按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃Yes； Captain；〃 Claudia responded； when Lisa didn't。
He paused to look back at Lisa。 〃Oh； and mander Hayes： I want to mend you on the excellent job you did this afternoon。〃
They all saw her shoulders shaking as she bent over her console； heard the sobs in her voice as she replied； 〃Thank you； sir。〃
Later； as she sat in her cabin； her head whirled with bits and pieces of the things that were tearing at her： Rick。 Karl。 Kyle。 Her father。 Gloval。 And the fate of all the innocent people on the SDF…1。。。The cruel faces of the UEDC councilors。
And； more than anything； what she should do about it all； because Lisa Hayes wasn't anybody's crybaby。
But she spent most of the time thinking about Rick's frightened voice as the missiles closed in。 There's been no word yet of any sightings by the air…sea rescue teams。
In the end it was Rick's voice she heard over and over； Rick's face she saw。 Then for a while she did cry； wondering if she would go insane。
〃I didn't know！ I just didn't know；〃 she wept。 Didn't know she would be putting him in danger with the missiles； didn't know how deeply it would affect her and how much she felt for him。
Didn't know if she could go on； if he were dead。
She gazed up to where the bulkhead met the overhead。 〃Please； please don't let him die！〃
The Barracuda helo swept in low。 The pilot radioed back to the search plane； 〃Uh； roger； two…niner…niner。 I have the dye marker in sight and now have the chute in sight。 But I have no movement； I say again； no movement。〃
The helo descended； churning up the water with the backwash of the rotors。 The buoyant VT parachute was below it； lying like a dead sea nettle amid the yellow stain of the dye marker that had automatically been released by the wearer's safety harness on impact with the water。
There was a figure in a flight suit； buoyed by automatic floatation pockets that had expanded when he'd hit； his helmet having sealed itself to keep him from drowning。 But all the automatic gear was worthless if he'd been shot while in his ship or ing down。
Big； sinuous shapes were circling； large dorsal fins cut the water。 The rescue teams got ready for a pickup while the door gunners did a bit of shark hunting。
Back at the hospital in Macross City； Rick was taken into the ER； priority。 The medical personnel continued fighting their own battle long after the killing had stopped。
CHAPTER NINETEEN
It was very strange。 It took such an awful mishap to crystallize something that had been so murky up until then。 I'm not much for romantic fiction or tell…all autobiographies； but from what I'd read； it's usually something grand and poetic that brings on a realization like this； not just almost causing somebody's death。
Lisa Hayes； Recollections
He lay covered by a protective med…bubble； attached to banks of intensive care machinery。
The monitor…robot overseeing his millisecond…to…millisecond care recorded：
〃Lt。 Rick Hunter。 Multiple lacerations； concussion and minor skull fractures causing temporary encephalographic irregularities。 No internal damage。 This unit will continue to monitor。 Probable symptoms of delirium。〃
Somewhere deep in his thoughts the word registered； echoing。 Delirium。。。delirium。。。
He was off on a midnight roller coaster ride； posed of the various wonderful and dreadful experiences he had had in wild juxtaposition throughout the Robotech War。
He was watching Minmei sing at the Star Bowl； staring at her wistfully。 Then an enormous blue…gray hand reached out of infinite distance and grabbed her away。 Breetai laughed against afield of stars。 〃You'll never get away！〃
Rick went after them in his VT； through battle and dogfight； only to be chided by Lisa Hayes； only to crash in Macross again。 He relived episodes of his time aboard the SDF…1； while Minmei cried out for rescue。 Basic training； friction with Lisa； rat…racing against pods and a maelstrom of emotions。
He and Max and Lisa and Ben were on Breetai's ship again。 And at last he flew his VT to where Breetai sat in the rubble of Macross City； holding Minmei in the palm of his hand like a trained nightingale。
But she spurned Rick's rescue； because； 〃Lynn…Kyle told me I can't go out with soldiers。〃 And then it wasn't Breetai holding her but a Lynn…Kyle big as Breetai and wearing the Zentraedi's uniform and metal skullplate and crystal eyepiece。
But Kyle self…destructed； and Rick was saving Minmei again in the fist of his Guardian； as he had the first day they'd met。
〃Observation hour ten；〃 the monitoring robby recorded。 〃Lt。 Hunter still unconscious。 Low…grade fever。 Encephalogram remains disturbed。〃
Rick and Minmei were stranded inside the SDF…1 once more。 They stood looking out at the endless Zentraedifleet； and suddenly it was Lisa standing next to him； then Minmei again。 The time stretched out to years。
The Miss Macross pageant and photographers were all mixed into their solitary time together somehow。
〃Patient progressing steadily；〃 the robby told itself。 〃Prognosis good。 Anticipated return to consciousness in approximately one hour。〃
Rick and Minmei went through their pretend wedding once more。 But as he kissed her； Dolza came crashing through the bulkhead； and suddenly Rick was standing beside Lisa on the football field…size table in Zentraedi HQ。
〃You shall never have Minmei！〃 Dolza promised。
〃You belong to my world now； Rick； you belong to the service；〃 Lisa told him gently； with love in her eyes。
Then it all dissolved into white light for what seemed like a half second。 But when he opened his eyes； he was lying in a hospital bed。
Rick sat up； groaning and dizzy。 〃What a terrible dream that was；〃 he slurred。
Terrible； yes； in parts； it occurred to him； as the dream fragments blurred even as he sat trying to gather them into memory。 But some were wonderful； sending emotional surges through him。
And some had just plain shocked him。
The nurse was taking his pulse to verify what the instruments had told her； which made Rick wonder why they bothered with the instruments。
He groaned； bored stiff； and wondered when they would let him get back on active duty； he had the flight surgeons to worry about in addition to the attending physicians。
That was assuming； of course； that fighter ops and Gloval would entrust another VT to a pilot who'd managed to stumble into a barrage of his own side's missiles and get shot down by them。
〃Oh； brother； what an ace；〃 he muttered； thinking that a slightly different pronunciation of the word might be more appropriate。
〃Hmm？〃 asked the nurse。 She was young and attractive； with nice legs displayed by the daring hemline of her uniform。
But somehow he wasn't interested。 〃Nothing。 Will I live？〃
She dropped his hand and checked his chart。 〃Basically； you've got a bad bump on the canopy； flyboy。 I think you'd better plan on being our guest for a while； Lieutenant； at least until we get the results of your tests back from the lab。〃
〃How e？〃
She made a wry face。 〃So the doctors can find out if it's really true that pilots' heads are made out of granite。〃
〃Why aren't you telling jokes for the USO？〃
She patted his shoulder。 〃Cheer up； Lieut