This week we have an anonymous prompt: Judgment Don't forget all dates are open, if you want a date, just PM or email me.

Ok kids, here's my contribution for the week. Hope you enjoy! This is continued from Prompt# 57 (Pain)., so you might want to re-read that before continuing. This is about a week or so after we last left off..... *********************** Ken lay back against his hospital pillow, half dozing, eyes closed as he listened to Jun's soft voice reading to him from his copy of "In Flight" Magazine. The cotton fabric of the sheets of the bed were cool, but scratchy, against his skin. Joe sat in the armchair by the window, watching the fish swim by and eating his lunch which consisted of some kind of giant hero sandwich. The smell of it--roast beef, cheese, onions and such, made Ken's mouth water. He couldn't wait to get out of this place, and to eat real food--but Hakase told him earlier that morning, that he just wasn't ready. Jun quietly cleared her throat, taking a sip of water from the plastic cup on the small table next to the bed. Joe took that as an opportunity to take over the conversation, telling him about a few of the nurses on duty in his wing, around bites of his sandwich. A small smile curled the corner of Ken's mouth. Typical Joe, chasing after a skirt. He knew it was all in good fun though, as most of the Crescent Coral nurses were already familiar with the Condor's pick up lines. Joe would stand there, draped over the nurse's station, shooting off his patent come on's, and every time he would get shot down. But he would laugh along with the rest of them. It would definitely be frowned upon for any of them to be involved with any of the Crescent Coral staff. All things aside, Joe had rotten luck with women. Ryu stopped by briefly, earlier that morning, just as the nurses had finished changing his bandages. He told him that he gone by Ken's shack at the airstrip the night before, to check on the place and to see if he had any mail. The big guy sank into the chair next to the bed to tell him about the marina and how it looked when he left at dawn--about the palette of colors that streaked the sky, which reflected upon the water's surface. He mentioned to Ken that he should come out and spend some time off with him fishing there. That it was quiet and peaceful out on the water, once you got out far enough, and that he thought Ken would like it. Ken turned the idea over in his mind, and he said it sounded like a plan, once he got better. With thoughts of the gently rocking ocean waves in his mind, Ken felt his body grow heavier and heavier. And the sound of his two friends talking to him, their voices comforting and familiar, began to fade in and out. Later that evening while laying in bed, Ken realized just how much days and nights bled together, when you were laid up and pumped full of drugs that made you sleep. Well not to mention the fact that he was underwater, and couldn't tell night from day down here. And the drugs were giving him weird dreams, or what he thought were dreams, anyway. One of them was about Berg Katse being a woman, sashaying about in a frilly purple and red dress, yet speaking with a voice that sounded as if he gargled with razor blades. That one freaked him out the most. Ken snickered to himself at the thought. Berg Katse, a woman! Yeah, like that was possible. But there were other dreams too.... A crazy one about Joe and Jun. About them kissing one another. Against his better judgment, Ken couldn't shake the thought that it was something more. At first he thought it was a dream, something left over from the pain medication and the other drugs they had shot him up with. But as a few days passed, he began to think that it wasn't a dream he had. It was a memory. That he had indeed seen Joe and Jun embracing each other and sharing a kiss. And from the casualness which he seemed to remember it happening, it didn't seem like it was the first time they had done so. Sighing he picked at the supper tray that the nurses had brought into him on a wheeled cart. It was something bland smelling and unrecognizable. He poked at it half-heartedly with his plastic fork, breaking it up into little pieces. When it didn't appear any more appetizing then when it