Chapter 42: I Am The Fire
June 21st, 2014 - 1600 (5:00 pm)
"I am going to have a hard time looking at that dress ever again without remembering last night," Tom commented, groaning as Rachel walked out of the bathroom in the same dress she'd worn to dinner the previous night. Her hair was curled tonight, falling in gentle waves over her shoulders. She smiled up at him as she finished putting her earrings in. She was wearing a light lip gloss, and it made her lips shine in a very distracting manner.
"I could say the same about those damn dress blues," she said, eyes raking over him. She would never get tired of seeing him in the uniform. He looked so handsome, so strong and commanding. "Also, why are they called dress blues? They're black, love."
Tom chuckled and shrugged, holding out his arm and kissing Rachel on the temple when she stepped into his space. He led her out of the bedroom to where Sam, Ashley, and Jed were waiting by the door. They were all dressed up for the occasion as well. Ashley was wearing a knee-length, blue sundress she'd been given, while Sam was looking dashing in a pair of black slacks, a button down white shirt, and the smallest tie Rachel had ever seen. Jed was dressed much the same, his hair gelled back, and Rachel smiled at all of them.
"Well don't you look handsome," she told Sam, ruffling his hair. "And you, Ashley, are so beautiful."
"You look beautiful, too, Momma!" Sam said, grinning and bouncing in place. "Your dress is so pretty!"
"Good taste, little man," Tom commented, grinning as he took Sam's hand. "Is everyone ready to go?"
Jed nodded and started herding the children toward the SUV.
"I know you guys have a lot to do tonight," he said. "Kelly and Christine have offered to help me keep an eye on all of the kids. We're going to take kid-duty from you and Mike tonight, so you don't have to worry about keeping your eye on them."
"Thanks, dad," Tom said. "Appreciate it."
"It's your night," Jed said, shrugging. "This is a celebration, you should enjoy it!"
"We will," Tom promised, smiling.
He was very much looking forward to Rachel receiving her award. He knew that she was embarrassed and still believed that she was undeserving, but he truly believed that it was just the icing on the cake of the recognition that she deserved for all that she had done.
It took them very little time to arrive at the court house where the celebration was being held. They got out of the SUV quickly, recognizing several of their crew mates as they walked inside. They got caught up immediately, talking and laughing with the people they had served beside for over a year on the hardest mission they'd likely ever complete.
They quickly lost track of Jed and the kids as they were swept up in a group of soldiers on the way to the bar. Rachel couldn't drink, but she enjoyed watching Tom and Tex and Danny laugh while taking shots, grinning and congratulating each other on their successes. There was finger food rotating through the large room, and the drinks flowed freely, so by the time that the President stood up to speak, everyone was pleasantly flushed and in a good mood.
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen," Jeffery Michener began, and a hush fell immediately over the room.
Rachel reached out to grab Tom's hand, holding tightly as the President began to speak.
"We are here tonight to celebrate the successes of the crew of the Nathan James. One year ago, almost exactly, they set out for what they thought was a routine, top-secret weapons testing mission. It was, in fact, a cover for a more important mission - the mission to find the ingredients needed to make the cure for the most deadly virus this world has ever seen."
The room was silent, listening to their leader as he spoke. And, as Tom looked around, he realized that less than a third of the attendees of the party tonight were from their ship. There were hundreds of people milling around; citizens of Baltimore, members of Thorwald's original group, and many, many more Tom didn't even recognize.
"The crew didn't even know about Dr. Scott's mission for four months. For four months, Drs. Scott and Tophet spent time in the Arctic, searching for the primordial strain of the virus, a vital ingredient to make the cure that saved all of our lives. Over the following months, the entire crew of the Nathan James was attacked, kidnapped, and hunted through the seas as they struggled to keep our scientists safe long enough to create the cure."
The President paused, his eyes sweeping the room from where he was speaking on the stage. He was speaking into a microphone, loud and clear enough for everyone to hear.
"I am here tonight to congratulate the crew of the Nathan James for their successful mission to not only create the cure, but to bring it to the world, saving millions of lives."
A cheer went up around the room, and Rachel found herself grinning and cheering along. There were hugs and handshakes and manly slaps on the back.
The President laughed, and continued speaking.
"The mission the crew undertook was one of such a huge importance that words cannot adequately describe how utterly in debt we are to them. Without the crew of the Nathan James, we would not be standing here today. Baltimore, our town as we know it, would not exist without them. Without their blood, sweat, tears, and sacrifice. Not all of the crew is here today. Several of those brave men and women gave their lives in pursuit of the cure. Among the lost are Franklin Benz, Ravit Bivas, Daniel Cossetti, Don Kincaid, Jackson Carter, and James Fletcher. Maya Gibson also lost her life, during the first trials of the vaccine. She offered herself to test the cure, and her sacrifice will never be forgotten."
There was a moment of silence while those who were present absorbed the reminder of those they had lost. Rachel remembered each and every one of them. Franklin, who had shot himself rather than risk infecting the crew when he'd stumbled over a body on the cruise ship. Ravit, who was lost to them during the attack on the oil rig. Cossetti, who had died while helping them rescue Tex and Tom from the Russians. Don and Jackson, who had lost their lives in Guantanamo Bay while trying to find an escape route. Fletcher, lost to them during the attack on the ice in the Arctic. And finally, Maya Gibson, who she had been unable to save during the trials.
"The crew of the Nathan James will be welcome in this town if they should choose to stay. Everyone on board has been offered a place to live and whatever they need to get started. If they choose to stay, they will be given a job and a heroes welcome."
The cheering continued, but the President wasn't done.
