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Terry watched the chase from his binoculars, silently hoping Sam would make it in time. As soon as he saw the second dart hit Sam he jumped into action, "Mike, Larry, Ananda! Come with me. We need to intercept! Sam is going down and fast."

Mike and Larry jumped into the back of the truck while Terry took driver and Ananda took shotgun. There was a trail through the forest into the direction Sam was last seen and Terry was taking it at break-neck speeds through the brush. They came to a clearing and looked for Sam. Sam was getting close but she had slowed down considerably and was a lot lower than earlier.

With no trail to follow, Terry had to drive a lot slower but he nearly panicked when he heard Sam call for help over the radio. All three men in the truck had a mini heart attack when Ananda sent out a wave of energy to locate Sam and Terry had a worse one when she shouted at him to stop.

Mike and Larry were about to ask why they stopped when they heard breaking branches over them. They both jumped out of the truck when they saw Sam plummeting right to where they just stood. Ananda jumped out of the truck as soon as Sam landed and jumped into the back, checking for injuries.

"Terry! They paralyzed Sam's breathing muscles! We need to get her to base ASAP!"

"I think not. That beast will be coming with us!"

All four stopped and looked up at a lady in a red dress hanging from a rope ladder. Above her was a man with a rifle and they could hear more approaching through the brush.

"This thing has slipped between my fingers for years! I will not allow you pathetic gimps to cause me to fail again!"

The man with the gun on the rope suddenly coughed and fell to the ground, a large hole in his shoulder, "Terry! Get her out of here! We'll take care of the grunts!"

The ladder retracted the lady in red out of harms way as Terry sped off, "be careful you two, I'm not losing two of my best men to those people!"

"Don't worry boss, we got this covered. Just save that one!"

Ananda could hear gunshots in the distance as they sped off. She gave a silent prayer to their safety before turning back to Sam and taking care of her wounds, the worst being a thick branch through her lower abdomen. Surprisingly even a 100foot drop wasn't enough to break any her bones though it definitely left more than a few bruises. Ananda focused some energies into the wound as she pulled out the branch and marveled at how quickly the wound was closing on its own though Sam still wasn't breathing right. She was rewarded with one of the darts still stuck in Sam's leg and pulled it out to examine it.

Terry slammed on the brakes once he got back to camp, nearly causing Ananda to stab herself with the dart, and pulled Sam out of the truck. He left Ananda to explain the situation and jumped back into the truck to go back and get Mike and Larry.

Ananda watched him speed back off the direction they had just come before picking up Sam and bringing her to the medical truck. She passed Sam off and handed a tech the dart before stepping out of their way. The second they analyzed the dart they started rushing about, trying to isolate the chemical and neutralize it. They injected a few vials into Sam and pulled over a big scanner to check for things. When things finally calmed down they pulled over Ananda to give her an update.

"We have done everything we could do. I don't know if she will survive this or not. One vial of that chemical is enough to turn an elephant's nervous system into mush."

"She kindof took two of them."

The tech eyed her then ordered someone to shoot another vial into Sam, "her regeneration rate is the only thing keeping her alive until the chemical is flushed from her system. I don't know if she will ever be the same after this or if the damage will be extensive. Most who have survived this stuff have permanent memory loss and reduced cognitive functioning usually from the chemical making it to the brain and damaging part of it."

She thanked the tech for the information and walked off, hoping Sam might make it through. Terry was just pulling back into camp as well and she detoured to go talk to him. She was going to ask how things went when she saw him get out of the truck with a dour expression. She thought the worst until Mike and Larry hopped out of the back of the truck with a "whoop!"

"Well that answers that question. They had fun?"

"Yeap. Fully activated their cybernetics too. Almost shot at me when I pulled up."

"Oh that's not good. How many?"

"73 was the final count. An even 36 each except for Larry getting the guy on the ladder. They didnt count him though."

"Oh jeez. Those two are nuts. Not good news on Sam though. Remember that chemical that turned an elephants nervous system to mush in seconds? She took two vials of it. They tried to help the best they can but with how much she took it will be a miracle if she isn't a vegetable after this."

Mike and Larry immediately stopped their cheering and looked sad, their moods officially killed. Terry nodded and walked back to the truck, "alright everyone. Let's pack up and get back to base. We have what we came for."

