Year 2235, USS Chatelet on route to Iggisia
Lieutenant Christopher Pike willed himself to remain seated on his bunk, watching the digital clock ticking down slowly their ETA to Iggisia. The planet had suffered a catastrophic space storm that had torn apart the crust and generated massive earthquakes. In their last communication, the leadership council of the science colony had reported over 90% destruction and fatalities in the thousands. Although officially classified as a search and rescue mission, the tactical team aboard the USS Chatelet knew that it would soon become a recovery operation.
"Chris, you need to get some sleep", Leland mumbled, half-asleep himself. He turned around in his bunk to face his friend. "You won't be of any help to her tomorrow if you don't get any shut eye."
Chris fisted his hands and bolted from his bed. "It's my fault!," he vented. "She went to Iggisia because of me."
Leland sighed, abandoning any hope for sleep. "Alathea followed her wife to the colony after Elena got a grant to study space mushrooms or something." Science had never been Leland's forte.
Chris started pacing the length of the cramped quarters. "She followed Elena…"
"Because they love each other," Leland interrupted. He knew his friend was deeply in love with Alathea Mayweather but neither of them had ever acted on their mutual feelings. After they had graduated from the Academy, he and Chris had been assigned to Mars, testing new shuttle crafts capable of rapid atmospheric ascent. These same shuttle crafts were currently stored in the Chatelet's cargo bay, ready for the daunting task ahead. The space storm had ionized the atmosphere, making transporter technology without pattern enhancers unreliable for a large scale rescue effort. Tomorrow, he and Chris along with seven other pilots would transport the most critical victims aboard these shuttles, the only ones capable of flying through the ionized atmosphere and the storms it had generated. Their goal was to buy some time for the engineering team to enhance transporter capabilities.
Alathea Mayweather's first posting had been at the New Delhi Institute on Earth, where she had worked with Nathaniel Luna on treatments for delta radiation. There, she had met astromycologist Elena Smith. The two women had fallen in love and had married six months later. Two years later, Alathea and Elena had been assigned to a top secret facility on Iggisia. Since then, Pike and Alathea had steadily grown apart. Pike had been hopping from starships to starships, steadily climbing the rank ladder while Alathea and Elena had worked for the most secretive programs in Starfleet. After a few subspace calls, they had both realized that they had almost nothing to talk about. Besides, Pike could barely hide his jealousy towards Elena Smith.
"Chris, don't do this to yourself."
Pike stopped his pacing, facing the exit door. "If anything happened to her, I won't be able to forgive myself."
STSTST
Nothing could have prepared Pike for the scene in front of him as his shuttle took off from the safety of the Chatelet's landing bay with the medical team he had been assigned to drop off in the capital city onboard. The shuttle had been retrofitted to carry a maximum of three patients on gurneys plus five ambulatories to one of the five medical ships that had accompanied them on their rescue mission.
Although Iggisia was a M-class and covered mostly by a vast ocean, the planet was engulfed in dust and electrical storm, giving it an eerie red appearance that reminded him of the description of Hell-Fire he had read about in his father's books. Pike shook the image away, focusing on the daunting task ahead. Even with the modified shuttle, Pike would test the limits of the new inertial dampeners to navigate between the storms. The ride would be uncomfortable, even for a seasoned test pilot such as himself, but even more so for the first responders' team strapped in the back.
"Hold on," he warned them before entering the upper atmosphere. The shuttle trembled and whined as Pike maneuvered around the electrical discharge, the strong winds forcing him off course on numerous occasions. After what seemed like an eternity, the shuttle pierced through the last layer of clouds to reveal the destruction below. None of the buildings had survived the strong earthquakes ripping the planet apart. Chris could see the ground buckle as he looked for the best landing site despite the poor visibility from the dust and ash. Fires were destroying what was left of the once flourishing colony, home to over thirty thousand souls.
As soon as the shuttle landed in a thump, the medical team unstrapped themselves from their seat and assembled their gear. When Pike opened the rear hatch, all personnel aboard the spacecraft froze. None of their training had covered the level of destruction in display in front of them. People were running in every direction, trying to keep themselves safe from the collapsing buildings, equipment explosions, and other hazards the catastrophe had produced. However, their screams were drowned in the strong wind and ominous whines of the once state-of-the-art structures that had been the pride of the leadership council.
