A/N: uploading the rest of this fic in bulk!
Scars - Part 14
"I have no idea where you find your energy to walk so far! And in this heat! My feet feel like they're about to fall off, and that's before I twisted my ankle!" Serena grunted and exhaled a dramatic sigh as she flopped onto a chair, swiping away the dribbles of sweat from her forehead.
"This is nothing; years out in Afghanistan and Iraq have acclimatised me to the heat and humidity. Rain and the British winter, not so much." Bernie's nose curled at the thought of the depressive and gloomy days that accompanied the coldest season; endless bleak skies, miserable and persistent raindrops, and layers of thick clothing.
Bernie's cheeks were flushed with a healthy glow, radiance beaming from her exposed skin. A dewy finish that was so natural. The soaring temperatures hadn't bothered her, unlike many of the other budding tourists, including Serena.
"I don't know how you do it!" A huffed exclamation as she frantically wafted a leaflet in front of her like a makeshift fan, "I thought I walked quite a lot at work during a day. It must be the heat, yes it is the heat!" The brunette concluded with a pant.
"You have become too habituated to air conditioning, Ms Campbell!" She couldn't deny that the invention of cooling systems wasn't a wonderful thing, but it did generate additional suffering when it was absent. Another luxury.
"I beg to differ. I have adapted to the normality of cold and rain that the British climate so generously graces us with!" Sharp and pointed, she countered abruptly and exhaled another grumble and complaint, "I'm too hot!"
Serena gulped down the chilled water. Her skin had flushed a deep red; perhaps representing a sunburnt tomato. Droplets of perspire glazed her skin in a thin layer, beads of sweat tumbling from her forehead. The garments of clothing had practically fused to her body, sticky and clingy; not a flattering look. And the moisture had caused her hair to dampen and flop flat against her head.
"Have you never holidayed to a hot country before?"
"Yes." A simple nod, "However, lounging by the poolside with a healthy glass of shiraz is immensely different to traipsing around cities visiting landmarks and attractions!"
"But isn't that what visiting foreign countries is all about? Seeing the sights and visiting famous spots. Learning and living their magnificent cultures!" The blonde's voice bubbled with a zealous pleasure and delight, her cocoa eyes twinkling with a similar sparkle.
"I prefer to relax personally."
"I didn't hear you complaining about that huge bottle of shiraz that accompanied your lunch. In the heart of Lisbon." Bernie wiggled her eyebrows, a dry smirk of prevail adopting her features as she perched on the chair by the fancy desk.
The cruise ship had docked at the first of many stops throughout the trip. The pair had joined several of other passengers in accepting the opportunity to look around some different cities.
Serena grumbled irritably again, choosing to hastily change the subject, "I'm going for a shower." She tugged at her sticky clothing, hauling herself to her feet and disappeared into the bathroom with a slight limp.
The faint scent of rich coconut wafted through the suite when the general surgeon reemerged. Hovering and dispersing through the air space like a breeze. Serena was refreshed and satisfied. She had cooled down significantly, though her cheeks were still blushed with a rosy pink.
"That is so much better." Serena breathed out a content sigh, hydrating herself with more water. She paused. Eyes swivelling, they lingered on the blonde and her cordial mood twisted.
Her laptop was open on the desk. A lavish measure of scotch in a tumbler next to the keyboard, a vague outline of lip prints in chapstick smudged on the rim. Bernie's elbows were propped on the polished glass surface, head in her hands with her fingertips clawed into her fringe.
"Bernie?"
Serena briefly scanned the computer screen. Establishing it was an email from her lawyer regarding the divorce was all she was able to learn before the army medic snapped the lid shut in an angered haste. She studied the blonde fleetingly, noting how the twinkle of spirit that dazzled her eyes had dulled with a wrenching dismay.
"The divorce. Marcus cranking up the pressure again?"
"No. Well, yes. Or rather, it's the kids this time actually. Though I'm sure he's behind it." The blonde sighed deeply, yanking her hand through her tousled curls and gritted her teeth with fury. Watching her friend give an encouraging nod, she continued. "He's got them to write statements supporting his case! As if this isn't difficult enough. He had no right to get them involved. I'm their mother!" Her laugh was bitter and she scoffed.
A sharp wince, "Ouch."
"A chapter and verse on my failings as a wife and mother." Bernie's tone was resentful, and she shook her head and clenched her fists, "I tried my best. I do love them. This is such a mess."
The general surgeon blew out a breath, rubbing her temples momentarily. She still disagreed with Bernie's deceit and what she had done, but she had to sympathise with the children involved. It was impossible to imagine her own feelings if her ex husband had attempted to manipulate her daughter against her. "Of course you do. Why don't you try and talk to them?"
With a shake of her head, she gulped down the whiskey. "No point. They have made it quite clear that they don't want to talk to me again." Her eyes drifted as her voice wavered with emotion, emphasising the hurt silent shredding her heart.
"Give them time to calm down. It'll blow over. You don't want it turning into a stand-off of the lifelong variety, anyway."
"Already there. This feels like the start of something long and painful. Marcus always spoilt them while I was on tour. It paid off for him. This must just be my payback. How bitter." Bernie glanced out towards the rippling ocean, blinking away the coat of gloss that glistened across her wide pupils.
Serena sloshed some more scotch into two doubles, "It'll be okay." The words were cliche but all she could do for uncertain reassurance, "Tomorrow we will do something to try and take your mind off things and get you to relax. I need to rest my ankle also. I was thinking perhaps a spot of yoga?"
Eyebrows puckered and stitched together, the blonde thanked her for the additional whiskey, "Yoga?!"
"Yoga is actually very therapeutic, Bern."