South Of Bikini 5- When Worlds Collide free porn video

South of Bikini Series Finale Copyright: 2017, R.G. Beyer "When Worlds Collide" I really can't say as to when I first noticed her. She, as they say, was very hard to miss. In fact, even in a crowd of say, a hundred, most eyes would immediately locate her and track her until she disappeared from view by ducking into a store front, entering the subway, or just plain vanishing from sight as a bus or truck passed by. Just plain vanishing- now that would be novel! Though, there was something about this woman; she carried herself in such a way that made one think she could do just that. There was just something...I don't know, something magical about her! Why? Well. When I first noticed her, I had already been looking in her direction and not noticed her a second before. Moreover, she seemed to blink, shimmer, or vanish for a fraction of a second as I watched. Weird. Strange, really. How could a woman of such remarkable beauty simply vanish from sight in the blink of an eye, as if she was a mirage or apparition then reappear in the next? Things like that only happened in movies or books. I mean, how could you not notice a tall, five-nine or five-ten, well-built woman of around twenty with slightly wavy, dark blonde hair down to the bottom of her shoulder blades, and with a bust that announced her arrival proudly, not to mention the most spectacular green eyes I'd ever seen? No one could forget someone like that, right? I mean, how could you? Yet here I stood doing just that- trying to remember. The feeling I knew her peeking surreptitiously from some abandoned alcove in my consciousness. She looked so familiar yet so unknown- so...mysterious. I tried desperately to remember where I had first seen this beautiful enigma. Had she been a regular at either the car dealership or a frequent flier here at the airport? Her age seemed to immediately rule out the first, that job being well over thirty-five years ago, so maybe it was the later? Working here at the airport for over twenty-seven years in one capacity or another, I had met myriads of people, both friendly and not so. Maybe that's where I first gazed upon this Goddess. I thought harder about the woman- a true Goddess by physical description. Goddess? Did I really just think of her as a 'Goddess'? Somehow she seemed more than that. Much more! Goddess just didn't describe the confidence, poise, and grace she seemed to exude- the kind, charitable, friendly, demeanor she exhibited toward the world as a whole. To me, right now. "Um...excuse me? Could y'all kindly give a lady some die-rection? Ah'm lookin' fer Baggage Claim?" she had said as she approached where I was working- her brilliant smile and sparkling green eyes drawing every bit of attention I had. "Ahhhhh..." My mind went into immediate overload as I stared at her. I know my mouth had dropped wide open and that I better regain my composure quickly or she would just become angry and storm away to find assistance from someone else. "Go that way," I pointed down the concourse, "you'll come to a large area with a bunch of high end stores. On your right will be escalators. There will be two sets. Take them down to the Tram station. Take either one of those to the main terminal. Exit the tram and walk past security then take the escalators or steps down to the next level. That'll put you down in Baggage Claim. Basically just follow the herd," I told her with a smile I didn't know I'd shown. Her mesmerizing smile shifted slightly to show a bit of anger. My sense of humor had done it again. "I'm sorry. That was my lame...nervous, attempt at humor. I can see that you were offended. I apologize, ma'am. Basically just follow the overhead signs and the other arriving passengers. Most are heading to claim their bags too. If you have any other problems finding it, just ask anyone displaying a badge," I apologized and raised my access badge as example. She seemed to freeze for only the slightest fraction of a second as she quickly assessed the laminated, photo-id card then that brilliant smile instantly reappeared and beamed back at me with an intensity I never thought possible! It was...unsettling...to say the least. "Thank you, Mr. Gould. Ah think Ah'll be able ta find mah way. Your directions seem concise and easily understood- 'specially if Ah jes fall'er the herd." I gulped and lowered my eyes. "Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that..." "No offence taken, Mr. Gould," she interrupted. "To tell ya the truth, Ah sometimes feel the same way about summa the folks Ah interact with- amazes me how most people simply 'graze' through life, not even the slightest urge or inclination to do more- to take that all important first step toward a possible unknown," she confided, still holding that wonderful smile. "You mean if people would just get off their cell phones and really pay attention to the world around them?" I asked but immediately cringed as I heard the chorus to Fallout Boys' 'Immortal' sound from her purse. Damn my mouth! Here was this fantastically attractive woman who approached me and simply asked for directions and I slipped right back into the routine that brought me to this point in my life in the first place! My attempted bad witticism apparently went unnoticed though as she gracefully, and quite automatically, retrieved and answered her phone. "Covington...Ya, mah flight was oh-kay. You know how Ah hate this type a' travel... Ah know, but it couldn't be helped, Em. Y'all know'd this one needed mah personal attention or else we stand to lose a valuable relationship... Yes, Ah'm well 'ware of that fact, sis. Y'all got no worries. Ah'll seal the deal in a week tops, and...yes, y'all don't need ta remind me of our upcomin' meetin' in Taiwan...No, Ah'll be done here in six days an' ten hours, sis. Hey, Ah got to go. Ah got mah bags to find then meet Ricki at the curb....Ya, she'll probably rub it in my face, You know ol' Ricki...okay, tell ever'one Ah made it here in one piece an' Ah'm still sane....You too, Em. Love ya, too. Bye." I felt uncomfortable standing next to her as she chatted. I tried not to listen, but the distance between us was sufficiently close that I had no alternative. "I can't believe she did that," she added under her breath in embarrassment while blushing and rolling her eyes once or twice. "Ah'm sorry, Mr. Gould, you were sayin'?" she apologized after hanging up- focusing her attention back on me. "Nothing important, ma'am, I almost just stuck my foot in my mouth again. I better get back to work before my boss sees me. Have a nice stay here in Pittsburgh, ma'am," I replied as I went to turn away from the beautiful creature in front of me. "Y'all appear to be a very intelligent man, Mr. Gould," the women said, causing me to stop and turn back around. "How can y'all be satisfied doing custodial work at a busy airport? Y'all seem...underutilized." "That's an interesting way of putting it," I chuckled despite that actually being the way I'd describe it. "Ain't it the way someone like yerself'd describe it, Mr. Gould," she smiled...deviously? I was dumbfounded! "How could you..." "Oh, Ah'm very good at appraisin' those 'round me. One could almost refer to it as a 'gift'." Wish I had a gift that would keep me from opening my mouth at the wrong time, I thought to myself with a sigh. "Well, I should let you get back to your work. Thank you for the guidance, Mr. Gould." "I better let you..." I began to say, but realized she had already said basically the same thing. That struck me as strange. She giggled and gave me a slight wave with her slender, well-manicured, feminine hand as she turned and began to walk away. I watched appreciatively, admiring the graceful sway of her hips and those long attractive legs. I noticed she was just the slightest bit unsteady on the tall stiletto heels she wore. Maybe she was just tired from