Ark II, Launch

Story: Ark II

Chapter: 12 Modern Medicine

Author: Eric McQueen (mcqueen.richarderic@gmail.com)

Mature Readers only due to sexual situations and graphic sexual content

Freedom of expression is precious. To do that, Nifty needs help. Your donation is greatly desired. Give to http://donate.nifty.org/ or this story ends and all the others! That would be a crime!

The team from the lander rush Joel and Hank back to the Ark. All of the knowledge of the doctors on the Ark was needed and now very needed.

Modern Medicine

Hank was stunned but when he moved his left arm he was wracked with pain. He heard Sara Beth's voice. "Hank! Joel! Someone, answer me, damnit!"

"We're coming to you!" Xolani's voice said quickly.

"The lander is not nearby where Joel and Hank are," Sara Beth said over the com system. "You need to fly the lander closer and get Hank and Joel onboard! I don't care who flies the lander, just get there!"

"We're on the way!" Kurt reported hurriedly.

Hank tried to straighten his arm and the pain just grew. "Aaahh! Aaahh!" Hank moaned trying to cradle his arm and that hurt, too. He looked over at Joel's prone form, "Joel!" He wanted to turn Joel over but knew better. "Sara Beth, is Joel breathing?" He knew Sara Beth could read all of their vital signs from where she was monitoring all of them.

"Yes," Sara Beth answered. Rita's sigh of relief could be heard as she knew Hank was alive. "I'm activating the Stasis Gas in his suit. You guys need to get him on the back support board and get him to the Ark as soon as you can. I can treat your broken arm when you get here."

The suits were a wearable Stasis Pod in medical emergencies.

"Hank, I'm activating your left arm air splint," Sara Beth informed over the communicator. "It will immobilize and support your arm. You've got bruising in other parts of your body, but your left humerus bone is broken."

Hank heard and felt his left arm being pressed as Sara Beth was inflating his inflatable splint in his suit. His arm was feeling better as the pressure increased. The suit acted like a portable trauma unit if needed. It was needed now.

"He's not experiencing any leaks, is he?" Hank asked.

In the Communal Dining Area, Sara Beth looked at the three-dimensional image of her husband. She could see each of the people down on Gaea in a three-dimensional image. At the moment she concentrated her attention on the two injured. She touched the image of her husband and got the image to increase in the area of his chest and lungs. The image also told her the condition of the suit he was wearing. "No, there isn't any leaks. There are no cuts to the suit." She touched the area of Joel's body that was blinking red. The Stasis Gas would slow his body functions down, but the damaged area would remain. The suits would act as a Stasis Pod, but it would not be used long. "He has several broken ribs and I'm seeing a punctured lung; he has severe bruising and other contusions. The internal bleeding has been stopped. He needs to be up here and have all this dealt with if he's to survive."

The Stasis Fluid and Gas had been used for over a hundred years. The medical community had used it successfully for nearly fifty years. Oh, now that was fifty years more since they started this trip. Rita was standing close behind Sara Beth to see and hear what Sara Beth was doing. Her main concern was Hank. Sara Beth had cut the feed to the Communal Dining Area so no one else knew what was happening. Every man, woman, and child in the Communal Dining Area knew there were injuries and had seen it. Part of Sara Beth's mind knew Kevin, Jimmy, Ian, Chloe, and Rachel had to be scared and worried about their fathers. The other children of the landing party were concerned for their parents. Everyone was worried not just for the Ark's Commander and Chief Engineer, but for friends that were down there.

Leah and Cindy were talking with the Nesmith and Cavill children urging them to be calm and trust their mother/Aunt Sara Beth to do her job. Sara Beth didn't need to see that there were five pairs of eyes that were either crying or very near to that point. This was a serious situation. If it weren't for modern technology, Sara Beth knew Joel would now be dead. He wasn't dead and Sara Beth would not let him die. None of them on the Ark would die. Not if she could help it. If you got sick or injured, this Ark was where you wanted to be. There was a doctor for everything onboard and at the top of their fields. Sara Beth was no surgeon. She had done her bit in surgery as part of her residency, but she had left that behind mostly. She could do it, but she would have preferred one or two of the great surgeons on the Ark did it. She could assist, if necessary, but her judgement was compromised. Her mind went through the list in her mind of great doctors that could do it. There was Morio Hatono who was a great Orthopedic Surgeon from Japan and did wonders with bones and breaks. He would be perfect for Hank. Darrin Walters was a doctor from the United States who did wonderfully with Cardiothoracic Surgery. While Joel did not need the heart part of that, it was in his chest and the lungs were part of the chest. Darrin could do the best job.

Hank could hear the lander coming and looked up as the lander landed much closer than it had been. It would have taken an hour or more for Joel and Hank to get there on the jet-bikes. You were just used to securing items when on Earth. They shouldn't be worrying about securing the bikes on the lander. Who was going to steal them on Gaea? They had two landers. Both had bikes, but they could back and get them...later. Even if there was something corrosive in the air or anything to damage the bikes, they could be fixed! Hell, they could make more!

