Sarah7

Ch11

Awareness returned to Sarah reluctantly. First, she felt a cool breeze on her face - which somehow gave her a sense of peace that helped to hold her inner turmoil in abeyance. As the breeze ebbed, new senses came into play. She could smell something wonderful - food? That brought her further out of the nothingness that had consumed her for what had seemed a small eternity. Her eyes opened and she observed distantly that she was in some kind of square enclosure. There was a … window - yes that was the word - next to her with white transparent curtains that shifted brightly as a cool breeze again entered the room and drifted about.

Sarah took in a deep breath to smell the food once again, and pain lanced her side. She gasped and opened her eyes fully. She felt soft cloth wrapping her sides. It was tightly bound but not painfully so. The pain was in her side - a sharpness that brought another gasp in pain and she sat upright on her elbows.

That was quite the mistake she realized, as the motion caused her side to explode in pain and she cried out. Two men burst into the room, their eyes large with concern. One was Creed who looked like he had not slept in a long time with dark circles under his eyes and the shadow of a beard. The other was a thin wrinkled man with a shock of grey curly hair and piercing blue eyes. He seemed to be wearing some sort of makeshift uniform.

Sarah’s vision blurred as the pain threatened to render her unconscious. The two men rushed to her side and gently laid her back down.

“Sarah! You took quite a hit. The stick shattered and part of it lodged in your side. Fortunately for you we weren’t too far from this town. I knew there was a healer here since I get banged up myself quite a bit. How - how did you move like that? Back there?”

Creed was talking quickly, almost frantically. Sarah’s head began to throb. Memories of Max shooting her, feeling herself move impossibly quick, the world exploding in pain, all threatened to overwhelm her and she raised a hand to her forehead.

“Now hold on just a moment. My patient is not ready for your verbal assault, Creed. Can’t you see she’s in a lot of pain? Hold your interrogation until she recovers more. Out.” The old man had a weedy voice but his concern was obvious in his tone. Creed’s face turned red and he walked out slowly.

Before he left through the door, he turned to Sarah and said “Hey, get better. Or your robot friend is going to self destruct from guilt out here.” He gave her a half-smile.

Sarah looked up at him with pain filled eyes and tried to offer a smile back, but only came across as a grimace. Creed bit his lip and left the room.

Sarah groaned again and felt the old man’s hands checking her bandages. She flinched reflexively.

“Hold still. I promise not to hurt you girl. You seem to be good at doing that yourself. The bleeding has stopped, thank goodness. But you’ve lost a lot of blood. You are going to be very weak for some time. And you’re going to need your strength to heal. “ Gently, he placed another pillow behind her head and oddly enough it seemed to help ease the pain.

Healing. Sarah reached down to touch her thigh, where she had been cut in the ship. She realized that she was still wearing her body suit. She felt the fabric for a tear, or some pain. While her side throbbed, her leg was not only pain free, there was no cut in the fabric. Had she imagined it?

The old man watched her intently, then nodded to himself.

“So, you’re a Sarah. I never thought I’d see you again in my lifetime. Or anyone’s lifetime.”

She stared at him. “A… Sarah? What does that mean? Don’t other people have that name?”

He chuckled - almost sounding like a cough. “Why, certainly so, but none like you. You are very special. Don’t you know that?”

Sarah closed her eyes. The pain on her face was not just from her wounded side. “No, I don’t know anything. I woke up on a crashed ship without any memories at all. Just - vague impressions.”

“It’s a wonder you are alive at all my girl. The ship’s systems must have had to use everything they had just to keep you alive until the process was complete.”

“What are you talking about. What process? Who are you?”

“My name is Danner. Captain Danner in a previous life. “ He put his hands up to his collar as if holding the sides of a uniform. “Strange as it may seem, I was Captain of your ship Sarah. The Starlight Hope. “

Sarah gasped. She remembered what Max had said. About how much time had passed.

“But, that would make you - “ she started.

“Yes, I’m about to have my one hundred and thirtieth birthday two weeks from now” he grinned - showing both gentle eyes and only a few remaining teeth. He reached over and lifted a bowl of steaming soup from the rough wooden table next to the bed.

How?” Sarah began to feel the encroaching madness again. This world was too impossible. Every moment she felt some sense of grounding, something else came to cast it away.

Danner could see the confusion and fear come across Sarah’s face.

“Don’t you worry, girl. I can explain a lot to you. But not of you go and die on us from lack of rest. And food. “ He held up a spoonful of soup and placed it to her lips almost as a father might a small child.

Without thinking, Sarah sipped the soup. It was hot, and burned her tongue a bit, but the taste and feeling of warmth it gave her was almost overwhelming. She had never tasted anything like it, but it was incredible. Her stomach growled and she almost convulsively grasped both bowl and spoon and began eating the soup as quickly as she could - ignoring the pain in her side as she sat up fully.

“That’s right. Eat up. “ The old man chuckled again and pulled a chair up to the bed.

“I’m sure you are filled with questions. And I cannot believe that it is only chance that Creed brought you to the only person in this wasteland that can give you some of the answers you seek. This must be the work of the Prophecy.” The man cast a glance skyward and touched his forehead with his hand.

Between gulps, Sarah managed “Prophecy? What prophecy?”

“Why Sarah - is it seven? That’s right. Sarah Seven. You are destined to save the world.” His laugh raised to almost a cackle as Sarah stared at him with wide eyes.

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