her flight- and she only knew where it had originated. To my horror, she suddenly lurched to one side as her ankle twisted and she almost fell; the only thing saving her was her wheeled carry-on! Knowing that wouldn't hold her for long, I hurried to her and barely arrived to catch her as the piece of luggage started to slip out from under her. "Are you alright, ma'am? Should I call for the Paramedics?" I asked excitedly, my concern very apparent. "What? No. No thank you, Mr. Gould. Ah'll manage on mah own, thank you." She tried to stand straight, but winced as she put weight on her foot. I began to reach for my radio to contact Emergency Services. "Ah assure y'all Ah'm fine, Mr. Gould. Ah might need some help to one'a them chairs though. Ah should be good ta go in a few minutes." Helping her the few dozen feet to an empty gate's seating area, I eased her down into one of the semi-comfortable seats in the row closest to us. "Ah'm indebted to y'all, Mr. Gould, thank you," she smiled appreciatively though I could tell there was still pain underlying. "I'll get ahold of the Paramedics, ma'am. They should be here in a matter of a few minutes." "Please, Mr. Gould, Ah'll be fine after Ah sit fer a spell," she insisted. I was torn as to what to do. Should I honor her wish to be left alone or should I disregard her and make the call anyway? "Ma'am, I'm not a doctor as you can see. Airport policy states that I should call this in. You could have broken your ankle or at the very least, sprained it. That requires medical attention- something I'm not equipped for as a janitor." "Please, Mr. Gould, Ah just need a few minutes then Ah'll be on mah way. No sense in making yer life any more stressful than it is now. Ah promise. Ah'll be right as rain in five minutes." "As you wish, ma'am," I replied as I caved to those beautiful jade eyes and those pouty lips. "I'll just be over here finishing up, so if you need more help..." I offered before she interrupted. "That's so kinda ya, Mr. Gould, thank you," she said as she began to look in her purse for something. It never ceased to amaze me how much women could carry in those things. I recalled how my wife always had trouble finding what she wanted... The sting in my eyes and especially my heart immediately made me fight to repress those memories- memories that- had things gone differently- should have been pleasant. That wasn't the case however. I rinsed and wrung out my mop before once again applying it to the tiled floor just outside one of the many restrooms in this concourse. All I had to do was wait for the floor to dry then I could go on my break. One half hour of 'me' time away from the menial work I now undertook to put food on my lonely table. "Excuse me, Mr. Gould?" her pleasant, but urgent voice instantly scattered the dark thoughts fogging my mind. "Ma'am?" "Could y'all possibly help me ta stand? Ah'm afraid Ah need to use the ladies room and mah ankle's still a might tender." I closed my eyes and smiled gently at her. "Of course, ma'am. I'd be happy to help." Awkwardly, I eased her to her feet noting that she was still reluctant to place any weight on that leg. "Oh dear," she gasped as she tried, "Ah'm afraid ah may have been a bit hasty." "No problem, ma'am. I can help you get over there," I offered. "Really? Y'all wouldn't mind, Mr. Gould?" she beamed that amazing smile directly at me. "Happy to help, ma'am." Slowly, I helped her hobble the few dozen feet to the ladies entrance alcove and stopped. She looked at me pleadingly as if she thought we should continue. "Think you can manage the rest, ma'am? I'm really not allowed to enter while they're being used. And there are cameras everywhere to control that sort of thing." "As Ah stated before, Mr. Gould, Ah'm a good judge a character, and y'all seem to be honorable and nothin' close to a pervert. Ah see no harm in y'all helping a temporarily incapacitated young woman in need. Should the authorities approach, Ah'll vouch fer y'all an' refuse to press charges." Press charges? "I'm sorry, ma'am, but I can't. My conscience wouldn't stand for such an ungentlemanly action," I tried to beg out of this situation. "You scared, Mr. Gould?" she giggled. "Ah assume y'all have become accustomed to entering these female havens of solitude. Y'all HAVE been cleaning them for a few years, Ah'd imagine?" "I have, ma'am, but don't take that the wrong way. I simply clean them, I take no perverse pleasure, it's just part of my job." "Then y'all should have no problem helping me to a stall. Please, Mr. Gould? Ah really need to get in there, please?" she begged with those pleading jade eyes. Making my decision, I looked around us then down both ends of the concourse to make sure that no one else was around or watching. I couldn't do anything about the constant surveillance, though. "Helloo? Cleaner," I called loudly into the restroom. When no one answered after two or three attempts, I nodded and gently started to move us across the threshold to this feminine inner sanctum. "It'll only take me a minute or so, hun. Ah just need to take care of a few things then Ah'll go on mah way," she said having shut the stall door to the handicapped toilet. I detected a slight amusement in her voice as I hurried out and stood just outside the entrance. "Mr. Gould, could Ah possibly request yer assistance to stand again? Ah'm finding it difficult even with these here handrails," she called out. Again I was hesitant, but figured I would be needed. "As long as you're decent, ma'am." "Given the situation certain areas a me are still unwrapped, Mr. Gould. Ah suggest closing yer eyes if it embarrasses y'all that much." Heaven help me if someone were to come in now, I thought as I re-entered the restroom and gently knocked on the door before closing my eyes. "Ah'm ready, Mr. Gould. Please reach farther in and more to yer left. Ah'll use mah left arm to steady mahself on the wall," she guided in a pleasant, even voice. I detected no malice or ill intent of any kind, just a giggle. A small, warm, soft hand gently took hold of mine and then squeezed tightly. I was surprised by the strength in this woman's hand. "Thank ya for the assistance, Mr. Gould. Would y'all be so kind as to help me to the sinks, please?" I went back outside and waited while she washed and dried her hands then presumably touched up her lipstick or lip-gloss and fussed with her hair. "Thank ya, fer yer patience, Mr. Gould. Ah'm ready for ya again," she called to me. I cautiously re-entered only to see her standing on her injured leg. "There. All better. See? Ah told y'all Ah'd be back on mah feet in a few minutes. Thank y'all for yer assistance, kind sir," she said still with that brilliant smile as I helped her limp out of the restroom. She had forgotten her carry-on. "Ma'am? Miss Covington? You forgot your bag..." I said as I motioned and moved her closer to the nearest wall. I quickly went back into the restroom to retrieve it. The woman I had just met, now leaning against the wall between the men's and women's alcoves- wiped at her cheeks with one hand as she gently rubbed at her injured ankle with the other. She sniffed back a few tears. "Once more, Ah thank ya, Mr. Gould. Ah s'pose this'll change yer mind 'bout alertin' them Paramedics? Ah really wish y'all wouldn't do that. As Ah said, Ah'll be right as rain in a few minutes...maybe just a few more than Ah counted on." "Hang on a minute, ma'am. I can help you get to where you need to be," I said as I immediately keyed my radio and alerted my supervisor that I was going on dinner break. At almost the same time, I spied an abandoned wheelchair at the next gate down. Fetching it, I helped her into it after stowing my work cart nearby. "Now, where do you need to go, ma'am? Baggage Claim?" I asked as her cell rang again. "Covington," she answered. "Oh no! How long y'all think you'll be, Ricki? Really, that long? Okay, Ah guess Ah got