Mmmkay, here's another chapter, have fun...
Chapter XIV-Aftermath
It had taken several days to sort out the bodies, the dead from the alive, and they had all been placed in caskets in a large hanger, and today there was a massive memorial service for all of those who had lost their lives on that fateful day, and that's where we were, Leanna, Rafe, Evelyn, and I, standing behind Red who was sobbing by the casket of his fiancee, Betty, who had perished in the line of duty like so many others
I was standing in the middle this time, Leanna to my right and Rafe to my left, Evelyn's hand entwined with his, I looked to Leanna, who looked like she was about to pass out, her face was white as a sheet, she had been sick ever since the attack, and now she was looking sadly at the sobbing redhead kneeling beside the casket
I heard her sigh, and then she turned to me
"Danny, I gotta get out of here" she whispered, then quickly circled around the back of us and hastened toward the open end of the hanger, grabbing Rafe's attention, who looked at me, and I motioned for him to go with her
"We'll be right back, babe" Rafe whispered in Evelyn's ear, who gave him a recognizing look and kissed his cheek
Rafe and I followed Leanna's path, only about 10 steps behind her, only pausing for Rafe to look back to Evelyn, who was now knelt beside Red, patting his back gently
Soon we had reached the outside, the sun was hidden behind the dim clouds and cast a kind of eerie aura over the Harbor, it reminded me of something I'd memorized in school
*A glooming peace this morning with it brings
The sun for sorrow would not show its head*
I had no more time to think on it, because Rafe and I spotted Leanna at the same time, pacing in circles with her head resting in her thumb and forefinger and breathing heavily
"Beautiful?" I asked, approaching her slowly
She looked up, startled, "Sorry, I couldn't take it in there" she sighed
"It's ok" Rafe said
"I don't know what's wrong with me, I guess it's just lack of sleep or something" she said
I opened my mouth to protest but was cut off by a man in uniform carrying some yellow papers saluting us
"Lieutenant McCawley, Lieutenants Walker" he said in greeting
Rafe and I turned quickly and saluted, Leanna was a bit slower, she wasn't used to having men coming up to her and addressing her with her rank
"Doolittle wants to see you," he said, eyeing Leanna, "All of you"
Rafe nodded and took the papers from his hand, orders he recognized them as, and handed two to Leanna and me
The man saluted, and as did we, and he left, leaving us to ponder the papers in our hands
"I wonder what this is about" Rafe sighed
"I don't know, but we'd better get going, c'mon Beautiful" I said, taking Leanna's arm gently and leading her in the opposite direction, Rafe coming along beside me
As we walked along, we exchanged worried glances, glances that contained worry for both Leanna's declining health and worry for whatever Doolittle wanted from us...all three of us...
We stopped outside Doolittle's office and took a collective breath, I looked to Leanna, who was looking sicker than ever, then flashed a glance over Leanna's head and at Rafe
Rafe looked worried, but with a nod of reassurance, we walked into Doolittle's office, saluting quickly then blurting the first thing that came into our minds...at the same time
"We can explain"
"Explain what?" Doolittle asked, startled to say the least at them barging in suddenly
"Whatever it was you heard about us, sir" Rafe said quickly
"What? About the hula shirts you were flying in, or the 8 Zeros you shot down?" he asked
I wanted to say something, but no words came to my head, and from the looks Leanna and Rafe's face, they were at a loss for words too
"We're very proud of you, all three of you will be awarded the Silver Star, and you're being promoted to Captain," he paused, "And you, Walker, will be getting your wings"
Leanna forced a smile, I wasn't sure if it was because she had dreamed of getting her wings her whole life, or if she was just relieved that they hadn't put her in jail for flying without her wings
"That's not what you wanted to see us for though, is it?" Rafe always was the one to speak to soon
"Do you know what top secret means?" Doolittle asked
"Yeah, it's the kind where you win medals, but they send them home to their relatives" Rafe answered, glancing to me and Leanna
"I am asking you to go on a mission, I needed the best pilots, and I want all three of you, you'll go without knowing where you're going, or what you're doing, or when you'll be back, what I can assure you, is that if you succeed, you'll come back heros" Doolittle said
Rafe looked around, from me, to Leanna, to Doolittle and back again, I knew he was looking for me to say something, but at the present moment I didn't think I could speak without squeaking
So we stood there for the next few seconds, both eager to be heros, but not very willing to leave Leanna, and waiting for the other to speak, to answer, stammer anything, it didn't matter, the silence was to much, but we didn't have to wait, because at that moment someone else spoke-
"I'm in"
Leanna. I had almost forgotten she was included too.
"No you aren't" I said quickly, her words giving me the ability to speak
"Danny" she said, that was all, she knew she was fighting a losing battle
"No, Beautiful, you're pregnant, do you know how dangerous it was for you to fly then, think about what it will be like in a few months, you're not going" I said
Leanna looked from me to Rafe with half pleading eyes
"I'm gonna have to agree with Danny on that one" he said, shaking his head
"Sorry, I didn't know you were...uh..." Doolittle faltered, which would have been particularly amusing in any situation but this, Doolittle never got tongue-tied
"It's ok" Leanna said quietly
"But I'm in" Rafe said so the conversation didn't have to carry any further
"I guess that means I am too" I said
"Good, we fly out in the morning, spend tonight with your family" Doolittle said
I instinctively looked at Leanna and had the faint urge to say 'They're my only family', but I just stood there, noticing the panicked look in Leanna's eyes
"You can't go" she whispered
"He needs us, Beautiful" I said
"Please, Rafe," she said, turning to Rafe, "I can't bear the thought of losing you again, please don't go, I need you, what am I supposed to do?"
I saw Rafe gulp, we knew exactly what had to be done, we had to go, it wasn't a choice, we were obviously essential to the mission, I could see it in the look in Doolittle's eyes
"I have to go, Beautiful" I heard Rafe say, it sounded painful to form those words with his mouth
She blinked, once...twice...I realized she was blinking to keep from crying
"We'll be there" Rafe said quickly
"Go" Doolittle smiled
I turned around unceremoniously along with Leanna, and Rafe, who was following her, and we walked out the door
"No, please, Danny, what if you're not back, I want you to stay, please!" Leanna tried to keep her voice quiet, but she sounded desperate
"Beautiful, we're going to be careful, and we'll be back in plenty of time, and you'll be fine" I said, trying to pull her into a hug but she pushed me off
She was mad, again, she would be over it in an hour or so, though, as soon as she realized that this wasn't going to change our minds, this was real, we had to go, it was an honor to even be asked, we were the best, and Leanna was fine, she would be fine until we got back
"I just wish you two would stop trying to be heros" she said, her voice cold and dark
I opened my mouth to retaliate, but I didn't have the chance, because at that precise moment, Leanna's knees seemed to buckle under her, and she when down heavily with an 'oof'
"Oh my god-Beautiful!" Rafe yelled, dropping to his knees beside her, but I was already there
"Beautiful? Leanna! Wake up!" I cried, shaking her
But it was no use, she was out cold
Alrighty there, more to come soon, I'm leaving tomorrow for a few days, so it'll be slow going, and oh yeah, that one part in there was from Romeo & Juliet, 'A glooming peace this morning with it brings/The sun for sorrow will not show its head/Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things/Some shall be pardoned and some punished/For never was a story of more woe/Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.' I think I got it right, anyway, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!!!! I love those who review, and they will get...something...good...yeah, so review!!
Preview for Chapter 15: What happened to Leanna and how it affects Danny, Rafe, and the whole crew...
