Crave - 20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Jenson’s awareness came back in increments. The first thing he noticed was that he hurt… everywhere. His chest burned with every breath, and his legs felt like pain filled weights. He blinked slowly, allowing his eyes to adjust to the light. He tried to remember where he was. Oh yes… the ship’s medical bay. He took a breath, and felt a painful tug by his ribs. Slowly, the memories started to come back. The flauros attacking him, waking up in the medical bay with his father holding his hand, and his argument with Merrick.

Merrick… a different kind of pain squeezed Jenson’s chest. Merrick was going to Alectera with his team. The vampire remembered extracting a promise from the younger man to come and see him before leaving. Jenson and his father were the experts on the Alecteran culture, and he wanted to share the information he had with Merrick. He had no doubt the he would be an excellent investigator, but the man’s desire to get answers could easily overshadow his diplomatic skills. Jenson was also worried about Merrick’s ability to keep his cool in the face of the Alecterans’ strict rules and protocols. That race could be difficult for the most seasoned diplomats to deal with. Even Jenson’s father, who had centuries of experience with a variety of species, found the Alecteran people to be taxing.

Despite the pain he was in, and the potential for disaster looming, Jenson couldn’t help but smile. Merrick said he loved him. The vampire always knew he was loved, but until recently he thought it was the love a younger man might feel for an older brother. Today, Jenson heard the truth of that love in Merrick’s words, and saw it in the younger man’s eyes. Merrick didn’t just love him… he was in love with Jenson, the same as the vampire was in love with Merrick. Jenson had spent years denying that love because of the guilt he felt for Kel’s tragic fate, but he couldn’t deny it any longer. Too stunned and too medicated to properly respond earlier, he resolved that Merrick wouldn’t leave without knowing his feelings were returned.

When he finally arrived, Jenson was disappointed to see Landin and Kalen with him. He knew both men also needed to be educated on Alecteran customs, but he’d hoped for time to speak with Merrick, alone. Ignoring his disappointment, the vampire greeted the three men and invited them to sit in the chairs someone had placed in the room. Exhaustion, and the pain medication, made it difficult for him to focus, but he was determined to prepare these men as thoroughly as possible.

“Their customs are a variation of a very strict, old English social class structure. They’re a reclusive race, and inherently distrusting of outsiders. Merrick, you should be accepted by the Counsuery because of your status as Commander and a representative of the Council. Kalen and Landin will likely be treated as little better than your pages. Maser Luda is trying to bring his people out into the universe, but he’s faced a lot of opposition. This desire is likely why we’ve been invited to participate in the investigation. He wants to develop a good relationship with us.” Jenson paused to collect his thoughts, which continually threatened to scatter.

“In past dealings with the Counsuery, Rossud, Starghen, and Jolquin were openly antagonistic. Cajor and Kheeven were polite to my face, but I could sense their animosity over my presence. They are the ones I’d watch out for. Rossud, Starghen and Jolguin might be assholes, but at least you know where you stand with them. That doesn't mean I would rule out any of the Counseury as suspects. There would have been too many systems to bypass in getting those animals here for someone in the government not to be involved. Keeghan and Mentach were the most welcoming. I wouldn't consider them allies per se, but I found Keeghan, in particular, was supportive of the settlement of Alect-3, and seemed the most interested in cooperation. He once told me that he worried about how vulnerable his race’s isolationism made them.”

“What about the Senator we met the first day?” Merrick asked, remembering the tall male from the welcoming committee.

Jenson nodded his head. “Senator Elsan is a spokesman. Think of him as their envoy. No Maser has ever left the planet. Instead, when a Maser comes to power they hand-pick a senator to be their liaison to the Counseury and off-world representatives. Elsan may not seem to have any real power, but don't underestimate the man. He holds significant sway on the leader’s opinions.”

“What kind of male is he?” Kalen asked, looking up from him comm pad. “Will he be an ally?”

“He’s fiercely loyal to the leader. It's my understanding they've been friends since childhood.” Jenson could feel the exhaustion pulling at him again. His eyes were having trouble focusing, and it was a struggle to stay awake, but he forced the fatigue away. This meeting was important to ensure Merrick was as prepared and safe as Jenson could make him. “He seems like a good man. Harsh, yes, but most of that harshness appears to stem from his protectiveness over the Maser.”