"Go! Critical only!" Nimue, the Chatelet's chief medical officer, ordered. "Pike, stay with the shuttle. Prepare to evacuate the first wave. Leavey, triage. Simpson, divert non-critical patients towards an open area. As soon as the engineering team gets the transporters going, send them up. Suvol, prep the shuttle for critical care patients. Move!" Without waiting for an acknowledgement from his team, Nimue rushed towards the chaos.
Within ten minutes, fifteen patients had been packed into the shuttle. Pike scanned their faces quickly, hoping to see Alathea among the rescued. "Pike, now!" Nimue's angry voice brought him back to reality. The take-off was very bit as rough as the landing had been. Pike focused on his consoles, tuning out as best he could manage the frightened cries and whimpers from the wounded.
Over the next twelve hours, Pike repeated the process, bringing engineering and medical personnel down the planet and coming back with loads of patients. In the few minutes he had in-between loads, Pike scanned the manifest for Alathea and Elena's names, hoping that the two women were safely onboard one of the medical ships. But both of them had remained MIA.
Pike tried to convince himself that his friend had been found and was being treated. In the current chaos, he knew that the database was not reliable but he couldn't help the feeling of dread at the pit of his stomach. Their mission had already started to be one of recovery rather than rescue. His last two runs had been with ten body bags in the back of his shuttle rather than the patients he had helped rescue earlier in the day. The chances of finding Alathea alive were dwindling and Pike had to use every ounce of self-control to not cry out his despair.
"This is our last haul." Nimue announced as he was taking his place next to Pike at the helm. "We're going down to get Leland's team. His shuttle was lost in the last earthquake and they are cut off from the main evac site."
"Sir, with all due respect, there are people who still need evacuation down there," Pike protested at once. The doctor had aged thirty years in the span of half a day. The once bright eyes were dull, as if they had seen more suffering than anyone could witness in a lifetime.
"Son, our chances of finding anyone else alive are slim to none. We all get some rest tonight and start the recovery operation tomorrow."
Pike clenched his teeth. Antagonizing a senior officer would not get him any closer to finding Alathea. "Chatelet, this is the Einstein. Ready to take off."
"You have a go, Einstein."
Pike concentrated on flying the shuttle through the intense storms. With nightfall on this side of the planet, the winds had become more violent, especially near the ground. The two men inside the cabin breathed a heavy sigh of relief when Pike managed to successfully land the shuttle near a structure that was miraculously still standing. Or at least, it appeared so on the outside.
As soon as the rear door opened, Leland, his crew and 5 survivors rushed inside, coughing from the dust. "Go!" Leland ordered.
"Wait!" A Denobulan interrupted. "There are still people in the lab! You can't leave them behind!"
Pike hesitated. "Lieutenant, get us out of here! That's an order!" Nimue barked.
"Dr. Smith was on the other side of the building when it happened! That part of the building is reinforced with a tritanium alloy. It's made to resist any natural catastrophe known to the Federation!" The Denobulan continued. "But if they're hurt down there, no way they can make it back without power."
"Dr. Smith? They?" Pike's heart started beating faster. "Elena Smith?"
The Denobulan nodded. "Yes, she and her wife were down there when the storm hit."
Pike jumped out of his seat and ran to the rear latch. His path was blocked by Leland. "Chris, no! We need to leave now or we won't be able to!" He pointed towards the five scientists with his chin. The message was clear: the need of the people in the shuttle mattered more than trying to find Elena and Alathea. As far as they knew, the two women could both be dead. But they would all be dead soon if they didn't take off.
"I can't." Pike whispered to his friend before hitting him the jaw hard enough to make Leland drop to his knees but not enough to knock him unconscious. "I'm not leaving her behind. Get the shuttle back!" Pike opened the rear hatch and started running towards the dark structure.
"He sealed his fate. Get us out of here now!" Nimue ordered a still dazed Leland.
STSTST
His lungs were burning and his footing was unsure from the quakes ripping the planet apart but Pike never wavered. He ran inside as fast as his legs could carry him and cursed as soon as he entered a large circular entrance with no markings. Of course he had heard of such buildings before. Largely unmarked on the inside and outside and kept off most maps, they harbored the Federation's deepest secrets. Section 31 may not officially exist in any Starfleet budget lines but everyone knew of their existence.
Pike turned on the flashlight on his protective vest and made his way towards the nearest console. To his surprise and delight, it turned on as soon as he touched the black panel. However, his relief was short-lived. Accessing any of the menus required a security clearance he didn't have. He fisted the panel and cursed under his breath. How was he supposed to find Alathea in this labyrinth?