Hank watched as the four men came running up in the direction of Hank and Joel. There was a long flat board being carried up. It was longer than a man was tall. It had to be to fit any person.

"Dr. Morio Hatono, Dr. Darrin Walters," Sara Beth began looking at the group of Ark residents there. "Your assistance will be needed. Please assemble a team you trust and get the Medical Bay on the fourth level ready, please." She watched as both Darrin and Morio began moving. Morio was Japanese and did the quick bow to acknowledge he would do it. Of course, he would. They both would. They began speaking to those around them and quickly began moving to do what they were asked. They headed out of the Communal Dining Room. She looked back at Rita, "Hank is hurting, but he should fully recover." She shook her finger at Rita, "Remember that!"

Rita nodded, "And Joel?"

"It was close," Sara Beth acknowledged. "A few centuries ago, he would die. He shouldn't now." Her attention went back to the monitor she was now using to see what the landing party was doing.

Hank's arm still hurt, but it was a little better now. The air splint would help as his arm would swell and would completely immobilize his arm. To touch the splint, it was as hard as a plaster cast now. Xolani, Kurt, Steven, and Leif put the long board down and looked at Hank.

"Can you walk?" Leif asked Hank.

"Sure," Hank said and tried to stand up and stumbled back to the ground. "Well, I may need help."

Steven nodded, "I'll get Hank. Sara Beth, is it okay to move Joel?"

"You don't have a choice," Sara Beth's voice replied. "That doesn't mean you can toss him around. You were trained in first aid and know how to roll him on the board. Keep is head straight and aligned with his spine. I can detect no microfractures, but we don't have to test that."

"We'll get the board," Xolani said pointing at Leif. "You and Kurt can help Hank back to the lander. Help us get Joel on the board."

Steven steadied Joel's head in his helmet as Kurt and Xolani slowly rolled Joel on the board and strapped Joel on it. There was a hissing sound as air inflated a cushioned mattress under Joel. It added no pressure anywhere on Joel. It hardened just like Hank's air splint. It would keep his spine straight even in rough flight. One man at each end of the board lifted it, one man on either side of Hank and they hurried down to the lander. The hatch allowed one person at a time to enter or exit. Xolani walked in carrying Joel after him followed by Leif. Steven and Kurt had to enter sideways but brought Hank to one of the couches behind the pilot and co-pilot couches. The board was secured to the floor of the lander.

"Sorry, Joel old buddy," Hank forced a grin in spite of the pain. "Looks like I won't be flying back this time. Maybe next time." Joel couldn't hear him, but...maybe on that level people in comas were said to be able to hear, he could. "We'll get you back to the Ark and get you fixed just fine." He looked at the four still standing. "So, whose flying us back? I can't."

The four looked at each other and there was a discussion between them. They were all certified to pilot the lander. Some were just better than others.

"Come, come," Hank teased quickly. "Decide already. Joel will only stay in stasis forever." He pressed on his own chest, "My injuries will not heal as well down here. Someone has to do it. Steven, you're head of a group and second in command. Fly us home!" He waved Steven toward the pilot couch. "As you, Leif, are his life partner, be his pilot partner. Let's go!"

Steven nodded, "Okay."

Leif went to a console and had the air in the lander purged and breathable air for them was pumped in. He took his helmet off as did the others. Joel's helmet would stay on until they got him back to the Ark and had a doctor work on him. The Stasis Gas was keeping him alive...well, he would remain in stasis. Xolani had to help Hank take his off. Kurt sat watching Joel as they buckled themselves in the couches. Steven fired up the engines and they began rising. It wasn't a perfect takeoff. It was a little shaky. Hank thought that was due to Steven's lack of experience. Steven adjusted and the propulsion was air driven. Again, they needed to switch to the fire capable propulsion to push them harder out of the atmosphere. Once they left the gravity pull of Gaea, those engines could be stopped, and the ion-like gas could keep them on course. Athena might have to help Steven dock with the Ark. Hell, Hank would probably have used Athena. No, Joel wouldn't but that was Joel.

Sara Beth's eyes watched her monitor, but her peripheral vision could see her three sons. Chloe and Rachel were worried, too. Chloe was biting her lower lip and Rachel was biting her nails. Leah and Cindy were talking with the five children. Kevin was trying to be mature and didn't cry but he wasn't joking as he normally did. Jimmy couldn't stand still and fidgeted but where could he go? Ian was the most telling. He held on to Robbie's hand and was leaning on Robbie. Ian was very worried for his father, and he was seeking security from Robbie. He had reverted to sucking his thumb which he hadn't done past two years of age. He was comforting himself. Joel meant everything to the three boys and Sara Beth! Joel was their leader, so he meant a lot to everybody on the Ark. More important was he was these three boys Daddy! Sara Beth had to speak with them. She was also a doctor and in charge of the medical needs for everyone on the Ark, including Joel.

