|
Post by Col. Charybdis on Oct 17, 2006 9:46:30 GMT -6
The ships were coming back and only now the first reports of casualties were coming in. On another note, the tylium transport ships were moving in and beginning to load their precious supply of fuel.
The comm buzzed, "Colonel. This is Med Lab. Captain Amy has been wheeled out of surgery. Thought you might want to know."
Amy! She was out of surgery! The bridge was well stocked with officers so I made my way quickly to Med Lab. I had to see Amy...
|
|
|
Post by Amy81 on Oct 17, 2006 11:53:21 GMT -6
Silence stretched out a moment or two between Amy and Abby, then Abby found her voice again.
"I don't know what to say, sweetheart" Abby said truthfully. "Let's just see what Urdea finds out, huh? And Charybdis must have had his reasons not to speak to me. Or to you about Elmer. You know that all I want is for you to be happy..."
"Blissfully ignorant, you mean?"
"What is that supposed to mean?" Abby asked, bewildered.
"You tell me" Amy replied with as much hatred as she could muster.
Abby's mouth hung open in surprise.
"Sure" Amy said with a laugh. "Stand there with your mouth open. As if you don't know what I'm talking about."
Again the words were difficult to find for Abby, but anger was a little easier, and it all rushed to the surface surprisingly quick. "I don't know what's gotten into you, missy. You've been through an awful lot lords know, and I'm here to help you through this. But nothing gives you the license to speak this way. I love you, in case you've forgotten that. If you just plan on sitting there tearing into the people that care about you, I'm sorry but I don't have to stand here and take it. Nothing can excuse behavior like this. Nothing." She turned and walked to the door. "I'll be back when you have a civil tongue in your head."
The door swung shut as Amy snapped back, "Nothing can excuse behavior like yours either, mother! How about 24 yahrens worth of lies?"
The door opened enough for Abby to peek her head in. "What do you mean by that?" she asked, her face pale.
Amy looked her square in the eyes. "You. Tell. Me." The door shut as Abby again left. "Figures" Amy said. Then she shouted out, "That was an opportunity, mother!" But the door did not open again. "An opportunity" she repeated, softer this time, tears coming to her eyes. She gathered up a handful of blanket and sobbed into it, muffled cries barely making any sound at all...
|
|
|
Post by Amy81 on Oct 18, 2006 22:16:39 GMT -6
Abby was in a waiting area, working on her second fumerette. The overhead ventilation system was hard at work, pulling the harmful smoke up and out of the room so fast Abby could swear she were smoking in front of a vacuum device. Still, she took deep drags on her smoke, pacing the room.
She couldn't understand what had gotten into Amy. She'd been through so much that maybe she had been pushed too far. But it still didn't make it any easier to stand there and listen to the things Amy said, and the way she said them. There was something more to it, something more behind it...
But then, maybe not. Abby felt a little guilty for lashing back at Amy. This was supposed to be about helping Amy, and being happy that she was alive, not about Abby's feelings being hurt. If Amy wanted to lash out, Abby should have been able to take it if that's what Amy needed right now.
But still...
"Excuse me?" a voice said.
Abby nearly jumped, but recovered quickly and turned toward the door. She held her fumerette low and slightly behind her. "Yes?"
If the nurse noticed the fumerette, she said nothing. "I wanted to let you know Amy is being moved to a regular room. I was wondering about visitors. Any restrictions?"
"How's Amy doing?" Abby asked.
The nurse shrugged. "All things considered, pretty well. Medically she's way ahead of the curve on recovery."
Abby nodded but said nothing. She wanted nothing more than to take another drag on the fumerette.
"About visitors?" the nurse asked again.
"Whatever Amy wants is fine" Abby replied. The nurse nodded and left, and Abby gratefully brought the fumerette to her lips...
|
|
|
Post by Amy81 on Oct 22, 2006 18:50:46 GMT -6
The nurse knocked, knocked again, then opened the door to Amy's room when there was no answer. She stepped in quietly, and found Amy sitting on the bed with her eyes closed. She turned away, not wanting to disturb the patient, but as she turned away something caught her eye and she looked back to see Amy's eyes now open and staring at her.
"What is it?" Amy asked.
"About visitors" the nurse replied, "Your mom says whatever restrictions you'd like are fine, or none if you prefer."
"How nice of her to let me decide" Amy said. "How about on a visitor by visitor basis, let's try that."
"All right" the nurse said. "Well, one's out there right now."
"Who?" Amy wondered aloud.
"A security officer Ange, from the Agro ship" the nurse revealed. "He's says he's a friend of the family?"
"Oh yes" Amy said. "Very close. Practically a member. Please show him in. I'm anxious to see him again."
The nurse nodded. "As anyone comes around to visit, I'll check with you first before letting them in, correct?"
"Fine" Amy smiled, but the smile dropped away as soon as the nurse's back was turned. Ange is here.... Dad.... Amy thought about the best way to go about this....
|
|
|
Post by Col. Charybdis on Oct 23, 2006 9:44:44 GMT -6
I arrived at the Med Lab to check in with post-op. The nurse on duty saw me. "Colonel, are you here to see Cpt. Amy?"
"Yes. Can I see her now?" I replied.
"Well, she's on a visitor by visitor basis and she is in with someone right now. But you can wait if you'd like."
I saw no choice. "Well, if you could at least let her know I'm out here. I would appreciate it."