some time to kill here. Call when y'all get to the airport, honey...No, hun, Ah'm not goin' an'wheres," she rolled her eyes, apparently annoyed by something the caller had said. "Ha, ha, very funny, Ricki, an' ya, it's that time! Ah'll see y'all when ya get here, bye." "Bad news, ma'am?" I asked out of concern. "Mah ride's stuck in traffic on sum'thin' called a Parkway? She's not sure when she'll be arriving. Ah guess Ah'm stuck here for the foreseeable future," she told me shaking her head a few times. "Y'all wouldn't happen to know a good place ta eat 'round here, would ya?" she asked pleasantly. "Well, Friday's and Bar Simon are both good places. Bar Simon is a little pricey though. There's also a bunch of fast food type places if you're on a budget...but they only stay open til eight." "Which one's quieter, Mr. Gould? Price ain't no concern fer me on a business trip." "Well, Friday's serves to the tables just outside in the main concourse- we call it the core. This time of day its usually not that crowded." "Onward to yonder Friday's then, mah good man!" she giggled teasingly and pointed ahead of us. "Hey, Gil. You get a new girlfriend?" One of the waitresses I'd known for a few years asked as she stepped up to the table we'd taken. I tried not to let the hurt show in my voice. "No, Miss Covington sprained her ankle. I was lucky to be near enough to help. She wouldn't let me call AirComm, though." "An' she still won't, Mr. Gould," Covington growled. "Oh. I shoulda known better! Gil here is one of the Boy Scouts here at the airport, ma'am. You're in good hands. He'll see you get ta where ya wanna go. Could I get yinz two something ta drink?" she asked, looking at me curiously. Ma'am?" I asked looking to the beauty across from me. "What do you want, Mr. Gould? It's on me." I looked to the injured woman across from me. "Nothing for me, Beth, thanks." Miss Covington stared at me a moment with her right brow raised. "We'll both have a glass a water and each a us is gonna have one'a them J.D. burgers. Condiments as they was designed. Neither should blush or bleed either. Fries'll suffice," Miss Covington ordered as she gave me an evil smile that just dared me to contradict her. Beth nodded. "I'll get that right in for yinz guys." She hurried away to place the order. "I'm capable of ordering my own meal if I wanted one, ma'am, but thank you." "Ah'm just trying to repay yer kindness, Mr. Gould. And don't claim y'all aren't hungry, Ah heard your stomach complaining from inside that restroom." I couldn't help but smile as I shook my head. "So, Mr. Gould, why do Ah sense y'all could be doing much better for yer self? Y'all seem better suited for some technical profession other than simple janitorial work. Y'all seem the private type so Ah won't push," she started off our conversation. Her inquisitive smile countered her last statement though. "I used to be an electrical engineer here at the airport. Worked on the trains that run between Landside an Airside. A few years back the manager and I had a...um...difference of opinion...so to speak," I replied as my gaze went to the table. "Oh, Ah'm sorry to hear that. Y'all seem like a very likable person to me." "Thank you, but that was four years ago, and I'm finally free of all the bul...never mind," I said but decided to stop before my mouth screwed this amazing event royally. "Ah take it y'all liked what ya did?" "Used to say I had a ten million dollar train set to play with. That all started to change with the last corporate takeo..." I censored myself again. "Sorry, I'm starting to do it again. I'm sure you really couldn't care less about my life's adventures." "Y'all select which course yer life takes, Mr. Gould." She smiled amiably. "Y'all chose your own future." "You mean 'fate' don't you?" I asked innocently. "Ah don't believe in no fate...nor destiny, Mr. Gould," she replied, her smile disappearing and expression turning quite serious. Why did that seem so familiar? "So y'all like trains, hun?" she asked curiously, skillfully changing the subject. I nodded. "Mostly steam era trains, but I used to have a nice-sized HO setup in my old house. I haven't kept up with it for a few years though." She nodded. "Any other hobbies, hun?" "I used to write, but also stopped that a few years ago too, ma'am." "Write? So what does a former electrical engineer write about, Mr. Gould? Please don't tell me y'all wrote those God-awful, dry, technical documents Ah have to read from time to time." "Well, I've done a few of those in my time, but I'd have to hang myself if that's all I could write- too bland, that stuff! No, I started to write a science fiction/fantasy adventure. I decided early on to write it like a TV series, week to week kind of format...each episode containing enough of the story to fit an hour-long show." "Really? Sounds interesting. Personally, Ah love science fiction! Ah could live and breathe the stuff! Could ya give me an overview?" Her smile displayed genuine interest and curiosity. I decided to bore her with the basic premise. "I called it South of Bikini..." "The title has kinda a sexual conno-tation don't ya think, Mr. Gould?" she teased. "The title was actually based on a relative compass heading for one of the key locations of the story, ma'am, but yes, I hoped that it might draw more readers. Anyway, the story centers on a World War Two submarine captain and her crew..." "HER crew, Mr. Gould? Ah hope y'all understand that 'til recently there was never a female captain of any naval vessel," she responded quickly. "Or so Ah've heard." "That was the twist, ma'am. Somehow, and quite mysteriously, the captain and his crew transform into women- overnight! The story follows their adventures as they try to persuade their Admiral of their previous identities." "Hmmm. Cue the fantasy portion of the story. Go on Mr. Gould, Ah'm intrigued," she said rolling her pointer finger lazily at me to continue. "After convincing their superior of their identities, the Admiral forms a sort of rapid response and recovery unit that provides a cover for the crew. On their very first mission though, things begin to happen." I paused to evaluate her neutral expression. "Things begun happenin'. Got it. Go on." "Each member of the crew begins to show signs of something miraculous happening. The captain herself begins to develop a kind of foresight- foresight that helps her outsmart enemies and rescue their objectives. Later the captain finds she can travel through time and even space. She begins to go on 'missions' into the past and future to right the wrongs that appear, in what she calls, the timeline." "Hmmm. Interestin'. A soldier that takes on a humanitarian lifestyle; helping instead of hurting. Ah like the premise, Mr. Gould. So, if Ah kin ask. How'd y'all come to develop this fantasy world a yers?" "I know it sounds stupid or clich?, but it actually started with a dream, ma'am- a very detailed and vivid dream. As I recall, I think I had just finished watching 'Down Periscope' with Kelsey Grammer. That night, as I slept, I dreamt I was the lead character- that it was my story." "Wow, that musta been some dream! Ah couldn't imagine the state in which y'all awoke the next morning." "I needed a shower, ma'am! I remember waking up covered in sweat with my heart beating a mile a minute." "Here yinz go. Enjoy. Just wave me over if yinz need something else, kay?" Our waitress, Beth, said as she placed our meals. "Thanks, hun," Miss Covington said with that same brilliant smile. "So, what sorta adventures did yer intrepid captain venture inta?" she continued our conversation and still seemed interested. "The first mission she undertook was that of saving her brother, a sailor assigned to the USS Arizona on the day of the attack." "REALLY!" she gasped in surprise. "Ah could see where that might be her first objective, but wouldn't it skew her precious timeline?" "The mission