Sara Beth looked at Rita, "Where do you intend to be?"

"I want to be there when Hank's brought on the Ark," Rita said calmly. "My girls will want to be but they should wait to see him after he's been treated." Rita looked directly at Sara Beth and said, "I know you'll be there for Joel. Robbie can be with all of our children. His connection to Athena will tell him how they're doing."

Sara Beth looked back at her monitor. The lander was quickly rising in the atmosphere and the engines afterburners were being fired to give them that added push to break from the gravity. The wings would retract once they broke orbit.

Athena was no longer sending images of what was happening inside the lander. No one saw any of the lander's crew. Athena did show everyone in the lander from the outside as it climbed away from Gaea.

It was taking only a few minutes, but those minutes were agonizingly slow to watch.

Sara Beth rose, Rita and she walked over to their children. What happened on the surface of Gaea was seen by everyone. Sara Beth forced a smile on her face. She never wanted to deceive them. "I know you're each worried." She said looking at Chloe and Rachel. She looked at her boys, "I'm very worried about them. Kevin, Jimmy, and Ian...we are going to do everything to get your father back and get him healed." She looked at Robbie, "He's a very strong man. I put him in stasis to keep him where he is medically. I can't leave him there because he needs to be out of stasis to heal." She nodded and touched each son gently, "I've done this many times before, allowing people at death's door to survive. Your Daddy has been severely hurt, yes, but he is not at death's door. Your Uncle Hank," she said to her three then looked at Chloe and Rachel, "and your Uncle Joel will be cared for by some great doctors we have on the Ark. They will work hard to heal them both. I need you to be patient and let us do our jobs. Aunt Rita will be bringing up Chloe and Rachel to see Uncle Hank once they get him patched up. It will take a bit longer to patch up Uncle Joel, but you'll be able to see him once he's in recovery. In the meantime, you stay with Robbie." She looked at Robbie, "Stay here or take them to the Cavill's or our quarters. Occupy their minds as best you can, okay?"

"Yes, Mom Sara Beth," Robbie answered and then said more quietly, "Perhaps Robot and I should have gathered the samples you seek. Then Dad Joel and Dr. Henry Cavill would have been uninjured."

Sara Beth's eyes widened. Yes, what they were going through right now had precedence, but Robbie was proving he was more Human every day! After thirty years with Joel and the additions to the Nesmith family, Robbie was proving himself to be more than a group of circuits and processers. Sara Beth could not believe this level of concern and caring could be programmed. This was a very typically Human reaction. Sara Beth smiled at Robbie, "We all do that. We play the what if game and the I should have game. We are going to the surface of the planet. It is illogical to not go down there because of what may happen." She touched Robbie on the arm, "I know you've loved Joel for decades. He'll recover. You could have been damaged or destroyed down there." She ruffled Ian's hair and smiled at Robbie, "That would have been a terrible thing for many people, mostly the Nesmiths." She looked down at Ian, "This Nesmith in particular." She looked at Robbie, "Do what you think is best. I trust you."

"We all do," Rita added.

"Keep them updated," Sara Beth instructed Robbie. "You are a great member of the Nesmith family and a great asset to the Ark. I've got to go up to greet them when they dock. Athena will let you know where we are. Okay?"

"Understood," Robbie moved his body slightly in his way of nodding.

Sara Beth went back to the monitor and saw the lander was getting closer. It was no longer using any thrust to propel it further. She looked at Rita again, "We can meet them at the docking. We have to go up through the Stasis Pod Bay." Rita nodded and they headed to do just that.

Steven maneuvered the lander around and let it drift upward toward the docking clamps. He was a marine biologist and botanist. He was also a genetic scientist not a pilot, damn it. However, now he was a pilot. He'd piloted those subsurface vehicles before plenty of times. He was used to guiding himself and others through a three-dimensional space. The only difference was this was a vacuum, not water. Athena helped Steven guide the lander to a position so the Ark could grab the lander and pull it up to dock. It had been just about six to seven hours EH (Earth Hours). Yet, due to the stress of the situation it felt like they had been gone for days. He heard and felt Athena make the physical connection with the lander. All those shows in the media added sound to make sure you knew what was happening. The landing bay doors to the open space closed silently. No whine of gears or even the thud of it closing. He looked at the control panel while the landing bay filled with breathable air. He sighed when the green light came on telling him it was safe to go back into the Ark. "Okay, we're cleared."

Leif kissed Steven quickly, "Excellent piloting!"

They got Joel out through the hatchway and into the long, tubular corridor with the Stasis Pods. This way was easier for Hank as it didn't take much for him to move.

Rita hugged Hank tightly, kissing him in a truly, heartfelt emotion. Glad he was back, and glad he was alive. Sara Beth touched Joel through his suit, but any kissing or touching of any flesh would be later. Greta and Adam would greet their spouses after going down to the Habitat Ring. Their children would be there, too.

