The Road Is Long

[Cougar 0]

Matt’s eyes opened, if he got up, he’d feel the pain. He slightly gasped from the nightmare. It was more than a nightmare, it had symbolic meaning.

 

The pirates boarded the ship. They shot anything that moved. They raided the bridge, they shot everyone. T’Parek was in sickbay; she brought in injured crewman. Somehow she was not on the bridge at the time. Matt was with her, they were in the same room. But the pirates managed to obliterate Challenger’s security forces. They managed to make their way to sickbay. They entered guns blazing until everyone in sickbay surrendered. Matt couldn’t do anything except watch. He was weak. The pirates grabbed T’Parek. “Where is it?” they yelled. T’Parek never said a word. The pirates were angered, they were going to hurt her and there would be nothing that Matt could do. They could kill her, but Matt would still be there, staring, unable to grab a weapon. The thought tore him up, his broken vertebrae had disabled him.

 

Matt didn’t want to remember the rest. What was in the nightmare was true, Matt was weak, he couldn’t move much. Anyone could come onboard and there’d be nothing he could do. I can’t let that happen, I can’t stay like this. He said to himself. Jas told him that he’d need surgery and recovery could take weeks, months or even years. There was no way Matt would stay in sickbay for months or years. There was no way he could be that secluded from ship business and T’Parek.

 

A tear dripped down the side of his face. Even after surgery, I’d need time and psychical training to get back on my feet. I don’t need this, but this is what I got. What I need is a miracle…that’s what I don’t got.

 

If there was a sad song he needed to play in his head, it’d be an old 20th century song. Matt could remember all the songs he downloaded from the database. One stuck out in his mind, The Road is Long. He remember the song well, the harmonica opening to it was sad…

 

The road is long

With many a winding turn

That leads us to who knows where

Who knows where

But I'm strong

 

…it played over and over in his head…I’m going to get through this.

Edited October 16, 2005 by Cougar