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Chapter 13 – The Admiral's Orders

Karen woke up that morning and thought seriously about just returning to bed. She didn't know if she could face another day without Samuel. She lay back on the pillows and tapped the photo album to life that Arles had given to her the night before. She had looked through the photos until the sun had started to come up. There were so many that had made her heart ache even worse than it had before. She had also found a password protected area of images. She couldn't help but wonder what was in there.

The picture that had became her favorite, was one of Samuel wearing a New York Yankees cap and standing next to a river. He was smiling at whoever was taking the photo as he wore a life vest, about to go rafting. She wiped her tears as she lied to herself that he was simply back on Caihiri on vacation, or as he called it, holiday.

She closed her eyes and sighed. She had done so much thinking the night before. Unable to sleep until the dawn, it was now nearly lunch. She remembered some of the things she had promised herself. One being that she would get right up, and get dressed. Enough of his lying around and being sad.

It was cooler today than usual in Florida. She slipped on a pair of jeans, a pink tank top, and a long sleeved blouse. She wore her hair down around her face.

She walked downstairs to the kitchen to find Arles sitting at the kitchen table speaking to the Lieutenant and Anne. Both the Lieutenant and Arles wore shorts and t-shirts with their trainers while they sipped their tea.

Anne smiled at Karen and kissed her cheek. "Well, there you are. Did you get some sleep?"

She put her hands in her pockets. "A little."

Arles stood up and pulled a chair out for her. "I'll get some coffee for you."

She sat down and thanked him.

The Lieutenant took her hand in his. "Arles told us you had trouble sleeping last night."

"My mind, just wouldn't turn off."

He nodded, "Yeah. I suppose you had a lot to think about."

She grinned, "Are you drinking tea, Dad?"

He sat back and laughed, "Arles has introduced me to it. It's really good."

Arles sat Karen's coffee in front of her and sat back down. "I've converted an American!" He teased.

She sipped her coffee and smiled. "You are so silly."

He drummed his knuckles on the tabletop.

The Lieutenant smiled, "Arles here, got up and went to do PT with me and half the base this morning. I'm impressed."

"This morning?" Karen asked. "Did you even sleep?"

Arles grinned at her. "Driven by caffeine."

"Daddy, you drove to Jacksonville to do that?" She asked.

"No. He popped us over there. I told him I didn't think he could keep up with my guys."

She looked back at Arles, "How did you do?"

"Ran circles around them." He smiled. "Papa will be very proud."

The Lieutenant sipped his tea. "As he should be."

Anne leaned on the cabinet. "You know, Arles. I have a friend with a daughter-"

He shook his head. "Oh, no. Thank you, Anne. I'm not into that."

"What?" Karen asked. "Fix-ups or just girls?"

"Just….any of that. No, thanks."

"You went out with Emily. My roommate."

"Well, anyway. Karen, how did you sleep?" Arles asked.

"So, we're not talking about this-"

"Nope." He insisted.

The Lieutenant chuckled and sipped his tea. "That's his business, ladies. Leave the man, alone."

Arles crossed his arms. "Thank you. So, Karen."

She sat down her coffee, "Well. I doubt any of you will agree with this, but I'm calling the university and dropping my classes today."

Arles shook his head. "No. You're not doing that!"

Anne joined them at the table. "Karen! It's important. How will that look with this grant you are in line for?"

"How will it look if I can't make it ten minutes through a class without becoming hysterical? It's clear I'm not going to do my best work and if I drop these classes now, it doesn't affect my GPA."

"What's a GPA?" Arles asked.

The Lieutenant sat down his tea. "Grade Point Average. Karen, are you sure about this?"

"Dad. We don't know when he's coming home. And even if he came back today, we don't know what that's going to mean. I don't know what the next few weeks are going to look like for me. I think this is the wisest decision in this case. I can always return to school, when….life…makes more sense."

The Lieutenant nodded. "Umm."

Arles rubbed his chin. "I don't think Sam would approve of this-"

"Samuel would tell me to make my own choice. I know that's what he would say. And I don't wish to be rude, but I'm not asking for anyone's advice on this. I'm informing you that I've made this decision."

