hellation can this be happening?” he mumbled.  No weapon, no locator, no food. No idea if this water is safe or where I am or how to find Nik Sylvan. Or how to find anyone else, for that matter.  But I do have an injured, frightened woman who has nothing to do with the UPG hunting me. 

     “Grace, I hope she doesn’t get hurt, mixed up in this. I don’t know what I could have done differently though. I couldn’t leave her in that alley, unconscious. Those Guardians would have found her when they recovered from their nano-pulse blasts, and who knows what they would have done to her.”

     He’d been preparing for his defection for years, and when the time finally arrived, nothing in his careful plans prepared him for the situation he was now in.

     “And then she said my name.” He wasn’t sure he totally believed her story about having a friend with the same name. “Well, no way to change–”

     A scream of terror rent the night air. Maker, she’s awake!

     He climbed the stream’s shallow bank and sped through the dark toward her scream, nearly falling when he stumbled into a narrow tree he hadn’t seen. Ow! Damn. He put his hands out in front of his face and continued running as quickly as he could.

     “I’m here!” he called. “I’m here. Stay where you are. I’ll be there in a sec. Don’t worry. I’m right here.”

     She was still sitting where he had left her, but she looked terrified.

     He fell to his knees on the ground beside her and grabbed her shoulder. “I’m right here. I’m sorry. I didn’t want to wake you. I’m here now.”

     She grabbed his arm with both hands and latched on, mumbling, "Oh, grace, oh, grace," through her tears. 

     "I'm so sorry. I'm here now." He rested his free hand on her other shoulder, trying to soothe her.

     "I thought...  I thought...  you had...  left...  left me."

     His chest clenched. You idiot. Why didn’t you wake her up?

     "I would never do that. I just needed...  some privacy. I'm sorry I didn't wake you up to tell you. I may not know where the hell we are, but I will not leave you out here alone, I swear. I swear it. Are you okay now?"

     She nodded, but didn't release her grip on his arm. "It's just... so dark."

     "Yeah, tell me. I ran smack into a tree, trying to get back to you."

     She stopped crying and focused on his face in concern.

     "I'm so sorry," he repeated, in a calmer tone. "I won't do that again, I promise. Next time I have to pee, you'll be notified immediately," he said, trying to make a joke.

     She nodded again. She didn’t smile, but she moved her hands to her lap, closed her eyes, and took several deep breaths.

     "Well, there's one good thing about this," he stated.

     She opened her eyes. "What?"

     "Now we both know you're more afraid without me than of being with me."

     She stared pensively, then nodded.

     "I wonder how that happened?" she smiled, making her own attempt at a joke.

     "I don't know. But I'm glad. I would never want to hurt you, I swear."

     She took a deep breath, straightened, and moved slightly away from him. 

     I shouldn't be touching her like this. His hands fell quickly from her shoulders. 

     "I believe you. I do. I...  I shouldn't have panicked."

     "You're entitled, under the circumstances."

     "If I were blind, darkness wouldn't scare me, right?"

     "Well, that's... an interesting way to look at it.” The way her mind works really is incredible. “Do you think you can go back to sleep now? I'm sure it's still hours before dawn."

     "I think it's my turn to keep watch. And it's your turn to wear the jacket. Your jacket."

     He heard the stubbornness in her voice and knew it would be a waste of time to try to change her mind. Instead, he said, "I don't think anything big will get close to us without our hearing it. It's probably more important for both of us to get some rest, so we can make progress tomorrow. Let's just both try to sleep. If you wouldn't be too uncomfortable…” Careful, don’t make things worse than they already are, for heaven sake. 

     “If you would be okay with it, we could lie closer together and share the jacket. It'll be warmer and I won't...  do anything."

     She stared, deep in thought, for several minutes. 

     I guess there’s no reason for her to trust anything I say, really.

     She said, "I think that's a very good idea."

     "Good, good. If you turn on your side, I'll lie against your back and pull the jacket over us. Put this staff on the ground close to you where I can grab it if any animals come around."

     She did as he suggested. He lay behind her and pulled the jacket over his back and shoulder. He reached his arm to lie on her crossed arms. 

     His chest felt like a pressure gauge about to blow, being so close to her. Her body felt like she belonged in his embrace, and he desperately wanted to hold her tighter. You fool, get a hold of yourself. You’re being ridiculous. You’re just supposed to keep her warm. He noticed she still gripped the walking stick in her hand. Don’t scare her more than she is already.

     “Warmer?” he asked.

     She gave a tiny hum and said, “Yes, much. You?”

     “I’m fine. Pull the jacket so that it covers you more.”

     She tugged his jacket forward over her chest. 

     Jon took a deep breath to ease the tension in his body.“I’m right here,” he whispered.

     He felt her release her grip on the staff, and her body relaxed.

     “I’m right here,” he mumbled, as he drifted to sleep.