A few affirmatives came over the radio and everyone started up their vehicles and drove off. Ananda stole one last glance at the medical truck before getting in the truck with Terry and driving off. Ananda would spend all of her free time visiting Sam in the medical ward, waiting for her to wake up.

________________

It was the evening of the eighth day when Sam's eyes finally fluttered open. Ananda had just been getting ready to leave the room when she heard Sam move a little. She walked over and peered down at Sam who was squinting at the brightness of the light. Sam tried to say something, she guessed about the lights, but the breathing tube kept air away from her vocal cords. Ananda intervened when Sam moved to pull out the tube from her neck.

"Sam, leave that in. It is helping you breath."

Sam stopped for a second and made some movements with her chest that confused Ananda before pulling out the tube anyways. She took a deep breath as the tube came away and manually held the hole closed to heal. Ananda went ahead and lowered the lights for Sam and stepped back over to the bedside.

"I feel like hell, Ananda. What happened to me?"

"Super potent man made neurotoxin. And a very high dose of it too. I figure they were either trying to catch you or kill you trying. I'm so happy you're awake though, and that you remember me."

"Why? Should I not?"

"No no. The toxin just has a tendency to destroy a lot of brain cells... Is there anything you can't remember?"

Sam just stared at her, "ummm I don't know. I don't feel like there is any holes in my memory for the past ten or so years. I can even remember most of highschool... Nothing before that though."

"Neat. It's almost as though your brain moved memories around to keep them from being erased."

"I still can't move my arm or leg though."

"Really? That should heal soon. If you're awake then you're on the mend now!"

Sam laughed a little, "as optimistic as ever I see. Help me up. I may not be able to walk but by god I will at least sit up." Ananda helped her sit up and she felt the familiar weight of her wings again, pulling them up to rest against her back, "think you could get me something to move around with? A crutch and a strap to keep my leg off the floor?"

"Umm. I'm not sure the doctors would be very happy about it but ill see what I can do. Besides, didn't you just say you couldn't walk?"

"I know but I feel like I need to move around. It's a very persistent urge."

It took Ananda almost an hour to get hold of the doctors and another 20 minutes of arguing over Sam's health to get them to let her have a crutch. That and some ace bandage scavenged from a passing orderly and Sam was ready to move around.

As Ananda wrapped Sam's leg up she couldn't help but notice something, "hey Sam. Did you know your lower leg is eight inches longer than your upper leg?"

Sam gave her a look that said 'you're noticing this now?' "Yeah. I'm surprised you haven't noticed yet."

"Sorry, I don't pay much attention to details. I could probably draw your head just from memory but other details escape me. Besides, I'm more interested in male anatomy than female's. No offense."

"A few years ago I may have. Not anymore though. I've embraced my femininity in a way no man ever could!" Sam had a good laugh at her own joke and decided it was time to try standing, "just stay nearby so I have someone to balance while I do this. I can already tell this is going to be harder than I thought."

Ananda stepped up next to her, "I'll be right here, Sam."

Only having the use of one leg and one arm made things difficult but Sam was determined to be mobile again. With some balance and a quick push she was on her foot, though very unsteady. She took a tentative step, "this is almost as hard as trying to learn how to walk after my initial changes."

"I bet. Just one step at a time Sam, I'll be right here for you."

It took a few minutes but she was finally able to move around and just in time for Terry to come around, "good morning, Sam. Insisting on annoying the doctors I see."

"If you felt like your whole body itched and instincts were telling you to move around you would do the same thing."

"That may be but we have a few things to discuss and having you at least semi mobile will make it easier."

Sam was starting to get the hang of moving around as she stepped up next to Terry, "what kinds of things, exactly?"

"Well most of the questions are dependent on two things: if you get better and what you want to do if/when it happens."

"What do you mean what I want to do? I have options?"

"A few, yes. But one of those only pertains if you get better. Otherwise you're stuck here as either a worker or a subject."

"So if I can heal then I get a better option than slave or prisoner. Do most people take option three?"

"Yes they do. Most would rather go off world and start their own lives than be cooped up here with us. Can't be sending you off world if you're injured though. It can be a very harsh life."

