DISCLAIMERS: Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers is copyright 1986-present to Sir Robert Mandell, Gaylord Productions, Transcom Media Inc., ITF Enterprises Inc., Hearst Entertainment, and KOCH Vision. The author makes NO claim of ownership to any of the characters, locations, lyrics, situations, and/or songs associated with the above programs, people, music, and/or videos. All original characters, locations, situations, and the stories are the author's property and CANNOT be used without permission. These are pieces of non-profit fan fiction. Please send all inquiries to Jayce6@gte.net -- flames will be forwarded to the Queen of the Crown.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This story is respectfully dedicated to the memory of Jerry Orbach, the talented veteran actor who voiced Captain Zachary Foxx in the Adventures of the Galaxy Rangers cartoon. He starred in many productions of stage & screen, and was perhaps best known for voicing the character of Lumiere in Disney's Beauty and the Beast movie and playing the role of Detective Lennie Briscoe for a 12-year run on the Law and Order television series. This is admittedly wish fulfillment, but I'm lousy with goodbyes, so instead I'll choose to say "hello" when watching or honoring any of his works. This is not BETA'ed; any mistakes are solely my own.
SPECIAL NOTES -- PLEASE READ: This is admittedly wish fulfillment. I'm addicted to happy endings. I'm also lousy with goodbyes, so instead I'll choose to say "hello" when watching or honoring any of his works.
GENRE: Short story with a Z/E focus. This takes place 20+ years after the rescue of Eliza's psychocrystal.
Zach bolted awake, drenched in cold sweat. The blasted nightmare had invaded again, the same one which had plagued him for the past week. Reaching over with his right hand, he was reassured by the warmth of Eliza's solid cheek, the pulse at her neck beating strong & steady.
Willing his breathing to quiet down, he tucked the warm covers around her and silently rose, heading for the windows. They presented a disquieting view, the waters below calm & dark as a heavily overcast sky blocked the stars above. The faint light reflected off his craggy features, etched with sorrow & joy alike to mark the passing of years, and the loose pajamas he wore appeared gray, leeched of all color. He had stood there many times in the past, aching terribly for Eliza, and fell back on it in times of great stress.
Dream-sensations brushed his mind, making him swallow hard. Trying to banish them was becoming more difficult every day, and he suspected the others were getting wise to the fact that something was wrong. No matter how much he tried to reason it out, the nightmare refused to yield. He had no idea how much time passed before slim arms wrapped around him from behind, holding him close.
"Zachary? What's wrong?" Eliza asked in concern, the sleep banished from her voice. After kissing his cheek, she rested her chin on his left shoulder, gazing at him with an earnest expression. The mingled auburn & silver strands in her hair shimmered faintly, always beautiful to him, and the long white nightgown she wore felt almost as soft as her skin.
"Just another nightmare," he tried to reassure her, softly kissing her forehead. "I'll be all right. Go back to sleep."
"It's been bothering you a while now." At his silent nod, she gently turned him around, embracing him warmly. "Please tell me about it. We can both get some sleep then..."
"I'm sorry, Eliza," Zach apologized, feeling guilty. "I didn't want to worry you."
"'For better or for worse,' remember?" she gently replied, brushing back the silvered hair at his temples. "Between the two of us, we can figure out any nightmare in the known galaxy."
He nodded while studying her face, grown softer & gentler over the years. "Ever feel that someone's walking over your grave?"
"Too many times," was her sober reply as she snuggled close.
Speaking slowly, he told her about the nightmare: the premonition of dread... fire in his belly... bolts of electric agony spreading through his body... paralysis... and the awful feeling that time was running out. As he described it, he shivered a little, holding her close.
She was silent throughout, speaking only when he was done. "Any chance you'll be called upon for extremely hazardous duty again?"
"Not unless Earth's in direct danger, and things have been mighty quiet on that front."
"When was your last physical? Maybe you should have yourself & your bionics checked out."
"It's been six months, and I passed with flying colors. I'll go first thing in the morning to be sure."
"I'm coming with you."
"Thanks, Eliza. You should get some rest; I doubt I'll be able to go back to sleep."
"I'm wide awake as it is. Let's head off the crowd at the infirmary; you know what a popular place it is," she grinned.
He chuckled and obeyed, the two of them throwing on their working clothes and asking GV to power up their personal transport. An hour later, they had arrived inside BETA Mountain, where Zach's status as Base Commander put him first in line for every medical test possible.
After several hours of practically having every molecule being poked, prodded, and scanned -- often in the most embarrassing ways, much to Eliza's amusement -- the results were in. The good news was the the bionic components were in top working order, and he had a mostly clean bill of physical health.
The only questionable readings came where his prostate was concerned; the scans showed possible precancerous growths. Further testing confirmed that they were real, small but definitely growing. Fortunately, there was a treatment that could shrink them down if caught in time, and Zach had barely beat the deadline. After the cure was administered, they watched on the screen as the growths swiftly withered away to nonexistance.
"This was caught in the nick of time, sir," the doctor on duty nodded, breathing a deep sigh of relief. "It had the potential to get very nasty very fast, but shouldn't be a problem now. I'd recommend regular checkups every day for the time being, to make sure nothing else crops up."
"Understood, and thank you," Zach soberly replied, exchanging salutes before taking Eliza's hand to gallantly kiss it. "Thank you, Eliza. You saved me."
"Anytime, Zachary," she smiled, her eyes misty as she hugged him hard.
He returned her embrace, engulfing her in his arms as he felt the nightmare release its grip at long last. He silently repeated the vow he had made years before, after she had been restored to full life: to love and live each moment with her to the fullest.
THE END