"Computer, are evacuation protocols in place?" He asked, knowing full well that these protocols would override any lockout mechanism from low-security systems such as the display.
"No. No emergency detected." The computer replied in a mechanical voice. Apparently, it was malfunctioning.
"Computer, scan for structural damage." Pike asked, trying to outsmart the machine.
"Analyzing...:" After a brief pause, the computer enumerated the damage. "Structural damage to level 14 and below. Emergency protocols engaged." A soft alarm sounded throughout the dark structure.
"Computer, life signs?" Pike prompted, hopeful.
"Unable to comply. Detectors damaged."
"Damn it!"
"Not within my parameters. Please restate your request."
"Computer, where are the scientific labs located?"
"Level 24 through 32."
Pike frowned. How deep into the ground were Starfleet's darkest secrets actually buried? "Computer, what about biological research?"
"Level 29 through 32."
"Computer, display the shortest path to these levels, taking into account structural damage."
Pike downloaded the response to his tricorder and started his trek down to the bowel of Section 31. Despite its reinforced structure, the building had suffered serious damage in the storm. It wouldn't be long until it collapsed completely, burying everyone still alive under tons of tritanium rubbles.
With only the light from his protective vest to guide him, Pike slowly made his way towards the back of the building. According to the computer report, the only undamaged lift shaft to the lobby was the service one down to Level 10. From there, he would have to make his way back towards the main shaft to continue his descent towards Level 29 and below.
His progress was slow and hampered by the debris on the floor and the poor ventilation. His muscles protested with each rung he climbed, but Pike ignored the pain, focusing entirely on rescuing Alathea. He couldn't lose her. He wouldn't.
Level 10 was even more damaged than the lobby. Entire beams had collapsed from the ceiling, forcing Pike to crawl most of the way towards the main shaft. He had been making his way down for the better part of an hour. At his rate of progress, he wouldn't have much time to locate the two women before having to start the journey back. The search and recovery operation would be short-lived given that the planet was literally ripping itself apart and Pike knew they would need to be at the transporter site 1.5 clicks from their current location by daybreak.
With renewed vigour, he picked up the pace and reached Level 29 within the hour. "Thea?" He called hopefully but his only answer were the ominous creaks of the damaged building. Thankfully, the corridor was mostly free of debris, allowing him to search each room quickly.
His heart skipped a beat as he opened the last door. He could vaguely make out the shape of a woman sitting on the opposite side of the room. "Thea?" He called out, rushing by her side. His joy was short-lived, however, as he approached the scene. Thea was cradling her dead wife, who had been pinned down by a falling heavy-duty cabinet. Elena's death had probably been slow and painful, with Alathea utterly powerless to help her. Pike slowly kneeled by his friend's side, pulling her gently into a tender embrace. "Thea," he whispered, "you can let go now." He gently kissed the top of her head and rubbed her back, trying to focus her attention on him. "It's ok. I've got you." Thea yelped in pain as soon as he tried to disentangle her from Elena.
"I'm sorry." He moved her more cautiously until she was laying on the floor a few feet away from where he had found her. Alathea was covered in blood but besides a laceration on her forehead, Pike couldn't see any open wounds. He quickly deduced that the blood wasn't hers but her wife's. "Thea, where are you hurt?" He caressed her cheek. "Thea?" When his friend didn't respond, he gently pressed on various parts of her body. Alathea cried out when Chris moved her left arm.
Pain. Alathea focused her attention on the person sitting next to her in the dark. Elena. Her hope was short-lived. The being next to her had broader shoulders and short dark hair. Chris. She thought. But Chris couldn't be with her. She laughed as she realized she was hallucinating. It wouldn't be long now.
"Thea." Pike called out again.
Thea reached out for the form next to her. To her surprise, it was solid to the touch. "Chris?" She asked tentatively.
"Yes." Pike sighed in relief. "Try not to move. I think your arm is broken."
"What are you doing here? You can't be here…"
Pike ran his fingers through her hair. "The Chatelet was dispatched for the rescue mission."
"What happened?" She started shivering.
Pike removed his tactical vest and covered Alathea with his uniform jacket. "Space storm hit the planet and ionized the atmosphere." He answered vaguely. "We need to get out of here."
"Elena… How is she?"
"Thea..." Pike worried that the head wound was more severe than he originally thought.
"You have to help her, Chris. You have to get her out. Please!"
Pike placed a comforting hand on Thea's shoulder. "I will. But I need to have a look at you first. Is there a medical tricorder somewhere?"
