Chapter Seven - Hope and a Side of Peace
"Yes, Jack, we are getting better," Ralph said, a smile accenting his face.
Jack grinned merrily, and nodded simply. Joy, joy. Is this what he was finally feeling once again? Jack had blatantly lost his sense of true happiness and joy ever since he had been caught within the downward spiral of the condition on the island. Yes, he had realized that at one point, things were not going quite well for them, no matter how much the boys had accused him of being oblivious of it.
There was a gentle rapping on the door, and Ralph answered it, opening the door to reveal a young navy officer, aged perhaps in his early twenties. The man had a pleasant smile upon his face.
"'ello, boys!" he greeted cheerfully. "I'm officer Smith, and just here to let you know that we will be finishing this sea voyage soon," he explained.
There was a tingling of excitement within both of the boys, at that point.
"We should be arriving tomorrow afternoon, and you'll be home again," Officer Smith continued.
Ralph and Jack nodded, but then, their mood grew dimmer, as the bright and cheerful smile faded from the officer's face; Ralph began to look worried, himself.
"But, you see, the thing is.." he trailed off. "Most of you live in the London area, correct?"
Jack and Ralph nodded in unison.
"The war's still going on, and there was some damage-- that's all I'm saying," the officer said quickly, causing loud gasps to come from the two boys.
Jack's heart sunk, as rubbed his hands against his head, and Ralph turned away from the officer. Officer Smith nodded understandingly, and exited the room, abruptly closing the door behind him. Jack and Ralph stared at each other in a blank silence- not sure of what to do, or what to say, in fear of slipping out the wrong words.
Finally, there was movement. Jack leaned back in his chair, and hit his head against the wall, but rested it upon the top of the back of the chair, and began crying- yet again. Seeing the movement as a chance to move freely, as well, Ralph leaned against the door, as tears formed in his eyes.
"I don't want to go back, Ralph," Jack spoke, out of the blue.
"To tell you the truth," Ralph sighed, "I don't either- especially carrying that.. you know.. fear that-" Ralph was silenced as Jack lifted his head, and nodded.
"I know," said Jack, simply.
Ralph sighed, "Come on, let's try to get our minds off of this-- let's get something to eat."
Jack stood up without a word and followed Ralph out quietly. They reached the ship's dining area, and sat at a clean, grey table. Ralph noticed Maurice, Samneric, and Robert sitting a few tables away, and waved to them. Maurice stood up, and made his way over to Jack and Ralph's table, causing the rest of them to follow.
"Hey," Maurice greeted cheerily.
Jack looked to his side, where Maurice was standing, and Maurice immediately noticed Jack's face: red from the crying he had done.
"Something wrong?" Maurice asked Jack.
"Yeah-"
"-you look-"
"-a little-"
"-down," Samneric rambled.
"Apparently, you haven't heard the news," Jack said gloomily.
"News? What news?" Robert interrupted curiously.
"London, the area around London-- we're not sure-- was damaged," Ralph said flatly.
Maurice, Robert, and Samneric gasped unanimously, each with an expression of total shock upon their face.
"And there was damage- enough damage to make it important for an officer to inform us of it," Jack added in.
Robert whined nervously, yet no one dared to utter a phrase in response to Jack's news.
A waiter approached the table, grinning broadly.
"Can I get you boys anything?" he asked.
"Yeah," Jack smirked, "hope and a side of peace would be nice."
They all chuckled.
"Yes, Jack, we are getting better," Ralph said, a smile accenting his face.
Jack grinned merrily, and nodded simply. Joy, joy. Is this what he was finally feeling once again? Jack had blatantly lost his sense of true happiness and joy ever since he had been caught within the downward spiral of the condition on the island. Yes, he had realized that at one point, things were not going quite well for them, no matter how much the boys had accused him of being oblivious of it.
There was a gentle rapping on the door, and Ralph answered it, opening the door to reveal a young navy officer, aged perhaps in his early twenties. The man had a pleasant smile upon his face.
"'ello, boys!" he greeted cheerfully. "I'm officer Smith, and just here to let you know that we will be finishing this sea voyage soon," he explained.
There was a tingling of excitement within both of the boys, at that point.
"We should be arriving tomorrow afternoon, and you'll be home again," Officer Smith continued.
Ralph and Jack nodded, but then, their mood grew dimmer, as the bright and cheerful smile faded from the officer's face; Ralph began to look worried, himself.
"But, you see, the thing is.." he trailed off. "Most of you live in the London area, correct?"
Jack and Ralph nodded in unison.
"The war's still going on, and there was some damage-- that's all I'm saying," the officer said quickly, causing loud gasps to come from the two boys.
Jack's heart sunk, as rubbed his hands against his head, and Ralph turned away from the officer. Officer Smith nodded understandingly, and exited the room, abruptly closing the door behind him. Jack and Ralph stared at each other in a blank silence- not sure of what to do, or what to say, in fear of slipping out the wrong words.
Finally, there was movement. Jack leaned back in his chair, and hit his head against the wall, but rested it upon the top of the back of the chair, and began crying- yet again. Seeing the movement as a chance to move freely, as well, Ralph leaned against the door, as tears formed in his eyes.
"I don't want to go back, Ralph," Jack spoke, out of the blue.
"To tell you the truth," Ralph sighed, "I don't either- especially carrying that.. you know.. fear that-" Ralph was silenced as Jack lifted his head, and nodded.
"I know," said Jack, simply.
Ralph sighed, "Come on, let's try to get our minds off of this-- let's get something to eat."
Jack stood up without a word and followed Ralph out quietly. They reached the ship's dining area, and sat at a clean, grey table. Ralph noticed Maurice, Samneric, and Robert sitting a few tables away, and waved to them. Maurice stood up, and made his way over to Jack and Ralph's table, causing the rest of them to follow.
"Hey," Maurice greeted cheerily.
Jack looked to his side, where Maurice was standing, and Maurice immediately noticed Jack's face: red from the crying he had done.
"Something wrong?" Maurice asked Jack.
"Yeah-"
"-you look-"
"-a little-"
"-down," Samneric rambled.
"Apparently, you haven't heard the news," Jack said gloomily.
"News? What news?" Robert interrupted curiously.
"London, the area around London-- we're not sure-- was damaged," Ralph said flatly.
Maurice, Robert, and Samneric gasped unanimously, each with an expression of total shock upon their face.
"And there was damage- enough damage to make it important for an officer to inform us of it," Jack added in.
Robert whined nervously, yet no one dared to utter a phrase in response to Jack's news.
A waiter approached the table, grinning broadly.
"Can I get you boys anything?" he asked.
"Yeah," Jack smirked, "hope and a side of peace would be nice."
They all chuckled.