Jenson could feel Merrick watching him closely, and tried to stifle his yawn. “J, I think you need to get some sleep.” Merrick sounded concerned. “You’re still recovering.”

“But you need to know this,” Jenson protested.

“You’ve given us a lot to work from, and we have access to your mission notes. Permission for the trip was only confirmed a few minutes before coming in here so we’re not even leaving for another few hours. That will give you time to rest,” Merrick insisted. “I’ll make sure to come back and say goodbye properly before we leave,” the younger man teased, giving the vampire a wink.

When Jenson woke again later, the room was quiet. The only sound was the steady beeping of the equipment around him. “Oh good, you’re awake,” said a voice behind his head. He tried to look up and saw a figure enter his field of vision. It was Audra’s medical chief.

“You were a very lucky man, Mr. Shey.” The man looked at him briefly with a smile. “The internal injuries you received are healing more quickly than we expected.”

“When will I be able to leave?” Jenson hated being cooped up in a hospital bed. He wanted to help with the investigation.

“Not soon enough to go with the contingent heading to Alectera, I’m afraid.” The doctor looked up with a slight smirk on his face.

“How…?”

“It’s obvious you want to be a part of the investigation, Envoy, but you’re in no condition to put yourself through that kind of strain.” The doctor came around to the foot of Jenson’s bed. “You need to give yourself time to recover, Mr. Shey.”

Jenson sighed. He knew this, but it didn’t make the fact any easier to accept. He heard a noise at the door, and looked over to see Merrick standing there. “Hey.” The younger man smiled at him and stepped further into the room. “We’re going to be leaving soon.”

Jenson felt a twinge of unease at the thought of Merrick going to Alectera, but knew logically that the man was more than capable of taking care of himself. It didn’t stop Jenson from worrying though. “How long do you have?” he asked, beckoning Merrick closer.

“The shuttle will be here in a few minutes.” Merrick stepped up to the edge of the bed, nodding to the doctor, who said his goodbyes before leaving.

“I need you to be careful.” Jenson reached out and stroked Merrick’s cheek. “I know you’re trained and I know how competent you are, but this is an entire planet of potentially hostile people. Watch your backs.”

Merrick reached up and held the vampire’s hand against his face. “We are well trained, and you gave us a lot of information we’ll need. The three of us will also be reviewing the database you created before we land, to familiarize ourselves with their customs. You’ve prepared me well, J.”

“Merrick, I….” Jenson was interrupted by the door swinging open and Kalen entering the room. “I’m sorry to interrupt, Commander, but the shuttle is here. These folks are pretty impatient to take off again.”

“I guess that’s my cue,” Merrick said with a tight smile. “We’ll be checking in frequently, so try not to worry.” He leaned in and gave Jenson a light hug, seemingly wary of the sensors still attached to the vampire. “I want you to concentrate on getting better and getting out of here,” he whispered.

Before Merrick could move away, Jenson placed his hands on either side of the man’s face. “Merrick,” he said softly. Over Merrick’s shoulder he saw Kalen slip back out the door. “I love you.” He pulled the man down and claimed his lips, throwing as much emotion as he could behind the kiss. It was hungry and desperate and left both men breathless when they finally separated.

“I love you too, J.” The look on Merrick’s face was joyous. He appeared torn as he pulled away. “I should go,” he said, looking towards the entrance. “Everyone’s waiting.”

“Go.” Jenson grabbed Merrick’s hand and squeezed it in his. “Go and find out who’s responsible for this.”

“I promise.”

Hours later Jenson was awake again… and alone. By now the ship carrying Merrick would be halfway to Alectera. Jenson asked his father to bring him his comm pad so he could go through all of the data he had in his private records. If he couldn’t be there, he wanted to make sure Merrick was armed with as much knowledge as could be provided.

Luckily, his healing abilities meant the pain medication he required had significantly decreased, but he was still a long way from being healed. It would likely be a few more days before he was allowed to go back to his quarters, and even longer before he was cleared for duty. Having the ability to regenerate damaged organs was a wonderful technology, but the process was still draining, and Jenson was exhausted almost constantly.

