One week later, Wash was moved out of intensive care to the goodbyes of the intensive care staff to a private room on another floor. She got a different doctor, who was an older woman. Her memory was returning and one morning while waiting for her father, she actually remembered being shot and flashes of rebels shooting in the night. She was quiet while he talked about nothing important going on around the base. It was the untouched breakfast shake that made him stop talking and look at her closely. "What's wrong, Alicia, are you in pain?"
"I was shot by rebels." She looked at him for confirmation.
"Are the memories fragmented?"
She thought. "They were sporadic; now they're sharper, like something I remember versus a nightmare."
"I'm restricted in what I can tell you yet, but yes, you were shot by them. Don't ask any questions and I won't lie to you. In time you'll know everything. You know how it is with soldiers who've been injured. It takes time." He took her hand. "Eat, so you'll regain your strength faster." He watched her pick her shake up.
"My jaw's broken, what happened to it?" She took a sip through her straw.
"You may never remember how you got that. It happened after you took several bullets. It was the last thing to happen to you. A rifle butt put you on your knees and broke your jaw in the process." He didn't offer anymore.
"I haven't seen Commander Taylor since I've been moved. Where is he?" She remembered him being present during one of her brief lucid moments, his kind words and comforting hand on hers.
"Ahhh, he went on vacation. All your unit is home and on break. That's why you have no visitors. You know soldiers forget the injured in favor of R and R. In a few weeks they'll be back, then you'll be bombarded with visitors." He hoped his specious answer sounded plausible. Truth was, she was under lockdown until she learned the facts.
"That was the longest haul I'd ever done in a foreign country." Alicia proceeded to drink her bland breakfast shake.
"Me too and I hope the last." He wanted so much to tell her the rest, but doctor's orders had to be followed.
A couple days later, Wash was looking for something to read and asked for her plexpad. "Doctor's orders." Her father handed her a reader with thousands of preloaded books and movies. "No news until she gives the all clear."
Wash took the reader, but kept her eyes focused on her father. "It must have been bad for all this secrecy."
He shot her a small, sad smile. "It's just that you can't have shocking news until you're stronger inside. You have enough medical training to know the drill. We don't want a relapse, so humor your old father, okay?"
"I can't get out of bed and am at your total mercy." She looked down at the reader. "I'm sure I could have picked a better vacation spot than here."
Apollo chuckled and with a kiss, left for work.
Apollo asked Alicia's new doctor if she was up to any shocking news and the middle aged doctor agreed her patient could handle this particular content of the burning news. "She should be able to handle news like that, but I still don't want the other details for another month," the doctor warned again.
Two mornings later, he got up the courage and was as nervous as when he told her about his marriage, and didn't want to be the cause of any setback. He and Cayman discussed telling her first and Cayman agreed it was her turn to be included first. He took a deep breath. "Alicia, Cayman is pregnant." He stopped and waited for her to respond.
Wash took her time processing the information. "Why are you alone? Most people who have good news want to share it together."
Apollo was stumped at her response, not a normal one he was sure. "We didn't know how you'd take it."
"Like when you got married?"
He thought about her response. "Not quite. This time we didn't want to upset you and cause a medical setback."
"I would like to be treated normal, just like you treat Cayman's sons. As long as you treat me different, I feel like I don't belong, both as your daughter and any part of Cayman's family."
He digested what she said and realized once again he had singled her out for atypical treatment. "Sorry, won't happen again. What do you think about what I just said?"
"I'm sure it'll happen again." She knew what he wanted, but her sly humor wouldn't let her be upfront.
He turned his impenetrable gaze on her. "Okay, no more treating you special. I didn't see it coming and didn't handle the news well." He ran a hand across the back of his neck. "I can't say as I want it, but don't have a choice this late in the game."
"You didn't tell that to Cayman did you?"
"I did, then bought her roses." He smiled and looked down at his shoes. "Alicia, I'm too old to start another family."
"Lots of men have kids at your age. What did we celebrate in Somalia? your forty-ninth." She teased him back then at only having one year left in his forties and he better make the most of it.
"I can't pawn it off on you can I?" He raised his gaze back up to her.
