"Arrow was a fine spacer; finer than any of us would hope to be. He will be missed.." Captain Amelia cleared her throat, choking back a sudden sob. "Carry on." She turned still fingering Arrow's tri-sided hat, and climbed the stair to the helm. She disappeared into her cabin, shutting the heavy metal door behind her.
The cabin looked so empty and dark. Shattered glass was stridden all over the floor from the explosion of the storm. Amelia peered around, a watery blur obscuring her vision. Her breathing grew rapid as the sobs in her chest tried to break free. With all her willpower, she pushed them down. She couldn't cry. Arrow wouldn't hear of it! He'd say, "Keep a stiff upper lip and focus on tomorrow." She couldn't cry…
Arrow's hat suddenly felt like a brick in the grip of her long fingers. He wouldn't be needing it anymore. The hat dropped from her grasp, falling flatly to the floor with a sickening thud. She stepped forward, glass crunching under her boots. The glass was dangerous to keep around on the floor. It needed to be gathered up. It would be a wonderful distract, though Amelia didn't directly think that. She knelt, not even heeding the glass under the knee of her tall right boot. She started to sweep the glass into a pile with her gloved hands.
He was her friend…probably her closest friend ever. That's why he was her first mate. They'd known each other since they're first semester at the Academy. They trained side-by-side for years, then fighting together on Prodeus One. He was always there…
Amelia clenched her fist shut and heaved out a deep breath. He was always there…
Not anymore.
She hadn't realized what she'd done until the blood begun to seep through her white glove. She opened her eyes to find she had clutched a piece of glass, cutting through her glove and skin - striking blood from her palm. She stared dumbfounded for several moments, as if bleeding was a foreign happening. Her hand finally let go of the soiled glass, the only part of her body that seemed to be able to move again.
A soft knock on the metal door rang like a gunshot in her ears. Amelia snapped her head and eyes toward the door. Who in blazes…? She stood instantly, a small glimmer of hope in her inner being wishing that Arrow would be on the other side; that the accident wasn't true or that he had been rescued. She shot to the door with one long step and flung it open.
The light faded and all hope deflated like a flattening balloon. False, wishful hope. That's all. Her face blazed with anger, but her eyes were sad and glistening. Dr. Doppler meekly stood there only a few feet in front of her, a frown consuming him. Several moments went by - feeling more like hours. Amelia breached the silence.
"Yes, Doctor?"
Doppler, staring wide-eyed, cleared his throat awkwardly. "Captain, I came to see how you were doing." He paused, wringing his hands together then added, "How are you doing?"
Amelia glared and said through gritted teeth, "I'm fine, Doctor. Thank you for your concern."
"I know Mr. Arrow was a dear friend of yours and it's tragic that he was lost. I'm so sorry. If there…" Amelia raised a hand, cutting Doppler's ramblings short.
"I assure you, Doctor, I am fine."
But, the hand she had raised was wounded and Doppler noticed right away. His eyes widened at the deep crimson stain on her white glove. He grasped her hand, immediately examining it. "Captain, your hand - it's bleeding."
"I'm aware of that, Doctor." Amelia's tone was edgy and frustrated.
Doppler finally noticed the glass covering the floor. "Heavens! Your windows were shattered! This must be cleaned immediately. It's dangerous! Is this how you hurt your hand?"
"You're far too intelligent for your own good, Doctor." A sip of sarcasm slipped in. "Now please leave me be."
"But, you need help cleaning this mess especially after you hurt yourself."
He would not stop babbling and it was grating her nerves to the point of exhaustion. Finally, it became too much. The successful escape from the black hole meant nothing - for the moment - without Arrow being there.
He's gone.
He's gone.
And, yet, the man in front of her still babbled on.
"DOCTOR!" Amelia roared. Doppler snapped his head up from where he had bent down to collect the shattered glass. "PLEASE LEAVE ME BE! I AM FINE! ARROW IS GONE AND THERE'S NOTHING TO BE DONE ABOUT IT. SO GO!"
She hadn't realized while she screamed, but tears were running swiftly down her cheeks. She closed her eyes and lifted a hand to touch her forehead. The longest minute passed as Amelia just stood there, swaying slightly. Doppler was still bent to the floor staring up at her, frozen. Amelia pushed her back to the wall beside the cabin's door, and slid to the floor, where thankfully only a few small pieces of shards were.