The good news was that the hunters had tracked down the last two flauros. The injured creature was trapped and caged, but the second animal had to be killed. It was unfortunate, since the hunters had a policy of attempting live capture and relocation of the creatures they hunted, but sometimes death couldn’t be prevented.

Audra and the rest of the base crew would be returning to the ship the next morning. Jenson was pleased that the last flauros was able to be captured before there were any more casualties. Although the immediate danger had been dealt with, the vampire knew they couldn’t let their guard down. Who knew what else the culprits responsible had up their sleeves. Jenson prepared a more detailed summary of each Counseur and sent that to Merrick before reluctantly allowing sleep to take him again.

When he woke, he had a message from the younger man saying they’d finally arrived and were in orbit around the planet. The ship wouldn’t be allowed to land until the Maser was available to meet with them. This didn’t surprise Jenson. Visitors to the planet were so rare that it was customary they meet with the Maser before being allowed to stay.

The next twenty-four hours passed in a blur for the vampire. He was warned by the medical staff that his exhaustion would peak as the regeneration process ended. They didn’t exaggerate. His sister had finally arrived, and came to see him before the vehicles had even been unloaded. After chastising him for worrying her she hugged him fiercely, only letting him go with a guilty grin when he winced in pain. Preparations were being made to leave the planet and return to Anglia, but Audra requested permission from the Council to stay in the system in case Merrick’s group needed to be picked up quickly. It was a precaution Jenson was grateful for. The Alecteran government finally agreed to allow the ship to take a high orbit over the planet, but requested that no one attempt to land.

The Council ship was sent back to Anglia, without Jenson’s father. He decided to stay under the pretext that they might require a Councillor for negotiations if the investigation broke down. Jenson didn’t buy the excuse, but was grateful for his father’s presence.

Before leaving on the Council ship Merrick’s father surprised Jenson by stopping in to see him. “Take care of yourself, Jenson,” the man said. “Merrick will never forgive you if you do something to slow down your recovery.” Connor chuckled at what Jenson assumed was the shock on his face. “Merrick’s mother and I are very happy the two of you managed to finally find your way to each other.”

“Connor, I don’t know what to say.”

“My son has been in love with you since he was old enough to realize what it meant.” Merrick’s father looked thoughtful. “I’ve never seen him as happy as he was during our last video conference.” Connor smiled, his eyes still unfocused. “I encouraged him to try and get over you several times over the years, you know?”

Jenson was startled. “You did?”

“Yes,” the man sounded regretful. “I didn’t know about what was really going on in your life, but I knew something was keeping you from accepting Merrick.” Jenson felt a pang of guilt. “I understand now why you were reluctant, and I admire you for it, but at the time, all I knew was my son was hoping for something that might never come to pass. I didn’t want him to spend his life waiting.”

Jenson understood Connor’s position, and even agreed with it, but the thought of Merrick listening to him… actually moving on and finding someone else to love, hurt. Connor must have seen the look on Jenson’s face because he reached out and gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze.

“Don’t mistake me,” he said with a kind look. “Allison and I have a great deal of respect for you and would be honoured to have you as part of our family, but I could see how much it hurt Merrick the longer his feelings went unreturned. The six years you practically disappeared from his life were tough on him. He never said anything to me, but I knew he missed you.”

“Connor…,” Jenson felt the guilt grow inside him. “I never meant to hurt him.”

“We knew that.” Connor sounded very understanding. “We knew you cared about Merrick. You’ve cared for him since he was very young. I knew you must have had your reasons.” The man took a deep breath and stood a little taller, smiling down at the vampire. “But enough of reasons and regrets. I just wanted you to know how happy I am. You’re a good man, Jenson. I can’t think of anyone else I would trust more with Merrick’s heart.”

For the second time in as many days Jenson was too stunned to respond as Merrick’s father turned and left the room. Later he realized that Connor had given Jenson his blessing and for the first time in over a century he thought about his future with hope.

p>Thank you, Gary for everything you do.  I appreciate all of your hard work more than you can know.     Thank you to all of you who read and support the story. 

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