Chapter 3
The crisis had passed, the danger gone. The Captain and crew of RLS Legacy had braved the destruction of Pellucid as it had gone supernova. Amelia composed herself, bellowing out to Arrow, "All hands accounted for, Mr. Arrow?"
But, much to her surprise, he did not answer. She tried again, but with the same result.
It was then that some unscrupulous alien spacer named Scroop, made his way reluctantly befor her and gave her Arrow´s hat. "I´m afraid Mr. Arrow has been lost," he said, his voice apparently sorrowful. "His lifeline was not secured."
Amelia had remembered scowling at Jim Hawkins, as Scroop had told her Arrow's lifeline had not being secured, which was the boy's responsibility. But she then realized it was her fault, she had given the boy---who was new to space---that job. But she had no time for that, and cast the guilt aside, as she had to say a few words---inadequate one's at best---to justify the loss of such a great man. After she finished, and with a heavy heart, the aggrieved Captain gave what orders were needed, and made her way back to her stateroom.
Once safely inside, away from the prying eyes of the crew, she lost her composure, and gave vent to her feelings of grief and loss, sinking down to the floor on her knees, crying softly.
Her sorrow was interrupted by a knock on the door. Quickly regaining the remnants of her Captainly composure, she hastily wiped her eyes, and got to her feet. She tugged her jacket down, a comforting gesture, and undogged the hatch and swang it open, regal Captain once more.
Outside, Delbert Doppler stood, his brown eyes full of sympathy and compassion. "I...I am sorry, Captain...for your loss. Mr. Arrow was a fine man. May I...I mean, might I...er, um, ask if you're all right, Captain?" Doppler asked in a shy, kind fashion. Amelia was touched by his compassion, and remembered what Arrow had said before the ill-fated encounter with the star Pellucid.
"As a matter of fact, I am not," Amelia told him truthfully. "I doubt that I shall be 'all right' as you put it, for some time to come."
"Understandable, Captain," Delbert answered, feeling the heel, a fool for asking such a question in her hour of grief. "I...I apologize for being so insensitive. Pray, do forgive me, Captain."
Now, for the first time since Arrow's loss, Amelia smiled. "Consider yourself forgiven, Doctor," Amelia told him. "Oh, and thank you for your words of compassion. It helps...and I could use all the help in that matter I can get."
Delbert wrung his hands, wishing so much that he could ease or remove the pain she was feeling just now. "If there is anything, Captain...anything at all you need, please call upon me...any time, any place," he offered to her.
"Yes," Amelia then said, which made Doppler blink rather comically. "There is something you can do for me, Doctor."
"I am at your disposal, Captain," Delbert returned, a small hopeful smile on his face. He bowed respectfully to her.
"Very cordial, Doctor," Amelia teased, surprised to find she could do something like that during a time like this. "Don't be a dolt...come inside, man!"
"Of course, Captain," Delbert replied, wincing only slightly at her calling him a dolt. "What may I do to help?"
Amelia dogged the hatch shut, then turned slowly about to face the kindly Doctor. "I was wondering," she began, suddenly sniffing back tears again. Dare I do this? she questioned, suddenly very afraid. Her fear of rejection warred briefly with her need to be consoled. That need won out, and she raised her chin proudly, and plunged ahead.
"I was wondering, Doctor," Amelia tried again. She suddenly frowned, wiping away a tear that spilled down one perfect cheek. "I wondering if you could stay and keep me company? The thought of being alone this night is..." she told him, her emotions overcoming her before she could finish.
Delbert moved toward the grief-stricken, yet still breathtakingly lovely Amelia, surprised at his bravery at this moment. "I would be honored, Captain," he told her with feeling.
There! He did it again, without even knowing it, Amelia thought, smiling. "Oh, I don't know about all that, Doctor," she quipped, feeling better already. Then she frowned. "Doctor, would you be uncomfortable if I called you...well, Delbert, instead of Doctor?"
Delbert was touched, extremely so...so much that he managed to nearly tumble over as he took a step back in surprise. "Well, I---that is, well, yes! I should like that very much, Captain," he answered.
"Good," Amelia said, thinking that perhaps she would survive losing Arrow after all. "Then, of course, you shall call me 'Amelia'," she told the Doctor.
"Oh no, I couldn't!" Delbert protested weakly, his knees feeling mushy all of the sudden.
"I'm afraid I'm going to insist, Doc---Delbert," Amelia told him firmly.
Delbert blushed, which nearly made Amelia giggle. The feeling of laughter eased the pain in her heart, and she found she was feeling very fond of the good Doctor this very moment. "Of course, Cap---er, Amelia," he replied, bowing his head respectfully.
Amelia could not help herself any longer, and chuckled softly at him. "You are a most remarkable fellow, Delbert Doppler," she told him. Her chuckling continued at his almost anticipated bout of blushing. "Now, could I interest you in some tea?"
"Oh, yes...I'd love some, er, Amelia," Delbert answered, the feeling of saying her lovely name not nearly so hard this time.
"It was a favorite of Arrow's, you see," Amelia explained as she set the kettle to boil. She then turned back to Delbert and saw him gazing upon her with interest and kind attention. "After I brew us up some tea, Delbert...I'd like to tell you about my friend, Sylvester Arrow..."
