Thanks for the reviews and thanks to eljay for the Beta
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Harper watched as Dylan indicated to Rommie that she should leave a flexi for harper to read and write on and the quietly slipped from the room. He hadn't moved an inch since his father had embraced him. He wasn't sure what to think. As he entered Rommie told him to go to his father. His father was nowhere in the room. But the man in the room was not unfamiliar to him it was Uncle Sam. He was careful to block part of his thoughts from Rommie, but she had caught on to his confusion. She must have just chalked it up to nervousness, or something. Hell he was confused. Harper stood in the centre of the room shaking with shock. First his hearing, then Beka, now this… he felt dizzy.
His Uncle Sam wasn't a good man, but Mom always told him that Uncle Sam had a good heart it was just buried with clutter. Uncle Sam had come to visit them a couple of times during his youth. He could remember clearly the arguments between his parents and this man. Sam was his mother's older brother, who had long ago decided that working for the Nietzcheans was the best way off the planet. Sam ran 'business operations' for the Ubers. Though Seamus was really never sure what that meant. Sure pissed off his mom and pop off though. Mom always said, though, family was family and in the end you couldn't change it, just accept it. Seamus had trouble accepting it though. Once Uncle Sam promised Fergus a cookie if he would go and deliver a message for him. Fergus did; he also got chased by a pack of dogs, got hit on by the guy he had delivered the message to, and well he never did get a cookie. That aside, Uncle Sam was also a piece of home. A piece of what he lost… a place that seemed to only live in is dreams now, taking on a very surreal quality. But there was nothing surreal about the man in front of him. He was solid and very, very real.
Uncle Sam waved his arms animatedly as he spoke, and he stared at the older man barely blinking. Sam reached forward pulling him towards the desk where Rommie left the flexi. Typing furiously for a minute Sam entered information in to the flexi that waved it at harper.
Thanks for playing along kiddo! I'm trying to play it low. I've been using your father's name off and on; he had a good rep…and well since he didn't need it anymore… I ran in to this High Guard guy one day in a routine check and he said my name was on a list for something. Scared the crap out me. I hate dealing with that sort, as you know. Anyways turned out they found my long-lost son. What a crock huh, big army like that and they didn't even have death records for your pa, useless twits. But I decided to come along, I got plans and we're family after all.
Harper read it twice before it really sunk in. He fingered the edge of the flexi. He felt his face screw up, but he couldn't hold back the tears and he swiped at them annoyed. He looked at Uncle Sam. "We don't know he's dead."
Uncle Sam winced, either from the words or from the volume, it was hard to tell, but he grabbed the flexi back and typed again this time it was short and succinct.
I buried them both, behind your house… you Mom too. I thought you knew and that's why you were gone.
Harper stared at the words for more than a few minutes, until they started to blur. He felt his mouth open with a soundless sob and he leaned forward to hide his face. How many times could he lose them? When would it quit hurting?
Sam pulled him against his shoulder and rocked back and forth gently like he was a little kid. Seamus melted in to his arms wrapping his fingers into the older man's shirt. Uncle Sam was the only little bit of home he had left and his new life with Beka was all but destroyed with his latest actions. "Take me away…. Please, take me away…. " He tried to mumble in to his Uncle's shoulder not even sure if the words he spoke made sense.
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Rommie watched as the Captain paced outside his briefing room. They both stood waiting for the two Harpers to finish talking.
Dylan was a patient man, or so he thought, but it certainly was growing thin. "It's been nearly an hour. What do you think they are doing?"
Rommie shrugged, "Privacy mode was engaged but they have nearly four years to catch up on."
Dylan stopped pacing and sighed running a hand through his hair. "I know I'm just…"
"Worried?" Smiled Rommie knowingly.
"Concerned." Dylan finished. "It's been a long week."
The two stood in companionable silence for a few moments more before the door of the briefing room hissed open and Sam Harper stepped out.
"He's resting," Sam whispered. "I think all this commotion wore him out so he's taking a nap on one of your benches. I hope that's okay?"
Rommie smiled kindly and stepped past, "I'll just check on him."
Sam studied the floor, and let out a small nervous laugh. "Quite the day."
Dylan let out the breath he was holding, "I can't imagine how stressful this has been for the both of you."
