The Fourth Night

A New Life

"Easy," Laura cautioned as she spotted Ayaz making his way down the corridor, somewhat unsteadily.

He closed his eyes for a moment and shook his head, hoping to clear the haze surrounding his brain once and for all.

"Dizzy?" Laura asked softly as she walked up to him.

"No," he whispered. "No, I am fine."

The nurse gave him a skeptical look. "If you were fine, you wouldn't be needing the support from the wall," she pointed out.

He let a faint chuckle escape his lips. "I suppose you have a fair point there," he replied. "But I have been lying around, staring at the cracked ceiling, for too long already. I feel like I have to do something."

"Ayaz," Zara called out in surprise. "Are you alright?"

He waved her concern for him away. "You look troubled Zara," he stated. "What's on your mind?"

She snorted. "It's that Colonel Lom. He all but threatened Dominik yesterday."

Laura and Ayaz shared a look.

"I guess he's not used to having kids around the premises," Laura offered. "He's not that bad."

"You didn't hear him," Zara protested.

"Just calm down and let's see if we can find something for Dominik to do that doesn't bother the soldiers," Ayaz suggested. "Perhaps we can encourage him to go to school in some way?"

"That's a great idea," Laura concurred. "Horst can probably teach him some things about the climate. I can give him a lesson about human biology."

Zara smiled, appreciating the other's efforts to keep her son out of trouble.

"Can you think of something he'd want to learn?" Ayaz asked.

"Everything. He's curious about everything. But I am sure that if he really got to choose, he'd like to hear the story of your life and to fly the airplane."

Ayaz found himself chuckling. "I'll tell him everything about my native country, what it is like, where I grew up and what I've been doing-,"

"Maybe not exactly everything, huh?" Laura pointed out with a wry smile, thinking back to the time when he admitted he'd forced another man to swallow emeralds as a way of smuggling them out of the country.

"Just the good stuff then," he said with a shrug. "As for flying an airplane, I am sure Mathieu wouldn't mind to teach him the basics."

Zara nodded. "Do you need anything? Is there something I can get you?"

"I'd love your company in the mess hall," he stated.

Laura smiled at the two of them. "I'll leave you two alone then," she said jovially.

OOOOOO

Horst looked up from the make-shift bench and the dead rat as Laura made it into the room.

She grimaced at seeing the innocent animal being strung up and flayed. "I am sorry I am late. Tell me what you want me to do."

"No worries," Horst assured her. "I figured you had your hands full treating Mathieu, Osman and Ayaz so I had Rik assisting me. He helped me find some material, fix a make-shift cage and some sharp knives from the kitchen."

Laura pursed her lips into a thin line of displeasure. "What do you hope to achieve from all this?"

He turned to look at her, his brow furrowing as he contemplated her question. "I don't know exactly. Something, anything, that might help us. I realize I am not an expert on DNA and biology but I think I know just about enough when it comes to solar radiation and climate to pull this off."

The nurse shook her head sadly with a smile on her face that held no mirth. "If there is anything I have learned over the past week, it is that you can do anything if you set your mind to it."

"Then let's solve this reversed polarity thing, shall we?" he suggested with a warm smile.

OOOOOO

"Hey," Jakub said as he carefully elbowed the pilot in the ribs. "It's time to wake up."

"I was just resting my eyes," Mathieu whispered as he blinked heavy eyelids open.

"Huh, sure you were," Jakub replied playfully before turning serious. "You're looking better."

"I actually feel better," the pilot replied, although his voice was still a little strained.

The mechanic nodded. "Look, Laura will have my hide if I don't let you rest so this will only be a short conversation."

Mathieu broke into a tired, wry smile. "As long as I answer coherently, I don't think there is anything to worry about."

Jakub shrugged. "Okay then," he said. "Colonel Lom wanted me to put together a report about the condition of our aircraft.

"Well, what's keeping you? After all, you are the mechanic," Mathieu pointed out, his tone of voice slightly teasing. "What is it you think I know that you don't?"

"Look, I know we have no real radio and I know there was trouble with the network. I also know there's a hole in the wall between the wheelhouse and the storage compartment, and that we have a window fitting that might not be a hundred percent. What I don't know is how the aircraft behaves."

