Seattle, Washington, the day before
The funeral had just ended. A lot of the employees from Jam Pony had been there, along with Maya's family. Zack and Jenna went to speak with her parents while their own waited behind. Maya's mother was glad that they'd come, that so many people had come. The shock hadn't quite sunk in that her daughter was gone. She was very grateful to Jenna for what she'd tried to do, even if she hadn't succeeded. She imagined the girl was just as sad as she was if not more.
Zack and Jenna rejoined their parents as they walked off towards the car. Max took her daughter close to herself, sensing she needed the comfort.
"I still can't believe she's gone," said Jenna, crying once more, "She wanted to meet Patrick and Shelby, Riley and Emily, and everyone else... She didn't even get a chance..."
"I know..." said Max.
Logan observed his son, walking next to him. He was taking it hard too, but attempting to hide it. Logan put his hand on his shoulder, and Zack turned, giving a weak smile. Logan knew what would probably happen next... He'd try to ignore what was going through his mind and try to concentrate on assignments with Eyes Only.
That night, Jenna sat by the window again, looking up at the stars. She had barely slept in the last few days, too preoccupied to do so. This time was no difference. Max had gotten up to go get a glass of water when she noticed the girl, the one who looked so much like her, sitting there, lost in her thoughts.
"Can't sleep, uh?" Jenna turned.
"Did I wake you up?" she asked, concerned.
"No, no, don't worry about it." Max sat next to her as Jenna looked down. "If you talk, I'll listen to you," said Max with a smile. Jenna looked back up, then out to the sky again.
"I just wish I could have... I don't know... said goodbye or something..."
"I know that feeling... all too well," said Max, "It happened rarely, but still it was too many times... I wish I could say it gets easier, but the truth is it doesn't. You just have to try to move on, no matter how hard it may seem. Get back to your life..."
"I know... But there were so many things she didn't know... all these things I did..."
"I know that one too," Max said with a smile, then, "I remember... the first one we lost..."
*
Manticore base, 2006
Max sat on her bed. She looked around the room at all the other kids. Each had the same expression on their faces. They didn't understand what had happened that morning. They had noticed one of the other kids was getting weaker and weaker, but they had no idea why. And then that morning, he fell down before them... dead.
It had been a major shock to all of them, but Max saw that Jondy was taking it harder somehow. She was smaller than the rest of them, even though she was the same age as the others, and they often found themselves taking care of her. There was no mistake, she was as good a soldier as any of them... only she had more trouble hiding her emotions.
When they had all been sent to bed, Max waited until the guards left the room, and then she went to sit next to Jondy. "It's okay," she had told her, not sure she believed it herself.
"Why did he go away, Max? Why?"
"I don't know..."
"We didn't even get to tell him goodbye..."
"I know," said Max shakily.
Jondy looked up at her, a tear on her face. "Max... Promise me something, okay?"
"What is it?" Max said.
"Promise me that you won't leave like he did... I don't want to lose you... Any of you," said Jondy, looking around at the children on their beds.
"I promise."
*
Max finished her story, finding that she'd forgotten about that moment in a way. She looked ahead, lost in her thoughts.
"Mom, are you okay?" Max turned to her.
"I... I broke my promise..."
"What?"
"Jenna... I need your help with something..."
"Anything," she said, seriously. Max explained to her and they spoke for the rest of the night.
THE END
The funeral had just ended. A lot of the employees from Jam Pony had been there, along with Maya's family. Zack and Jenna went to speak with her parents while their own waited behind. Maya's mother was glad that they'd come, that so many people had come. The shock hadn't quite sunk in that her daughter was gone. She was very grateful to Jenna for what she'd tried to do, even if she hadn't succeeded. She imagined the girl was just as sad as she was if not more.
Zack and Jenna rejoined their parents as they walked off towards the car. Max took her daughter close to herself, sensing she needed the comfort.
"I still can't believe she's gone," said Jenna, crying once more, "She wanted to meet Patrick and Shelby, Riley and Emily, and everyone else... She didn't even get a chance..."
"I know..." said Max.
Logan observed his son, walking next to him. He was taking it hard too, but attempting to hide it. Logan put his hand on his shoulder, and Zack turned, giving a weak smile. Logan knew what would probably happen next... He'd try to ignore what was going through his mind and try to concentrate on assignments with Eyes Only.
That night, Jenna sat by the window again, looking up at the stars. She had barely slept in the last few days, too preoccupied to do so. This time was no difference. Max had gotten up to go get a glass of water when she noticed the girl, the one who looked so much like her, sitting there, lost in her thoughts.
"Can't sleep, uh?" Jenna turned.
"Did I wake you up?" she asked, concerned.
"No, no, don't worry about it." Max sat next to her as Jenna looked down. "If you talk, I'll listen to you," said Max with a smile. Jenna looked back up, then out to the sky again.
"I just wish I could have... I don't know... said goodbye or something..."
"I know that feeling... all too well," said Max, "It happened rarely, but still it was too many times... I wish I could say it gets easier, but the truth is it doesn't. You just have to try to move on, no matter how hard it may seem. Get back to your life..."
"I know... But there were so many things she didn't know... all these things I did..."
"I know that one too," Max said with a smile, then, "I remember... the first one we lost..."
*
Manticore base, 2006
Max sat on her bed. She looked around the room at all the other kids. Each had the same expression on their faces. They didn't understand what had happened that morning. They had noticed one of the other kids was getting weaker and weaker, but they had no idea why. And then that morning, he fell down before them... dead.
It had been a major shock to all of them, but Max saw that Jondy was taking it harder somehow. She was smaller than the rest of them, even though she was the same age as the others, and they often found themselves taking care of her. There was no mistake, she was as good a soldier as any of them... only she had more trouble hiding her emotions.
When they had all been sent to bed, Max waited until the guards left the room, and then she went to sit next to Jondy. "It's okay," she had told her, not sure she believed it herself.
"Why did he go away, Max? Why?"
"I don't know..."
"We didn't even get to tell him goodbye..."
"I know," said Max shakily.
Jondy looked up at her, a tear on her face. "Max... Promise me something, okay?"
"What is it?" Max said.
"Promise me that you won't leave like he did... I don't want to lose you... Any of you," said Jondy, looking around at the children on their beds.
"I promise."
*
Max finished her story, finding that she'd forgotten about that moment in a way. She looked ahead, lost in her thoughts.
"Mom, are you okay?" Max turned to her.
"I... I broke my promise..."
"What?"
"Jenna... I need your help with something..."
"Anything," she said, seriously. Max explained to her and they spoke for the rest of the night.
THE END