Astronomicon 1: Inception Point (Finished)

40 - Melissa

"What do we do now? Is she safe like that?" asked Chris.

"She looks worse, but at least she's calmed down," said Kate.

"Are you in pain, Melissa?" he called to her gently.

There was no reply. She continued to stare blankly ahead, although Chris suspected there was no staring involved in reality as it seemed unlikely she could see at all.

Lucy studied her for a few moments, not daring to move any closer. "Do you think we should check her pulse and breathing?"

"She's clearly not right," Kate replied. "If her heart is beating faster or slower, what difference does it make? We don't know what to do either way."

"Do we need to do anything?" Chris asked. "She's still strapped in and not going anywhere. We should at least put some more distance behind us while she's... stable?"

Lucy tentatively leant a little closer and slowly waved her hand from side-to-side. "Melissa... Melissa, can you hear us?"

Melissa sharply turned her head towards her without warning, making all three of them jump.

"Yes," she replied, producing a sound midway between a croak and a wheeze.

"How are you feeling?" Chris asked.

"There's nothing wrong with... me," she replied raspily.

Chris expected her to cough to clear her throat, but she did not.

"You seemed to be in a lot of pain?" he suggested.

"Not anymore," she replied.

"What the hell is wrong with her?" whispered Kate, leaning close to his ear.

He shrugged. "Are you okay with us driving onwards? Or do you need a break?"

"A break?" She paused as if to think. "A break would be good."

"We haven't really gone anywhere since the crevasse," Lucy complained.

"We can afford a couple of minutes' break before we continue. Do you need help with your seatbelt?" he asked.

"I don't need help," she replied, tilting her head as though looking down.

She fiddled with the seatbelt release for a few seconds then peeled off the belt and, moving oddly, turned to climb down from the buggy. She looked as if she was concentrating hard on moving, and only moving one limb at a time.

"Can she even see?" Kate whispered.

Melissa slid off the buggy, landing heavily on her feet without bending her knees, and wobbled a little before regaining her balance.

"Are you feeling dizzy?" Lucy asked.

"Dizzy? Yes, some," Melissa replied.

"Sounds like you could use some water?"

"Water? Yes, some water would be good."

"I'll get some from Diego's backpack," Chris suggested.

He did not want to admit to the others he had no intention of getting close enough to Melissa to open her backpack.

Her eyes were disconcerting, but her pallid skin, scratchy voice and somehow unnatural movement were giving him the creeps. Diego's backpack was still in the flatbed buggy's footwell but, before heading that way, he gestured to Lucy to follow him. She, in turn, told Kate to stay with Melissa.

"What's up?" Lucy whispered as she caught up with Chris.

"What isn't up?" he replied, glancing back at Melissa. "I don't understand what's going on with her. Are you happy about taking her back to the Command Module?"