"Nope, you play, you pay."
He told Cayman to stop treating her special, as that was the problem. "Just treat her like one of your boys and we'll all get along better. She's okay. We're the ones who are acting different, and she refused to take the baby," he joked.
Cayman shook her head at him. "You still have months to get used to the idea. I want a daughter."
"Well, it better be a boy. Two daughters would do me in."
Another month passed with no word from Taylor. Apollo again reiterated that he was still on vacation. She was getting restless and felt cutoff. A surprise visit from General Phibrick was welcome as so far she'd been restricted to her father, Cayman and the hospital help, who wouldn't answer her questions or tell her much of what was going on around the base. She was mobile now, and sitting in a chair reading when he visited her late that night.
"Lieutenant, I had my spies out today. I had to wait for your father and stepmother to vacate so I could talk to you uninterrupted." He sat in a chair close to hers.
"Sir, I'm told tomorrow I start rehab and in a few days will be released. Dad insists I move in with him, but I don't know, what with Cayman being pregnant and all. The last thing they need is her taking care of me when she needs her rest."
"She fought me tooth and nail when I put her on maternity duty." He held a plexpad in his hand. "I have here a complete, uncensored detail of what happened to your unit. It'll take hours to watch, but I want it done before tomorrow. I'm sending your father to another fire that needs to be put out in a few days, but he's throwing a fit at leaving with a pregnant wife and injured daughter. If you move in with Cayman, he'll feel better about being gone, so give it serious thought for his sake. I don't need him distracted right now." Philbrick handed her the pad and left.
Alone, she looked at the thin pad, knowing the missing holes in her memory would be filled in and it wouldn't be pretty. With a sigh of resignation she hit the button.
Nathaniel's face appeared and he was somber and sad. "Wash, I'm the preamble to a horror show. The General asked me to record the beginning. It's my last act before I take Lucas and leave for who knows how long or where. I'll see you when we return, but I honestly don't know when. The unit is on stand down and will be recalled when I get home. Words can't describe how I feel about you cheating death and when you see the vids, you'll understand why. You're more important to me now than ever. Don't leave me right now, Wash, either in death or physically. Emotionally I wouldn't be able to handle it. You're one of the stabilizing forces for me now."
Her father poked his head in her room to scope the situation before entering. He found her sleeping, not exactly in bed, but reclining on top with the plexpad by her side. He wanted to deck Philbrick for not telling him he was going to give it to her without him present to assist her through the pain of learning the truth. Taking the pad, he set it on the table and sat down to wait. After a few minutes, he picked it up and started from the beginning with a sound piece in his ear.
"Where are you up to?" He lifted his head to see his daughter was sitting on the edge of the bed. Hours had passed.
"The funeral. It was beautiful and Taylor did a wonderful job, didn't he?"
"Sorry I missed it."
"Now you know why you were kept in the dark so long. You lost over sixty percent of your unit and all but thirty-six civilians not counting the only intact family to make it out, Alex and Debora. How are you taking it?"
"I'm numb. It'll take time for it all to sink in. I still can't believe Ayani is dead."
"Taylor's taking it about as well as I took your mother's death. He'll get over it, but it'll take a long time."
The communication unit on the wall chimed so Wash aimed the remote and smiled at her father. He'd been gone two months and calls home were sporadic. He left three days after she moved into their home and gave her a lecture on doing what Cayman said and rest so as not to be put back in the hospital. Cayman proved to be an excellent caretaker and they got along just fine, considering they were two women in the same house. Cayman entered from the kitchen and settled by Alicia. "That's what I needed to see, my girls." He smiled and continued, "We've been fighting guerillas in the jungle for weeks now, slippery bastards. We should leave and drop a bomb and end this nonsense so I can come home. Now, tell me everything I've missed this week and leave nothing out."
Cayman and Alicia exchanged amused glances and looked back to him. Wash started catching him up on her recovery and light house duty, which he frowned at. She said she was back in muscle training and on course to resume duties anytime. Cayman started telling him about her light six hour work days and started on how the baby and she were doing when the door chime sounded, so Wash got up to answer it. Her father noticed she wasn't moving fast yet.
