If the Shoe Fits…Part 13
Once they were nearing the end of their meal, Dr. Nambu joined them at the table. He had just been with the doctor, and came bearing news."We've already received a call about the baby. It seems his mother escaped into the mountains with Jun's old sensei, Madiana. She'll be reunited with her baby in the morning."
Everyone smiled at the good news. Then, Nambu turned his attention to Janet.
"Janet, that was a fine job you did portraying the Swan tonight. You really helped us out of a bad spot. Thank you." Nambu shook her hand and smiled warmly. "You're welcome to go and get some rest…and take tomorrow off…you deserve it."
"You're welcome…always glad to help…" Janet smiled back, "but I could never do this full time, I'm exhausted!" She brushed her hand across her forehead. "It gives me new respect for how hard the team works. I'll be glad to get back to my desk!"
Anxious to go home, Janet slowly got up from the table and dismissed herself. She turned back one last time before she left. "Keep me informedabout Jun, ok?"
Nambu nodded, and then turned back toward the rest of the team.
"What about Jun?" Jinpei's eyes widened with anticipation as he spoke.
Nambu's face immediately darkened. "She's very badly burnt on her lower back, hip and thigh. She's going to receive skin grafts, but it will be a slow and painful recovery. The doctors are confident that she will heal well, with very little scarring. She was lucky she wasn't killed by that attack, her civilian clothes protected her a little more than normal clothes would've.But she would have been much better off if she had been in birdstyle…"
Nambu removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "I would suggest that you all try to get some sleep. She's still unconscious…so you might as well wait until morning to check on her."
The team nodded in agreement and everyone headed for their sleeping quarters on base.
Ken tossed and turned in his bed, unable to sleep. He finally decided to sit in the waiting room, and try to doze off. He was soon joined by Joe.
"You couldn't sleep either, huh?" Joe rubbed his head and sat down opposite Ken.
"No, too much on my mind." Ken avoided looking directly at Joe.
Joe stared at Ken for a minute, and then chuckled, "You know, I have a feeling this is about more than a Commander/Subordinate thing…you have feelings for her, don't you?"
Ken frowned, "I resent that! You don't know what I'm feeling! This is about me, as her Commanding officer…letting her down! I feel responsible! I didn't keep her safe!"
"Last time I checked the Commander Handbook, there was nothing about keeping subordinates safe. We all knew when we took this on that we could lose our lives. Time and time again, that girl said she'd die for the cause…Hell, Ken, that girl would die for you!" Joe's voice echoed through the empty halls.
"I'm tired of the cat and mouse games, Ken, when are you going to admit your feelings for her? I know it's not appropriate, it's not convenient, either, but be true to yourself for once…she could be dying in there…and you never told her how you felt. I know if the shoe was on the other foot, she'd be in there proclaiming her love for you in a heartbeat!"
"Alright, alright…yes, I have feelings for her…are you happy? Don't say a word about it, because I can't do a thing about it right now, there are too many things that could go wrong. I have to keep my professional distance right now, understand?" Ken's eyebrows furrowed as he spoke. "And don't talk about shoes being on the other foot, never mention shoes again…especially in front of Jun!"
Joe started laughing heartily at Ken's last comment, causing Ken's expression to lighten and a chuckle to come bursting forth. It was the first time in several days Ken had laughed. It felt good.
Finally, sleep blanketed the two, and they remained curled up on the couches until morning.