"As you may or may not know, there is one person without whom this cure would never have become a reality. Without her, the world would have perished. It was her tenacity, her passion, and her determination that saved the entire world. She fought from the moment she discovered the virus. She fought to get people to listen to her when she said her mission was necessary. She fought in negative forty degree weather, for four months, while on that mission, to find what she needed to begin creating the cure. Very few believed her, at that point. They thought she was on a fool's errand, that there was no way that what she was saying was true. She then continued to fight, against those who would attack her, kidnap her, and try and take her work and use it for evil. She was kidnapped, hurt, shot, and even died, briefly, in her quest to deliver the cure to the world. But she never once gave up, even when no one believed in her."
The room was completely silent when the President paused to take a breath.
Rachel was holding tightly onto Tom's hand, crying openly.
She didn't believe that she deserved this. She didn't believe that she had done anything special, or noteworthy. But hearing a virtual stranger, the President of the United States, praise her efforts and her determination, was causing her breath to hitch and her tears to overflow. And, as she watched the crew from the Nathan James turn to her and salute, she felt a smile beginning to form on her face.
"You deserve this," Tom whispered, stepping back from her to salute her as well.
"Dr. Rachel Scott," the President continued. "It is my greatest pleasure and honor to bestow on you the Nobel Peace Prize for your dedication and determination to bring the cure to this great nation, and to the rest of the world. In Alfred Nobel's last will and testament, he stated that this prize should be given to those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind. I believe it can be said, without a single doubt, that Dr. Rachel Scott has benefited humankind in a way that cannot be measured. She has bestowed the greatest gift upon everyone here in this room, and everyone left in every continent on this planet - the gift of life. We will continue. We will rebuild. We will survive and thrive, because of her work. So, without further ado, will Dr. Rachel Scott please come to the stage to accept this honor?"
Rachel wasn't sure she could walk, or even move. She was sobbing silently, tears tracking down her cheeks as the entire room applauded her. Tom, the man she loved with all her heart, everyone with whom she had served alongside for the past year, and strangers who she had never even spoken to were clapping and cheering for her. She could see Sam, sitting on Tex's shoulders several feet away, screaming with excitement, waving his hands in the air.
"THAT'S MY MOMMY!" he yelled, and Ashley joined in, whooping and cheering from her position in Jed's arms.
"Go on, my love," Tom whispered, and gave her a gentle push.
She drew a deep breath in, and took a single step forward, and then another.
Her legs were shaking and her heart was pounding out of her chest, but somehow she made it to the stage with the President of the United States, and stood beside him, shaking his hand and taking the award he held out to her with shaking fingers.
"Do you want to say something?" he asked quietly, and she nodded, taking the microphone from him.
"Thank you. Thank you very much," she began, her voice starting out quietly, growing stronger in her determination as she spoke. "But I want everyone from the Nathan James to know that I could not have done it without each and every one of you. You stood beside me, protected me, believed in me, and you gave me the strength to continue even on the hardest of days. I am not the only one that deserves this award. I did not do this alone. I could not have done this alone. I am... honored that I was able to serve beside you. So thank you. Thank you for being my family during the hardest year of all of our lives."
She handed the microphone back to the President, and accepted a hug from him as the crowd cheered and applauded loudly.
The second she stepped off the stage she was enveloped in Tom's arms, swung around in the air as he kissed her.
"I'm so proud of you," he said, setting her back on her feet and holding her close, cupping her jaw in his hand as he kissed her again and again. "I love you."
"I love you, too," she gasped, and then buried her head in his chest, letting her tears fall silently. Tom held her and held her, giving her as much time as she needed to calm down. Finally, she pulled back, staring at the crowd around them, a smile breaking over her face as she saw Jed, Tex, Ashley, and Sam make their way through the crowd.
She was subjected to another round of hugs, laughing again when Tex kissed her loudly on the cheek before picking her up and swinging her around again.
After several joyous moments, she ended up back in Tom's arms, leaning back against his chest while Sam and Ashley held on to either of her hands tightly, gushing to anyone who would listen about how she was their mommy and did they know that she was the one who made the cure?
"Hush!" she finally begged, laughing as she clapped a hand over Sam's mouth. "Go with Tex! Find some cookies or cake to eat!"
Sam and Ashley happily followed her suggestion, bouncing off with Tex in search of treats while Rachel laughed and shook her head, her cheeks flaming red.
"You deserve every second of this," Tom said, running a finger over the award she still held tightly in her hand. "You are astounding. You amaze me every single day, and I am so glad that you are getting the recognition you deserve, even if it makes you uncomfortable."
Rachel shook her head, still disbelieving, as she watched the crowd around them enjoying themselves and celebrating. As she watched, the lights in the room were suddenly dimmed, and music began to play over the speakers. She laughed, smiling as she watched people break off into pairs or groups to begin dancing. The champagne was flowing freely, and the mood in the room could only be described as incandescently happy.
"Want to dance?" Tom asked, holding out a hand, and Rachel smiled at him, putting her hand in his and letting him lead her to the dance floor.
The song was soft, slow, and she wrapped her arms around Tom and rested her head on his chest as they moved in slow circles around the room.
"I want to marry you," Tom said quietly, several moments later.
Rachel looked up at him, and kissed his cheek softly. "I know. I already said yes, love."
Tom shook his head, smiling. "No, I want to marry you now. Soon. As soon as we can manage it. I want you to be my wife; I want to be your husband. I want to truly start our life together."
Rachel smiled Tom's favorite smile, her dimples on display and her eyes squinting in happiness as she nodded eagerly. "Yes. Yes, I want that, too. As soon as we possibly can."
"I love you," he said, and, without a single thought for the fact that they were standing in the middle of a room full of people, stopped dancing and pulled her into his arms, kissing her so lovingly that her eyes filled up with tears again.
"And I, you," she whispered, and the room around her disappeared as she curled into the embrace of her soon-to-be husband.