"Certainly. Wait here for a micron," she said as she went to notify Amy...
|
|
|
Post by Amy81 on Oct 23, 2006 12:32:30 GMT -6
The door swung open, and Amy's heart started to beat faster, but it was just the nurse again.
"What?" Amy asked.
"Another visitor" she smiled. "You sure are a popular one."
"Yeah" Amy said. "Who this time?"
"Colonel Charybdis is here."
"I'd like to see him after Ange" Amy replied. "Though I'm sure he'll be long gone by then" she added bitterly.
"I'll see if he'll wait" the nurse said, and left the room, the door clicking shut behind her.
|
|
|
Post by Amy81 on Oct 23, 2006 12:34:47 GMT -6
A few moments later Amy heard a knock at the door, and then it swung open. Ange stood there for a moment, unsure of himself. He'd visited Amy while she was in a coma, but the last time he'd seen her awake was quite a long time ago.
It had been so long, he wasn't even sure she knew who he was anymore. If she remembered, it would be memories of their time together when she was younger, him telling exciting stories of battles in space, she sitting there wide-eyed, inspiration growing with every word. It always amazed him that she never realized the things he had done to her, and how she never remembered any of it, even after she woke up in the middle of it one fateful day so long ago. But long ago he'd also stopped trying to understand it, and just accepted the fact that he'd been really really lucky.
He stood there in the doorway, and Amy just looked at him, saying nothing.
"I was on board, and I heard you were out of surgery" he said. "It came up on the security reports. Thought I'd try to say hi, and..."
"Uncle Ange!" Amy suddenly said, breaking into a smile and holding out her arms, inviting him in for a hug. He smiled and walked up to the bed. When he was close enough she reached out and drew him close to her. She squeezed him gently. "Good to see you" she whispered. Her hand came up and caressed the side of his head. When he pulled back a little she suddenly had her hands behind his head, holding him tightly while she kissed him hard on the lips. His eyes grew wide and he tried to push away, but she was strong, amazingly strong. Finally he got free and took a few steps backward, breathing heavily.
"What's the matter?" Amy asked, a cold expression spreading across her face. "It's what you want from me, isn't it?"
He went pale, like he'd seen a ghost. In a sense, maybe he had. Realization dawned on him. "You... remember...?"
|
|
|
Post by Amy81 on Oct 24, 2006 10:17:31 GMT -6
"Remember what?" Amy asked mockingly, staring at him cold and hard.
Ange looked ready to collapse. "Uh... the coma, that's it, right?" he stammered. "Trig- triggered your memory? Is that it?" He backed up to the far wall, his eyes starting to water. "Oh Amy, that was a long time ago. I'm a different man now..."
Amy continued to stare. "And that makes it right?"
"No, no" Ange said desperately, holding up a hand to indicate that he didn't mean that at all. He began shaking his head, as he couldn't believe what was happening. He sighed heavily. "You wouldn't understand...."
"How could you betray my trust like that?" Amy asked. "Could you answer that for me?" He was silent. "Do I have 'mess with me' written on my forehead or something? What was it about me that made you... do what you did?"
"I don't know. Lords, I don't know." He hung his head.
"Did I trust you too much? Admire you too much? Did I just leave myself so wide open that you couldn't pass up the opportunity? I really want to know here, cause everybody seems to think they can take advantage of me, one way or another."
He kept his gaze down. "I'm sorry...."
"Fat lot of good that does me." She waited to see if he'd say something. Anything. But he stayed silent. "Fine. Don't tell me. But let's try for a little truth, something maybe you can answer?" Amy swallowed. "Was I the only one you... did things to?"
Ange looked up, desperate to try and smooth things over. "Yes. I swear Amy, you were the only one."
"How touching" Amy replied. "And lying is a bad way to tell the truth..."
|
|
|
Post by Amy81 on Oct 24, 2006 11:40:30 GMT -6
Ange had looked away, but now glanced back at her, trying to read her. He sighed, realizing there was no fooling her.
"Okay" he admitted softly. "There were more, but they were older, you know, not like you were." He immediately knew how that sounded, as if those ones were okay cause of their ages. "The early days of the fleet were hard" he went on, trying to explain. "Hard on me. We.. we all thought it was the end. It was for me. I'd been wounded, I... I couldn't be a warrior anymore. I drank, I..."
"The way I learned it, the early days were hard on everybody. Yet everybody didn't go and do the things you did." She pointed to a seat. "You'd better sit. You look horrible." He nodded, and sat heavily. Amy got more comfortable on the bed, never taking her eyes off of him. "How many Ange? How many lives did you ruin?"
He held his head in his hands. "I'm not sure" he moaned...
|
|
|
Post by Amy81 on Oct 24, 2006 13:17:31 GMT -6
He held his head in his hands. "I'm not sure" he moaned. "Lords, I'm not sure. But I've changed, Amy. I'm not..."
"How about a redhead. Early academy student maybe?"
He looked up sharply. Exactly how much did she know? How could she know? He was pretty sure no one knew, except himself, and the redhead, whoever she was.... it was so long ago. He lowered his head, again moaning. "I'm not that person anymore. I'm a contributor to the fleet again. I'm making a difference again..." He nearly said that it wasn't fair.
"Oh yeah" Amy said. "Security Chief on the Agro ship. Very nice."
He was crying now. "I made it back. Made it back. Please don't take that away from me..."
|
|