"So I've heard. Vey'Ral right? I could probably take em with a gimp arm and leg."

"Oh I'm sure you could take one or two but a whole company of them? They're all over the place out there."

"So what about you terry? Why did you stay?"

"I'm human enough. Besides, I chose to work and now I practically run the place. There is something rewarding in helping those stranded here."

"I'll take your word for it. Hey do you feel something strange here in my shoulder? My arm tingles when i press on it."

Terry pressed on the area Sam was pointing to, "I feel it. Feels like a cyst or tumor. May want to get that looked at. Doctors are down this hall, a left at the nurse station, and third door on the right."

"Thanks," Sam shook his hand and turned down the hall. What Sam didn't realize was it was almost a quarter mile down the hall to the nursing station and the doors were over a hundred feet apart. Why this place was so huge was beyond her. By the time she rounded the corner at the nursing station Ananda had caught up to her.

"You move pretty fast for someone on a crutch."

"Yeah well I want to find out what this bump is and get it pulled out. Moving it around gives me sensation back in my arm for a second so I have a hunch it's attached to my nerve."

"Sounds like a good idea. Why didn't you come back and ask for a faster way here? We could have called a cart over."

"Oh now you tell me. It's fine though. The more I walk the better I feel. It didn't take that long getting here anyways. I just hope the doctor isn't a quack job."

Ananda's nervous laugh made Sam a little wary as she opened the door. She hobbled in while Ananda held the door and took a look around. The room looked very much like any other doctor's office she had seen until she took a closer look. The fish in the tank were obviously not from this world, some of the seats had holes of varying sizes in the back for tails, and there was two sets of short steps leading up to the window at the front. Sam assumed the steps were for those who were too short to reach the window properly. Unfortunately there was no one in the office at the time. Sam raised an eyebrow at Ananda in question.

"It's two o'clock in the morning. Only the night shift doctor is in. He doesn't get much to do and typically wanders around. He should be up shortly."

As if on cue the door opened the moment she finished. Out stepped a creature Sam had never seen in dreams or movie special effects. He looked like a kangaroo mouse standing at just under four feet with opposable thumbs and a humanoid face. His appearance reminded her a lot of the Jakkai from the Slightly Damned comic she read when she was human. The resemblance stopped the second he jumped up onto the back of a chair in front of her and stared her right in the eye.

"Why are you here?"

He completely derailed Sam's thought process, "ummm, I have something in my shoulder and hip."

He didn't ask for permission or any care for what she thought as he undid the hospital gown she was wearing. He felt around on her shoulder and once he located the lump pulled out a scalpel and cut it out, "how is your healing rate?"

"Sonofabitch! Ow! It's fast but damn that hurt!"

"Good, turn so I can get the other one."

She turned and he got to work on the other one, finishing up in a couple minutes. Sam groaned and used the gown to wipe up the blood that had run down her shoulder and leg before eyeing the doctor in displeasure, "couldn't you have at least used a numbing agent? That frikkin hurt! What are you anyways?"

"Vey'Ral don't need numbing agent. And I'm a Raklith and proud of such!"

"Ananda says I'm not a Vey'Ral. She has also told me what they are and I am slightly insulted you would assume as such. How long have you been a doctor anyways? Aren't they supposed to be impartial towards all?"

"Been a doctor for over one hundred years. Impartial to all but Vey'Ral. You look lot like them. No care, hate all!"

"Yeesh, fine! Nasty little fucker." She stepped back out into the hall and noticed she could move her fingers again, "hey, I'm getting feeling back again! Oh happy days!"

Ananda unwrapped Sam's leg so she could use it again and watched her expressions. The sheer joy in sam's eyes as she wiggled her toes put a tear in her eye. She couldn't help herself any more and embraced Sam in a right hug.

"Are you ready to go?"

Sam jumped away from Ananda and crouched into a defensive stance, "Sonofabitch!! Damnit Terry don't sneak up on people! Especially ones who can knock your head off your shoulders!"

He looked unperturbed by her outburst, "You didn't answer my question. Are you ready to go?"

Sam shook her wings out, "that depends. Do I get visiting rights before I go?"

"We could probably get a few people here to visit. You will go afterwards?"

"Yes."