Wash opened the door to Nathaniel. He smiled and stepped inside and hugged her, careful of the healing wounds. They looked at each other not sure what to say. Finally, Wash stated, "Dad's on the vid. Come, say hi." She led the way to the living room.
Apollo saw Cayman look to a place he couldn't see, smile and hold her hand out. Nathaniel entered the monitor's range and took Cayman's outstretched hand, leaned over and they exchanged a smooch to their cheeks. Dropping beside her, he grinned into the screen. "I'm here with two beautiful women and nothing you can do about it."
Wash set on the edge of a chair just inside the screen area and listened.
"You just gave me the determination to flush these rats out and come home to defend my women now that you've returned. You back to work?"
Nathaniel shook his head. "I'll check in tomorrow and start recalling the unit. Four months should be enough for the families to be glad to see them out of the house." He looked at Wash. "You able to return to work tomorrow, Wash?"
"I'll go to the doctor and see if I get clearance for light duty in the morning. I'm ready to get out of the house."
"I'm not ready for you to return to work," Apollo was heard on the screen.
"Why not, Dad?" Alicia turned her attention back to him.
"I want you healed more. Four months isn't enough for what you went through." He was feeling helpless to control the situation, being stuck in Laos.
"Apollo, I think she's ready to do a few hours a day, light duty," Cayman injected as she flashed Alicia a smile.
"I'll make sure she doesn't lift anything heavier than a stylus." Nathaniel wanted to put his team back together and having his second by his side was important to him.
"I hold you responsible, Taylor," he finally growled, clearly not happy.
Nathaniel put an arm around Cayman's shoulder. "Anything else you need me to be responsible for." His grin said exactly what he was referring to.
Apollo lightened up. "No, I already knocked that one up." He saw the grin of remembrance and Nathaniel hugged Cayman again.
"What about the other one?" Nathaniel looked for a moment like his old self.
"The old maid?" Apollo fought to keep his expression neutral. He started to say something else when a commotion whipped his head to the side. "Fuckin damnation, gotta go," and the screen went blank.
Nathaniel smiled across the room at Wash. "Are you going to have a baby sister or brother?"
"If Dad has his way, a brother." She looked at Cayman. "And do we have to keep calling it an it?"
"We do. Your father and I have a bet and you know how I hate to lose. Nathaniel, have you eaten? Dinner is in the oven and ready." She stood.
"Why do you think I showed up when I did? Was hoping for food." He stood and followed the women to the kitchen.
It was an enjoyable supper, sitting at the intimate kitchen table instead of in the formal dining room. They caught up and he told them that Lucas was in college and working on the Hope Plaza Project on the side, one of the reasons they came home. He'd spent the past several days getting Lucas settled in his small apartment at the University of Chicago under the direction of a professor he was understudying with. It was getting late and he hadn't left so Cayman figured he wanted time alone with Alicia and on the truthful excuse, the baby was making her tired, she went to bed leaving them alone.
Pointing to her stomach area, he asked, "Can I see?"
She shook her head. "It's ugly. The last step will be cosmetic, but not for a long time yet. I have to completely heal and rebuild my stomach muscles, which I might add, got cut up pretty badly." They were sitting across from each other, he on the sofa and she in a chair. "Sorry to hear about Ayani. I miss her."
He looked sad. "Yeah, totally unexpected. Did you hear what the government did? Lucas and I were in Australia when we saw it on the news."
"It monopolized the news for days, as everyone had to have a say, but I didn't care. We put so much in that country, just to have them throw it back in our face and dare us to send more troops. I guess we showed them what we are capable of." And that was her take on the bombs dropped on Somalia.
"I want you to be the first to know, I spoke with General Philbrick and he's taking us off active duty. We're being training to go to the past if they find it can sustain life. The plan is to start a colony, and scientist and engineers have been working for a few years now to make it happen. They are designing a probe to go through the fissure. Basically, we are going back to school. We need to learn everything. You up to it?"
Wash looked intently at him with her large ebony eyes. "Just try and go without me." She enjoyed watching her statement draw a smile from him. She knew he didn't smile enough since Ayani.
