Author's note: Thanks to CW for the review. I know there's a problem with formatting, but I'm not entirely sure how to put it right since it's always worked fine before now. Help would be welcome.
***
John slowly became aware of pain. It was concentrated in his chest and head, but was spread through the rest of his body as well. He lifted his hand to his head to feel for injuries, at least that was the plan. He opened his eyes quickly when he realised he couldn't move, but the light stabbed into his forehead, increasing the pain there.
He blinked until the pain dimmed slightly, then looked round. He was lying on some sort of platform, but it was tilted at a forty-five degree angle. Several straps held him in place, but the straps themselves seemed to be moulded to his body so he couldn't move even a millimetre, except for his head.
He turned his head to take in the rest of the room. It was small, very small, and almost bare. A table and chair were the only furniture in the room except for the platform he was lying on.
A door slid aside and someone came in. This was John's first sight of a Minbari face to face. He looked surprisingly similar to a human. The large bone over the back of his head and his baldness marked him as alien though.
"Your name, human?" the Minbari asked in halting English. John wondered how they knew their language, but decided it didn't matter.
"Tell me yours," John countered. The Minbari's only replied was a fist in John's stomach. His instincts tried to make him double over, but the restraints prevented it, so pain filled his awareness for a few minutes and he gasped for air.
"You name," the Minbari repeated.
"Snow White," muttered John. The Minbari seemed pleased with this answer, obviously thinking John was weak and would be easy to break. Clearly Minbari hadn't found out about fairy tales when they found out their language.
"Who leads your ship?" the Minbari asked. So they wanted to know who'd destroyed their cruiser. John decided it was probably safer not to answer that question, since he doubted they'd be giving him a medal for it.
Silence earned him another punch in the stomach. The Minbari repeated his question several times, his punches growing fiercer when John continued to respond with silence.
"Tell me who leads your ship!"
"Go to hell!" The Minbari probably didn't understand what hell was, but he certainly understood what John was trying to say. As the following blows struck him, John found the pain growing too much. It surged through his body with every beat of his heart until his body gave up trying to remain conscious.
***
Anna had woken up early as she had every day during the past few months. It was difficult to sleep well knowing that her husband was out there fighting for his life. She watched the news reports. The reporters were all trying to put a brave face on it, but they could only report failures and losses, more territory falling to the enemy, more ships destroyed.
She watched every report, fearing that it would be the one bringing her news of John. When it was over, she would relax and allow herself to breathe easily. Until the next report.
She climbed out of bed and went to the kitchen to pour herself a drink of water. She'd decided to stay with John's family during the war. As a scientist she was usually too busy travelling to have a real home of her own, and John was usually on patrol somewhere out there. She'd welcomed the invitation to stay with people who knew what she was going through, who understood how she felt.
As she drank slowly, she became aware of a persistent and annoying beep. Someone was calling.
"On," she said, and the screen filled with an image of a man in Earth Force uniform.
"Anna Sheridon?" he asked.
"Yes."
"I've some bad news."
"John," she whispered, already knowing what the man would say.
"We found the remains of the Lexington last night. It looks as though the ship was boarded by the Minbari. Many of the crew were killed by gun shots inside the ship. But the bodies of the bridge crew are missing."
"Missing? You mean John might be alive?"
"The Minbari don't take prisoners," the man said, "it's almost certain your husband is dead." Almost certain. Almost. Anna clung onto that one little word like a life-line. Almost. Almost wasn't definite. If John's body wasn't on the Lexington then there was a chance he was still alive. She wouldn't give up on him.
Anna's mind was so filled with thoughts and fears that it took her a few moments to realise the man was still speaking.
". . . remains of a Minbari cruiser. It seems that the Lexington was able to destroy it before they were taken. Your husband's sacrifice won us the first victory of this war." As though that could cheer her up. If he was dead, he was dead no matter what. Who cared if he'd killed a few of them on the way out.
"I'm sorry," the man said pointlessly, as though that could change anything. The screen went blank, but Anna continued to stare at it. Maybe it would come on, and he'd say he'd made a mistake. Maybe she open her eyes and she'd be upstairs and this had all been a dream. Maybe. . . maybe John was still alive somewhere, and would still come home.
Maybe not.
"Anna? What are you doing up?" Anna turned to see Lizzie standing in the doorway. Lizzie stopped short when she saw Anna's expression. The tears formed behind Lizzie's eyes, and she knew before she asked.
"It's John, isn't it?" Anna nodded, and realised her own cheeks were wet.
"They didn't find his body," she said in a chocked voice, "They don't know for sure he's dead." She wouldn't give up on him. She couldn't. She couldn't face a life without him in it. She wouldn't believe he was gone until she saw his body with her own eyes.
"Oh, Anna," Lizzie said, as the tears flowed freely. Anna flung her arms round her and clung to her. She buried her head on Lizzie's shoulder and cried, feeling her own shoulder grow wet as Lizzie wept on her.