Alathea nodded. "I used it to monitor Elena's vitals. Heartbeat is strong. But she's losing a lot of blood…"
"I will take care of her." Pike interrupted. "Thea, where are you hurt?"
"I'm ok." Alathea answered, fighting against Chris to get up. "I need to monitor Elena. We need to stay awake until we're rescued." She rambled.
"Thea, just lie still, ok?" Pike caressed her side until she quieted. "I'm going to get the tricorder and check on Elena. But you need to lay still until I can have a good look at you, ok?" Once she acknowledged him, Pike made his way towards Elena's body. He checked her pulse quickly but rigor mortis had already set in, suggesting that Elena had been dead for hours.
Pike groped in the dark until he found the emergency medical bag. The two women had consumed some of the emergency rations and water but there should be enough left for their journey back. He quickly loaded the rations and water into his pant's pockets. Given Alathea's state, he would have to carry her for most of the trek back and he couldn't afford taking the entire duffel bag with him.
Pike rummaged into the bag for the tricorder and regen units. He cursed under his breath when he realized that the portable regen was out of battery. No doubt Alathea had used it on Elena without treating her own injuries. He filled a hypospray with a painkiller before making his way back towards his friend.
"Elena, how is she?" Alathea asked as soon as Pike was by her side.
"No change in her condition." Pike had to tread carefully. He didn't want to lie to his friend but he knew that Alathea wouldn't accept the truth in her current mindframe. He quickly scanned her and grimaced at the results. "Thea, I need you to interpret the readings for me." He placed the display in front of her.
"Patient has a concussion, broken arm. No other internal injury," Alathea answered in a clinical voice. Whether she realized that she was the patient, Pike didn't know.
"Treatment?"
"Regen for the arm, move to sickbay."
"Regen unit is out."
"You need to stabilize the fracture before moving the patient."
"You want me to put a splint on it?" Pike asked in confirmation. Although he had aced survival training at the Academy, he had tried to avoid medical lingo as much as possible.
Alathea nodded. "I'm cold." She shivered violently. Pike tugged his jacket around her body but he knew it wouldn't accomplish much. The warmth of the room was suffocating. She murmured incoherent words as she closed her eyes.
Pike shook her gently. "Hey! You need to stay with me, ok?," he ordered in a harsher tone than he had originally intended.
"Tired."
"I know," Pike said more softly. "But you need to stay awake. Thea, I need to look for something to make a splint with. I need you to promise me that you will stay awake."
"Elena…" Alathea focused her attention on Chris. "She didn't make it, did she? She's dead."
"Thea.." Chris paused, unable to lie to her. "She is dead. But she would want you to live. So you can't give up. Please, stay awake. For her."
Alathea nodded slowly. She felt numb and defeated. Although she didn't care about what would happen to her, she found solace in having Chris telling her what to do. If she listened to him, she wouldn't have to think nor feel.
"I'll be right back." Pike explored the room as thoroughly as he could manage. Whatever research had been conducted on the planet was highly classified. Every drawer required a thumbprint to open and he doubted that his or Alathea's would do the trick. Defeated, Chris took his shirt off and ripped it to create a sling for Alathea's arm, using her own body to stabilize the break.
Alathea cried out as Chris moved her in a sitting position. "I'm sorry," he whispered to her. "It won't be long." Satisfied that she would be able to make the journey, Chris zipped his jacket up and put his tactical vest back on. "I'm going to carry you across my shoulders. It won't be comfortable but that's the only way I can climb up the elevator shaft. I can give you something for the pain."
Alathea nodded weakly against him. "The concussion… no painkiller. I'll fall asleep."
Chris kissed her temple. "How bad is the pain?"
Alathea shrugged. "It's ok if I don't move." Pike didn't probe her any further. The confusion was most likely due to the concussion. As gently as he could, he stood up holding her against him before throwing her over his shoulders, resulting in a grunt. "Elena, you can't leave her here. She needs medical attention."
"I'll come back for her, Thea." Pike started the journey back slowly.
"I can walk." She argued back. "Just let me walk… I'm walking and you can carry her."
"It's ok, Thea. I need to come back with a rescue party for her so we can lift the heavy cabinet. She's going to be ok."
"I need to stay with her. You can come back for the two of us."
"It won't be long." Pike started the slow ascent towards Level 10. All of his muscles were screaming in pain but he ignored them, focusing all of his attention on climbing the rungs one at a time. Left foot, right arm, right foot, repeat. He started counting in his head, knowing that each rung would get Alathea closer to the medical attention she desperately needed.