The Medical Bay was on the fourth level from the bottom. That was to be sure no time was wasted getting medical attention. It was as with everything on the Habitat Ring, it was white. It was half the size of the Communal Dining Room, but the difference was it was brightly lit. Hopefully, the need for more than a few patients at a time was not needed. The reason it was so bright and so white was to be sure there were no shadows. Anyone being treated could easily be seen and the white was to make any fluids, blood, urine, and feces could be easily seen. There were five treatment beds in the center of the room. Those five beds could be moved to these column-style consoles where they could run any needed medicine by intravenous feeding tubes, and where IV fluids could be easily attached to the patient. From those column-style consoles, four beds could be arranged to star out in four directions. One column, four beds, and plenty of room. Frantic needs and quick responses could be done, and no one collided with anyone. It was bright and white. No one would be surprised that Sara Beth had plants here. All of those working in the Medical Bay had changed from the white coveralls to a white outfit that had short-sleeves. Dr. Morio Hatono was instantly at Hank's side with two others on a team to get Hank out of his suit. Dr. Darrin Walters was also at Joel's side with his team of three to do something similar for Joel.

"Erect a Sterilization Field around Commander Nesmith," Darrin instructed to no one you could see. Again, that was to Athena. There was a brief, multicolored shimmer that surrounded Joel about a foot away from Joel forming a bubble. That shimmer wasn't for Joel, it was for the people to know the field was on. There would also be the occasional shimmer to remind them it was still active. A three-dimensional image of Joel appeared over the table a few feet above Joel. Areas of concern were blinking red. Darrin touched the image and moved his hand up to rotate the brightly lit image. He touched the extremely bright red image that really were two problems. He double touched the bright red area, and that area grew in size. "We need to correct the punctures in the lung first. The Hemothorax has already begun. The Stasis Gas has stopped it from getting worse."

Sara Beth knew there was the puncture in the lung and knew the collapsed lung was because of the collection of blood in that lung. If not stopped, Joel would die. Some ribs had broken and two had poked holes in his lung. There were other areas on Joel's body that needed attention, but this was top priority. She glanced back as Morio Hatono was helping Hank out of his suit. Morio was urging Hank to remain calm and let him and his team help Hank out of the suit. It hurt! Hank was letting them know that as he quickly inhaled again and again.

"Sotto, sotto," Morio said helping Hank off with the top of his suit. "That's Japanese for gently."

Hank, in a grimace, said, "Hai. Sotto. Watashi wa sore wo toku ta!" Hank was always joking, even when he was in pain. "That was Japanese for yes, I got that. I'm not fluent, but I understood that."

Morio smiled at Hank, "You surprise me. You speak Japanese."

"Like I said," Hank managed out. "I'm not fluent at all and I can't read it. I had a professor from Japan teaching Trigonometry and Calculus who swore I could no more learn the math he taught than I could learn Japanese." Hank chuckled, "His world was all about the math. I showed him. I learned the math and enough Japanese to make him eat his words." He let out another wince. "Ow."

The air-splint was deflated and within seconds the pain was returning. Now there was a throbbing in his upper left arm.

"You have a break in your arm between your elbow and shoulder," Morio informed and picked up a syringe. "First, we'll give you something for the pain."

Sara Beth looked back at Joel where they were unscrewing his helmet. As soon as the helmet was removed, someone attached a mask to his face. It would continue to pump any needed gas to Joel's lungs. Joel had to remain in stasis. Darrin would repair as much of Joel as he could and then bring him out of stasis to heal. Each on the medical staff had washed their hands before they touched either Hank or Joel. Both Hank and Joel might be cut into to correct any problem. Sara Beth knew they most certainly would be doing surgery on Joel. That was going to be an invasive procedure. Hank might need to have his arm cut into to reset the bone. Joel would be opened up to get the ribs that were poking him through his lung, allowing blood into the pleural cavity. Ribs were to protect the heart and lungs from injury. They had! However, two of those ribs were causing problems. The heart and lungs were two of the most vital organs. God or nature had come up with a way to protect those organs. That boulder had to have been sixty to seventy pounds that hit Joel's back. Some other rocks had fallen of various sizes. The one that struck Hank's arm might have been ten to fifteen pounds. Impact might have only been slightly less due to the gravity on Gaea. A rock's impact caused harm. There was evidence that Joel had other areas of bleeding internally from the evidence of blood in areas there shouldn't have been. The Stasis Gas had slowed Joel's body functions and therefore less blood than there could be. Sara Beth had activated the gas so quickly after the impact, that was the reason it had worked so well. She knew Joel would have died on route to the Ark.

Joel's suit was removed, and patient protocol was followed. The number one priority with any medical training was the patient. In modern medical facilities, gone were the days of the gloves and surgical masks. The medical profession still used those protocols out in the world when helping a less advanced people or in areas that didn't have the equipment. The Ark's Medical Bay had the most advanced equipment and could compete with any hospital that had been on Earth...at the time.