was first brought in, he pushed it away. Shifting a bit to make himself more comfortable, his thoughts turned back to that afternoon. Sometime after lunch, Jinpei showed up with some of his new bugs, in this little plastic square bug carrying case. Dr. Nambu shot the nurse who had been checking his vitals a sharp look when she opened her mouth to make a remark. She closed it with a snap, and lips set in a firm line, went about adjusting his position to make sure he didn't lie on one spot too long and develop bedsores. As Jinpei approached the bed, Dr. Nambu hid a smile behind his hand. Ken knew he didn't have the heart to tell Jinpei to leave them at home, and he watched as their youngest member set the case on the table next to Ken's bedside to "keep him company". Hakase chased them all out later in the afternoon telling them Ken needed his rest. And that all of them shouldn't come in the same day, they should stagger it out and take turns visiting. That they still had training and other responsibilities, and he didn't want them exhausted if Galactor decided to strike. But he did mention the team also needed off time of their own, that Ken would be fine, and they should take advantage of the momentary down-time. Nambu chased them all out later in the afternoon telling them Ken needed his rest. And that all of them shouldn't come in the same day, they should stagger it out and take turns visiting. That they still had training and other responsibilities, and he didn't want them exhausted if Galactor decided to strike. But he did mention the team also needed off time of their own, that Ken would be fine, and they should take advantage of the momentary down-time. After saying his good-night's later in the evening, Hakase picked up Jinpei's bug carrying case, which had been left behind and brought it back to his office. Now everyone was gone, and the Medi Center was quiet except for the occasional beeping of equipment, or voices that carried down the hall from the nurse's station. It had been a long day and while he had been grateful for the company, he was glad for the silence. Ken looked up as he heard shoes squeaking on the cold tile floor, to see one of the nurses entering the room, with his chart in hand. She smiled at him as she checked his vitals, and his IV lines. He watched as she jotted down notes in his file. "Feeling better?" she asked him, glancing up from her writing. He shrugged a bit, then grimaced, his shoulder muscles still sore. "A little I guess." The woman frowned at him, blonde brows drawing together. "Are you in any pain?" She checked her watch, and clucked her tongue. "You're due for another round of pain meds." Ken watched with interest as she prepared a syringe. "Can I ask you something?" "Sure..." He paused a moment. "That pain medication can give me strange dreams, right?" The nurse leaned back to look at him. "Sometimes. Why? You having nightmares?" He briefly thought back to the Katse dream. "Well....not exactly. More like having trouble remembering what was a dream and what might be an actual memory." "Oh, well....yeah, it's been known to happen. " she replied, placing his file aside. "I can give you a little less this time, if you're feeling some brain fog."' "Yeah, that might be a good idea." Ken smiled. He watched as she injected the medication into his IV line. "Now if you're still in pain, just press the call button..." He nodded at her, dropping his head back to the pillow and closing his eyes, lost in thought. Already feeling woozy, Ken heard the nurses shoes squeaking against the tile floor once more as she turned to leave, and heard the snap of the light switch as she left the room. As he fell towards sleep, his thoughts drifted back to his teammates. Maybe he had it all wrong. He was mistaken , surely. He had imagined it. He had to have. Joe and Jun.....together? The idea boarded on ludicrous. They were so unlike each other, what could they possibly have in common other than work? But the more he thought on it, the more he realized something had changed. Right under his nose. How ....how long had this been going on for? When did this happen? No. It was just a hug and a simple kiss, he decided as he felt the dark wave of sleep wash over him. Wasn't it?

