Forum: CC
Pairings: All
Author: Island Breeze
Roswell is the creation of Melinda Metz, who wrote the books, and Jason Katims, who brought us the TV series. They are responsible for the show’s concept and characters and for any events that occurred during the TV series that might be mentioned here. For better or worse, any other elements in this story, including storyline and additional characters that were not in the show, are my own vision and creation.
This short story was a special challenge fic at Majik's World for Pooh. The theme was healing.
Just as in all the stories in my "Altered Time" series, in this story, Max and crew (including Kyle, Alex, and even Jim Valenti) are living on Antar after having to flee Earth because of an obsessed and out-of-control alien task force. The group is older now and they have families; and once in a while, they secretly visit Earth with their children, in Max's ship, the "New Granolith." This is one of those occasions.
Pronunciation guide:
--- snuglowr - pronounced "snuggler"
--- Rayyn - pronounced almost like "Rain," but the second "y" has a slight ye sound,
as in "Ray-y'n" or "Ray-yen."
And now that you're a whiz in Antarian, you're ready to roll! This is for you, Pooh…
The Chance Of A Lifetime
"Spots! Spots! Where are you? Come back, Spots!""Taz, I think we better go back to the ship. Spots will come back when he's ready. Dad said for us not to go too far away."
"Yeah, but what if he doesn't come back, Rayyn? Spots is a snuglowr… He's from Drogilia… that's hundreds of light years from Earth. Thousands maybe! What if somebody here sees him?"
"What if they do? He looks like a dog. Well, he looks… almost… kinda like a dog. They probably won't even know he's not from Earth."
"He's got three eyes, Rayyn. Dog's have TWO eyes!"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure!"
"Well, that's only one… extra eye. How strange can that be?"
"He talks, Rayyn!"
"Well, yeah, sure, but only Drogilian, not English."
Taz gave Rayyn his best, "What's wrong with you?!" look, and Rayyn sighed… "We're gonna get in trouble for this, Taz, I know it. Okay, let's go find Spots and bring him back to the ship… before anyone here sees him. Fine vacation this is turning out to be!"
Three miles from where Taz and Rayyn had last seen "Spots," a young woman was sitting on a fallen tree just inside the woods. Her face was etched with an indefinable weariness, and she appeared to be lost in thought; but suddenly, the thoughts vanished, as she became aware of an almost imperceptible noise, like a breeze blowing through a bush… or perhaps soft footsteps. Startled her out of her reverie, she spun around to discover a small animal looking at her from the other side of the clearing. It had a coat of long hair and was covered with random large spots. The young lady stared at the small animal for several moments; then, convinced that it wasn't dangerous, she smiled…
"Well, who are you? You look friendly."
"Ya'urrr un Mmmm."
"Yeah, I like you, too. You're kind of cute. What are you, a miniature sheep dog? I never saw one like you before. You're kinda different. I wonder if you have a name?"
"Ssspots! Rro Nnn."
The young lady laughed. "For a moment, it almost sounded like you were trying to answer me! You do make the weirdest sounds… for a dog." She picked him up and set him on her lap, stroking his glistening coat affectionately. "Your fur is really soft! And it smells good, too! Kind of… I don't know… perfumed or something. I'll bet you belong to some rich old lady who perfumes your hair and puts bows on your head, don't you! And I'll bet you hate it!"
She pulled the "dog's" hair up off of his eyes, as though to illustrate what she was saying.
"Arrr'ung Mmmmm."
"Yeah I wouldn't like it either. You're cute just the way you are, without bows and stuff. Here, let me look at your face…"
As she lifted the tuft of hair and looked, the uncovered eye in the middle of the "dog's" forehead stared back at her. Reflexively, she jumped up, and the little dog leapt off her lap. But instead of running away, it lowered its head and made a soft whining sound.
"Oh, don't be sad! I'm sorry! You just startled me. I didn't mean to do that!"
Quickly, she sat back down and picked the little dog up again, setting it on her lap. "Hey, it's all right, you're just different, okay? There's nothing wrong with you, and don't you let anyone ever tell you there is! I'll bet someone abandoned you out here in the woods because you were born with that extra eye. Well, don't you pay them no attention. I love you just like you are. No one is perfect, you know, not even whoever abandoned you. Especially not them. Hey, you know what, you can stay with me. I think I'll call you… Um…"
"Ssspots… Rro Rro!"
The young lady laughed again. "Spot! That's what I'll call you. You have lots of spots… and you keep making that sound kinda like 'Spots,' so that's what I'll call you… Spot! Do you like that?"
"Rro ye!"
The young woman laughed. "You're a real charmer, you know that? You made me feel better. I know some people who need to meet you!"
Carefully, she brushed the little "dog's" hair back down over his forehead… "Let's keep your extra eye our little secret, though, okay… just between us? They don't need to know."
"Rro ye!"
The young woman stood up and set Spots on the ground, then she began to walk back down the path that led out of the woods. Spots followed, staying right at her side as though he had belonged to her forever.
