Leonid
Aftermath
18:35, December 01, 2065
In a few short minutes, the world had been skewed beyond recognition, and snapped back to a normal that some didn't recognize and others didn't notice changed.
Gray nearly missed it.
As it was, no one noticed Jane surreptitiously slip from under the table, neither did they see Neil as he followed likewise. No one noticed either of them until they were halfway out, when Jane upped her step and Neil had to lunge to stop her. She only pushed him away.
"Why?"
The question he cited from time and again, yet was unable to remember when it had become an issue. Others, unsuspecting of the extent of the question, were forced by human nature to wonder the same.
"I'm sick of it," she snapped, "I don't want to do this anymore."
"Wait!" she turned to leave, but his voice held through the final plea for compassion – a covetous appeal for selflessness and one last chance, "Don't do this; I don't want to be alone."
For a moment, he thought it must have worked.
"Then find someone else."
That was it – a simple solution of which he had no way to accomplish… in part because it was one that he didn't ever want to. The honest stoicism shocked him. There was nothing left but to watch as she walked away.
Ryan stepped in, apparently to point out the obvious and nothing more. Neil was the recipient of a spiteful scowl from the woman as she fixed the few misplaced buttons; singularly, he was more distressed when she turned away again than from getting glowered at. Gray appeared over his shoulder, and he didn't think he could live through an unwarranted round of questioning. The officer said nothing, and Neil still couldn't stand it.
"What?" the thick word fell to nothing, as there was no answer to what wasn't a true query.
The tech took a moment in turning away from his captain, and followed in the footsteps, if not the same train of thought, as the woman he loved.
---
9:43, December 04, 2065
If he could have stood the break in silence, Cpt. Edwards would have sworn until he was struck sick. He had enough trouble with his faith in womankind before Jane decided to pull a fit. He'd been relieved when she called up two weeks vacation, until he found that it left the issue of Neil to him. His opinion dropped further when he realized that he would have been the one to deal with it anyway, and was slowly on the decline as he mulled over the best way to draw the dejected soldier from the torpid catatonia.
Gray considered how long Neil had been here, sulking in his room. He wouldn't even sit up until they positioned him thus, at which point they quickly atoned for the transgression. Between a sympathy for what must have been a highly uncomfortable slouch, and a glare by the man who otherwise refused to move for himself, it came to be a little too much.
"I've got an idea."
Under the sudden attention of his commander, Ryan smiled, earning just a little ire.
"Well?"
"I don't know if it's a good idea or not," the sergeant shrugged.
Gray's sour expression didn't lessen, "Then try it and see."
"You sure you want me to?"
"Yes," Gray maintained, while meaning no the whole time, and fully knowing it. Despite the fact, Ryan went about his plan, gathering Neil over his shoulder and leading the way straight to the shower. Oddly enough, the technician seemed to revive slightly by the time his bearer had the water running. The captain watched passively as Ryan dropped his encumbrance into the stall, and thought he saw the younger man make a desperate leap for freedom before the slider was slammed shut.
Ryan held the door closed with one hand while exhibiting the fulfilled 'idea' with the other. Gray sighed, shaking the doubt out of his head.
"So long as it's a permanent fix…" the thought was interrupted as a sodden class A jacket landed by his right foot.
Gray swiftly decided to leave before being attacked by the matching pair of pants, or worse.
---
19:12, December 04, 2065
The hologram fizzed out as the power was cut, and Jane couldn't help but snort at the lack of responsibility in dealing with the machine.
"You didn't want to talk to Dad, right?" the knowing grin wasn't enough to dissuade her from the obvious.
"No; though, I'm surprised he'd talk to you."
"He wants something," the soft, paranoid edge cut to a normally callous voice, "He's been very persistent."
"Maybe he's just lonely," Jane mumbled, making herself comfortable on the happily over-plushed sofa. The man huffed, pushing her feet out of his way and seating himself cautiously.
"I think there's some truth to that."
The quiet was welcome, so long as it obeyed the bohemian atmosphere. The soothing familiarity brought rest in a welcome form, promising a more permanent comfort than the rest of life seemed interested in offering her.
Even then, there was a lot missing.
"Jake," at the sudden address, the man turned his head, "I miss Mom."
"I think we all do."
---
3:01, December 13, 2065
"What do you want?"
"I wanna know what you brought me."
"What do you want?" she asked again, as though stress and inflection played a part for the answer. In the interim, she dumped the contents of her pack onto her bed.
"You're back early…." the observance was just that, not requiring an answer… but the explanation came anyway.
"I had a bad feeling."
"You had a bad feeling?" to Neil, it didn't fit into his egocentric rationalization; he would have never have returned from leave early, thus forfeiting the spare time, on an impulse, "What, you wander into the wrong bar, or something?"
Jane slowed in her organization of her scattered things, essentials for and from travel, as she tried to comprehend the question. Once it came, there was nothing left but the counter, "That's a stretch."
"A bit slow today, I see."
"Neil; what do you want?"
Admittedly a few seconds late, he managed, deftly, "You."
Catching on, Jane flatly changed her wording, "Why are you here?"
"Why are any of us here?" Neil chirped, carrying on with his previous bought of nonsense, "Think about it."
"Why are you here, right now?" the woman clenched her teeth and stared at him, mutely daring him to continue the tangent.
Intuitive to the boundary having been pressed, Neil dropped the bare flippancy. Behind his back, he flexed his fingers around the doorframe.
"The captain said he wanted to see you in twenty minutes…"
"Thank you," it was sincere, or supposed to be… it just didn't sound that way.
"And that was about twenty minutes ago," Neil concluded, oblivious.
Jane couldn't help feeling a bit wearied, "Wonderful. Can you get lost now?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because… Cpt. Edwards… he's not in his office and he's not at home or anything. He's in the bay; 'cause we're on odd morning Patrol this week."
"Is that all?" the exasperation was showing easily, and it was bothering her.
"Yep."
The message was clear enough, although that Gray had sent Neil bothered her. The theoretic part of her randomly let her know that it was probably part of the communication. Didn't mean she had to listen.
"Great. Now, would you-" Jane cropped the needless sentence as soon as she noticed – Neil had already left.
---
3:19, December 13, 2065
In the bay, there was much to be done, most likely for nothing, and little time in which to do it. Jane, being nearly an hour late, stuck close to Ryan and enjoyed her time. It was the smartest thing to do, as she wasn't interested in being reprimanded by Gray, and Neil, already sulking on his own, was out of the question.
It didn't take long to prepare for patrol, it rarely did, but, for once, Cpt. Edwards rushed it.
