"Sir, another one got sick." Lieutenant Washington reported.
I dug my hands into my head. "Who?" I asked, hoping I wasn't closely affiliated.
"Matthew Tate, he has a wife and a kid." Alicia read from her plex.
I knew the family, I knew the mother well and I knew the girl, I shook my head in disbelief. "This is supposed to be a fresh start." I complained almost angrily. How was I supposed to give the people hope when one winter crashed all of it.
"Sir, on another note, it's Christmas." Alicia said in an awkward tone.
I looked up at her, trying to spot what made her uncomfortable. "Not going to drag me off to church, are you?" I asked in a playful tone.
Wash smirked a little. "No Sir," She shook her head and remained in her respectful composure.
From a pocket of her jacket she pulled out an envelope. "This is for you, Sir. I apologize if I am overstepping boundaries." As long as it wasn't a love letter I wouldn't complain, although the thought had crossed my mind.
I took the envelope. "Malcolm helped me make a copy, it's nothing fancy, again I apologize if this is overstepping any kind of boundaries, Commander."
I had to smile a little myself and opened the envelope, it was a copy of a picture featuring a younger version of Wash and myself in Somalia, it was the war that had brought us close. I looked at the both of us smiling at the camera, it was a remainder of better times, it was a remainder of the important things in life. With my thumb I gently rubbed the photograph, almost caressing it, remembering how I wanted a copy. I had asked the soldier who had taken the picture, but he said that his camera was analog and the only copy he had went missing.
I was so lost in the photograph that I didn't notice Alicia waiting for a reaction, as I looked up, she almost stared at me questioningly, still uncomfortable.
"Thank you, Wash." I said in a genuine tone, meaning every single syllable.
The corners of her mouth went slightly upwards. "I'm glad you like it Sir."
I stood up and laid the picture on the desk. "If I'm not overstepping any boundaries," I teased her. "I'd like to give you a hug."
Again the corners of her mouth went up, for a moment she stared to the floor, shaking her head at my silliness, I took it as a yes.
For a long moment I wrapped my arms around her and for the same amount of time it seemed like she settled into my arms. I recalled memories from combat, carrying her to safety, her treating my wounds, me calling in favors to have her with me in Terra Nova.
"You mean a hell of a lot to me Wash." I whispered, loud enough for her to hear.
"Likewise, Sir." She responded and then we parted again.
"I'm sorry I didn't get you anything." I apologized, picking up the photo and putting it back into its envelope.
Alicia shrugged her shoulders in a way that I knew meant something along the lines; don't sweat it.
"I have to go see the Tates." I said apologetically, I put the envelope into my inner chest pocket and left.
Over at the Tates, young Skye Tate was sitting on the porch of their house.
"Is your mother home?" I asked.
Skye shook her head. "She's with my dad." She explained in a frightened voice.
"So what are you doing out here?" I asked her gently.
"Waiting for my mom to come home and tell me that he's …" She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.
"May I sit with you?" I asked politely. Skye nodded and I sat down beside her. "You know, sometimes it's easier to talk with a stranger than somebody who knows you well. Your dad will make it, I'm sure of it." I tried to sound convincing, the truth was, I didn't believe the man stood a fighting chance.
Skye looked up at me, a strain of her curly hair bouncing of her forehead. "The incubation period of this virus is three days, commander and the host-DNA is mutating, which means there is a ninety percent mortality rate." She explained to me as a matter of fact.
"Where did you learn that?" I asked, seriously curious.
"Biology." She shrugged. "I want to become a doctor one day." I could still tell that her mind was with her parents.
"Skye, there's always hope. There is a good chance that your father will make it." I looked up at the stars, remembering how 2146 didn't have a starry sky.
"Says who?" She asked.
"The ten percent." I answered.
"But the ten percent is really really rare." She said with wonderous eyes and yawned.
"Don't give up hope, Skye."
Skye shifted her position and curled up in an embryo-position on the bench looking at the stars.
"When I was little I tried counting the stars." She told me.
I had to smile a little.
"But there are too many to count, or at least that's what my book about astronomy says." She shrugged.
The girl was too smart for her own good. Minutes later Skye fell asleep and snored lightly. I took off my jacket and covered her with it. As her snoring grew louder I decided to get her inside and picked her up, scooping her into my arms, as we crossed through the door she woke up.
"What's going on Commander?" She asked sleepily.
"I'm bringing you to bed. Is that okay?" I asked her.
"As long as I'm not too heavy." She sighed.
I unloaded her onto her bed in her room carefully and covered her with her bed covers, taking back my jacket. Skye kicked off her shoes, which vaguely reminded me of Lucas at a similar age.
"Commander?" She asked sleepily.
"Yes." I answered, about to leave the room.
"What makes you so sure about the ten percent?" She asked half asleep.
"Because the chances that humanity got a second chance stood a million times narrower than your father has at surviving." I explained.
"You're only saying that to make me feel better, I'm thirteen, not a kid." She said in a know-it all way.
"Good Night Skye." I closed the door.
As I closed the home-entrance door tightly I saw Deborah approaching the house, she looked like hell.
"Deborah." I greeted her.
"Commander." She greeted back.
"What's the outlook?" I asked.
"Not good." She said with teary eyes. "His immune system is weak. He has a week left at the best." I assumed internally she was cursing herself for bringing their family to this place, maybe in the future they had been better off.
"If there's anything that I can do, Deborah, let me know." She still wrangled with her tears of hopelessness but managed a nod. "I got Skye to bed, she should be asleep." I told her.
"Thank you. I hope she didn't make any trouble."
I shook my head. "She's a great kid."
At home I pulled out a box I hadn't pulled out since Lucas had disappeared, it was simple and wooden. Inside I kept memorabilia, pictures of Lucas and Ayani, a picture of my long gone parents, all stacked up neatly. Next to the stack I laid the envelope with the picture, it was too precious to take it anywhere, I decided this picture would be the beginning of a new stack, a new chapter.