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                                  ONE BREATH
                                Melissa Beattie
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   Timeline: SeaQuest 2032
   Author's E-Mail: XYHJ52F@prodigy.com
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AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Comments appreciated.

Copyright 1997 Melissa Beattie


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                    ONE BREATH


    He was dying.
    He knew that, of course. In fact, he-d probably been
aware of it since the beginning, and just hadn-t been aware
of it.
    The plasma charge ripping through his chest had opened
his eyes _real_ fast.
    He kept drifting in and out of consciousness... he
couldn't really remember anything past getting into the
Spindrifter craft, though he had a vague impression of being
lifted and dragged somewhere...the assault shuttle, he
assumed. Dimly, he could feel the shuttle jerking around,
and there were loud sounds...
    In the background, he could hear voices, Hudson's,
O'Neill's, Piccolo's, Henderson's...but he couldn't make out 
the words. Sounds seemed to be melting together,
distorting...he knew that his friends were trying to tell
him everything would be fine, that _he_ would be fine.
    Of course, he knew that wasn't true. It was getting
hard to breathe. Everything seemed to be blurred, and the
edges of his vision were turning dark. He knew it was
almost time.
    Someone was murmuring something now...a quiet voice,
but he couldn't understand what was being said. Oh well.
Whatever it was wouldn't make much difference in a few
minutes anyway.
    He had just one regret; he wanted to talk to Lonnie one
more time, to tell her a few things he'd never been able to.
But, she was busy getting everyone out of there, and that
was more important...he felt his eyelids slowly
closing...robbing him of his chance...
    "Wake up Jim!"
    That was her.
    "Come on, please..." she continued, pleadingly. "Wake
up, Jim!"
    With an effort, he forced his eyes open. He blinked at
the bright light, and for a moment, wondered if they were
all dead, that the Macronesians had shot them down. The
thought filled him with dread.
    However, as his vision cleared slightly, he realized
that was not the case. "We made it back," he gasped out,
amazed.
    She nodded, and smiled at him, though, to his weakened
eyes, she looked about to cry. "You're gonna be all right,
Jim," she told him.
    He started to agree with her, but then realized he
couldn't. His lungs felt so heavy he could barely breathe.
He began choking. *No, dammit,* he thought. *Not yet...*
    Reaching up to his throat, he pulled on the strap that
hung around it. After a short tug, it came free. He took
her hand, and pressed his dogtags into it. "With your
shield or on it," he choked out, his eyes pleading for her
understanding. He didn't want her to blame herself...and
the "Red Badge of Courage" reference should tip her off to
it...he hoped.
    But there was still one more thing he wanted to tell
her.
    It shouldn't take long, a few short words. All it
would take was one breath.
    He tried to inhale one last time...and found he
couldn't.
    *No...one more...please...* he pleaded to the
encroaching blackness. *One... more...breath...*
    But it never came.

-The End-
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