Someone lifted him off the sand. Concerned voices drifted around him. He was carried inside, judging by the sound of shoes on wood floors. Not metal. He was still on Earth, trapped until the final match. “Lexx?” Chel’s voice floated through the void, repeating his name several times. Something pressed to his mouth and cool liquid passed his lips and dribbled down the corners of his mouth. He swallowed and blinked, his eyes meeting hers. The edges of his vision wavered and then cleared as he took the cup and drank. It took a few minutes, but the nutramixes did their job. Clarity returned, and he kept his eyes on Chel. She sat on a stool next to the couch he had been placed on. The door to the small room was open, but they were alone. “I didn’t kill her,” said Lexx, tapping his fingers on the almost empty cup. “I know.” She smiled, offering nothing more. “This is only going to get worse.” Lexx touched her cheek, sliding his fingers over her soft, unmarred skin. “You should leave.” “I’m here to the end, Lexx,” she said, tilting her head against his hand. The end. That’s what I’m afraid of.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Hopefully by now I’m starting to get back into the groove again, now that I know what’s going on and how to handle it. I am having a VERY DIFFICULT time with concentration. I got better and then got hit by phase 2. I literally sit down and forget what I’m doing, so I’m carrying a To Do List with detailed instructions, because I’m forgetting to LOOK at my other list and apparently my attention span is 30-60 seconds. I’m doing it right now. 9.9 This isn’t fun, but it’ll get better. – Tiff