Redemption

Epilogue

McQueen stood in front of the ICU and a body bag was lying not far off from where he was standing. On their ride back Patterson had died, never regaining consciousness again and the burial of both USAF pilots was scheduled for the next day.

The Colonel closed his eyes for a moment and thought back to those unnerving minutes until the Wild Cards had been finally reunited again.

He had almost given them up, McQueen thought and shook his head. He should have known that they make it but deep down inside him, he had doubted that they would get out there alive.

When Vansen had examined Chambers' wounds, he had not thought that she would stay alive a minute longer, but she had kept on fighting.

Ross had called them to a debriefing immediately after he had made sure that most of the Marines were alright. In the O-room the 'Cards silently had listened to the Commodore's words, as he had told them about the newest development.

Chambers had been kidnapped and tortured by the silicates back on Earth and Vansen had confirmed that after she had reported the conversation between Sandra-Z and an AeroTech executive, confirming his doubts about the corporation's involvement in this war. All those deaths of good Marines and civilians had been in vain, for the good of some dubious corporation ...

McQueen swallowed hard and brought his mind back to one of the doctor's coming out of the ICU.

The 'Cards had only minor injuries considering what they had been through, though they all had to pass psychological tests once their wounds were healed.

After McQueen had inquired about Chambers' condition he was surprised that the doctor told him that given the amount of blood she had lost, it was looking well as long as her crew-mates would leave her alone.

At first the Colonel was confused at hearing this but when he rounded the bend of the corridor, he saw West and Damphousse scurrying into the infirmary, carrying what somehow looked like bottles of beer and tequila.

He heard their giggles and stepped closer.

"Where did you get this stuff?" Shane inquired as she took the beer Nathan was handing around.

"My father gave me some cash when Coop and I were back on Earth. The bar-tender just couldn't resist the prospect of having some money on his side ..." Nathan answered with a smirk and plopped down on a chair between Paul's and Megan's beds.

Wang sighed when he took the first gulps of beer and then he grinned.

"Hoo-Rah," he exclaimed and flashed his friends a smile. They were all laughing, even Megan who had been sewn up in the ICU and despite the doctor's orders had refused to be drugged by anything, joined them. Cooper was sitting beside her and she was propped up against his broad chest, sharing a beer.

Cooper suddenly unzipped one of his breast pockets and handed Shane a photograph which her sister Lauren had given him back on Earth. The photo showed all of the five-eight. Shane looked at the photo then at her friends and she raised her drink.

"To absent friends!" she said and they all bent forward, joining glasses by doing so. "And for staying alive one more hour!"

"To the Wild Cards!" Meg responded softly, eyeing each of them. "And McQueen!"

"Yeah, to McQueen!" they all joined in.

McQueen watched the scene through the window of the door and smiled.

His kids, he thought, it was good to have them back again. Despite the fact that they had gone to hell and back again, they had not let themselves down, they had remained strong, a gung-ho. He was proud of them and seeing the 'Cards and their unusual vigil over Chambers and Wang, a feeling slowly emerged from the depth of his soul. But this time it wasn't the beast he had come to hate and despise and for a short moment had raised its ugly head on Anvil, it was another different emotion altogether.

Once, he had thought that he was not capable of loving any other human being but right now, he felt such a deep, protecting love for those young people in that room, it frightened and shocked him for a short moment.

After the panic of this newly discovered feeling subsided, he turned with a smile and was faced with Commodore Ross.

"Is that a proud father's grin I'm seeing there, Ty?" Ross asked and petted his friend's shoulder. "I think we should drink to that. I still have this thirty year old Scotch stashed somewhere and it's about time that we really get socked!"

McQueen smirked at his words and both men went off to the Commodore's cabin.


The End