Most people think hospitals were so clean. That was wrong. Hospitals tried to keep things clean and worked hard to keep it clean and invented new products and procedures to keep it clean once it was clean. The truth was hospitals were the most germ ridden places on the entire world! People came in injured to be treated, those clean protocols were there to protect the patient injuries treated didn't get infected from others. There were wards full of so many patients with illnesses and infections all gathered together and those illnesses just mingled together! Humans were walking germs and infections!

Yes, all of those learned men couldn't understand why Florence Nightingale had a higher survival rate at her hospital. What was the 19th Century woman doing that they couldn't do? She washed her hands! She kept the patients clean and comfortable. That allowed more patients to walk out of her hospitals and clinics than theirs! The Sterilization Field was the surgical glove and mask for the medical staff. Hospital employees would also build up a natural hospital immunity from all those germs and infections. Helped along with immunizations from many of those germs and infections, that immunity had to be built after years of colds, flues, and other bio-contaminants. Sara Beth was always cautious about carrying any contaminants home to her husband and children.

Now, out here, they hoped all those illnesses and diseases would just not resurface. Such as measles and other diseases. Sexually transmitted diseases should not resurface as no resident had them. Who knew what diseases would develop on Gaea?

Everything inside of the Sterilization Field was sterile now. No germ or infection could get through. Nor could any infection get out from inside the field. All the instruments inside the field were sterilized. As Darrin's hands went through the field, anything on his hands was sterilized. He picked up a laser scalpel and knew where he needed to begin. Joel would feel no pain as he was in stasis. Any pain he would feel was when he was brought out of stasis to heal. He made the first incision that did not bleed because of the stasis and as the scalpel cauterized the cut as it went.

It seemed like hours! Long hours. Hank had his bone reset and had his abrasions treated. He was checked for internal bleeding and had a temporary air cast fitted to keep his arm in place. He was then removed to another part of the Medical Bay to recover.

Sara Beth glanced as Hank was put on the farthest column where he would stay until he went to his quarters. She saw Rita come in and go to Hank's side where Rita greeted a very groggy Hank. The pain medication was still doing its job and Hank felt no pain. She saw Morio talk with both Hank and Rita, explaining to both what he done and what to expect. Mostly, that was to Rita who was fully awake. Rita went to get Chloe and Rachel to bring them up to see their father.

It was, it seemed, a few minutes when Morio touched her gently on the shoulder startling her. "Hank's daughters will be up shortly. We need to erect a Privacy Shield." He then spoke to Athena. "Athena, erect a Privacy Shield, please."

A circular curtain of a dark blue light shimmered around the area where they worked on Joel. The circle of light blocked anyone's view of what was happening to someone being operated on. Family and friends didn't need to see a person's insides exposed and any blood or fluids of any kind. The circle of light included Sara Beth and Morio at this time.

"You should consider sitting down, Sara Beth," Morio advised. He held up a hand to stop any objection, "I don't mean you should leave. You've seen operations before and you can handle that aspect of the procedure. You need to consider Joel and your children. You know Darrin will do a superior job, but if you become tired..." Morio shook his head, "Joel will need your strength. You will also need to be strong for your boys." He looked at the image of Joel's body interior above the table. He saw Darrin working on Joel's chest, moving the broken segments of rib from Joel's lung. "It looks good! Joel will make a full recovery." He nodded confidently. "You can see that. In the past it would be a great deal more serious. It still is," Morio smiled, "but we can bring him through this."

Sara Beth smiled back, "You're right. I will sit down." She sighed, "I will feel better after they bring him out of stasis and his body functions have returned and operating properly."

The Privacy Shield did obscure what you could see in the Operating Area. She could see the furnishing of the Medical Bay a little. She knew where the other beds were. She heard Rita bring Chloe and Rachel in the Medical Bay. She would give them a few moments with Hank and then go check on him herself. She was a little startled when one of Morio's team came through the Privacy Shield carrying two steaming cups of liquid.

Morio bowed slightly to her taking the steaming cups, "This is Hojicha Tea." He said handing Sara Beth one of the cups of steaming brownish liquid, "It was very popular in Japan of the past. It has almost no caffeine but has calming compounds such as L-Theanine and pyrazines. You will be awake and can better function as a wife and mother now."

Sara Beth smiled bringing the cup up and smelled the aroma. It had a kind of nutty scent, "I don't doubt you for a second. Thank you."

"I know you feel you can't leave," Morio said. "I understand, but you should sit. The operation may go on for several more hours. The boulder that hit Joel was a lot bigger and did more damage than the one that hit Hank. You know Darrin can do this."

The Ark and its residents proceeded with plans they knew they had to do. The lander had been sent down with a team to gather samples. Those samples needed testing. Everyone was concerned with Hank's and Joel's condition. Going ahead with the testing of those samples kept a few more of those minds busy. Word that Hank's condition was successfully treated, and he would make a full recovery was told by one of the team that had worked on Hank. Joel's condition was stable in stasis, and it looked good. They would be informed. The air samples needed to be studied and analyzed to see if there were corrosives in the atmosphere. That was needed for the water. The ground of rocky soil and the rocks needed to be studied. The more in-depth surveys the landing party got needed to be seen by Wei and Bia Ch'en and their team to see where the first settlement should be and where the base for the Space Ladder and Elevator should be.