Hmmm, a dream or not? This could get interesting.

Thanks for guiding us towards the previous, related prompt, RB! I've realised that I've left that one out when I wasn't around and, without it, I couldn't have made perfect sense out of this piece! Another powerful instalment! I like the sense of caring amongst the team, Nambu included, and am really wondering what would be Ken's reaction when he'd realise that most of what he thinks are dreams are, in fact, the real truth!

Originally posted by Redbird All things aside, Joe had rotten luck with women.

Unfortunately, it's not the other way round!!

[unrecoverable text]

Redbird: Oops, they should be a little more careful. Hard to tell if Ken is jealous or just unsure and confused. I'm sure if nothing else, he could end up feeling a little abandoned if Joe suddenly started spending a lot of time with Jun and leaving him alone. I like that Nambu didn't have the heart to tell Jinpei to take the bugs away. That was cute.

Ha! Adam has gardening duty with tiny shears. *snerk* Got a laugh out of Jun walking into the tape room with her eyes covered. Loved the idea that Ken put that camera on a snake! Really good idea! "Gee, was that snake wearing a hat?". Go Agent Fang! LOL. GM: LOL. Well, I had been thinking at this point in time the team doesn't know Katse is a hermaphrodite. So that dream is his subconscious playing around with him. CW: Poor Ken's befuddled brain! Heh-heh. We'll just have to wait and see when, if and how he figures it all out. Yeah, I thought Jinpei bringing Ken his bugs was just so "Jinpei".

CW - talk about creativity! A snake. That's brilliant! How'd you come up with that? I thought maybe a mouse or rat. Nambu is also creative in his punishments.

Becky: I don't actually remember where the snake came from. I know I was talking to KT on chat on Gatchfanfic and somehow our discussion helped inspire it, so KT gets part of the credit. I definitely knew I wanted something weird.

Redbird, I love the angst here! And of course, Ken isn't just going to come right out and ask about it, but instead stew it over in his mind, making it much worse than it seems...

[unrecoverable text]

Redbird - interesting that Ken's putting the memory down to the drugs he's on, it's certainly a plausible explanation, and probably more wishful thinking in his case. I wonder what he will say/do when he finds out it's all true? Chris - Thanks for partially crediting me with "snake-cam" although I've no idea what I might have said to put that idea into your head. (not that I'm complaining though ) I would love to see the world from a snake-eye view, I'd bet he'd see some sights not many people would witness!

CW ... yep, I love the snake idea! Now I'm imagining one in a Sherlock Holmes costume! Now, the things seen on the toilet cam would get more interesting if that snake would manage to glide in there, wouldn't they?! KT ... why am I thinking that the one Joe's after is a lethal blonde?! I hope he's chosen the right "business"!!

hee hee hee, Marie - we all know Joe's luck with women, don't we.....

KT, I'm wondering what Joe is signing up for? Chemistry? Fashion Design? Advanced Literature?

More to the point, TJ, does Joe really care?

Joe might be signing up for Women in Business, or I Never Learn My lesson Regarding Blondes.

TJ: Glad you're enjoying it! And I think you're probably right, I'm not sure Ken would come right out and ask. We'll have to see where this goes.... KT: Stay tuned, same Bat-time, same Bat-channel!

Originally posted by Transmute Jun KT, I'm wondering what Joe is signing up for? Chemistry? Fashion Design? Advanced Literature?

Originally posted by Becky Rock Joe might be signing up for Women in Business, or I Never Learn My lesson Regarding Blondes.

Joe, Joe. *sigh* Blondes are bad news. I think Joe needs to go for redheads! Regardless of the course he's taking , I think Joe's about to get another lesson from the school of hard knocks! LOL I'm interested to see if you're going to expand on this, KT.

KT: Uh oh, can't wait to see what course Joe's gonna find himself in. gatchamarie: I suppose I shouldn't be embarrassed, then, that for a brief moment I had that exact thought, LOL. But no, I don't think I'm gonna send the snake down that way! Redbird: Wonder if Joe's lesson will be entertaining enough that Nambu won't be annoyed at his course choice.

[unrecoverable text]

I'm not sure what the significance is of the switched devices, but if it can save Ryu and Iona...

I was wondering what device, but I'm sure we'll find out soon.

hee hee. I guess this is what I get for letting this story drag out so long. But the Christmas season turned out to be busier than what I expected and I hadn't a chance to continue the story much. But as it is thus far. Iona's device was found to be compromised a while ago. So what I call her "handheld," had been replaced by an old clunker that while squeaky clean, really didn't, or couldn't do much. Jinpei, prolly feeling a bit sorry for her, secretly swapped it out knowing that she was more than likely gonna be stuck on the Godphoenix with very little to do... (Whether or not this later comes back to bite him soundly on the butt during the ensuing investigation remains to be seen.) Iona shorlty after being hauled to the bridge manages to notice and pick it up before escaping deeper into the ship. Whew...

k2: Count me among those who were confused by the end with the switched devices. I kind of assume it was the tablet but it came way out of left field. I'd also expect Ken to fight harder to try to board when Nambu says they're going to shoot it down, given that one of his own is on there. Like he was thinking, he just needed a fast enough ship to get them there. It doesn't seem like him to so easily allow a life to be taken when everything else hasn't been tried or eliminated as an option. All that said, definitely an unpleasant situation for the team and Iona!

