He never made it.
Dreams had become as terrible an enemy as Dread.
So Jonathan Power did all he could to keep from dreaming. He'd sleep in two hour shifts, four times a day, hoping he'd never fall under deeply enough for the nightmare to start. When even that seemed too risky, he'd catnap in the communications room, relying on the hum of machinery to keep him partially awake. Once he'd even fallen asleep in his command chair on the ship during a return flight to base. The team hed just left him there to rest.
They hated this new schedule of his. He could see the worry in their faces every time they found him slumped over a console or yawning during a watch. But they no longer made any real protest. Each man had to deal with Pilot's death in his own way.
For Jonathan, that way was to work until he dropped. That was the only time he felt safe closing his eyes, when he was too numb with exhaustion to dream.
Yesterday had been far too easy for that, for Jon, at least. Scout and Ranger had gone out alone to gather some medical supplies from another resistance group. Soaron had been waiting for them. They'd made it home in one piece, but Scout was banged up a bit and Ranger had bruised ribs from a stray shot. At least they'd sleep soundly. Jon couldn't say the same for himself.
At two AM, with sleep still out of the question for now, he'd headed for the hangar. A few hours ago, Hawk had finished an overhaul of the weapons system. There was bound to be something Power could still do. Double check the data logs to make sure nothing had been accidentally erased during the repairs, run a few simulations, dust. Anything really. It would occupy his hands until his mind shut off.
Apparently Jon wasn't the only one with that idea. He stepped into the ship to find Hawk deep in a diagnostic check. The older man didn't even notice he was there.
"Matt," Power called softly, not wanting to startle him.
It didn't work. Matt looked over his shoulder, jumping slightly.
"Sorry, Captain. Didn't hear you come in."
"I noticed." Power slipped into the co-pilot's seat beside him.
"I couldn't sleep either."
"Worried about Cypher's people?"
"Yes," he admitted. For the past two weeks, Angel City had been under a constant bombardment by Dread. No word had gotten into or out of that place. At 0600 hours yesterday, the bombing had stopped as suddenly as it had begun.
His supplies dangerouly low, Cypher had sent out an appeal for help. Resistance groups around the nation were gathering together what they could spare. But Power's team would be the first to arrive. They had no idea what to expect.
"A lot of people were ... hurt," Jon finished.
Matt nodded, knowing what his Captain meant. They were bound to have lost some more friends in the bombing. None of them really wanted to know who was gone. Especially Jon. Death was still a very sensitive subject with him.
Better to focus on the living. "You made a decision about Ranger yet?" Hawk asked.
Power blinked, dragging himself back into the conversation. "She's not going," he said firmly.
"She's not going to like that," Matt warned.
Jon grimaced. "She never does. But her ribs are still too tender. There's no way she can carry any of this stuff. And it's too valuable to be dropped. She stays behind."
There was more force than necessary behind Jon's statement. His tendancy to over-protect Christine had caused quite a bit of friction in the past. But, for once, Matt thought it was justified. The woman just didn't know when to stay down.
"Who gets to baby-sit her? Tank?"
Power nodded absent-mindedly. He was already making a list a arguments to use against the loudest and most stubborn member of his team. Once again, he wondered how he'd let her convice him to give her a powersuit.
Matt was giving him a troubled look. Jon realized he'd been asked a question. He hadn't even heard it.
"Sorry, Matt. Just worried about Ranger."
Hawk looked back at his console. "What about Scout. He took a beating too."
"Well, yeah, I'm worried about him."
"That's not what I'm talking about."
Jon leaned back in his seat. "Then what do you mean?"
The older man gestured towards the cargo area of the ship. "Cypher needs this stuff now, not this afternoon. We're both up, Let's pay him an early visit.
For a moment, Jon opened his mouth to refuse. He disliked splitting the team up. They worked best as a unit. Just look at what happened to Ranger and Scout. (And Jennifer, a small voice added.)
But, almost half of the team was pretty much out of the fight for now. Rest would do them good.
He clapped Matt on the shoulder. "Hawk, take us out."