turned out to be bittersweet in that she had rescued not only her brother, but ten other mates from the same compartment. Not fully understanding her 'gift' as she dubbed it, she only transported to the near shoreline adjacent to the battleship on Ford Island. Unfortunately, an enemy torpedo went off course and exploded near their location onshore. She only had time to 'phase out' her and her brother, but only barely. The captain received some very severe burns to her back because of the intense explosion," I told her as I looked up from the tabletop. My guest quickly wiped at her eyes- those eyes having drifted down to the table as if deep in thought. "That's so sad. Ah cain't imagine how that would affect me. So, Ah assume there musta been some reason she could rescue her brother but not them other men?" I didn't answer; instead, I continued my overview. "Her brother decided to grab a drink of water when they stopped aboard her boat so she could change her ruined uniform. It was just after that that the crew found out the water they had picked up on their very first mission- that of rescuing the people of a small island in the western Marshals, contained some unknown metamorphic agent and had spread into the boat's fresh water system. When combined with strong alcoholic beverages the agent triggered and brought about the transformation." "Interestin' plot device, Mr. Gould- very original. Ah take it yer captain utilized her crew to ensure each mission was properly staffed and successful?" I nodded as I swallowed the food in my mouth. "Yes. She picked the crewman...crewwoman to match the mission requirements. During the course of the series I tried to follow the captain's development and also tried to spotlight the various gifts of the other members of her crew." "So how'd ya imagine the missions, Mr. Gould? Were they based on somethin' y'all read or watched on television...other than that one movie, Ah mean?" "Both, ma'am. I loved shows like Ghost Hunters and Ancient Aliens, documentaries on ancient cultures like the Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians. I tried to imagine and even reconstruct legendary places like Atlantis and Avalon. I even did one story arc on the Great Flood." "Sounds like y'all did some research fer this story, so why stop, Mr. Gould?" "At first I just wrote for my own entertainment then friends and some relatives suggested I publish. It took many months before I decided to..." I looked away for a moment. "to take the leap. I found a couple of websites that looked promising- websites that might not be put off by the characters' 'magical' transformations. Both sites catered to the 'tf' or 'transformation' of gender, species, and alternate lifestyles. I thought them appropriate for my story. Though the readership exceeded all my expectations at first, each proceeding episode drew less and less readers." "By the time I reached the third 'season', just a core set of five to six hundred views per episode, per website was the norm. Still, I kept writing. Seasons four and five took quite a bit longer to create. It began to take up much more of my time. My wife...she suggested I was becoming too caught up in my imaginary world...that I should step back from it for a while." "From yer sudden change a expression, somethin' happened at that point, didn't it? Somethin' that caused a conflict in yer life?" "It was a long time ago, ma'am. I've been trying the last few years to forget." "Ah see. So, Mr. Gould, Ah've heard a lot 'bout this courageous sea captain, but y'all have yet ta reveal what happened after 1944?" "Over the course of her life she climbed the ladder to reach the rank of Admiral. When I stopped writing at Season 5, Episode 9, she had been married twice and had four children- three daughters and a son, three grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter by the story date of 2035AD." Miss Covington was quiet for a moment, apparently doing some math in her head. "If she'd been in the war then had four kids by 2035, that'd imply she was immortal? It's logical to make her immortal if she could travel through time. Ah don't find immortality all that enticin' though, Mr. Gould. Ah'm sorry, but that's a whole lotta time!" "No, no. I'm sorry. I should have stated that she and her crew- anybody that had this agent in their body for that matter, would live for like, a thousand years, maybe more if they could synch with a younger version of themselves." "Younger versio...oh, Ah think Ah understand. Being that they could travel through time, they could meet younger instances of themselves. This synching premise is very intriguing! One could stretch such a long lifespan even longer if both versions could agree. Wonderful idea, Mr. Gould!" "Thank you, I thought it was inventive." "So, could y'all describe this captain for me? Ah have an image formin' in mah mind and Ah'd like to see how close it is to your imagined heroine." "I described her as being tall- almost six feet tall- five-nine or ten; dish-water blonde, slender and very attractive. She was smart and well liked by her crew and tried to protect everyone, no matter what side of good or evil, no matter what race or religion, even Republican, Democrat, or Independent. Most of all she protected her friends and family, ma'am; like you said, very humanitarian. She believed in second chances, thirds even, if the situation warranted it." Miss Covington smiled and nodded as I thought about that description. Had I just described her? She was tall and slender...long, dark blonde, hair...angelic face...seemed very intelligent...great personality...large boobs, though I hadn't mentioned that out of respect... "Oh shit! It's you!" I whispered, flabbergasted by the revelation. I felt my jaw drop open. "Would either a yinz care for desert?" our waitress asked as she suddenly appeared at our table. My guest looked at me as I shook my head no with my mouth slightly open. "No, I think both of us have had enough, Beth. I'll take the check if you please." "I'll be right back with it then, ma'am." "So, what made you really decide to give up your writing, Mr. Gould?" she asked curiously. Maybe she hadn't heard my whispered cursing. "It sounds to me like writing may have been a passion of yours. Why would you give up on something you really enjoyed?" Wait! Where'd her accent go? If this really was her- that my character, Capt. Alexandra Steinert, was actual flesh and blood, why was she asking me all these questions? Wouldn't she know all the answers and questions our conversation would produce? I decided then and there that I should probably give a full accounting of my downfall and miserable life as it was today. "It all started four years ago, ma'am. That year started out differently from those previous. Major road construction projects- especially on the roads I depended on daily to get to work; local roads shut down completely and detoured through towns not equipped for the heavier traffic, they made me feel trapped at home; the time required to traverse these detours added thirty, forty-five, sometimes an hour to my trip time; new corporate policies that changed weekly to provide 'CYA', ummm, 'cover-your-butt' transparency; my daughter's rushed wedding... I know these sound trivial and easily surmountable, but the tension and stress continued to build up... then there was my brother..." "What about your brother, Mr. Gould?" she asked gently, her hands reaching across the table to gently rest on mine. They felt so warm- so soft. Just that gentle touch sent a slight chill up my spine, though. I took a deep breath before I continued. "He had been diagnosed with cancer two years before. Two years of every treatment the doctors could think of- two years of waiting and hoping... We found out that spring there was nothing more they could do. I lost my baby brother that July," I revealed as I wiped my eyes in vain with my free hand. After all this time it hurt just as bad as the day it happened. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Gould. Were you and your brother close?" "Not as close as when we were growing up, but we did keep in contact." "I suspect there is more, though?" "He looked like a younger, taller, blonde version of me, ma'am," I sniffed. "It was like watching me slowly dying and withering away in a mirror. Towards the end he didn't even look like my brother anymore. It was horrible." She gasped as she squeezed my hand a little tighter. "It got worse seven months later when we lost mom," I sniffed as my eyes began to water. "That's terrible, Mr. Gould, though Ah too lost loved ones and know exactly how y'all feel," she admitted, her accent fading back in. I decided to take a chance and see if my revelation was correct. "But can't you just go back and change things so it wouldn't happen to them, ma'am?" The woman across from me smiled even brighter and her green eyes sparkled brilliantly. "Why, Mr. Gould, y'all implyin' Ah kin somehow go back in time ta rewrite history as Ah seen fit? No one kin actually do that, sir," she chided as she looked across the table and directly into my eyes. They were amazingly deep and mesmerizing. "No one can change the course of time or the history it contains without first runnin' the possibilities. Dependin' on those very possibilities, ya still might only be able to change some very small details. Theoretically, it mightn't be enough to make a difference or change anythin' at all. Ah'd call those static situations 'waypoints', Mr. Gould." "Oh Shit! This can't be happening!" I mumbled loudly to myself as I felt my heart begin to race, and my body begin to shake. "Please relax, Mr. Gould! Ah ain't the devil here to take yer soul. Though Ah think Ah mighta met the woman upstairs once or twice." I remained silent, afraid to speak another word. What was taking so long for Beth to bring our check? Why was she just standing over at the bar? Why wasn't I hearing any of the sequence of repeating public announcements? I gulped loudly. She sighed heavily with closed eyes and shook her head a few times. "Really, Mr. Gould? Y'all wrote five, ten episode, seasons 'bout me an' mah gals, and when Ah actually show mahself, y'all panic and clam straight up? Makes me wonder if Ah'm really talkin' to mah biographer or some two-bit plagiarist?" "Season two had ten full episodes and one addendum to set the opening scene for season three, ma'am. Though, season five only had nine episodes. I guarantee I wrote every single word! I even edited each episode at least a dozen times or more. I AM the author of South of Bikini, Empress!" "That's more like it, Mr. Gould! Stick up for what y'all feel's right," she told me forcefully. "But that's how I lost everything I love and cherish, ma'am. I have a tendency to speak my mind. I've been known to say some very....well, some very not-so-nice- though, truthful things...rude things- especially at inappropriate times." "An' Ah screwed the pooch on more than several occasions too, Mr. Gould. Ah don't have to tell y'all how Ah felt them times, cause y'all wrote it," she admitted shamelessly before going silent and again looking deep into my eyes. "So, if y'all are mah biographer, maybe ah should know your actual name, Mr. Gould?" I was amazed she didn't already know it. Shit! She did know it. She knew everything about me! She probably just wanted to have a normal conversation. No. She wanted to tease me- plain and simple! Even so, I decided to answer truthfully. "Gilbert...Gilbert Gould...and yes my parents had a unique sense of humor. I just go by 'Gil' these days. It's much simpler to type out on cell phones." I swallowed hard and braced myself for the answer to the question I was about to ask. "Can I assume I'm speaking with Admiral Alexandra Frances Covington, ma'am?" "You could, Gil, but call me Ms. Covington for now." My heart sunk, as well as my eyes to the table. In my stories, if the person meeting the Empress was important somehow, she would ask them to call her by her first name. "Oh. I see. So is Miss Cummins around here waiting for your cue then?" I asked, disheartened. "Cue? Cue for what, Gi...oh, I see what y'all're thinking. No, Gil, Jackie Cummins ain't here, nor will she attempt to erase your mind long distance. I released the breath I had been unconsciously holding. "But I'm still not being recruited by your sisterhood, am I?" "Ah'm afraid y'all don't fit mah criteria at this time, Gil, sorry." "I understand, ma'am. Seems I can't even meet my own character requirements." "Here's your check, ma'am. I can take that when you're ready," Beth said as she was suddenly by our table again. "Here you go, hun," My guest offered as she produced a credit card with a spectacular, star-filled, nighttime scene on its face. "Thank you. I'll get this back to you right away, ma'am," Beth said cheerfully as she accepted the credit card and left quickly. "She one of yours, ma'am?" I asked curiously. "Not yet, hun. Maybe one day though. She's got potential." Even the waitress meets her 'criteria' better than I do, I thought. "Gil, y'all might wanna answer yer phone," she recommended out of the blue. "But my phone isn't..." I said just before my pants pocket started vibrating. "Hello?" I said as I quickly accepted the call. "Have I reached Mr. Gilbert Andrew Gould?" The man's voice asked through the speaker. "Yes, how can I help you?" "Mr. Gould, I'm Sgt. Richard Scorcony of the Pennsylvania State Police. I'm calling because there has been an accident involving your wife and three adult children and you are listed as the Emergency Contact." "Oh, God, are they okay?" I gasped, as I looked terrified to my new acquaintance. "I'm afraid they have been injured, Mr. Gould. We're transporting them to UPMC-Mercy in Pittsburgh. I can't go into details of the severity at the moment, but they all should be arriving at the hospital within the half hour. I can talk more about what happened then. I can tell you that Mrs. Gould was asking for you before they got her into the Lifeflight helicopter." I suddenly couldn't speak. "Mr. Gould are you still there?" the trooper's voice tried to get my attention. "I'm on my way!" I cried excitedly. "I'll meet you in the Emergency waiting area, sir." He hung up. "I don't suppose you could...nevermind. Empress, I have to go now. As you already know, my ex-wife, son, my daughter and her husband have been in an accident." "I understand, Gil, and I wish them and you luck," she said as she stood and offered her hand. "Nice to meet you too, ma'am, though I wished it would be under better circumstances," I said as I shook her hand and hurried away. I hurriedly hit my supervisor's number on my phone and alerted her to the emergency. She wished my family the best and told me to take as much time as I needed. Within fifteen minutes I was on the road, heading for the hospital. 