"I stopped by my place and stayed there for all of ten minutes before the walls closed in; too many ghosts. I was hoping to camp on the couch tonight."
"You can stay as long as you like. Cayman said you got the bedroom for the first week before you left." She felt their old relationship reestablishing and he was opening up to her beyond generic statements.
"I may have to move. I still have to sort through all Ayani's belongings and put some things away for Lucas. Too hard yet." He didn't want to face that day. "I never unpacked the boxes sent home from Somalia. Lucas and I grabbed a few things and left two days after the funeral. I stopped to see you and you were awake, but incoherent."
"I remember you being there, just couldn't process what you said. I haven't been to my place either. Cayman sorted through the bags and brought what I needed here. Do you have a bag?" She was getting tired again and needed to take a pain pill and lie down.
"Be right back." He left while she took a pillow and blanket from her closet.
She was in the kitchen when he returned. He heard her closing a cupboard door and went to see what she was doing. "I was hoping you were finding desert for us." He watched her swallow a small white pill.
Pointing to the freezer unit, she rose to his suggestion. "Ice cream is behind that door. I'm in pain and need to get off my feet."
"Are you going to be able to come in tomorrow?" He fished a tub from the freezer.
"I can do a few hours, but if I'm sitting up too long, I start to hurt," she admitted.
"I'll have a cot set up in your office. You lie down if you need to. I'll take my responsibility seriously so your father doesn't beat the crap out of me." He put a container of vanilla on the table. "Sure you don't want some?"
"I'll take a spoonful of yours and off to bed." She grabbed a small spoon and dug a portion from his bowl.
Five days later he was still on the couch at night. Cayman and Alicia were starting to expect him for dinner and the night. His bag was in Wash's room and pulled out when he got ready for bed.
"Nathaniel, I'm washing tomorrow. If you have anything, throw it in the basket in the bathroom," Cayman called from the kitchen.
"I can wash my own clothes," Nathaniel muttered to Wash. She was lying on the couch and they were watching the news on the large vid screen.
"I have to do a load. I put my foot down at Cayman doing my laundry. Put yours in the basket in my room if you want. You'll get a bill from me of course." She glanced at him to catch his smile.
Nathaniel came awake and reached for his pistol. He heard the lock clicking. Keeping his head cranked around, he heard footsteps and then they stopped. "You're better than a watch dog." The deep voice of Apollo teased him.
Sliding his pistol back under his pillow, he was happy Apollo was home safe. "Just keep the animal noises down." He smiled when he heard the mumbled asshole and the bedroom door closing. It was late when Apollo came home and everyone was asleep.
He and Wash was eating breakfast when Apollo wandered into the kitchen. Cayman hadn't yet put in an appearance.
"Daddy." Alicia jumped up and gave him a hug, which he returned, pulling her close for a hard hug.
"Not hurting you, am I?" He remembered to ask.
"No."
He released her in favor of coffee. Sitting, he looked at Nathaniel. "So they are planning to send you to the past and you plan on taking my daughter with you." It wasn't a question, just a cold hard fact that he didn't like.
"It's in the early planning stages. They still don't know if it can be done, but we are starting training soon. They're planning on a colony and me leading it."
Apollo changed the subject and looked back at Alicia. "Happy Birthday, Baby."
"Thank you."
Nathaniel looked at her dumbfounded. He had forgotten.
"What are you planning on doing today?"
"Going with the Commander to work, then coming home."
"Thought you got your birthday off?" He looked at Nathaniel.
"Take today off, Wash, I insist," Nathaniel ordered.
"Not today, there is a speaker coming in I want to hear. Besides, I was off for three months. It's good to do something again," she vetoed his order.
"Want to go out to dinner?" Her father offered.
She shook her head. "By afternoon I'm starting to hurt, so I really don't want to celebrate out this year."
"Okay, but we'll make a nice supper for you."
Alicia smiled at him. "That sounds wonderful. Is Cayman going in today?"
Apollo shook his head, "No, as soon as you clear out I'm going to wake her. She didn't have bad morning sickness, but is sleeping a lot longer than normal."
"Let her sleep. I'm sure you woke her last night when you came in." Nathaniel grinned.
