Driel Chapter 21: All's Fair in Life and Love...
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	Driel slammed the door to the captain's quarters and let out a
disgusted sigh.  "What's with him?"  She grumbled to herself, thinking of
Alcan's melancholy attitude.  "I thought he was starting to like me..."
Driel sighed, thinking of her own losses.  "Maybe his grief is just as
overwhelming as mine at times..."  She staggered over to the bow and leaned
heavily on the railing.  She gazed into the distance at Nikeah.  She could
barely make out the shape of the town; the fog and general grayness of the
day made seeing a far distance difficult.

	A small pain nagged at her head.  She placed her fingers to her
temples and began massaging them.  "What's going wrong now?" she asked
herself, desperately hoping the pain would go away.  "Something's wrong in
Nikeah... those people... how can they be so sad, yet... so happy?"  Another
pain, this one a little stronger than the last, tore through Driel's mind.
She squinted her eyes tightly and let out a labored sigh.  "I need some
aspirin..."

	She turned and looked back at the captain's quarters.  She frowned,
"I wonder if he went back to sleep?"  She considered going back in to check
on Alcan, but thought better of it.  "I guess I should wait for him to come
to me... "  Momentarily forgetting her pain, she decided to check on Locke.

	She made her way to the crew's cabin, and cautiously opened the
door.  She went over to Locke's bedside and tried to wake him.  "Pssst.
Locke?  We're almost to Nikeah... are you awake?  Locke?"  She shook his
shoulder lightly, and laughed to herself.  "I guess there's no waking you,
sleepyhead."  Her smile slowly disappeared from her lips.  Locke looked
like he was dreaming.  His eyes rolled back and forth, and occasionally his
lips would form silent words.  Driel put her head in her hands.  "Why can
we not be at peace?"

	She watched Locke sleeping fitfully, and she began to hum.
Remembering the words to an opera song she once heard, and feeling a bit
less timid, she let her alto voice sound through the room.  "Oh my hero,
far away now, will I ever see your smile?"  She stroked Locke's forehead
and began to think of her brother.  Skipping a few lines in the opera song,
Driel sung the next line as if it were meant to be next.  "We must part
now, my life goes on, but my heart won't give... you... up..."  Driel
sniffled as she thought of her brother.  "Jared, I can't see you smile ever
again..."   She looked at Locke tenderly.  "*sniff*  But I can see Locke
smile again..."  She took Locke's hand in hers, and she leaned her head on
the cot.  "I will find you this Rachel... if she is the one your heart
seeks... I shall help you find your true love."  She wiped her tears away,
and she started to back away from the cot.  "And I will not get in the
way... ever..."  Quietly, she shut the door to the crew's cabin behind her.

                               *  -  *  -  *

	"How is he doing?"  Alcan's voice cut through the silence several
hours later..

	Driel jumped, startled by Alcan.  "Whoa!  You scared me."  She put
her hand on her chest and made herself breathe slowly.  "He's sleeping.  I
can't wake him."

	Alcan raised an eyebrow and gave her a worried glance.  "Are you
sure he's not... uh..."

	She shook her head.  "He's just sleeping.  He's breathing."

	Alcan looked at Driel with a hint of concern.  "Are you alright?
I'm sorry I was so short with you back there, but I..."

	Driel smiled weakly at Alcan.  "I would be lying if I said I was
okay.  Don't worry about it.  I understand... really."

	Alcan cleared his throat uncomfortably.  He noticed that Driel's
eyes were red, and that her cheeks were tear-stained. He looked away from
her and looked into the distance.  "I guess we're almost there, eh?"

	Driel lowered her gaze and turned to go back to the captain's
quarters.  "Yeah, real soon now, I guess..."

	Mustering all his nerve, Alcan reached out for Driel and turned her
back toward him.  He pulled her close to him, and he hugged her with all
his might.  "I don't want to hurt anyone," he gasped.

	Driel's face continued to be covered in tears.  "I know you don't.
Life is so hard, Alcan," she cried.  Relaxing, she allowed herself to hug
him back.

	Alcan let her cry into his shoulder for a couple of seconds, then
he gently loosened his arms from her shoulders.  He looked into her eyes,
and he smiled warmly at her.  Then he winked.  "Hey... who's manning the
ship?"

	Driel's eyes widened in laughter.  "Ooops.  I guess I should be
paying closer attention.  We are nearing land..."  She reached up to her
temples once more.  "Something is wrong, Alcan... wrong in Nikeah.  But I
don't know what."

	Alcan moved to her side.  "Let me help you."  He winked again.
"Somebody's got to steer this thing."  He became serious.  Fearing the
worst, he asked, "What could possibly be wrong in Nikeah?"