Another minute passed, and Amelia sobbed to herself. What happened next surprised even the one who made the move. Doppler's arms encircled her, pulling the Captain gently to him. She laid her head against his chest, and wept into his coat.
Doppler wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, but he didn't let her go until she was ready to be free of his embrace. Amelia heaved, pulling away and wiping her damp cheeks with the fingertips of her gloves. She cleared her throat.
"I'm sorry, Doctor. It seems emotions can be overwhelming here and there."
"It's quite all right, Captain. Now let's tend to your wound then get this glass up before it causes anymore damage."
*
*
*
There was silence all around. It was the quietest the Doppler children had ever been in their entire lives. A flash of lightening shined through the curtains followed by a rumble of thunder. Amelia could see her children's faces. They were frozen, and their mouths gaping. Finally, she said, "Oh dear, you four were too young to hear that."
"Why do you say that, Mum?" Hattie asked, perking up. "It was sad, but it was good to hear."
A sniffle cut through the air. Delbert looked down to see Lynn wiping her cheeks. "Are you all right, Lynn?"
The little girl nodded. "It was just so sad. I wish Mr. Arrow weren't lost." Delbert pulled her closer to him, and kissed her head.
Amelia sighed. "I think that should be all for tonight" They began to protest, but the Captain held up a hand to quiet them. "What happens next might be too scary for you children. It will be better to save for another time."
There was a round of 'all right' and 'yes, mum'. "But, can we still stay in here?" Benny asked.
Amelia exchanged a glance with Delbert then looked at the children. They were pleading, and somehow, all those years as captain flew out the window with one look at their little faces. "Yes, you may."
"Yay!" Since Benny and Lynn were already next to their parents, Hattie and Katy pushed their way in-between them and wiggled under the covers. "Goodnight!" chorused between them.
When the children were settled, Amelia peered over the four heads that separated her and Delbert. He reached out to grasp her outstretched hand, and planted a kiss on the back. "Goodnight" he whispered.
"I'll see you tomorrow night" she whispered back. Delbert flicked thumbs up, which received a low chuckle from his wife. No more was said for the rest of the night.
*
*
*
No, that's not the end! There's plenty more to come!
The cabin looked so empty and dark. Shattered glass was stridden all over the floor from the explosion of the storm. Amelia peered around, a watery blur obscuring her vision. Her breathing grew rapid as the sobs in her chest tried to break free. With all her willpower, she pushed them down. She couldn't cry. Arrow wouldn't hear of it! He'd say, "Keep a stiff upper lip and focus on tomorrow." She couldn't cry…
Arrow's hat suddenly felt like a brick in the grip of her long fingers. He wouldn't be needing it anymore. The hat dropped from her grasp, falling flatly to the floor with a sickening thud. She stepped forward, glass crunching under her boots. The glass was dangerous to keep around on the floor. It needed to be gathered up. It would be a wonderful distract, though Amelia didn't directly think that. She knelt, not even heeding the glass under the knee of her tall right boot. She started to sweep the glass into a pile with her gloved hands.
He was her friend…probably her closest friend ever. That's why he was her first mate. They'd known each other since they're first semester at the Academy. They trained side-by-side for years, then fighting together on Prodeus One. He was always there…
Amelia clenched her fist shut and heaved out a deep breath. He was always there…
Not anymore.
She hadn't realized what she'd done until the blood begun to seep through her white glove. She opened her eyes to find she had clutched a piece of glass, cutting through her glove and skin - striking blood from her palm. She stared dumbfounded for several moments, as if bleeding was a foreign happening. Her hand finally let go of the soiled glass, the only part of her body that seemed to be able to move again.
A soft knock on the metal door rang like a gunshot in her ears. Amelia snapped her head and eyes toward the door. Who in blazes…? She stood instantly, a small glimmer of hope in her inner being wishing that Arrow would be on the other side; that the accident wasn't true or that he had been rescued. She shot to the door with one long step and flung it open.
The light faded and all hope deflated like a flattening balloon. False, wishful hope. That's all. Her face blazed with anger, but her eyes were sad and glistening. Dr. Doppler meekly stood there only a few feet in front of her, a frown consuming him. Several moments went by - feeling more like hours. Amelia breached the silence.