The rocks that crumbled and fell on Hank and Joel had been among several that littered the base of that cliff. Hank and Joel simply were in the wrong place at the wrong time. They were where the vein of ore was just below the ground there. That precious ore would be mined and smelted to build the settlement.

Leif Andersen and Steven Combs had to determine what gas needed to be added to the water to allow life to grow there. They had traveled a long way and to not do what they were out there to do wasn't going to happen. Hank and Joel had been in an accident. That was all. The only people that didn't have anything to do right now were the many people that worked with the many animal life they had onboard. They could go to their labs and work on theory but until that animal life was up and moving, they had little to do. They could go to their quarters as many did, or stay and wait. Children were children and the need to keep them occupied became an issue. Hank's and Rita's robot took many off to the side and played games and taught. Children had a lot of energy and Robot incorporated games with physical actions. Those that had no previous exposure to Robot or Robbie, had to get used to Robot doing anything with their children.

Sara Beth did leave the Medical Bay briefly to go see her children. They were in the Nesmith quarters. Robbie had Kevin and Jimmy busy with something on individual pads. Ian was simply near Robbie and still held Robbie's hand. Robbie had enough about Psychiatry and Psychology to know why and didn't take his hand away. Robbie's tie with Athena told him how Joel was doing, and he had updated the boys the whole time. Seeing their mother come in caused all three to react excitedly.

"How is Dad?" Was asked. "Is he going to be okay?" Was another question. They were all at one time.

Sara Beth came in and sat on the couch and wrapped her arms around them. "He's in surgery right now. I can't stay long." She looked at Robbie, "You're in good hands." She looked again to her sons, "Your Dad is a strong man and very healthy. A very smart doctor is working very hard to make sure your Dad gets better. He will get better." She leaned in kissing Kevin, then Jimmy, and last was Ian. "I need to get back. Keep up good thoughts. I'll bring you to see him when he's in recovery. I'll stay in touch." She rose and left their quarters to return to the Medical Bay.

Once back in the Medical Bay she returned to a chair near Darrin and Joel. Sara Beth could see where the operation was by looking at the three-dimensional image above Joel. Darrin had finished resetting the bones and sutured up Joel's lung. He was suturing the other areas that had caused some internal bleeding. That boulder had hit Joel just on the right mid-side and broke the ribs and damaged other soft tissue. The whole operation lasted approximately four hours. At last Darrin finished and sutured.

"Okay," Darrin stretched to unkink his back. "Now, for the Revival Gas."

One of Darrin's team took the mask from Joel's face and put another in its place. Sara Beth enjoyed watching how the gasses worked. The Revival Gas worked as quickly as the Stasis Gas worked. Both worked within a minute. Now with the three-dimensional image of Joel above the real Joel, she knew the Revival Gas entered the body it started working instantly. No one ever quit breathing in stasis, it was just so shallow you couldn't tell they were. The gas caused you to inhale more and longer. In a few seconds his lungs were inflating more and more, his heartbeat once. Then again. And again. The areas that had been red did not turn red again.

Darrin nodded, "It seems I did alright!"

Sara Beth walked closer to Joel's side on the table. It didn't take many seconds longer before Joel's eyes blinked and he stretched. He even yawned a little as he did. Then he looked up a little startled.

"Wait a minute," Joel groused crankily. "I know we'll be in stasis again, but weren't I just on Gaea?"

Sara Beth rushed at him and hugged him tightly, "Yes! Yes, you were!" She kissed him deeply. "You and Hank were injured. Do you remember?"

Joel thought a little and his brows came together confused. His eyes widened, "Hank!" He said quickly and tried to sit up.

"Yes, yes," Hank grumbled as he came over being helped by Rita on his left and Chloe on his right. Rachel was quickly following right behind her father. "I'm right here. I wouldn't be without your quick actions." He smiled at Joel, still feeling no pain. "You could have just shouted look out."

"Would you know what to look out for?" Joel asked.

"We'll never know," Hank replied.

"Are you okay?" Joel asked.

"Just a broken arm," Hank flapped his left arm and pointed to his upper arm. "They slapped on some superglue and fixed me right up!" Hank grinned happily.

Sara Beth rolled her eyes and shook her head, "It wasn't superglue. It's a highly adhesive bone replacement that repairs a break while it naturally heals."

Hank nodded, "That's what I said. A bone superglue!"

Sara Beth laughed and nodded, "They used it on you too, Joel."

Robbie walked in with three Nesmith boys. Three happy shouts of, "Dad!!" And all three hurried to their father's bedside where Joel was aggressively hugged by each where he laid to get treated.

