Chapter 8 - This Is Reality
The waiter grinned at Jack's comment. "No, really, what do you want?"
"Nothing for me," Jack commented immediately, shaking his head, "I don't have much of an appetite, thanks."
The waiter nodded, and looked to Ralph.
"Just.. water," Ralph replied.
Water. He had enough of that over the past-- whatever amount of time it had been; he had lost track early into his count of days they had been there.
The waiter shrugged, but took the order, anyhow. He stepped aside, and returned to the kitchen area. Maurice, Robert, and Samneric were still in a state of shock from hearing the news.
"Well, we're a lively bunch," Maurice smirked.
They all laughed in response, silently attempting to banish the daunting fear from their minds. As the waiter returned to the table, all of the boys' eyes shifted to follow the waiter's movements. The waiter placed a tray upon the table, with Ralph's glass of water and a small slip of paper upon it.
Ralph picked up the paper, and glanced over it. The paper read, 'No charge. Our prayers are with you.' Once seeing that Ralph had read the paper, the waiter swiftly walked away, leaving Ralph without a moment to speak. Ralph flattened the paper out, and placed it at an angle upon the table, so that the other boys could read it. A fairly morose sigh swept through the air as they read the note. Ralph placed the paper back on the tray, but then smiled at the others.
"Nice officers on this ship, huh?" Ralph asked; each of them nodded.
"All polite, and not too officious, either," Jack contributed thoughtfully.
"Thankfully," Samneric chuckled.
The chatter continued on, as long as Ralph still had water in his glass. Yet, once Ralph finished, the meeting subsided, and they all walked off toward the corridor. Everyone except Samneric went into their rooms.
A few minutes, loud, shouting voices rang down the corridor. "Hey guys!" Samneric called.
Each boy stumbled out of their rooms, and rushed out to Samneric, who were out on the viewing deck. Samneric pointed up to the sky, their fingers following a luminous shooting star. A chorus of awed gasps rang through the crowd.
"Make a wish!" Bill shouted, and each boy did, silently.
"Hope," Jack said aloud, thoughtfully.
Everyone except Samneric, Ralph, Robert, and Maurice displayed a confused expression upon their faces. Soon after, all the boys headed back to their rooms, all ready to shift into slumber.
The morning sun awoke Jack, and he gazed out of a small circular window once he got out of bed. He gazed past the deep blue waters, into the two-toned sky, admiring the sunrise. Jack dressed appropriately once he had lost a good portion of his drowsiness, and then walked out into the corridor.
"Top of the morning to you, Jack Merridew," a navy officer, standing at the end of the corridor greeted quietly.
Jack grinned, and walked out onto the deck, where he saw Roger, who was dressed in neat, clean clothes, and silently weeping to himself.
"Roger?" Jack called in disbelief.
Roger nodded, looking down at the boards on the deck.
"This is reality, Jack," Roger wept softly. "We're going back to a land that has taken a punch of damage from the war-- does that sound like a good time to you?"
"No, but I don't w-" Jack said, but was cut off.
"You don't want to fear it, right?" Roger growled, looking up abruptly.
Jack didn't respond.
"Who knows what really happened there. I never cared about the war, but now that I've seen-" Roger jabbered on, but then fell into a bout of weeping, once again.
Jack understood exactly what Roger had meant.
"We all had to see it happen, we all participated. There's nothing left to say," Jack admitted quietly.
The waiter grinned at Jack's comment. "No, really, what do you want?"
"Nothing for me," Jack commented immediately, shaking his head, "I don't have much of an appetite, thanks."
The waiter nodded, and looked to Ralph.
"Just.. water," Ralph replied.
Water. He had enough of that over the past-- whatever amount of time it had been; he had lost track early into his count of days they had been there.
The waiter shrugged, but took the order, anyhow. He stepped aside, and returned to the kitchen area. Maurice, Robert, and Samneric were still in a state of shock from hearing the news.
"Well, we're a lively bunch," Maurice smirked.
They all laughed in response, silently attempting to banish the daunting fear from their minds. As the waiter returned to the table, all of the boys' eyes shifted to follow the waiter's movements. The waiter placed a tray upon the table, with Ralph's glass of water and a small slip of paper upon it.
Ralph picked up the paper, and glanced over it. The paper read, 'No charge. Our prayers are with you.' Once seeing that Ralph had read the paper, the waiter swiftly walked away, leaving Ralph without a moment to speak. Ralph flattened the paper out, and placed it at an angle upon the table, so that the other boys could read it. A fairly morose sigh swept through the air as they read the note. Ralph placed the paper back on the tray, but then smiled at the others.
"Nice officers on this ship, huh?" Ralph asked; each of them nodded.
"All polite, and not too officious, either," Jack contributed thoughtfully.
"Thankfully," Samneric chuckled.
The chatter continued on, as long as Ralph still had water in his glass. Yet, once Ralph finished, the meeting subsided, and they all walked off toward the corridor. Everyone except Samneric went into their rooms.
A few minutes, loud, shouting voices rang down the corridor. "Hey guys!" Samneric called.
Each boy stumbled out of their rooms, and rushed out to Samneric, who were out on the viewing deck. Samneric pointed up to the sky, their fingers following a luminous shooting star. A chorus of awed gasps rang through the crowd.
"Make a wish!" Bill shouted, and each boy did, silently.
"Hope," Jack said aloud, thoughtfully.
Everyone except Samneric, Ralph, Robert, and Maurice displayed a confused expression upon their faces. Soon after, all the boys headed back to their rooms, all ready to shift into slumber.
The morning sun awoke Jack, and he gazed out of a small circular window once he got out of bed. He gazed past the deep blue waters, into the two-toned sky, admiring the sunrise. Jack dressed appropriately once he had lost a good portion of his drowsiness, and then walked out into the corridor.
"Top of the morning to you, Jack Merridew," a navy officer, standing at the end of the corridor greeted quietly.
Jack grinned, and walked out onto the deck, where he saw Roger, who was dressed in neat, clean clothes, and silently weeping to himself.
"Roger?" Jack called in disbelief.
Roger nodded, looking down at the boards on the deck.
"This is reality, Jack," Roger wept softly. "We're going back to a land that has taken a punch of damage from the war-- does that sound like a good time to you?"
"No, but I don't w-" Jack said, but was cut off.
"You don't want to fear it, right?" Roger growled, looking up abruptly.
Jack didn't respond.
"Who knows what really happened there. I never cared about the war, but now that I've seen-" Roger jabbered on, but then fell into a bout of weeping, once again.
Jack understood exactly what Roger had meant.
"We all had to see it happen, we all participated. There's nothing left to say," Jack admitted quietly.