Toccata in D-Minor

Fever

When Tyr finally heard the Maru computer stop the countdown he felt lightheaded with relief. He didn’t even pay attention to Andromeda’s “Dylan did that!”  Although it sounded like she was going to stick her tongue out to him, he let it slide.  Trance showed up to relieve him and Anasazi left Command. He walked to his quarters on shaky legs, entered his rooms and slid down on the floor right by the door.  He couldn’t move.

This is how Dylan found him upon his return to Andromeda several hours later.  The dark room and motionless figure on the floor scared the wits out of him.  Hunt kneeled next to him, commanding, “Andromeda, lights on, full!” In the harsh fluorescent light he saw that Tyr’s eyes were glazed, almost unresponsive to the level of light that usually would have been painful. His face was flushed, red spots visible even on the dark skin, but the rest of his body was ice-cold and clammy.

“Tyr!  Tyr, talk to me!  Anasazi, say something, dammit!”  He shook Tyr by the shoulders but the Nietzschean just sagged further, like a rag doll.

“Rommie, I need your help!” Somehow he didn’t want Trance here.  Holo-Rommie appeared next to him.

“My android is on her way.  Don’t worry, Dylan, he is alright.”

“Like hell he is!  What are you saying, Rommie, Nietzscheans don’t get sick, something must be wrong!”

“It is normal physiological reaction for a Nietzschean, Dylan.”

“Reaction to what?!”

“Extreme stress and anxiety.”  Rommie walked in, kneeling next to Tyr and Dylan.  “He is in a state that could be qualified as an emotional overload.”

“Rommie, please explain!”

“Tyr became very anxious when we received your transmission form the Maru. When he realized that he might have to kill you his body had a reaction that in human would have caused a heart attack. And then you stopped Jensen and his mega-plan for you and Andromeda.  The emotional relief he felt opened the floodgates.  He was able to make it to his room on pure willpower and then he collapsed.  I didn’t interfere because usually these reactions resolve in a few hours.”

“What can we do?”

“We can put him to bed and wait until he comes to, or we can give him a mild tranquilizer.  He will relax enough to fall asleep and he’ll be his normal self in the morning.”

“Nobody is giving me any tranquilizers, ship!  I am fine.”

“Yep, right, you are just that!  Let me know if you need me, Dylan!”  Rommie got up and left without being dismissed, Dylan barely noticing.

Tyr groaned, “This is embarrassing.  I have become disgustingly vulnerable and weak!”  He attempted to get up but his legs buckled under him.  Dylan caught him and carefully helped him stand.  Unwilling to experiment again, Tyr allowed Dylan to help him get to bed.  He dismissed any further attempts of assistance and finally after a long struggle with his boots and clothes he was able to lie down. Dylan sat in the chair, looking at him with concern:

“Want to tell me what is going on?”

“I wasn’t ready to kill you. I tried to rationalize and convince myself that it was the only way to prevent that cybermaniac from taking over or destroying the Andromeda but I knew I wouldn’t be able to bring myself to actually do it.”  Anasazi turned away but kept talking, “I would be pained to kill Captain Valentine and the Little Professor but you… “

His eyes were wet and so was his face, he couldn’t stop the unwanted tears and hated himself for it. Suddenly he felt Dylan’s hand gripping his jaw and forcing him to turn.  Hunt’s eyes held no pity or pretence but pure passion and – dare he hope?

“Tyr, are you saying you’d rather die with me then be the instrument of my death?”

Tyr’s mouth twitched, tongue darted out for a split second licking at the cracked surface of his lips. “Yes, that’s what I am saying.  How much more pathetic can I get?”

Dylan ran his fingers over Tyr’s face, wiping away the moisture from his eyes, lightly rubbing his temples, touching his lips.  Instinctively Tyr leaned into the caress, cool touch soothing his burning skin.  “Pathetic?  How can you call love pathetic, Tyr?”

Anasazi raised his upper body, supporting himself on his elbows, “Are you saying that I may have feelings for you?”

“I am saying that you do have feelings for me.  The way we, humans, see love is when you value another’s life more then your own.  You were not willing to kill me to ensure your own survival.  What do you call that?”

“Foolishness.”

“Well, then I love a fool.”

It took a second to sink in and Anasazi sat bolt upright.  “You what?”  The room suddenly spun around him and Dylan barely managed to catch Tyr before he tumbled to the floor.  He held him close, running his hand through the braids, rubbing his back, rocking slightly. 

“You don’t always have to be the strong one, Tyr.  I trust you enough to be vulnerable with you, why can’t you do the same?  Let go; just once allow your emotions to take over.  Control is good, but the luck of it is better.”

“You don’t understand, Dylan.  I haven’t allowed myself to care for anyone since I lost my family.  I couldn’t afford to.  And now…”

“And now you care for someone and that someone cares for you. Loves you. Understand me, Tyr; I would never demand everything from you.  I would never stand in the way of you becoming a husband and a father, on the contrary I will do everything I can to help you to achieve that status. I would want the same myself someday.  But what we have is different.  It is a rare joy that I treasure and would never see as something pathetic.  And I don’t want to waist any time on doubts because every day could be our last.  I allowed myself to care for you, to love you and…”

“I love you too.”       

The End.  

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