"Martin please tell me what is on your mind."
Douglas was going to ask if the tears that Martin couldn't quite stop were from the scrapbook. Douglas then realized that was an unanswerable question. Martin was a raw nerve ending right now.
"Martin you want me to tell you what happened on the plane?"
Martin shook his head yes.
"Ok. I will. Martin listen to me well. It is ok that you are in this condition. I was also. Difference being I snuck away. I just wanted to be alone. I shouldn't have been. I assured everyone I was just tired. I was safe in my flat and they could check on me in the morning. Which I was and they did."
"I understand Douglas.(sniff) I don't blame GERTI."
"Good. Nor should you. GERTI and the goose had a midair collision."
"Do you still blame Metis?"
"No. I did for a while though. Jordan talked me through it. That night I blamed myself for everything. The Universe hated me. Metis was going to make me watch a man I loved and admired die. Also five of my best friends and 173 souls that were in my care be destroyed because I was a horrible pilot."
"That is why you put the privacy order out."
"Yes. I didn't need the press poking at me when I couldn't deal with anything at that point. Then I just never lifted it."
Martin could see a dark shadow come over Douglas.
"Douglas?"
"Sorry Martin. I need to show you something."
Douglas grabbed one of the photo albums. Injuries to the passengers and crew.
"Martin. I want you to look at these photos. They were of me when I was brought into hospital. I don't want them to frighten you. I feel the need to show them to you."
Martin looked at the first picture. A tall, blond man, who was clearly very upset, was carrying someone wrapped in a blanket.
"That is Simon. He had carried me from my flat to Olivia's car then into the hospital. Wouldn't let go of me till the Doctor's came."
Douglas kept the next photos close to his chest. These were the graphic shots.
"Martin promise me that you will never refuse treatment at hospital if something like this happens to you."
Martin hesitantly agreed and Douglas handed the pictures over one by one.
Douglas broke much more than his wings that night. Martin thought.
"Every injury you see was made much worst by the fact that they couldn't touch me for almost 10 hrs after I should have been treated. The most dangerous being the concussion."
"What is that picture?" Martin asked as he pointed to one last picture Douglas was pressing to his chest.
Martin noticed that Douglas' face flushed with colour as he handed it over.
The picture was of Simon sitting on the exam table cradling Douglas. Matt, Olivia, William and Patty were flanking him. The blanket had just been peeled away from an unconscious Douglas. Hair unarranged. His eyes and cheeks were swollen. He was in a tee shirt and shorts. Wrists bruised. Feet blistered and red. Douglas was blushing because Daedalus was clutched to his chest. He looked stripped and raw. No hint of the Sky God here.
"The last thing I remember was getting royally cross at myself. I wanted to start breaking things. I took Daedalus and threw him on the couch. He landed upside down and then I hit him with the alarm clock. I felt the need to apologize to him. Don't know why. So I went over and picked up the clock. It was 4:17am. As soon as I picked Daedalus up, I collapsed on the couch. I asked him why I couldn't fly then...well. (sigh) I woke up a day later."
"How long we're you in hospital for?"
"Five days. I didn't climb into a plane again for two months. I wasn't put on the flying roster till July 20th."
"Is that when you were promoted?"
"Heavens no, Martin. I refused."
Martin looked confused. Douglas wanted him to piece it together himself. Douglas placed a picture in Martin's hand. It was of the seven of them having a bonfire and picnic on the beach. They all looked full of life.
"We had a beach party the second night we were there. Didn't matter if we drank. We weren't due to fly for another 30 hours. More than enough time to get over the hangover. We had a blast."
"Looks like it."
"We left the beach at about 3am. I woke up to Patty and Olivia trying to bounce me out of bed at about 2pm."
Douglas gently groaned in pain and grabbed his head. Martin laughed.
"You would think I would have learned what liquors I could drink together. Obviously not. We all returned to the beach. Perfect cure for a hangover. Beautiful sunset that night. Mother Nature lulled us all into a deep sleep that night. We were all feeling hale and hearty when we took to the air."
Martin dug in the box again. He pulled out the micro cassette recorder.
"It should all be on here. Your first mayday was less than an hour before you landed."
"Yes it was. Martin, you are forgetting something. What is the length of the CVR recording?"
"Two hours mandated."
"Since when?"
"2008. Oh. So what is on here?"
"Thirty minutes."
"It was a good,normal flight. Nothing noteworthy. We were all looking forward to a few days home."
"Sleep in your own beds?"
"Quite."
Martin watched as Douglas closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Martin scooted a bit to face Douglas.
"Jordan and I were in the middle of a complex game of name switching between actors and actresses in movies. Who could do it in the least amount of changed letters."
Martin suddenly looked excited.
"We should try that one."
Douglas smiled at Martin and continued.
"At about 17:10 Jordan started to go very pale. He excused himself. Patty said he was getting sick. Of course we all joked it must have been a bad fish. Jordan came back to the flight deck and said he had the worst case of heartburn he could remember. Jordan called back to see if someone could get something to settle his stomach. Will got him an antacid and we continued our game. About 5 minutes later he started rubbing his jaw. I started getting an uneasy feeling."
"Medical student?"
"Yes. But not enough to put it together yet. Jordan turned to me and excused himself again. I took one look at him and knew something was very wrong. I engaged the Auto Pilot. I actually let go of the control column and kept him in his seat. I turned around and quietly got Will and Olivia in the flight deck."