"I wish. I couldn't get her to move off my side of the bed. I'm not even sure she's aware I'm home."
"How come you're home so soon?" Alicia wondered.
"That disruption last time I talked to you was the leader trying to sneak into camp and steal food. After hanging upside down for a couple days, he decided to turn his merry band of bandits over to us. Could have had something to do with that python wrapping around his body, but anyway, we raided and rounded the guerrillas up for the locals."
"You didn't tell anyone you were coming home. We could have met you." Alicia would have been willing.
"No, I told my people to keep it quiet as we'd be getting home late. No since rousting little kids out that late." He watched Nathaniel stand and take his plate and cup to the sink. Alicia was done, but before she could stand, her father grabbed her utensils and dumped them for Nathaniel to rinse off.
"What can your stomach handle for food?" Her father queried.
"Nothing spicy. Other than that, I can eat anything, especially a chocolate cake with ice cream. And you know the doctor said ice cream was good for my stomach." She smiled sweetly at her father.
"I get the hint, cake it is. I'll find something you don't get every day for supper." He helped her up and hugged her once more before she and Nathaniel left.
Nathaniel made sure she was home early and knew she was hurting, but she insisted on doing stretching exercises in the privacy of her office before leaving. Cayman and Apollo were gone and Nathaniel asked Wash what she needed.
"To lie down. I get the sofa." She kicked her boots off and settled on the couch, head on his pillow.
"Sorry I forgot your birthday, Wash." He settled in a chair.
"I'm surprised you remember your own name yet. Don't worry about it." She closed her eyes hand massaging her abdomen.
"What do you want for your birthday?"
"I got my present. Dad is home, that's more than enough." She frowned as the muscles were tight and scars tissue pronounced.
"Are you hurting bad?" He never took his eyes off her ministrations to her stomach with her fingers.
"Nothing time and effort won't fix." Her hand stopped moving.
"I'm going out. Be back for supper." He left to find something to buy her.
Wandering through the shops, Nathaniel acknowledged Ayani always did the gift shopping for people. He struggled to buy for his wife, but to buy for another woman; he was out of his league. He stopped in front of a black leather jacket. Hers had gotten ruined in Somalia with her shooting. This one was short like she preferred. Buying it, he paid extra for wrapping. He hoped she liked it, he did.
Cayman and Apollo were home and Cayman was cooking something that smelled wonderful when he got back. He noticed a couple packages brightly wrapped on the dining room table and added his to the pile. A knock sounded at the front door, and since he was closest, he answered. Cayman's sons, Darrell and Barry were standing there.
"Sir," they said at the same time and stiffened to attention.
"Not tonight, soldiers." He stepped aside as they entered, both carrying beer.
Alicia greeted her stepbrothers as they entered the kitchen to kiss their mother. Then after a pause, Barry kissed Alicia on the cheek and wished her happy birthday closely followed by the younger brother. They finally got to meet her when she was moved to Apollo's home. After that, they'd been over many times in the two months she'd been convalescing at the residence. They played games with her while she rested and she found she liked them. In addition, with all being soldiers they had much in common.
"So, Alicia, any bets on our little sibling's sex?"
"What are you guys placing your money on?" She was game.
"We think it's going to be another sister," Darrell replied while Barry nodded.
"I don't think Dad is capable of producing two girls, so what are we betting?" She accepted a beer and so did Nathaniel as he sat down beside her.
"I know, the loser has to buy escort services for the winners, and by winners," Darrell pointed to his brother and himself, "I mean that in plural." He grinned.
"What happened to just asking a woman out?" Cayman asked from the stove.
"After Somalia, it's like we have the plague," Barry complained. "Nobody wants to date a soldier who was over there. You'd think it was us who dropped those bombs." He stopped suddenly and looked at Commander Taylor. "Sorry, Commander, I was talking out of turn."
Nathaniel shrugged. He'd heard the rumors that killing thousands of people was considered genocide in retaliation for a small massacre. He would have to toughen up to survive. Turning to Wash who was looking at him, he forced a smile. "And if you win, what do you want ordered up?"