"Well, now that I know your name, I guess you should know mine. It's Pooh. Okay, that's not my real name, but all my friends call me that, so you can, too. I mean, not that you, you know, really could say it, but…"
"Pooh."
The young woman stopped in her tracks and stared at the little animal in amazement. "You said my name! You said, 'Pooh!' Say it again!"
"Pooh! Rro ye."
"You really are a special little dog! I heard that some dogs could say words. There was even one that was supposed to be able to say, 'I ruve you.' But I always suspected it was just a gimmick. But you really said, 'Pooh!'"
"Pooh! Ssspots!"
"You know what, little guy, I think besides that extra eye up there you got an extra helping of brains, too! You're amazing! C'mon! I know some people who REALLY need to meet you. They have… well, they need someone to cheer them up… and I think you're just what the doctor ordered."
As Pooh and Spots walked toward her place together, two young boys were making their way deeper and deeper into the woods, searching for the little snuglowr. They were beginning to tire, and they seemed to have gotten off the path. It was no longer anywhere to be seen.
"We really should go back to the ship, Taz. Spots can find his own way back."
Taz sighed and nodded reluctantly. "Which way?"
Rayyn looked at him, aghast. "You don't know? I thought you were leading?"
"You're older than me!"
"Yeah, but. Oh! Now we're lost! What else could go wrong?"
As if to answer Rayyn's question, Taz suddenly slipped and lost his footing, tumbling backwards down a steep slope. Rayyn heard a sickening snap, as Taz's foot caught under a log and stopped his fall. Unknown to the two boys, however, their fate was not as dire as it seemed to them at the moment. Taz's ankle was broken. There was no doubt about that. And both boys were scared. But back at the ship, their father had already determined their whereabouts and was preparing to go get them.
"Thanks for using your sphere to find them, Liz. Would you mind too much if we used it one more time… to go get them? Taz looks like he's injured."
Liz's eyes opened wide, and she fairly glowered. "Kyle, if you ever ask me if it's okay again… I'll… I'll have to slug you! C'mon. Let's go."
Liz called for the portal with her sphere, and it appeared instantly. Then she stepped through with Kyle. The portal reopened in front of two very relieved boys, and Kyle hurried to examine Taz's foot. He quickly saw that it was broken.
"We're going to need Max. Let's get them back to the ship."
Kyle carried Taz back through the portal, followed by Rayyn and Liz. Then he and Liz went in search of Max, leaving Rayyn to watch over Taz in his bed. They found Max working on the ship's systems with Varec, Antar's foremost scientist and the ship's senior science officer. Max slipped out from under the console and looked up at Kyle, as Kyle explained what had happened…
"Where's Taz right now?"
"I left him in his room."
"Is he hurt bad?"
"His ankle is broken… but he's resting."
Max shook his head. "I can't come until this shield is back up, Kyle. It's more urgent than an ankle at the moment. Every second that it's down, we could be discovered."
Kyle nodded. He knew that Max was right. The life of everyone on the ship depended on the ship's shield being up and functional. Otherwise, they were sitting ducks, just waiting to be found by rogues from the military or the old alien task force. But Max saw the angst in Kyle's eyes. Taz wasn't going to die, but he was in pain, and Kyle was his father… and he was hurting, too.
"I'll tell you what, Kyle… Come here!"
Kyle approached Max, and Max put his right hand on his shoulder. Suddenly, Kyle felt a strange energy running through his shoulder…
"What are you doing?"
"Giving you what you need to fix Taz's ankle. Go take care of him. You can do it now."
Kyle looked at his hands. He could actually feel the energy flowing in them. "I can heal him?"
"Just until the energy I gave you runs out. It should be enough."
Quickly, Kyle ran back to where he had left Taz. Taz moaned loudly, as Kyle moved him into place and then put both hands on his ankle. After a moment, he felt the bone begin to reattach itself where it had broken. Then the swelling began to go down. Within minutes, Taz was looking -and apparently feeling- like himself again…
"Dad, we need to find Spots. He's out there somewhere. If somebody else finds him, it could be a big problem."
Kyle groaned. Taz was right, as much as he hated to admit it. The little snuglowr had to be found.
"Okay, but Liz and I will find him. You and Rayyn will stay right here… on the ship. You understand?"
Taz nodded, and Kyle looked at Liz. "I've got you covered, Kyle. Don't even ask. Portal, please find Spots and take us to him."
The portal appeared, and Liz and Kyle stepped through. But when they stepped out their surroundings were anything but what they had expected.
"Kyle… where are we?"
"It's a hospital… I think. And there's our little mischief maker!"
Kyle approached a bed near the window. In the bed was a child, and she was holding Spots in her arms. Beside the bed stood Pooh, smiling.
Kyle smiled back. "I think you found my… I mean… uh… our little dog."
"Spot is yours?"