They slammed into Joel causing Joel to let out a grunt, "Easy. I'm glad to see you, too." Joel grinned kissing each on the head

Sara Beth smiled at what she saw, "Be careful with your father. He had broken ribs!"

Hank chuckled, "Love hurts."

"You will be sore," Darrin warned. "Your bones have been treated and the..." he chuckled, "bone superglue heals, being replaced by natural bone. However, the muscles around the areas need to heal, too. You will be sore." He looked at Hank, "You, too."

Hank raised his left arm, folded inward and moved it like a wing, "Yep, it is a little." He grinned at Morio. "That was some good stuff you gave me for pain as you filleted my arm."

Morio smiled and shrugged, "I had to get to the bone. The soreness will only last a day or two."

Hank looked at Joel, "They are analyzing what we brought back from Gaea. We left the jet-bikes to get you back more quickly."

Joel grinned, "You couldn't fly back."

"No," Hank admitted. "Steven did a bang-up job! We're here!"

"When we go back down, we can retrieve the bikes and you can fly back up then," Joel said. "They aren't going to be stolen or damaged except from exposure. They should be alright."

Darrin smiled, "I just had you opened up. You should get up as soon as you feel up to it. The sutures should hold and like I said, you will be sore. Hold on to the person with you." He looked seriously at Joel, "And I mean it. You don't want to pass out and damage yourself. That helmet protected your skull from damage. You don't have one in here."

Joel gave a salute, "Roger that!"

"We'll give everyone the happy announcement," Sara Beth said to them. "Visitors should be limited for now." She looked at Joel, "You can see those from the landing team in the morning."

"It's late now," Joel suggested. "Isn't it?"

"We've been up twelve hours," Sara Beth nodded. "Well, you were in stasis for six or seven hours of that. You missed lunch. Are you hungry?"

"Starving!" Joel grinned.

"You're in the Medical Bay," Morio stated. "We have the cure for that."

"We'll have dinner in here with you two," Rita said happily.

They did have dinner with their families. Morio and Darrin went down to give a personal announcement to everyone else. The entire Ark breathed a sigh of relief. They never doubted it would be, but confirmation from the doctors who did that helped.

Joel and Hank were released to go rest in their quarters. They were just three levels down. They didn't walk there. The mobile chairs were used to get them home and in bed. Joel's wife was a doctor and Hank's injuries weren't life threatening. If Hank did get into trouble, there were plenty of doctors close by.

Joel and Sara Beth did their nightly rituals, tucking each son in bed.

As Sara Beth was about to leave, she stopped at Robbie, "I cannot say in words how wonderful you were today, Robbie. I no longer think you're alive. I know you're alive. The compassion you gave to this family was way more than programming. I love you." She stood on tip toes as Robbie leaned over to meet her as she kissed Robbie's head. "Thank you."

"I did it for me," Robbie admitted. "I love everyone of you." He pivoted slightly to look at Joel. "I especially did not want to see anything bad to happen to you, Dad Joel."

"I look forward to another thirty, forty, or more years with you, Robbie. You are forever in this family. In my children's lives, their children and grandchildren."

"I too look forward to that," Robbie said. "Rest well. That's to you, Mom Sara Beth as well as Dad Joel. I love you all, too."

It was a good ten more hours before the chime at the Nesmith's quarters sounded.

"Come on in," Joel said from the couch.

The group that made up the landing party came in with their spouses and Wei and Bia Ch'en. That included Hank and Rita.

"First," Xolani began. "How are you?"

"Well," Joel smiled. "I slept really well. I just had a great breakfast. And we've located a planet to build our new home on. I'd say pretty good!"

"Are you ready to talk shop?" Hank asked grinning.

"One more time," Joel pointed out. "That's why we're here, isn't it?"

"It sure is," Kurt nodded. "The samples we brought back to the Ark are showing no anomalies. The rock is just that. Rock. The soil shows no lifeforms even on closer inspection."

"The water samples are just showing water," Leif said. "Water is an element and seems to be universal. There are the gasses that have permeated the water. With the generators activated we will be adding the gasses we need in the water." He shrugged. "We just won't take the billion years it took on Earth."

"It will take a while for it to spread through the ocean," Joel frowned. "It's just one ocean. Will the animals from the Indian Ocean live with the animals from the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans?"

Steven shrugged, "They won't really know the difference. Animals in one particular ocean were there because of the temperature more then the area. Really, the Earth had one ocean."

"The waters off the South African cape where the Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean met had its own ecosystem." Leif instructed. "The same can happen on Gaea."

Adam nodded, "The Biologists dealing with animal behavior can answer that better."

"Sure," Joel nodded. "Okay."

"I have some proposals for the settlement site," Wei added and looked at Leif. "I think a submerged settlement is a good one and perhaps we will build one later, but because of the mining need and the location of the Space Ladder base it would be better if we built New Charleston near the river between the ocean and the lake."

"Why not?" Joel asked happily with a shrug, "These areas need names, you know."

Hank grinned, "You've mixed Hawai'i with Charleston, South Carolina. What name can go with both?"