Originally posted by ChrisW I'd also expect Ken to fight harder to try to board when Nambu says they're going to shoot it down, given that one of his own is on there. Like he was thinking, he just needed a fast enough ship to get them there. It doesn't seem like him to so easily allow a life to be taken when everything else hasn't been tried or eliminated as an option.

Same thinking, here! Ken is known to rebel in such situations, most especially when one of his team companions is involved, even if the orders would have come directly from Nambu himself! But, maybe, there's more to this particular situation! Am curious to know what will be the consequences of the switching of the devices. Many thanks for the clarification!

RB: Nice installment. Poor Ken. Too much time alone to ponder ... Chris: Love Agent Fang! She's done a valuable service already, sinking her fangs into a Galactor goon. But if she's someone's pet, won't they go looking for her & find the "hat"? KT: I have a bad feeling about this. I wonder what Joe's set himself up for this time? K2: This is not good ... Well, I had hoped to advance the story more with this installment, but time is getting away from me, so I'd best post what I have. --- Another meeting of the Galaxy Security Council? Princess looked at her wrist and grimaced as she turned off the summons. How many of these were they expected to attend? This would be the fourth such meeting since ... since it had happened. And it would, once again, consist of a barrage of questions spewed from nameless faces, the intergalactic delegates differing only by shade of suit and rank. "What happened to the Eagle? I thought G-Force was invincible. What do you mean there were only five of you? What are we going to do now?" But these were the questions that she expected to hear and she and Jason had prepared their answers exceptionally well. Still, an underlying current of fear clouded her mind. Princess could practically hear their judgement ringing in her ears. What if they asked how it had happened? She had failed in her duty to protect Mark. He had been setting charges - such a tedious task, they were finally wrapping up - when the Galaxy Girl swooped in from a hallway. Princess hadn't even noticed the fatal corridor until there was a swish of black wings, a slicing sound, gurgling ... Tears filled her eyes. Reliving the scene over and over, Princess recreated Mark's last minutes in painstaking detail, unable to control herself. She picked apart every error, magnifying each to horrific proportions. Sobbing now, she dropped her head into her hands. "Princess?" A tentative hand touched her shoulder and she raised her watery eyes to see Keyop standing before her wearing her old number. His tone was gentle. "We ... n-n-need to ... go ... n-n-now." Numbly, she let herself be led to her motorcycle, where Keyop handed her a helmet and squeezed her arm. "Can do this," he whispered. She wished she could be so sure.

Julie, I can really feel Princess' pain! This is something that she may never truly get past.

oh no.... dreadful for all of them, but particularly so for her, although I don't understand yet why she was responsible for the safety of the team. It seems (to me at least) that Mark and Princess had swapped roles.

A combat team has to deal with tragedy and trauma, but that doesn't mean its simple or easy. Princess may never get over it.

Originally posted by KT1972 oh no.... dreadful for all of them, but particularly so for her, although I don't understand yet why she was responsible for the safety of the team. It seems (to me at least) that Mark and Princess had swapped roles.

I've been taking it to mean that Princess felt responsible, even if she actually wasn't...he could have been hit by a rogue asteroid, and she still would have believed she failed in protecting him; she feels such a deep bond with him.

jublke: Here's hoping Princess is able to process her grief and realize sometimes there are times when things are totally out of our control, no matter how we prepare or think we have all "bases" covered.

jublke: Princess's nerves and sorrow really come through here. I like how tenderly Keyop's handling her. I'd think she feels responsible because as a team, they're always expected to watch each other's backs. She was the one who was there so she feels that she failed. No giving herself room for being human.