Kyle looked at Spots accusingly, surprised that someone knew his name, but the little snuglower seemed unmoved. In fact, he seemed to smile. So did the little girl who was holding him. "Did you come to take him back, Mister?"
"I… I guess… yeah. He's kind of special. We can't leave him here. He needs a, uh… a special diet." Kyle looked around the room. The eyes of a dozen children were watching him.
"Spot's been cheering them all up," Pooh said, stroking the little snuglowr affectionately. "There are more children in the other rooms… Some older people, too. He's been to see them all. I think he makes them better."
Kyle looked at Liz, and Liz hung her head. Then she looked at Pooh. "You can keep him for awhile. We can wait… as long as you need him."
Pooh nodded. "He makes them feel better. He makes their pain go away. I only wish he could heal them."
Kyle looked down at his hands, and he felt the tingle. The energy was still there. He smiled at the little girl holding Spots and held his hands over her. As he did, the color seemed to come back into her face, and she giggled. Realizing what was happening, Pooh rushed to the side of another bed… a little boy about four who appeared to be in the worst shape of them all. Kyle held his hands over the boy, and his color returned. Then he laughed. It took over an hour for Kyle to visit every bed in the clinic, but he did, and not a moment too soon…
"It's running out, Liz. I think it's gone. I'm out of power."
Pooh smiled joyfully, as she looked around the room at all the healthy little faces. "It's okay. You got them all… even the grown-ups!"
Kyle slumped into a chair and took a deep breath. "Now I know what Max feels like. It takes a lot out of you. But it's so worth it."
Liz put a hand on Kyle's shoulder. "We need to get back… uh, to you know where, Kyle."
Kyle took another deep breath. "Yeah. I know." Then he looked at Pooh… "I'm afraid we'll need to take our little dog with us."
Pooh nodded. "It's okay. We all understand… more than you know. Thanks, Kyle."
Kyle smiled. "I haven't forgotten either… Pooh."
Kyle scooped up the little snuglowr and walked outside with Liz. Behind the building, out of sight, Liz called for the portal, and then they were gone. From the corner, Pooh watched. "Goodbye, Kyle. Say hi to Max and the others."
Back inside the clinic, Pooh checked in on some of the older "guests." They were all in a cheerful mood, so she grinned and turned to walk away.
"Pooh, wait!"
It was an elderly lady, who only hours earlier had been gravely ill. "Pooh, thank you."
"Don't thank me. I didn't do it. Kyle did."
I feel like a girl again, Pooh! Don't you?"
Pooh started to nod, then her breath caught in her throat. "I forgot. The chance of a lifetime… and I forgot me!"
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Three days later, Pooh sat on the table, as the doctor checked her out. He shook his head then stopped to inspect the x-rays in his hands again. "How do you feel?"
"I feel great. I'm happy."
"You should be. Somehow… I don't know how… you're in complete and total remission. You and every other person in this clinic. It's going to look great on our record, but I'm darned if I know what we did. I mean, yeah, we work miracles here, but not usually this fast."
Pooh looked at the doctor, stunned. "I'm healed?"
"Totally. Like you never had anything. It's a miracle."
A huge smile crept over Pooh's face. "He did get me, too! I was so busy trying to get everybody else help that I didn't even notice."
"Who got you?"
"Oh, just… a miracle man… and a very special little dog."
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Onboard the ship, later that night, Max, Liz, Kyle, and the others were discussing the day's events. The ship's shield was again functional, and everyone was relaxed. Liz took a sip of coffee and sat back in her chair, making herself comfortable. "You know, Kyle, that was a very nice thing you did today.""Yeah, I know. But I couldn't have done it without Max's gift."
"But you did it. That's the thing. By the way, when you healed all the others, did you get Pooh, too?"
"I did. But I wouldn't have had to."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, her healing had already begun."
"You could tell that?"
"Yeah. I just hurried it up a little. Don't ask me how I knew, I just did. I guess it went along with the temporary power package Max gave me."
Sitting next to Liz, Maria glanced down at the little snuglowr sleeping on the floor nearby. "You know, snuglowrs are supposed to have mild healing abilities, too. That could explain why she had already begun to get well."
Varec started to shake his head but then nodded slightly, with a casual shrug. "Snuglowrs don't have direct healing abilities… not in the same way that Max does. They just have an uncanny ability to cheer people up. They seem to know when someone needs them, and they gravitate to them. A happy heart is a very strong factor in healing in any species, but especially in humans. Helping others brings contentment and happiness, too. All of which promotes healing. The human mind has an amazing healing capacity actually."
"Yeah, that's right," Kyle agreed. "You see, Max! We earthlings do have a real power… the power of our minds. In fact, I'd almost say it's as strong as your power is to heal."
Max shrugged. "I've never denied that. Your brain is amazing. If you knew how to use it you would be a formidable species."
"Yeah… Uh… thanks… I think." Kyle looked at Liz… "Was that a compliment or a putdown?"
Liz smiled. "Yeah."
To Health and Happiness
