Chapter 47
They were in one of the laboratories on the Krellian spaceship. Directly in front of her was the reconstruction chamber. The tube was opaque, and Kaitlin couldn’t see what was going on inside. It was driving her crazy.
Would it work?
And if it did, would the new Sam remember who he was? Who she was? Would he be telepathic? She had so many questions.
They’d started the process hours ago. Kane had tried to persuade her to go and rest but she was quite aware that she wouldn’t be able to settle until she knew one way or the other.
So she’d sat, then paced, then sat some more.
Kane had stayed with her throughout the long wait, and the others had come in periodically.
Jake was with her now. He had been here almost as much as she had, but then, he had loved Sam as well.
One of the Krellian technicians entered the room and reviewed the screen at the head of the chamber. He swiped his finger over the panel and turned to her.
“The process is complete.”
She swallowed as her muscles tensed and her heart rate kicked up. “Did it work?”
“The reconstitution was one hundred percent successful.”
Kane squeezed her shoulders.
Would he be her Sam? Time to find out.
The Krellian tapped the panel and the lid of the chamber slowly lifted. She took a step closer. And there he was. Perfect. A total replica of the way she had last seen him. He was lying on his back, his eyes closed, black hair falling over his forehead.
“He looks so much like you,” Kane said.
She rubbed a hand over her eyes. “When will he wake up?”
“He is already wakening.”
She could see it now, the flutter of his eyes behind the closed lids. A tremor in his fingers, a tic in his pale cheek.
“Please, please be okay,” she whispered. “Can I touch him?”
The Krellian nodded.
She took the final step, coming to stand beside the chamber. Reaching out, she slid her hand into his. For a second, his fingers were limp, then they tightened in hers. His eyes opened, a deep, dark blue. His head turned slightly, and he looked at her, a frown forming on his face.
“Sam?” she spoke into his mind.
“Kaitlin? You look different... Older.”
Oh God, he was back. A grin tugged at her mouth. “I love you.”
“I love you, too. But... The last thing I remember is going to bed... What happened?”
“It’s a long story, but I guess we’ll have time to tell it now. Welcome back.”