The Lieutenant rose his eyebrows. "So, this is an order? Admiral?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "Daddy."

He took her hand in his and kissed it. "I think it's a very good idea."

"John!" Anne insisted.

"She's thought this through, and she's right. I find it a responsible decision. Besides the Admiral outranks any of us sitting at this table."

Karen managed to laugh at her Dad. "You have always called me that."

He smiled proudly, "Admiral Mermaid. Make sure this won't mess up your other grants."

She shook her head. "I've already looked into it when I was thinking about dropping Latin, earlier. It's alright."

Arles rubbed his chin. "Well, I'll have to trust you on this. I really don't understand it."

"Did you not attend school?" Karen asked.

"Not one like that." He shook his head.

Karen sat down her coffee. "Excuse me. I need to run back upstairs."

"Want me to make you something?" Anne offered.

"No, thanks." She insisted as she rushed back upstairs to visit the loo. She had suddenly felt sick to her stomach. She leaned against the cabinet and took a deep breath. She felt like she might be sick at any moment. "Oh, that's strange."

She splashed water on her face and after a bit, she began to feel better. She walked out to her room and went to her bag with her books. She stopped, knowing that Samuel had probably hidden some more notes for her to find in it.

Arles walked up the stairs and leaned in the doorway. "You alright? You looked a bit, green."

She looked back at him. "I'm fine. I don't do well when I don't sleep at night."

"Probably try to take a quick kip later today. I might help."

"A kip?"

He nodded. "Well, you are under a lot of stress. I've already been sick twice this week."

She crossed her arms, "Yeah?"

"Maybe it was three times. I'm not sure."

"You know, Arles. You and Emily-"

"Why are you on about this?"

"You are a neat guy."

"Neat?" He tasted in his mouth.

"Why don't you have a girl?"

"I don't want a girl." He told her.

"Don't want a girl? Or just her?"

"Do we have to talk about this?"

"I'm just curious. I suppose we don't."

He nodded. "Alright."

She considered him.

He rose his eyebrow. "What's that look for?"

"You are so different than Sam."

"Well, I'm not Sam." He put his hands in his pockets and shrugged his shoulders. "Siblings are different. Even if we had the same parents, we're different."

"Well, I know that. It's just…"

"Okay. Let me just sort this out right now. I like girls."

She rose her eyebrow at him, "I heard two at a time."

"And then off to the next one."

"But, that's just….childish."

"No. That's fun. There's no, commitment. Just…a good time. All parties know that. In. Out. Next one."

"That sounds like your Uncle Tony."

"Well." He thought. "Nah, it doesn't."

"None of my business-"

"That's true-"

"But, have you ever dated, just one girl?"

"Yeah. Of course."

"Like, been in a real relationship-"

"Why?" He cleared his throat. "Why would I want to?"

She crossed her arms and looked at him. "That's interesting-"

He closed his eyes. "And…I really just don't want to talk about this with you. Alright? There are some things I'm….having a think on, too."

"There was a girl-"

"I didn't say that-"

"And it didn't work out-"

He ran his hand through his hair. "I didn't say that-"

"Arles. You can talk to me about this-"

"I don't want to."

She nodded. "You're right. This is none of my business-"

"That doesn't sound like the end of this conversation." He grinned.

"But, why?"

Arles shook his head. "It's just not for me. And do you hear that?"

"What?"

"I don't want to talk about it. That's really the end of that conversation. Brakes. Pull up the anchor. Whatever you….mad, Navy people say."

"Aye Aye." She nodded. "You know, I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Pushing you on this. It's really, none of my business and-"

"Nah. It's really okay." He insisted. "Hmmm. I can phone the school and drop those classes if you want me to-"

"Arles. Don't get me wrong. I appreciate all of the help and everything, but…"

"I'm getting on your nerves?"

"No. It's just. Is this really what-"

"Samuel is out there someplace. Who knows what he's going through, but no matter what, he knows you are alright. He trusts that I'm here, and taking care of you. He trusts that. I'm his 'One'. My job is to protect you, help you with anything you ask, and serve you in any way I can during his absence. Anything you want or need. You only have to ask."