***
John slowly became aware of pain. It was concentrated in his chest and head, but was spread through the rest of his body as well. He lifted his hand to his head to feel for injuries, at least that was the plan. He opened his eyes quickly when he realised he couldn't move, but the light stabbed into his forehead, increasing the pain there.
He blinked until the pain dimmed slightly, then looked round. He was lying on some sort of platform, but it was tilted at a forty-five degree angle. Several straps held him in place, but the straps themselves seemed to be moulded to his body so he couldn't move even a millimetre, except for his head.
He turned his head to take in the rest of the room. It was small, very small, and almost bare. A table and chair were the only furniture in the room except for the platform he was lying on.
A door slid aside and someone came in. This was John's first sight of a Minbari face to face. He looked surprisingly similar to a human. The large bone over the back of his head and his baldness marked him as alien though.
"Your name, human?" the Minbari asked in halting English. John wondered how they knew their language, but decided it didn't matter.
"Tell me yours," John countered. The Minbari's only replied was a fist in John's stomach. His instincts tried to make him double over, but the restraints prevented it, so pain filled his awareness for a few minutes and he gasped for air.
"You name," the Minbari repeated.
"Snow White," muttered John. The Minbari seemed pleased with this answer, obviously thinking John was weak and would be easy to break. Clearly Minbari hadn't found out about fairy tales when they found out their language.
"Who leads your ship?" the Minbari asked. So they wanted to know who'd destroyed their cruiser. John decided it was probably safer not to answer that question, since he doubted they'd be giving him a medal for it.
Silence earned him another punch in the stomach. The Minbari repeated his question several times, his punches growing fiercer when John continued to respond with silence.
"Tell me who leads your ship!"
"Go to hell!" The Minbari probably didn't understand what hell was, but he certainly understood what John was trying to say. As the following blows struck him, John found the pain growing too much. It surged through his body with every beat of his heart until his body gave up trying to remain conscious.
***
Anna had woken up early as she had every day during the past few months. It was difficult to sleep well knowing that her husband was out there fighting for his life. She watched the news reports. The reporters were all trying to put a brave face on it, but they could only report failures and losses, more territory falling to the enemy, more ships destroyed.
She watched every report, fearing that it would be the one bringing her news of John. When it was over, she would relax and allow herself to breathe easily. Until the next report.
She climbed out of bed and went to the kitchen to pour herself a drink of water. She'd decided to stay with John's family during the war. As a scientist she was usually too busy travelling to have a real home of her own, and John was usually on patrol somewhere out there. She'd welcomed the invitation to stay with people who knew what she was going through, who understood how she felt.
As she drank slowly, she became aware of a persistent and annoying beep. Someone was calling.
"On," she said, and the screen filled with an image of a man in Earth Force uniform.
"Anna Sheridon?" he asked.
"Yes."
"I've some bad news."
"John," she whispered, already knowing what the man would say.
"We found the remains of the Lexington last night. It looks as though the ship was boarded by the Minbari. Many of the crew were killed by gun shots inside the ship. But the bodies of the bridge crew are missing."
"Missing? You mean John might be alive?"
"The Minbari don't take prisoners," the man said, "it's almost certain your husband is dead." Almost certain. Almost. Anna clung onto that one little word like a life-line. Almost. Almost wasn't definite. If John's body wasn't on the Lexington then there was a chance he was still alive. She wouldn't give up on him.
Anna's mind was so filled with thoughts and fears that it took her a few moments to realise the man was still speaking.
". . . remains of a Minbari cruiser. It seems that the Lexington was able to destroy it before they were taken. Your husband's sacrifice won us the first victory of this war." As though that could cheer her up. If he was dead, he was dead no matter what. Who cared if he'd killed a few of them on the way out.
"I'm sorry," the man said pointlessly, as though that could change anything. The screen went blank, but Anna continued to stare at it. Maybe it would come on, and he'd say he'd made a mistake. Maybe she open her eyes and she'd be upstairs and this had all been a dream. Maybe. . . maybe John was still alive somewhere, and would still come home.
Maybe not.
"Anna? What are you doing up?" Anna turned to see Lizzie standing in the doorway. Lizzie stopped short when she saw Anna's expression. The tears formed behind Lizzie's eyes, and she knew before she asked.
"It's John, isn't it?" Anna nodded, and realised her own cheeks were wet.
"They didn't find his body," she said in a chocked voice, "They don't know for sure he's dead." She wouldn't give up on him. She couldn't. She couldn't face a life without him in it. She wouldn't believe he was gone until she saw his body with her own eyes.
"Oh, Anna," Lizzie said, as the tears flowed freely. Anna flung her arms round her and clung to her. She buried her head on Lizzie's shoulder and cried, feeling her own shoulder grow wet as Lizzie wept on her.