End
The crisis had passed, the danger gone. The Captain and crew of RLS Legacy had braved the destruction of Pellucid as it had gone supernova. Amelia composed herself, bellowing out to Arrow, "All hands accounted for, Mr. Arrow?"
But, much to her surprise, he did not answer. She tried again, but with the same result.
It was then that some unscrupulous alien spacer named Scroop, made his way reluctantly befor her and gave her Arrow´s hat. "I´m afraid Mr. Arrow has been lost," he said, his voice apparently sorrowful. "His lifeline was not secured."
Amelia had remembered scowling at Jim Hawkins, as Scroop had told her Arrow's lifeline had not being secured, which was the boy's responsibility. But she then realized it was her fault, she had given the boy---who was new to space---that job. But she had no time for that, and cast the guilt aside, as she had to say a few words---inadequate one's at best---to justify the loss of such a great man. After she finished, and with a heavy heart, the aggrieved Captain gave what orders were needed, and made her way back to her stateroom.
Once safely inside, away from the prying eyes of the crew, she lost her composure, and gave vent to her feelings of grief and loss, sinking down to the floor on her knees, crying softly.
Her sorrow was interrupted by a knock on the door. Quickly regaining the remnants of her Captainly composure, she hastily wiped her eyes, and got to her feet. She tugged her jacket down, a comforting gesture, and undogged the hatch and swang it open, regal Captain once more.
Outside, Delbert Doppler stood, his brown eyes full of sympathy and compassion. "I...I am sorry, Captain...for your loss. Mr. Arrow was a fine man. May I...I mean, might I...er, um, ask if you're all right, Captain?" Doppler asked in a shy, kind fashion. Amelia was touched by his compassion, and remembered what Arrow had said before the ill-fated encounter with the star Pellucid.
"As a matter of fact, I am not," Amelia told him truthfully. "I doubt that I shall be 'all right' as you put it, for some time to come."
"Understandable, Captain," Delbert answered, feeling the heel, a fool for asking such a question in her hour of grief. "I...I apologize for being so insensitive. Pray, do forgive me, Captain."
Now, for the first time since Arrow's loss, Amelia smiled. "Consider yourself forgiven, Doctor," Amelia told him. "Oh, and thank you for your words of compassion. It helps...and I could use all the help in that matter I can get."
Delbert wrung his hands, wishing so much that he could ease or remove the pain she was feeling just now. "If there is anything, Captain...anything at all you need, please call upon me...any time, any place," he offered to her.
"Yes," Amelia then said, which made Doppler blink rather comically. "There is something you can do for me, Doctor."
"I am at your disposal, Captain," Delbert returned, a small hopeful smile on his face. He bowed respectfully to her.
"Very cordial, Doctor," Amelia teased, surprised to find she could do something like that during a time like this. "Don't be a dolt...come inside, man!"
"Of course, Captain," Delbert replied, wincing only slightly at her calling him a dolt. "What may I do to help?"
Amelia dogged the hatch shut, then turned slowly about to face the kindly Doctor. "I was wondering," she began, suddenly sniffing back tears again. Dare I do this? she questioned, suddenly very afraid. Her fear of rejection warred briefly with her need to be consoled. That need won out, and she raised her chin proudly, and plunged ahead.
"I was wondering, Doctor," Amelia tried again. She suddenly frowned, wiping away a tear that spilled down one perfect cheek. "I wondering if you could stay and keep me company? The thought of being alone this night is..." she told him, her emotions overcoming her before she could finish.
Delbert moved toward the grief-stricken, yet still breathtakingly lovely Amelia, surprised at his bravery at this moment. "I would be honored, Captain," he told her with feeling.
There! He did it again, without even knowing it, Amelia thought, smiling. "Oh, I don't know about all that, Doctor," she quipped, feeling better already. Then she frowned. "Doctor, would you be uncomfortable if I called you...well, Delbert, instead of Doctor?"
Delbert was touched, extremely so...so much that he managed to nearly tumble over as he took a step back in surprise. "Well, I---that is, well, yes! I should like that very much, Captain," he answered.
"Good," Amelia said, thinking that perhaps she would survive losing Arrow after all. "Then, of course, you shall call me 'Amelia'," she told the Doctor.
"Oh no, I couldn't!" Delbert protested weakly, his knees feeling mushy all of the sudden.
"I'm afraid I'm going to insist, Doc---Delbert," Amelia told him firmly.
Delbert blushed, which nearly made Amelia giggle. The feeling of laughter eased the pain in her heart, and she found she was feeling very fond of the good Doctor this very moment. "Of course, Cap---er, Amelia," he replied, bowing his head respectfully.
Amelia could not help herself any longer, and chuckled softly at him. "You are a most remarkable fellow, Delbert Doppler," she told him. Her chuckling continued at his almost anticipated bout of blushing. "Now, could I interest you in some tea?"
"Oh, yes...I'd love some, er, Amelia," Delbert answered, the feeling of saying her lovely name not nearly so hard this time.
"It was a favorite of Arrow's, you see," Amelia explained as she set the kettle to boil. She then turned back to Delbert and saw him gazing upon her with interest and kind attention. "After I brew us up some tea, Delbert...I'd like to tell you about my friend, Sylvester Arrow..."
End