The awkward moment passed and Wash responded. "Someone who's blind with the mess those butchers left of my body." She looked at her stepbrothers. "How about something realistic like expensive dinner with the best wine we can afford."
They looked at each other, reached across the table and grabbed her hand one by one.
Alicia looked up at her father, who entered quietly while they were talking. "Dad, what's your bet with Cayman?"
He smiled. "Something so obscene, you're all too young to know about it." That brought laughs all around.
Wash opened her gifts and held up a short white babydoll nightgown with matching panties. "Cayman, this is lovely."
"There's another one." Alicia looked further in the package and pulled out a bright red one with matching panties. "My hope is you'll find someone to wear those for," Cayman added.
"You can wear them for me," Barry offered with a laugh.
"You're too young to see a woman in these," Wash joked. He was three years younger than her while Darrell five.
"I need to learn sometime," he whined.
Opening the jacket, she jumped up and put it on. "I love it. Thank you, Nathaniel. You didn't have to get me anything."
"Oh right," Barry complained. "You model for him, but not for me." He laughed as Wash twirled in a circle.
On impulse, she gave Nathaniel a hug and bright smile.
She opened another package from her father and Cayman. "Oh wow." She pulled out a new miniplex.
"That's a civilian model, best on the market, does everything. If they send you far away from us, I expect lots of vids and updates." Apollo still hoped they wouldn't go.
"You got it." She passed it around to admiring men.
"I want one of these," Nathaniel requested while it was his turn to hold it. "Where did you get it?"
"I ordered it from a corporation who makes them for rich clients, The Greenwich Corporation."
Nathaniel nodded. He'd heard of them and their high-tech toys. They even made military weapons and all their surveillance equipment. The contract for the military didn't provide for the luxury of highest-tech toys, just serviceable devices.
The night wound down and the boys left back to their own units after a fun evening as a family. Alicia took her gifts to her room and decided to try on the red nightie and matching panties. She loved the way it looked on her. A knock at the door made her call out who was on the other side.
"Cayman."
"Come in and shut the door." She was looking in the full length mirror when Cayman entered.
"That does look good on you. Perfect color with your dark hair and eyes. I have a blue one of the same design that matches my eyes."
"I'm not waiting to wear it for a man. With my scars, that'll probably never happen." She pointed to the marks on her legs.
"Those can have cosmetic surgery and will be reduced to a small mark. I had the one on my arm taken care of and look," Cayman held her arm out. Wash looked at the two marks, barely noticeable on each side of the arm.
"I'll get the surgery. It's going to take several to fix all these," and she pulled the hem up exposing her abdomen and its myriad of scars, both from the bullet holes and then the three surgeries to repair the damage.
Cayman examined her closely. "I know someone in New York City Dome who specializes in repairing that kind of scaring. He had a sister in the military and she got injured and burned severely. He went to medical school just to learn how to repair damage most doctors won't touch. I'll find his contact info and send it to your plexpad."
Alicia nodded. "I'd like that. I feel like Frankenstein's monster right now."
Another knock at the door and Apollo called, "What are you two up to in there?"
"Just talking, we'll be out in a minute," Cayman called back.
Alicia pulled her robe on and the women went to the living room. Nathaniel noticed Wash had shed her clothes and wondered if she had one of the nighties on under her robe. Going to the kitchen, she grabbed a pill and water and returned to the others.
"Thanks for a great birthday, guys." Alicia started to go to her bedroom when Nathaniel spoke.
"I'm looking for another place to live tomorrow. Since it's our day off, you want to come?"
Alicia glanced back at him. "Sure." She felt an emptiness that soon he'd not be near her on his off hours and continued on to bed.
"You don't have to give up the couch so soon," Apollo told him.
"I need to find a place for when Lucas comes to visit, which will be soon as he gets a week off for the Winter Solstice." It was the state holiday for over a hundred years after Christmas had been outlawed, but the people called for a holiday. Gifts were not exchanged, but food and partying was still the norm.
"It's a lonely life. I spent years alone with Alicia at school. It's not all that it's cracked up to be. I like being with someone. I realize it's too soon, but don't close yourself off too long. In the meantime, keep busy."
"If we go to the past, I'll be kept more than busy."