"Yes, Doctor?"
Doppler, staring wide-eyed, cleared his throat awkwardly. "Captain, I came to see how you were doing." He paused, wringing his hands together then added, "How are you doing?"
Amelia glared and said through gritted teeth, "I'm fine, Doctor. Thank you for your concern."
"I know Mr. Arrow was a dear friend of yours and it's tragic that he was lost. I'm so sorry. If there…" Amelia raised a hand, cutting Doppler's ramblings short.
"I assure you, Doctor, I am fine."
But, the hand she had raised was wounded and Doppler noticed right away. His eyes widened at the deep crimson stain on her white glove. He grasped her hand, immediately examining it. "Captain, your hand - it's bleeding."
"I'm aware of that, Doctor." Amelia's tone was edgy and frustrated.
Doppler finally noticed the glass covering the floor. "Heavens! Your windows were shattered! This must be cleaned immediately. It's dangerous! Is this how you hurt your hand?"
"You're far too intelligent for your own good, Doctor." A sip of sarcasm slipped in. "Now please leave me be."
"But, you need help cleaning this mess especially after you hurt yourself."
He would not stop babbling and it was grating her nerves to the point of exhaustion. Finally, it became too much. The successful escape from the black hole meant nothing - for the moment - without Arrow being there.
He's gone.
He's gone.
And, yet, the man in front of her still babbled on.
"DOCTOR!" Amelia roared. Doppler snapped his head up from where he had bent down to collect the shattered glass. "PLEASE LEAVE ME BE! I AM FINE! ARROW IS GONE AND THERE'S NOTHING TO BE DONE ABOUT IT. SO GO!"
She hadn't realized while she screamed, but tears were running swiftly down her cheeks. She closed her eyes and lifted a hand to touch her forehead. The longest minute passed as Amelia just stood there, swaying slightly. Doppler was still bent to the floor staring up at her, frozen. Amelia pushed her back to the wall beside the cabin's door, and slid to the floor, where thankfully only a few small pieces of shards were.
Another minute passed, and Amelia sobbed to herself. What happened next surprised even the one who made the move. Doppler's arms encircled her, pulling the Captain gently to him. She laid her head against his chest, and wept into his coat.
Doppler wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, but he didn't let her go until she was ready to be free of his embrace. Amelia heaved, pulling away and wiping her damp cheeks with the fingertips of her gloves. She cleared her throat.
"I'm sorry, Doctor. It seems emotions can be overwhelming here and there."
"It's quite all right, Captain. Now let's tend to your wound then get this glass up before it causes anymore damage."
*
*
*
There was silence all around. It was the quietest the Doppler children had ever been in their entire lives. A flash of lightening shined through the curtains followed by a rumble of thunder. Amelia could see her children's faces. They were frozen, and their mouths gaping. Finally, she said, "Oh dear, you four were too young to hear that."
"Why do you say that, Mum?" Hattie asked, perking up. "It was sad, but it was good to hear."
A sniffle cut through the air. Delbert looked down to see Lynn wiping her cheeks. "Are you all right, Lynn?"
The little girl nodded. "It was just so sad. I wish Mr. Arrow weren't lost." Delbert pulled her closer to him, and kissed her head.
Amelia sighed. "I think that should be all for tonight" They began to protest, but the Captain held up a hand to quiet them. "What happens next might be too scary for you children. It will be better to save for another time."
There was a round of 'all right' and 'yes, mum'. "But, can we still stay in here?" Benny asked.
Amelia exchanged a glance with Delbert then looked at the children. They were pleading, and somehow, all those years as captain flew out the window with one look at their little faces. "Yes, you may."
"Yay!" Since Benny and Lynn were already next to their parents, Hattie and Katy pushed their way in-between them and wiggled under the covers. "Goodnight!" chorused between them.
When the children were settled, Amelia peered over the four heads that separated her and Delbert. He reached out to grasp her outstretched hand, and planted a kiss on the back. "Goodnight" he whispered.
"I'll see you tomorrow night" she whispered back. Delbert flicked thumbs up, which received a low chuckle from his wife. No more was said for the rest of the night.
*
*
*
No, that's not the end! There's plenty more to come!