I have some catching up to do once again! This hasn't been the best week for me- in the ER on Monday night with a gall bladder attack. Now I have to have it removed- surgery will happen between 2 to 4 weeks. Grrrr.... Anyway, I can't think too clearly while I am all doped up on meds...but here's the really lame thought that came to my mind... Gotta go and catch up on these Bradbury posts! I wonder if Cep would consider giving Bradbury's Jar its own section, since there are so many threads now and it seems to be so popular? It would make it easier to go back and read the weeks I've missed...

Youch Springie! I have a lot of family who've had gall bladder issues and yeah, you want that out, I hear the attacks are really brutal. *hugs* I'm sure Katse must have used that line at some point!

Thanks, Chris- Yeah, Monday night sucked! I thought I was having a heart attack- so scary! I'm looking forward to getting it out and not dealing with it any more!

I'm glad you're feeling a bit better and hope your family is pampering you! Love the Gatchafunny! Especially Joe's line...

Redbird- Hrm...not much going on here. Just Ken seemingly in a daze and getting pain meds although he does not seem to be in much pain, or not that you describe it. I would have liked to have seen some more action though, some change-up from the beginning of the story. That and

Hakase chased them all out later in the afternoon telling them Ken needed his rest. And that all of them shouldn't come in the same day, they should stagger it out and take turns visiting. That they still had training and other responsibilities, and he didn't want them exhausted if Galactor decided to strike. But he did mention the team also needed off time of their own, that Ken would be fine, and they should take advantage of the momentary down-time. Nambu chased them all out later in the afternoon telling them Ken needed his rest. And that all of them shouldn't come in the same day, they should stagger it out and take turns visiting. That they still had training and other responsibilities, and he didn't want them exhausted if Galactor decided to strike. But he did mention the team also needed off time of their own, that Ken would be fine, and they should take advantage of the momentary down-time.

You seem to have the same paragraph twice....

Springie - sorry to hear about your health, I hope they don't keep you waiting any longer than necessary for surgery. I love the captions in your pic though, I get the impression that Joe's getting fed up of 'dying'!

Chris-I gotta say that snake sure was original although I thought that with the hissing that it was some sort of cat. (Snakes being shy creatures perhaps with my luck it would wind up hanging in the ductwork most of the story...hee hee, did you read about the one found in the second hand couch some woman bought.... Good to see though that there were some consquences for him disobeying orders though. KT--and once again art is imitating life, eh? I wonder what else Joe might find interesting in the course work. Jublke-nice drama here...although I am a bit surprised at Jun completely breaking down during it...afterwards-yes...but during? Springie...loved the pic, but sorry to hear about your health woes...feel better soon, and to a speedy recovery!!

Springie -- I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a speedy recovery!

Many hugs, Springie! That sounds awful. Love Joe's line! It's totally something he would think, too. K2 - I'm think she's breaking down at the recollection of Mark's death, not necessary during it or during the many beaurocratic nightmares after. Sorry if that wasn't clear. Also, even if Princess made a minor mistake during the mission - I think she'd beat herself senseless internally for awhile.

I'm sorry you're going through that, Springie. I hope the surgery goes well and you get some relief.

Springie ... I'm so sorry to hear that, too! You are in my prayers ... hopefully, the next couple of weeks would pass by quickly so as you'd be able to get rid of the situation asap and once and for all! The best of wishes for a successful surgery and an extra speedy recovery! *hugs* Thank you for the your instalment, albeit the circumstances! I love it! Joe's line is impeccable! Julie ... I can totally feel Princess's anguish and heartache through your writing! I totally understand how any member of the team, them being so close and aiming to cover each other's back the whole time, Princess in particular, could feel so guilty for the happening! The only sense of helplessness would be enough to trigger such feelings and emotions!

k2: Thanks for catching the part with the double post! jublke: Yeah, Ken was definitely caught up in his thoughts. Living in his own head, I guess you could say. Springie: LOL. Loved your graphic. Poor Joe "Oh good. I get to die. Again." I agree with jublke, it's totally something he'd say. Sorry to hear about your ER visit (those are never fun) and the upcoming surgery. Hope you're feeling better soon. :huggles