CHAPTER 31 C

Liam made his way to Safe Haven. He dreaded having to tell Patricia of Kacey's collapse. His heart was heavy. As he entered Safe Haven, Liam looked around for his wife. After several minutes, he spied her playing a game with their grandchildren and made his way over to them.

"Grandpa," The girls shouted and ran to him. He easily picked them both up and hugged them.

"How are ye both doing?" He asked not quite ready to look at Patricia.

"We are having a party." Erin said.

"Want to join us?" Erica finished.

"Maybe later lassie. I need to be speaking with your grandmother first." He put the girls down and signaled one of the crewmen in charge of Safe Haven. "Would ye be watching these two for me?"

"Of course Commander."

"Patsy me darling,..." He started.

"Which one is hurt, Liam?" Patricia asked.

"Kacey collapsed during the battle lass. She is in Sick Bay."

"Tell me on the way." Patricia stated. She grabbed Liam's hand as they hurried out of the room.

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Kate, Anya and Natalia were in the waiting room when they arrived. Natalia took up a position in front of the door and refused to leave her post as she watched the activity through the window. Tears silently fell. Anya held Kate in her arms. Patricia went first to Kate and embraced her oldest child. She then went to where Natalia stood and put her arms around the younger woman. Natalia turned and cried on Patricia's shoulder. Liam put his arms around both women. Kate and Anya joined them at the door to wait.

It was well over an hour before the Doctor came out to talk to them.

"The Colonel is still unconscious, but she is breathing on her own. Her heart rate is still elevated, but is slowly coming down. It was one hundred seventy beats when we first got her here. Now it is down to one fifty. We do not know what caused her to collapse when the field came down or how long she will remain in this state. Her brain activity is off the charts. All other body functions are within normal parameters. It is just a matter of waiting for her to wake up. I have no idea when that will be. It could be in the next two minutes, two days or..."

"Never." Natalia said with a sob.

"Yes that is a possibility. But I think she will wake up when her body gets over the shock of that field being destroyed. When her heart and brain activity come down to normal levels, I believe she will wake up. It would be like putting a badly injured patient in a medically induced coma to allow the body to begin healing."

"When can we see her?" Patricia asked.

"You can go in now. She is in room four."

Kate and Patricia each took one of Natalia's hands as they walked through Sick Bay, followed closely by Anya and Liam. Kacey lay surrounded by machines that hummed and beeped softly. Natalia sat by the bed and took one of Kacey's hands in her own. She watched the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest.

"Major Anderson to Captain Jensen."

"Damn it." Kate swore. "Yes Major." She spoke into her communicator.

"Captain do you have any further orders?"

"How does it look out there."

"Very quiet. No signs of the Megarans."

"Start bringing the Stingers in Major. You first. Leave ten out there for another hour then bring them in. Major as soon as you can, come down to Sick Bay."

"Yes Captain."

"Have they given up Kate?" Patricia asked.

"We took away the one thing they wanted. At least they think we did. This was all Kacey's idea, mom. She busted her ass to pull this off." Kate's voice broke. Anya put her arms around her wife in support.

"Tell me everything." Patricia demanded. "I want to know everything that happened after I went to Safe Haven. Everything."

Kate could not trust her voice. Anya told her everything. Kate listened to Anya as she retold the events. She was not aware of when the tears started to fall.

"Kate took her into the Ready Room. They came back to the Bridge shortly before the battle started." Kate stared at Kacey chest rise and fall as Anya continued. "When the field was destroyed, Kacey grabbed Kate's arm. She gave the order to fire on the clouds and she collapsed. Her plan to convince the Megarans that she was dead worked. After Andromeda and the Stingers destroyed many of their ships, they gave up and left.

"We do not know what caused her to collapse, mom. She grabbed my arm, gave the order and just... just..." Kate could not continue. Anya pulled her close and held her while she cried.

Natalia remained silent as she held Kacey's hand.

"Lass do ye think it is safe to let everyone out of Safe Haven?" Liam asked.

Kate shook her head. "Not yet. Give it a couple hours to make sure we are in the clear."

Major Anderson entered, still in his flight suit. Kate wiped her eyes and turned to face him.

"Captain, the Megarans have disappeared. We just may have seen the last of them."

"Thank you Major."

"We would do anything for the Colonel. She would do the same for any of us and her family. Can you tell me what happened?

"She grabbed my arm when the field was destroyed, gave the final order and collapsed. The Doctor does not know what caused her to collapse or how long it will be until she wakes up."

"If there is anything we can do? We can take shifts sitting with her if you want to take a break."

"I will keep your offer in mind, Major. Were there any casualties?"

"A few singed areas on a couple stingers, but no one was injured and it is nothing that can not be fixed. I will have my report by tomorrow morning"

"That will be fine Major."

He left. Kate returned to Anya's arms as they continued their vigil.