"Dizzy…" She whispered halfway to Level 10.
"Almost there, Thea." Pike squeezed the hand he was holding in comfort. "We'll take a break soon."
Chris collapsed on his knees as soon as he reached Level 10, panting heavily. He gently positioned Alathea against the wall and pulled one of the water packs from his pocket. He pressed it against her lips. Alathea grunted and moved away. "Thea, you need to drink some water." Chris sat down next to his friend and pulled her into his embrace, cradling her head back. "You need to drink."
Alathea took a few sips before jerking away. Pike didn't insist and gulped half of the container quickly. As much as he wanted to give Alathea more time, they didn't have any. Daybreak was only a couple of hours away. "Come on, we're almost there."
"Leave me," she murmured. "I'll be ok."
"Thea, I'm not leaving you here."
"Pike!"
The voice made Chris jump. "Leland?" He called back. "We're on the other side of the corridor!"
"Coming towards you," Leland replied back.
"What's your situation?" Pike identified the voice as Nimue's.
"I've found one survivor. She has a concussion and is disoriented but conscious. She's complained of dizziness and cold and her arm is broken," he blurted out.
"Alright, lie the victim down on her side and keep her warm and awake. We're coming to you."
"Chris, the engineering team is right behind us. We'll beam you aboard the Galen directly." Chris strained to hear Leland over their panting.
Following the doctor's instructions, Pike laid with Alathea down on her side. He wrapped himself around her, providing the much needed warmth. "Just a few more minutes, Thea," he whispered to her. "You need to stay with me."
"I just want to sleep."
"I know. But not now. You need to stay awake for a little bit longer," Chris encouraged. He kissed her forehead and rubbed her back.
"You shouldn't have come. You should have let me down there. With Elena," she retorted angrily. "You came here because you can't stand the idea that I can be happy without you."
Chris took a deep breath. He knew it wasn't his friend talking but the concussion. But the feelings had to come from somewhere and he knew he was responsible for them. "Thea, I'm sorry I made you feel that way." The apology was sincere although he had wished she could have heard it around a nice warm meal rather than in a damaged corridor on a doomed planet. "I should have never said that you married her to spite me. I didn't… I don't feel that way."
"Just leave me alone!" Alathea pushed Chris away with all her strength. "Let me die! Please, let me die…" She broke down in tears.
Chris tightened his embrace around her and kissed her forehead. "Thea, I promise you that I will stay away if that's what you want. But I'm not letting you die."
Before Alathea could argue, Leland emerged from underneath a collapsed beam, closely followed by Nimue and the engineering team. As the engineers installed the pattern enhancers, Nimue kneeled down next to Alathea, scanning her. Pike scrambled up to his feet, letting the doctor do his work. "How is she?" He asked worriedly.
"She'll be ok," Nimue answered before injecting Alathea with a sedative. "The same can't be said for you, however."
"The captain wants to see you in the conference room as soon as we beam aboard the Galen," Leland added.
STSTST
After making sure that his friend received the best medical care under the current crisis, Pike quickly showered and changed into a clean uniform before making his way to the Galen' s conference room. The captains of all the ships involved in the rescue operation along with fleet captain Cornwell were assembled around the small table.
"Please, have a seat," Cornwell ordered as soon as Pike entered the crowded room. The only remaining chair was at the head of the table, affording him a view of the disapproving officers. Once Pike was seated, Cornwell continued. "Captain Murphy is writing you up for disciplinary action for reckless behavior, refusal to obey a direct order from a senior officer, striking another officer, and endangering the life of five civilians. His recommendation is to have your Starfleet commission terminated. After hearing the reports from Doctor Nimue and Lieutenant Leland, I would tend to agree with him. However, Captain April thinks that you deserve to give us your side of the story, Lieutenant. So please, enlighten us as to why you decided to disobey a direct order and endanger the lives of your comrades and civilians."
"May I speak freely, sir?"
"By all means," Cornwell sat back in her chair, examining the young Lieutenant. His record was exemplary but this severe lapse of judgement would most certainly cost him his career.
"Starfleet is a promise. I give my life for you; and you give your life for me. Nobody is left behind. We were leaving two women behind, sir."
Cornwell exchanged a quick look with April. These principles were ingrained in the cadets at the Academy but most forgot these principles after a few years of service, when the reality of space travel more often than not conflicted with Starfleet ideals. But Pike lived by them. In many ways, he represented the best Starfleet had to offer. "But the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few," she countered.