"Arles, this has to be exhausting for you-"

"Don't worry about me."

"You haven't slept-"

"I'm really fine."

She looked back at the bag of books. "I don't want to look in there. I'm sure there is another something that will make me start to cry. Just for today. I'm not going to cry."

He walked over and picked up the bag. "I'll get this sorted for you. Don't worry about it Karen."

She took his arm in her hand to stop him. "Arles. This has to be hard for you. Maybe, I could just phone the school and tell them like that. I don't think there is a procedure."

"So, this isn't like a …."

"I don't think so. I've not done it before."

He shook his head. "I don't even really know what I'm doing."

She smiled. "Then, I'll take care of it. Let me do this, Arles."

He sat back down the books. "Alright."

She looked at his sad face. "Did you get any sleep at all?"

"Nah. I thought I might sleep a bit this afternoon."

She held her arms out and pulled him into an embrace. He held her tightly and took a deep breath. He missed Samuel so much, but couldn't show her that. He knew it would only make her begin to cry again. "Everything is going to be alright." He told himself more than her.

She continued to hold him. "I'm so glad you are here. I don't know what I would do without you, Arles."

He thought for a moment. "You know that I can help you with anything except, sex. Right?"

She playfully smacked the back of his head and rolled her eyes.

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Legate walked into Genie's office at the school and sat a cup of tea on the desk. "Hello." He whispered as he smiled at her.

She was talking on the phone, "I'm sorry. May I call you right back? Thanks." She ended the call. "You are supposed to be in the bed."

He shrugged his shoulders. "I'm fine."

"You have you a concussion!"

"Fine." He insisted.

"With a broken skull!"

"It's all healed, Genie. I'm really fine."

She put her hands on her hips and looked up at him. "Dad said you could come back only if you remained in the bed-"

"Well, you left. It was boring." He told her.

She sighed. "Worst. Patient. Ever."

He smiled as he pulled her into his arms and laid his forehead to hers. "How are you, really?"

She closed her eyes and sighed. "I knew I should have fought harder to make him stay."

He rose up and looked at her. "That's right. You didn't want him to go to New York. Why?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "I can't explain it. It was just a bad feeling."

He looked at her as he thought.

"What is that look for?"

"Nothing." He insisted. "It's just… Rixalarians don't have premonitions. Well, there are stories of one who does."

She rose her eyebrows and grinned. "You've told me this story when I was a little girl. It was one of my favorites."

He stepped back and crossed his arms. "Remind me how that goes."

She giggled and sat down on the sofa. "Well, gosh it's been a long time. You probably remember it better than I do."

He handed her the cup of tea he had brought and sat down next to her. "I have a concussion. I'm not supposed to be thinking this much."

"A concussion of convenience." She teased and sipped her tea.

He laughed at her.

"Okay. There was a traveler who met a woman who turned out to be a goddess. She burned at the center of everything that was, and she loved this traveler so much that she gave him this daughter. The small girl loved her father so much, but the goddess knew that one day the little girl would die and break the travelers' heart. So, she slowly began to change her to be more like her. Immortal, to begin to see things before they happened….and…."

Genie stopped and looked back at Legate.

"No." She insisted. "That's not what's happening here. Is it?"

"I love you ask me things like I know what the hell is going on." He laughed.

She smiled. "You made this story up-"

"I didn't! It's an old Quauhtin story! I grew up being told this story like every other Quauhtin child."

Genie sipped her tea. "It's a coincidence."

He rubbed his head. "Anything I say it's going to be blamed on a concussion-"

"No, it's not!" She laughed. "But, Legate. That's just…"

He smiled. "Brilliant. What if it's actually true?"

"It's a story."

"All stories start someplace."

"Concussion talking." She insisted and sipped her tea.

He sighed. "Exactly. Concussion."

She looked back at him. "How does the story end?"

He held her hand, "The daughter falls in love the man who was sent to protect her. And they live happily ever after."

She smiled, "I've always loved your mad stories."

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