"I don't know. We have time," Joel said simply. "And guess what? We can change our minds later!"

Hank stood taller, "We can! Can't we?" His smile grew. "We can name the ocean the Sea of Change!" They all groaned at that suggestion. "Oh, come on." Hank said holding his hands out helplessly. "That was good!"

"It was terrible!" Joel objected but smiled. "I am okay with naming the settlement New Charleston." He shook his head. "I simply said the islands looked like the Hawaiian Islands. We don't have to stick with that."

"It's a work in progress," Xolani chuckled.

"Whatever we call it," Leif began. "Athena, show the island area, please." The image of the island they had just been on appeared overhead. "We need to send down the air generators to start the process of making the air breathable. Concentrating more around this area. Both on land and in the ocean. The Trioxygen Generators need to be here, too. They will put what's needed in the upper atmosphere and the air from the generators will dissipate through the atmosphere and water. We can then add the algae and then the plankton."

"Right," Joel nodded. "So, we have a place to settle. We need to send the Space Ladder base down to the surface. We're moving forward with this? Are we moving to Gaea?"

Hank's eyes grew, "We're not going anywhere else...and we can't go back to Earth. Hell, yeah, we move to Gaea." He clapped his hands together, "Let's get to work."

"We need to test those samples thoroughly. No unknowns will stop us," Joel shrugged. "Yes, we do this."

Joel and Sara Beth walked into the Communal Dining Room about lunchtime. The walk from the Nesmith quarters was so different now. The trees, bushes, and flowers made it more terrestrial than ever before. The gardening robots were working and maintaining the plants and it looked very alive on the Habitat Ring. There were people walking in the Habitat Ring. They stopped and asked Joel how he was doing. The Communal Dining Room was also alive with people. It was almost crowded. Joel was glad the food storage was full with all these people eating. Those scientists that were not going to be used would return to stasis until they were needed later. Yes, they could raise more on the Ark if needed.

Sara Beth brought a plate to Joel and sat with her selection. Each of her sons came with their own and sat at the table. Robbie was there with them standing slightly away from them. The residents who had not been as exposed to Robbie were looking at him curious.

Joel scooted his chair slightly to one side and waved at Kevin to scoot the other way. He then looked at Robbie, "Come on, Robbie." He motioned for Robbie to come closer. "I know you can't eat yet, but meals are a time when families get together and talk. It's a social thing. You are most definitely part of this family. Too bad you can't sit down."

Robbie moved closer to the table. "This eating is a means for you to charge your batteries. A way of fueling your bodies. I do not require this fuel."

"No," Sara Beth conceded. "It's a way to charge the batteries and fuel the family. That's all of us."

Joel looked at his plate and the fish and vegetables Sara Beth wanted him to eat. "I'm glad to skip the clear liquids stage of my recovery. Couldn't I have something more..." he sought for a word, "substantial?"

"You just had a very major operation, Joel!" Sara Beth protested. She waved at his plate, "In a hospital setting you would never have been fed even that!"

"We live in the hospital," Joel muttered. He waved around him at the many in the Communal Dining Area, "We're surrounded by doctors!"

Sara Beth nodded, "And less than a day ago, you were hit by a pretty large boulder! Right after that, you were opened up to correct what that boulder did! Clear liquids are reintroduced to make sure your body can process things naturally. Do you have flatulence!"

Kevin looked up confused, "Flatulence? What's that?"

Joel again was not shy about his body or it's function, "She's asking if I can fart."

"Fart!?" Jimmy asked with a smile growing.

Kevin grinned and Ian giggled.

"Yes," Sara Beth rolled her eyes and then looked at her sons. "Farts are more than a source of comedy for you boys. It's a natural body function for every Human Being to do at least twenty to thirty times a day. It's proof that all is functioning normally."

Joel grudged a nod, "Well, then I say all is functioning just fine. I've farted a few times since the surgery." He grinned at his sons, "I will again after I eat." He looked at Sara Beth again, "Can I be cleared to return to work?"

"If you tolerate lunch," Sara Beth nodded. "I say you can return lightly to work." She pointed at Joel with her fork, "I mean lightly. When I'm sure you're okay."

Joel nodded and saluted her, "Watch my dust."

There were three hundred of those Air Generators and ten of the Ozone Generators. They were about two meters tall and maybe a meter wide. They were guided by Athena as they were released into space to descend to the surface. They would enter the atmosphere and be lowered by parachute-balloons and drifted down to the target areas. As suggested by Steven and Leif there were five Air Generators placed on and around the island they would settle. Four of the Air Generators were below the water's surface and one on land. They began pumping as soon as they landed. There on the island, two of the Ozone Generators were placed. They had been checked by Joel and Hank the day before they went down to Gaea. This took two days. Wei and Bia Ch'en guided the base for the Space Ladder, and it descended to the island the same way. The parachute-balloons kept it from crashing down and it landed near the western flowing rivers near the lake.

Their new home was now beginning to be constructed!