2030 hrs, Pittsburgh International Airport, Airside Core, March 20th, 2019AD "So, how'd it go, Alex?" Cami asked as she sat in the newly relinquished seat opposite the table from me. "It seems such a shame he has to go through more heartache," I told her looking to the table. "But then he wouldn't accept your challenge, right?" "What 'challenge'?" I asked curiously. "Well, you've never made it easy for anyone, Alex. Except maybe, Lena, but she was already in bad shape. And why lie to him about who you are? He's already figured out that you're the Empress, why use your sister's identity instead?" My assistant asked. "Because that's the way it was foreseen by me, sweetheart." "That addresses the inquiry in very precise detail, Director," Cami replied sarcastically. "Ma'am? Here's your card back. Oh! where'd Gil go?" Beth, our waitress asked looking to Cami then scanning the immediate area. "He got a call. Ah believe he had a family emergency and politely excused himself." "Wow. I hope everything's okay! Gil's already had his share of bad luck the last few years. He's lost a brother, his mom, his previous job, and early last year, his wife left him. Why do such bad things have to happen to the sweetest guys?" "He really is a 'Boy Scout', Beth, but those things happen. Doesn't matter who or how decent someone is, things just happen." "You mean 'fate' or 'destiny', ma'am? I don't believe in either of those! I prefer to believe that we set our own way through life- that we can change our lives for the better just by taking the time to evaluate...consider all our options before we choose one option over another," The waitress said then glanced away for four seconds. "Listen to me. Here I am waiting tables, spouting philosophy to my customers! I think Gil's finally had an impact on me. I'm really sorry, ma'am. I'll leave yinz two be to talk. Wave me over if ya need anything," Beth said, embarrassed before turning back to the restaurant's bar and entrance. "Our secondary, Alex?" Cami asked quietly. I nodded with a smile. Cami and I conversed idly until I noticed Beth coming over to wait on a nearer table. "Excuse me, hun, could Ah possibly bother y'all fer a glass a water fer mah friend?" "Sure. I'll bring that right out, ma'am." Two minutes later she placed a glass down in front of Cami. "Here ya go. Let me know if I can get you something else, okay?" "Alex," I said as I looked up at her. "Mah name is Alex. This here's Cami." "Okay, Alex, Cami. Let me know if you two need anything else," she replied before stepping over to the nearer table to take the newly arrived customer's order. Once taking their order, Beth disappeared into the restaurant, presumably to place it. I mentally told Cami to hurriedly chug- my sister's vocabulary, not mine- the glass then retrieved my flask from my purse. Looking around, I quickly refilled the glass and waited. As our waitress came close, Cami took a sip from the glass and wrinkled her nose. "Cami? What's wrong?" I asked in alarm. Beth's attention focused on me instantly. "Excuse me, Beth? Does this water taste funny to you?" Cami asked handing the glass to her. "Is there a problem with your filtration system, ma'am?" Our waitress took a sip and evaluated the taste for two seconds. "It tastes fine to me, Cami. Would you like me to bring you a new glass?" "No. It's probably just me. Sorry to take you away from your other customers." She smiled brightly. "My pallet can be very differential at times, ma'am, sorry," Cami added with a devious look to me. "No problem, girls. Yell if yinz need anything," she said with a smile before walking away. Cami quickly chugged the glass, retrieved a small towel from her purse, and dried the inside surface. Placing the glass back on the table, She stood and put the towel back in her purse. I followed her lead, and after pushing our chairs in, took hold of our luggage and went on our way. "You think Ricki Lynn will have something to say about you flying Economy?" "About Alex flying Ecomony and us taking her place on this mission? Absolutely!' I laughed, rolling my eyes a few times. 11:00 PM, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, March 20th, 2019AD "Mr. Gould? Sgt. Richard Scorcony." "How are they?" I asked without pause. "I'll let the doctors give you the specifics, Mr. Gould. I can tell you that they are all lucky to be alive. The driver of the pickup blew a point two. He's being processed and locked up as we speak," he said before motioning me to follow. "Nurse? This is Mr. Gould. He's here to see his family," the officer introduced me at the nursing station. "I'm sorry, but you'll have to wait here. Mrs. Gould is still in surgery and your sons and daughter are sedated at the moment. I'll keep you updated as I hear anything. Coffee is around the corner if you want." "How are they...my kids?" I asked in concern. "Kara received a broken ankle; her husband, Glenn, broke his left femur; Brandon received a broken right clavicle. The doctors have set what breaks they can and we're waiting for their anesthetic to wear off." "What about Evie? What happened to her? Why's she in surgery?" "The fire department had to cut her out of the front passenger seat, Mr. Gould. The pickup appeared to cross into the oncoming lane, drifted off the berm glancing off a tree, and re-entered the oncoming lane before impacting the front, passenger side of Mrs. Gould's car. The estimated impact was around sixty miles an hour," Officer Scorcony told me, sadly. "The paramedics told me she sustained two broken legs and her right arm, severe internal injuries, and they were very concerned about her spine, neck, and skull." "Oh my God!" I gasped in shock. "It was a very messy scene, Mr. Gould. I'm sure the doctors are doing their..." Whatever came after that, I didn't catch. I was too overcome thinking about all that might happen- what could go wrong! Why did this have to happen to them? Why couldn't I be the one that drunk hit instead? "Mr. Gould? Can I get you anything? Are you alright? Mr. Gould!" I looked at the blurry officer staring intently down at me. "Huh? What?" I mumbled dumbly. I felt something damp on my forehead. "You passed out, Mr. Gould. Are you alright?" Scorcony asked again. I nodded weakly and realized I was lying down on a gurney. "Stay right here while I get the nurse," he advised before moving out of view. "He's back with us, Rachael. I'm not sure what happened, I think he needs to see the doctor too, though." "What happened?" I heard her ask. "I'm not sure, I think he stopped breathi..." Hey there! How you doin', Mr. Gould?" An energetic, young, female voice asked as I reopened my eyes to see a beautiful, young, brunette nurse smiling over me. "What...what happened?" "We're trying to find that out right now, sweetie. Apparently you stopped breathing for a few minutes and we're curious as to why." "My wife..." I began to say, but she interrupted. "Is in very competent hands, Mr. Gould! She's still in surgery. And her condition hasn't been updated yet. I promise...the second I hear anything, I'll tell you. Now, I want you to try an' take it easy while we figure you out, sweetie!" she said gently patting my arm. I nodded. "Good luck, I'll be good, nurse...?" "Amy. Amy Reynolds, Mr. Gould. Nice to meet you. Now rest easy. Your wife will be okay." Again I nodded. The nurse nodded back, smiled, and slowly walked away. Rest easy, she advised. Ya, right! How could I rest when my wife was in an unknown condition in some operating room? "Nurse?" I asked as I raised my head to look down the hallway I found myself in. "Hey! Anyone around?" "Mr. Gould?" A woman's voice asked from behind me. Her accent sounded like one I'd heard on a vacation to Arizona and the Grand Canyon. I looked around to her. Her beautiful face matched her accent. Her overall height though, surprised me. She stood almost six foot, easily. "I'm Dr. Mintaka, Mr. Gould. I'll be your attending physician this morning? So let's see what's going on, shall we." "Morning? How's my wife?" "Okay, early morning. You caught me. I haven't been briefed on her condition, Mr. Gould. My priority is you, so let's get you hooked up." "Hooked up? To what?" I asked in concern. "EKG, Mr. Gould. We suspect you might have had a slight heart attack," she told me as her eyes closed for a few seconds. She nodded then looked down the hall. "Ah, good. Amy, could you hook him in and call me when done?" "Of course, doctor. It'll only take a few minutes." "I'll see what I can find about his wife," Mintaka said as she smiled at me and walked away. "Belle's really good, Mr. Gould. She'll find out exactly what's wrong with you. We'll get you fixed up in a jiffy- right as rain!" Amy consoled enthusiastically. The spark I saw in her eyes filled me with hope. "Hey, can I get you something to drink? You seem a little dehydrated. When was the last time you drank anything?" she asked. My