"Why those two?"
"Least likely to panic. Not that any of them would."
Most likely to keep you calm. Martin thought. "I understand."
"I gently asked if we had a doctor on the plane. They both left. Jordan had started sweating and had trouble breathing. My mind was running through how quickly I could get him on the ground. What the nearest airport was. Then Jordan said something that put the Fear of God into me."
"What?"
"Douglas?"
"Yes, Captain?"
"Ever heard that phrase about an elephant turning you into a settee?"
"I froze. My mind started putting the puzzle pieces together. Heart attack. The door opened and Will walked in with Dr. Snow."
"Douglas this is Dr. Snow. What's going on?"
"Doctor I believe this man is manifesting the symptoms of a heart attack. Can you please check him out?"
"Jordan. This is Doctor Snow. He is going to check you out."
"Douglas what did I tell you about pulling things out of whole cloth?"
"If I am then I will clean Metis for a month."
"They took Jordan out and laid him in the galley. Simon had found a second doctor. I was attempting to stay calm."
"All of the others said you were like a rock."
"Martin. You can look totally composed outwardly. The dangerous part is if you loose control of this."
Douglas reached over and tapped on Martin's forehead.
"Will came back in and said I was right."
"Mayday. This is Golf, Mike, Echo, India, Sierra."
"Mayday acknowledged Golf, Echo, Sierra. What is your mayday?"
"Possible heart attack on board. Requesting best landing location."
"I wanted so bad to go back and help. But I had to fly the plane."
Martin looked as Douglas became very agitated. Martin reached over and patted his knee. Douglas gave him a small smile and continued.
"Heathrow was the easiest. Better facilities. So I kept on course. I kept asking for updates."
Jordan is now being attended by two doctors and Simon. Jordan hears the constant request from Douglas and becomes annoyed.
"Will, please go up there and tell him to shut the bloody hell up. I'm fine."
Martin watches as Douglas sighs. Douglas' voice becomes very soft and gentle.
"Will came up and told me what Jordan had said."
"Of course, Sir."
Jordan smiles to the intercom.
"I heard Jordan croak out; that's my boy. I will admit Martin, it took everything I had not to burst into tears."
Martin pushes Daedalus into Douglas' lap. Douglas' mouth quirks into a small smile.
"Before you say that would have been ok. Yes and no. Yes a few tears at that point would have been probably a relief. But I knew it wouldn't have been just a few. Jordan was dying three meters behind me. I had the power to save him. So I put my spine back in place and asked ATC to clear a path for me. Which they did."
Douglas reaches for the micro cassette player and checks the tape is rewound.
"Everything was calm for 5 minutes. Then everything went white."
The first sound out of the player sounds like crinkling tin foil. Martin can hear a few gasping breaths.
"What the hell...can't focus."
Martin can hear Douglas lean back in his seat. Then a pounding on the flight deck door.
"Douglas..what just happened?"
The door opens
"Patty I think we just got a little close to a lighting bolt. Cabin crew to the flight deck."
"Douglas, your eyes."
"Patty please."
Martin can hear the others come in.
"Listen everyone. We possibly just got hit with a lightning bolt. I need you all to check Metis over. Tell me if you find anything out of sorts."
"Douglas, you can't see can you?"
"Matt we promised not to lie to each other. Everything is blurry but I can fly. Please. I need you all to help me. I swear on my life that I can handle this but you guys have to handle the rest."
Douglas' voice was calm but quiet. A resounding "Yes, Sir!" burst from the speaker.
"Good Evening Ladies and Gentlemen. This is your First Officer Douglas Richardson. I hope you all enjoyed the little light show. If you require any assistance kindly flag down one of the cabin crew. Otherwise, we should be landing at Heathrow within 30 minutes."
The Sky God had returned for the address.
"Douglas, the ceiling of the forward galley is warm."
Martin could hear two people sniffing the air.
"Douglas do you smell smoke?"
"Yes, I do. Check the vent Simon. Do you see any smoke?"
No answer came. Just the sounds of shuffling in the flight deck.
"Simon,... what?"
Douglas' voice becomes muffled.
"You are going to need that."
"Christ! Ok I'm going to lower the air conditioner so that the smoke stays up here. No need to frighten the passengers."
Sounds of more shuffling.
"Simon gave me a hug."
Martin then hears both Simon and Douglas launch into a blessing.
May your airplane rise up easily into the sky,
May the wind always be a tailwind,
May the sun shine warm upon your face (But don't forget sunblock if you are in an open cockpit plane)
And the rains never so hard that it compromises safe VFR flying (and is just enough to wash the bugs off your airplane)
And until we meet again,
Remember to always hold your hand out so as to touch the face of God.
God Bless, fly safe and have fun being a pilot.
"See you on the ground Douglas."
"Good Luck Simon."
Martin hears the cabin door close.
"Mayday. This is Golf, Mike, Echo, India, Sierra."
"Mayday acknowledged Golf, Echo, Sierra. Is this concerning the heart attack?"
"Negative. We were struck by a lightning bolt. There is smoke in the flight deck. The fire is located somewhere above the forward galley."
Martin hears stunned gasps from ATC and Douglas' quiet breathing.
"Not your evening is it, Golf, Echo, Sierra?"
"I would say not, ATC. I would say not."