The pilot made a face. "Well, it's performing remarkably well all things considered. Whenever we actually have some fuel left in the tanks at landing the engines are reversing nicely. There are no system failures, except for the ones you've already pointed out. Breaks and steering are good. I wouldn't say there is any actual cause for concern – she's airworthy."

"Yeah, that's what I thought too," Jakub mused.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Mathieu asked, suddenly confused by the mechanics dull mood.

"I don't know what his intentions are," Jakub offered as a way of explanation. "They aren't pleased to have us around. Maybe they'll kick us out and send us on our way."

The pilot chuckled. "I don't see the harm in that. We've travelled around the world before. Besides, now we know there are a few people spread out at different locations. We could try to reach one of those other groups."

"Okay, so maybe that's not any real cause for concern then," Jakub admitted. "But what if the colonel sends you away on some crazy mission?"

"It's not like he could order me around that much," Mathieu reasoned. "I am a civilian and as such I am not really under his command."

"I am not sure he sees it that way," the mechanic returned.

Mathieu shrugged. "Give him the report. I don't see the harm in that. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what's in store for us. I don't mind helping out if it also helps our group."

"If he sends you away, we'll be going with you," Jakub assured him resolutely as he saw that the pilot's eyelids were starting to close. "I am sorry, I kept you awake long enough."

"It's alright," Mathieu whispered.

"Rest and get better now, you hear? We need you with us," Jakub said as he turned to leave.

OOOOOO

"Hey, big man," Ayaz greeted Osman as he made it into the mess hall for some dinner. "It's good to see you back on your feet."

He nodded. "It's good to be back on my feet," the Arab replied softly. "I am glad you are better as well. I heard Terenzio managed to hurt you pretty bad back there at NATO."

Ayaz shrugged like it was no big deal. "I'll survive. I've had worse."

"Osman, Ayaz," Ambassador Bisset acknowledged as she walked up to their table. "It is good to see you."

The two men shared a look, not quite sure what to make of the diplomat, if they should be weary of her or trust her.

"The mechanics could use some help with the generator when you're feeling up to it," she suggested.

Ayaz nodded at Osman's hands. "I am not sure he would be able to do much work at the moment," he pointed out.

"It's not only physical labor," the ambassador replied. "Expertise in the field is also appreciated."

"I'll see what I can do to help then," Osman volunteered.

Ayaz purposely left out any comment about whether or not he would assist as well.

Thea managed a strained smile. "Thank you," she said and started to walk away.

"Do we trust these people?" Rik asked as he slid into the seat next to Osman.

"You tell us," Osman replied curiously. "I, for one, have been pretty out of it lately."

OOOOOO

Ines walked out the door and inhaled the fresh, crisp air, outside the confinements of the bunker. She tensed as she saw movement in her periphery vision, then relaxed as she realized it was only Sylvie.

"What are you doing out here all by yourself?" Ines asked kindly. She studied the other woman for a moment and couldn't help but to notice the sadness in her eyes and the weariness in her body language.

"Walking around," she answered thoughtfully.

"What's on your mind?" the younger woman asked carefully.

Sylvie turned to her with a curious frown.

Seeing the surprise on the other woman's face, Ines quickly added. "I don't know much about you but I can see that you're sad."

"I guess everything is catching up with me, that's all," the helicopter pilot replied carefully. She wasn't ready to make a full confession about her dark thoughts of suicide and why she carried the urn of a man with her. Not to Ines, not right now. The only ones who knew the story were Jakub and Mathieu and she didn't want to burden them anymore, anytime soon. Thinking about Henri drained her and left only the bad, dark and moody parts of her personality behind.

"Well, I am here if I can offer support in any way," Ines assured her. "It's okay to be sad. I guess we're all in the same boat as they say-," she broke into a wicked grin. "- or in our case. I suppose you could say, we're all on the same flight."

Sylvie couldn't help but to smile at that. She berated herself for only thinking about what she had lost. The others had lost just as much as she had; none of them would be able to see their loved ones alive – ever again. It didn't exactly brighten her spirit but it made it a little easier.

"Yeah, we are all on the same flight," Sylvie concurred with a soft smile. "Look, I'll be heading back inside. Are you coming?"

Ines shook her head. "I'll stay out here for a while. I need to see something else than the filthy kitchen."

"Just don't stay out too long. The sun will be up soon."

OOOOOO

To be continued

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