"In this case, I was only endangering myself to save two civilians," Pike retorted. "I knew Lieutenant Leland could fly the shuttle. I didn't punch him hard enough to incapacitate him."
"So you admit to the charges?" Murphy asked his crewmember incredulously.
"Yes, sir."
April chuckled. "I think the lieutenant has a perfect explanation. Don't you, Captain Cornwell?"
Cornwell turned to April. "Then, he becomes your responsibility. I hear you're in need of a helmsman aboard the Aryabhatta?"
"What do you say, son?" April addressed Pike directly. "Ready for a new challenge? Piloting a starship is a whole new ball game."
"I'm ready, sir." Pike acknowledged.
"We are in agreement, then. Captain, I believe you have the power to make the transfer here," April added to Cornwell's benefit.
"I do. Captain Murphy?"
"I have no objections." The captain of the USS Chatelet grumbled.
"Lieutenant Pike, I will await your arrival aboard the Aryabhatta at 16:00 hours. That should give you plenty of time to check on your friend." April smiled at his new bridge officer.
"Thank you, sir."
"Dismissed." Cornwell ordered.
Pike rushed out of the room, replaying the conversation in his head and trying to make sense of what had just happened. One minute he had almost been out of Starfleet and the next he was being transferred under the command of one of the most decorated captains in Starfleet's history.
As Pike entered the infirmary, he scanned the room quickly in search of his friend. He found her laying on a biobed on the other side of sickbay, her back to him. He made his way towards her slowly, unsure of what to say. Did Alathea even want to see him?
"Thea…" He called out. The brunette turned around on the bed. Her eyes were red from crying. Chris sat down on the edge of the bed and caressed her lower back soothingly. "How are you feeling?"
Alathea shrugged. "I don't know." All she could feel was a crushing emptiness inside. No matter how many times she replayed the events of the past 24 hours in her head, wondering what she could have done differently, the reality always came rushing back in. Elena was dead. She had failed to save her wife. She screamed as images of Elena's final moments repeated in her mind. She threw herself into Chris' arms and buried her face into his neck.
"Shh…" Chris rocked them on the bed until Alathea quieted.
Once she had no more tears left to shed, Alathea fisted Chris' uniform tightly. "She's gone. She's gone because I've failed her. Because I wasn't good enough to help her!"
"Thea, you didn't fail her. She loved you. And I know you love her. She will always be alive here." Chris placed his palm on Alathea's chest. "You will keep her memories alive."
"You were right."
"About what?"
"I married Elena because I was afraid of being alone. After you went to Mars and I was alone on Earth, I was that scared little girl in a brace again. Then, I met Elena. And she reminded me of you. I thought I could have the same connection as I have with you." Alathea pulled away from Chris. "When she asked me to marry her and move to Iggisia, I just agreed because I didn't want to be alone. We tried to make it work, Chris. But we've just been fighting ever since we got here. She blamed it on you. I blamed it on you. The reason I was down in her lab was because we were arguing. I told her…" Alathea's voice started shaking. "I told her that I didn't know if I ever loved her. This is the last thing I said to her before the earthquake hit. She died knowing that I never loved her."
"It was an argument. She knew you didn't mean it."
"She died because we were arguing. She wanted to get away from the house. We were supposed to go to the capital today. She died because of me." Alathea cried out the last few words.
Chris pulled his friend back into his embrace. "You're not responsible, Thea. She could have gone to the capital by herself. Or she could have been trapped in your apartment building. It wasn't your fault. She loved you. And she would want you to forgive yourself."
"I'm not sure that I can, Chris."
"I can ask for a leave of absence. We can go wherever you want."
"No. You were right about one thing on our last communication."
Chris frowned. "I don't believe that you married her to spite me."
"You said that I spent my entire life craving others' approval. I went through the treatment to please my father. I went to the Academy to please you. I chose the medical field so Dr. Boyce could be proud of me one day. I went to New Delhi to please Nathan. But I never asked myself what I really wanted to do."
"What do you want to do?"
"I don't know. But I think this is something I have to find out by myself."
Chris placed a tender kiss on the top of her head. "Thea, whatever you decide, you'll be great at it."
"What makes you so sure?"
"Because you're the most intelligent and compassionate person I have ever met."
"Promise me something. Ten years from now, we will meet on Risa. And we will celebrate our accomplishments."
"I hope to see you before then."
"Promise me."
Chris locked his pinky finger with her. "I promise."