mouth did feel a little dry. "I had a glass of water around 10:30." Amy's face showed surprise. "That was over five hours ago. I'll get you a bottle and I want you to drink it all, sweetie," she ordered. A minute later I held a bottle of water to my lips, took a mouthful, swished it around, and swallowed. I felt better already. Amy gently applied the electrodes of a portable EKG machine to my bared chest. I hoped she'd be just as gentle taking them off. "Good, you got him to drink. I thought he looked a little dry, Amy," Mintaka said as she approached. "You know me, doc. I'm good at spotting dehydration," My nurse smiled. "Turn on the power, Igor!" Mintaka laughed maniacally before laughing outright. "Yeth, math-ter," Amy giggled rolling he eyes. "Well, according to this, you're throwing a few spikes here and there, Gil. They should smooth out with a few days of rest. So that's what I'm recommending- a few days rest at home." "Might be a problem, doc," I said as I looked away. "How could resting at home be a problem?" "I...um...sort of ...I don't have a home. I live out of my car...since our divorce, that is. Besides, my family is here, so I'm not going anywhere." "I didn't know your housing situation, but admire your devotion to your family. I'm sorry. I suppose I could modify my diagnosis and recommend bed rest here in hospital." "I'll be fine. I wanna see my wife. Now," I said as I sat up and moved to get off the gurney. I began peeling the probes from my chest, wincing as the adhesive refused to release my few chest hairs. "Gil, I strongly suggest you remain calm and try to rest." "Sorry, doc. Where your job is taking care of me, my job is taking care of my family. Right now, my family is here. My wife...is critical at best. She is my main concern. Now...I'm going to her. With or without you." "Very well, Gil, but you feel the slightest bit dizzy and I'm admitting you to your very own room! Are we clear?" Mintaka threatened after closing her eyes for a few seconds. "Crystal, doc." Dr. Mintaka scrutinized me closely for a moment. "Very well, Gil, let's get you into some scrubs and see what your wife's condition is." Even in her low-heeled shoes this woman stood as tall as my six-one frame! Somehow, I had seen this woman somewhere. Another woman's face came to mind- her dishwater blonde hair just a few shades lighter than the hair currently bouncing on the head just a fraction of a step ahead and to the left of me. I moved my concern slightly to the side so I could rehash the later episodes of my story to see if I could remember mention of the Mintaka surname. "Let's go in here and find a pair of scrubs that fit you, Gil," Dr. Mintaka pointed to a room on our right. She scanned several closets before pulling out a pair of pants and a shirt. "Try these, Gil." "Um...these are women's sizes, doc," I advised as I looked at the tags. "Sorry, force of habit, Mr. Gould," she opened another cabinet and tossed me another set. "Try these then." "Would it be rude of me to ask if you have a sister named Andie, doc?" I chanced to ask after pulling on the scrubs over my work pants. She gasped quietly. "Just how do you know my sister, Mr. Gould?" The statuesque woman asked- her expression not quite neutral as she stared at me. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." "I am capable of great belief, Mr. Gould." I paused a minute to prepare my psyche for the disheartening laughter. "I wrote about her...and you, doc. I wrote about Atlantis," I told her sincerely and calmly. "She was right about you." "Who? Who was right about me?" I asked. "As if you don't know, Gilbert Gould. Come, let's check on your wife." "Welcome, Belle. I trust you two scrubbed up before coming in here?" The surgeon in charge of my wife's procedure greeted as she worked just inside my ex's abdomen. "We have successfully performed the archaic purification ritual, though I much prefer ionic sterilization techniques," Dr. Mintaka replied. I wasn't sure how her answer made any sense- at least to me. "Can't be helped, Belle. Mr. Gould." I was surprised she even knew who I was given she hadn't looked up from her patient. "I trust you know you shouldn't even be in here?" The as yet unknown doctor questioned. "How is she?" I asked without answering her question. "Mrs. Gould is fighting for her life, Mr. Gould! We are doing everything possible to keep her alive. I've already fixed more holes in her plumbing than I'd honestly admit to though. Belle could you come over and take her left side?" The doctor said as she got hit in the face shield with a shot of blood. I cringed! "Christen, could you clamp that one for me? I have a few more sutures to go before I get this one sealed up." "Of course, doctor," The nurse acknowledged as she picked up an implement and placed it carefully into my wife's belly. "This part of her large intestine looks like it went through a meat grinder, Emily. I'm not sure I can even resect it to anything stable. Another nurse- a woman hurried in past me and stopped before the table. "Doctor! I've gone through the inventory, but it seems our supply of 'O' positive will not be enough. I've placed a call in to the other hospitals in the area, but the forecasted arrival time may not be soon enough." "Understood. Belle, I'm not confident I can save this woman without that blood." Dr. Mintaka glanced up at me worriedly. "Mr. Gould, are you sure you really want to be in here right now?" "Use me," I stated in a calm, controlled voice. It came so easily out of my mouth I was even a bit surprised. "What?" Use you, Mr. Gould?" the doctor asked in surprise as she looked up from my ex-wife for just an instant. "I'm 'O' negative...a universal donor...take as much as you need from me." "Mr. Gould, we've already put most of our supply into this patient! I will not entertain the idea of bleeding you dry as well! We'll have to work faster. Belle? You with me?" "You there," I pointed to the nurse monitoring the blood entering Evie. "How much do you estimate you'll need to save her?" "Mr. Gould, I'm not sure if one or even three units will help." "Gil, stop this! Don't even think about giving that much. It'll kill you!" Dr. Mintaka urged as she again glanced up at me in concern. There was a gurney against the room's far wall. I hurried over and brought it closer then laid down on it. "Get over here and get me started," I ordered, rolling up my left sleeve. "Do it now, before I change my mind!" I commanded. Both doctors looked up at each other. Both closed their eyes and sighed heavily. "Do it!" I shouted. "Prep him, Janice," The lead surgeon ordered. The late arriving nurse fetched a needle and everything else she needed to start a transfusion. She looked at me with uncertainty as to what I was demanding. "Is this how you saw it happening, Emily? Cause I certainly didn't," I overheard Mintaka whisper to her fellow surgeon as they pressed on in repairing my wife's internal injuries. "Mr. Gould's preped and ready, doctors," The nurse, Janice, announced as I started to have second thoughts on just exactly what I was doing, though, Evie would do it for me if the circumstances were reversed. I paused as I thought about that. There was no way she could do this for me! Her blood type made that impossible. "Good! This unit is almost kicked, Jan. Emily, I'm ready to make the switch on your mark," the other nurse, Christen, replied. "You're really putting the pressure on me, Mr. Gould! I really hope you understand the severity of all this." "Just turn the damn valve and let's get on with it, doc," I said serenely. Both doctors's looked over at me in surprise. "He sure has the gonads, Belle. Did you have time to do a workup on him? I know it's a little late now, but I just wondered what the count was." "I didn't get the chance, Emily. Janice? Take a sample of Mr. Gould's blood back to the lab and rush the results, please." "Right away, Doctor." "What are you looking for, doc?" I asked trying to ignore the red liquid running out of my arm through the clear, flexible, hose. "We want to see if you're carrying anything out of the ordinary, Gil," The other doctor, Emily answered. "I was married to her for over thirty-nine years, doc! I can say that I'm safe...she's safe...from any funky diseases, that is." Both doctors shook their heads after looking over at me again. I wondered what they could possibly want to check on and had a disturbing thought. "Oh, you want to check my 'K' cell count. I get it," I said taking the chance and hoping I was wrong. Both doctors, as well as the attending nurses stopped and looked at me for a brief moment before resuming their tasks. Shit. "Mr. Gould? What are 'K' cells? I've never heard of them," Dr. Emily asked curiously. I saw Dr. Mintaka glance up at her, but quickly resumed her work. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you, doc. Let's just forget the crazy, old man on the gurney said anything, okay?" I replied despondently. "Mr. Gould here seems to be a writer, Emily. Dr. Mintaka said with some humor in her voice. "Is that so? So what do you write, Mr. Gould?" Dr. Emily inquired. "Science Fiction-Fantasy, but I wasn't very good at it...obviously. You would have heard of me if I was." "Don't be so disheartening. I don't want to be dumping your demoralizing thoughts into the patient as well as you blood! Christen, let off the clamp on that vessel. Let's see if I got all the holes in that one. How about a synopsis of one of your stories?" Dr. Emily asked as she visibly moved an inch or two over to higher in my wife's gut. "I wrote about a group of...of people that went around helping people with the special powers they had gained...um...from a...a medical experiment," I began, but stopped as I became embarrassed. "Good experiment or the mad scientist type?" "Good type...humanity saving type, actually," I told Doc Emily. "Ah, the best type! Sounds good so far." "Sounds like a superhero comic to me," Nurse Christen admitted with a giggle. "Actually I designed it to be like a weekly TV series." "That's interesting," Dr. Mintaka said pleasantly. It had been over thirty minutes since I had offered my blood to save my ex-wife on the operating table. I was wondering how I could go this long unless the nurse, Christen, controlling the transfusion had throttled back as the doctors sealed Evie's leaks. I won't lie, I was feeling quite dizzy as I continued to watch my ex's repairs. "Emily? We're all out of sutures. That's the last one." "Dump some alcohol on a few of them. They're just going to be used in the same body, Janice. I don't foresee a chance of any re-infection." "Understood. Just give me a moment then, Doctor." The room suddenly smelled of denatured alcohol and Nurse Janice quickly handed Dr. Mintaka the newly sterilized instruments. "So. Gil. Can we expect to see any more adventures of your intrepid Empress?" Dr. Mintaka asked as she moved onto another damaged location. She paused a second. "Even not having read any of it, I feel I actually have from your synopsis." Yes, I had gotten carried away and jabbered on while they worked. "Emily. Do you see this?" she whispered to the other doctor. "No. Neither did you, Belle. Keep working. I think we've got her over the hump. "So...my blood...doin'...job?" I asked, overhearing their conversation The dizziness was overtaking me quickly now. "Of course its doing its job, Gil. Blood is life," Dr. Emily reminded me. "An mmmmy 'K' ceeeellz ca onies helps, rey?" I asked as I noticed my speech starting to deteriorate. "What are you talking about, Gil? What's with these 'K' cells again? Christen, I think Mr. Gould's almost empty. We'll just have to hope we're almost done. Thank you for your assistance, Gil, but we can't ask you to donate any more life blood without killing you. Do you understand?" "Damn! Christen? Your assistance here! I just found another gusher!" "Right away, Doctor," Nurse Christen said as she moved closer to Dr. Mintaka to help. That didn't sound good at all! Carefully, I reached over and increased the flow rate on Evie's transfusion. I smiled and leaned back on my gurney. I really began to get woozy now. Things started to get very blurry. "Thanks Christen, that's got it," I heard Mintaka say as I entered into a hazy twilight. "Belle! He opened up his feed! We're going to los..." Everything went dark. "Hello again, Mr. Gould. I trust y'all're feelin' a might better?" I knew that voice. Opening my eyes only confirmed a hazy, unfocused shape hovering over me. Blinking a few times helped clear my sight and recognize the face. I cringed as a chill ran up my spine! "Its you!" I declared just above a whisper. "Ah should hope so! If Ah ain't me then Ah'd wonder who Ah am. That wouldn' be good neither," Ms. Covington giggled deviously. "Y'all know'd ya done somethin' pertie dumb in there, hun? What po-zest'd y'all to try an' kill yerself? "The needs of that one outweighed the needs of this one," I said quietly as I picked up my hand to point out of the room I found myself in and pointed back to me as I said the last two words. "Y'all're a piece of work, Gil. The doctors had yer Ex's well bein' well in hand, hun. There weren't no call for excessive bravery." "I did what I thought was necessary. I don't possess the ability to see the future like you do, ma'am, so I had to wing it," I protested. "Y'all think ya got it all fig'ered out, Mr. Gould? Real life ain't the same as story books. Ain't no one capable a seein' ever'thin that's ahead of em." "Then why are you here, ma'am?" I asked pointedly. "He got ya there, Alex. Welcome back to reality, Gil. You have yourself a good snooze?" "How long was I out?" I asked and thought about how fitting that question was to the two women standing by my hospital bed. "Only a couple hours, Gil. Just long enough for your blood pressure to come back up. Evie's in recovery. We think we got all the leaks plugged and we managed to save most of her liver and almost all of her small intestine- though her large intestine is a few feet shorter than it was," Dr. Emily said with a pleasant, professional tone, but sad smile. "She'll have to take it easy for a while and watch around people with colds and flu though. Her appendix had to be removed. We couldn't save that." "Maybe it'll grow back in time," I mumbled. "That organ will not 'grow back', Gil!" Dr. Emily chided. "Ya, whatever," I whispered. "I guess that blood vessel didn't reseal itself while you and Dr. Mintaka watched, huh?" "This again, Gil?" Dr. Emily shook her head a few times- her tone annoyed. "I still have no idea what these 'K' cells are that you keep mentioning! Trust me, your results came back clean! No abnormalities whatsoever! Care to explain why you think you might have some kind of foreign bodies- these 'K' cells as you call them- floating around in your bloodstream, Mr. Gould?" "They were in his story, doc," Ms. Covington answered. "A clever plot device that embued magical powers to his characters." "Really? You said nothing about that while we talked earlier, Gil. I do however understand your enthusiasm toward something of your own imagination. I actually like the premise of advanced biotechnology to advance our evolution." I narrowed my eyes as I looked skeptically at the pretty, young, doctor. I hadn't mentioned anything about 'biotech' or human evolution. "Looks like he caught ya, sis. Ah told ya he was a sharp-un," Ms. Covington replied as she looked at Dr. Emily. "I'm sorry, Dr. Scott, for breaking your cover. I won't tell anybody," I told her quietly. "Tell me, Gil, how is it y'all know so much about Em an' Ah?" Covington asked, raising a well-kept eyebrow. "I told you. It all started out as a dream, Empress. How I got everything so accurate is a mystery to me. I had no idea that I would be revealing you or your sisterhood. You have to believe me." Anoth