"Yes, you can."
"Excuse me?"
Sam met his eyes, "You care for my boy, Captain; it's obvious."
Dylan nodded, "He's become an important part of my crew; but more than that... He thought he lost you and his mother; we've done our best to help him move on, find his own way."
"Well, Dylan, and I thank you for that, and for giving him a home, and a life away from Earth… something we could have never offered him before. But Seamus has asked me to take him with me when I go. He was quite adamant about that. You've treated him well and I'll be eternally grateful for that, but at the moment he's a mess. And I can't see how leaving him here will do him a lick of good. He's been through too much; life on a starship is no place for a boy his age. He always loved space, and fixing things… and I can't repay you for giving him that opportunity. But, right now I need to fix him, us… my family. I'm sorry Captain but I need to do what's best for my boy. I'm going to find him a proper medical facility; we're going to start a new life… m-my wife would have wanted us to stick together. I thank you for your hospitality but we'll be leaving in the morning." Sam stepped past hurriedly obviously trying to control his emotions.
Dylan watched him go, stunned. What could he do.. This was Harper's father after all.
Rommie stepped out of the room to stand beside him. "He's fine, exhausted emotionally and physically, but fine."
"Did you hear?"
Rommie nodded, swiping an errant tear from her eye. "I don't like this."
Dylan nodded, "Neither do I, Rommie, neither do I. But I don't think we have much choice. Maybe he's right, maybe it's for the best. Harper needs a proper home."
Dylan walked away slowly shoulders weighed down by the weight of the world. He thought he heard Rommie whisper but he couldn't be sure… "He already had one."
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It was late, very late… but he needed to say good-bye. Seamus crept in to the darkened med bay. He tried to be analytical about it; he needed to be able to make sense of it all. His life on Andromeda, his relationship with Beka, the explosion, his hearing, Uncle Sam…. It was all a whirlwind in his mind and if he wasn't careful he would be swept away by it again. So he did what gave him comfort… he studied, watched and learned the machines… the one that kept his best friend alive…. But that last part wasn't something he could deal with so he pushed it away.
After analyzing the functions of all the boxes attached to the pole he felt calm enough to do what he had to do. "Beka, it's me Seamus." He scratched his head with his casted arm. Did his words sound funny? Was he making sense? Was he too loud? Too quiet… could she even hear him? Once again he pushed away the thoughts, trying to empty his mind. He continued on, unsure of what else to do. "Well any ways… my Unc…erm, my father… he's here. I should be happy I guess, but… and you're probably glad to know I'll be going. I know you hate me now, I mean you got to… if I hadn't been distracted, stoned… I messed up big time. Rommie says she's still looking into what happened but I already know. I did something stupid, she just doesn't want to tell me. I think if we just analyzed the bomb spray trajectory it would be obvious what type of explosion it was. I'm sure she already thought of that too… I don't know why she is stalling…" Okay now he was getting off topic, it was just so damned hard to think straight lately. And it was weird…the whole damn thing. Talking to a person who probably can't hear you and you can't even hear yourself.
He fidgeted with the edge of her blanket. "I'll miss you … a lot… I'll miss everyone. But I thought you should know that I'll miss you the most, even if you hate me. I'm sorry, I'm sorry for everything. I hope you get better, I really do. I appreciate all you did for me, but I guess I was just impossible to save. But you did your best and I really appreciated everything, even if I didn't always act like I did." He sighed, "Well this is it then, I guess."
He paused a moment to take another breath and his eyes watched her monitors steady rhythms. He didn't dare look at her face at the moment, or her hands. The hands that offered him apples, handed him tools, held him when he was scared … He pushed it away, but it was getting harder... he needed to wrap this up, but he was procrastinating and he wasn't sure why.
He took a step back away from her bed, turning away, unable to face her even to say good bye. "I miss hearing a lot of things at the moment, but I can still hear your voice in my head. So I'm going to hold on to that, if that's okay with you. All right, Boss… Beka, I'm going now… I love you."
And he fled.
In his absence he would miss a lot of things, small minute, but important things… his bunk, his tools…a weak and pale hand reaching out for him unseen in the darkness, or maybe in spite of it.
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man I'm getting depressed ….. Anyone up for a bit of action? Stay tuned