Chapter 55
"You going to eat that pickle." Tex said to Kat, they were sitting on a park bench eating a lunch. Well, Kat was still eating while Tex had demolished his turkey sandwich and chips fairly quickly while Kat took her time. It was great to be with his daughter away from the noise and distraction of the house. The park wasn't very active with people making it more peaceful.
"Yep," Kat said as she took another bite of her sandwich. She was eating slow to drag it out as she wanted to just stay in the park for a while longer and just enjoy the peacefulness of it. But also just sitting with her Dad even if he was trying to steal her food.
"What about those chips?" Tex asked her.
"Yes, maybe you should go get more food." Kat told him with an amused look.
"Nah I'm good. Just wanted make sure you weren't struggling." Tex told her.
"I'm trying this thing called 'Chewing' apparently it's better for digestion." Kat deadpanned as her father inhaled his food like someone might steal it out of his hands. Something she'd gotten into the habit of herself but now was breaking it.
"Sounds time consuming." Tex replied wryly as he stole one of her chips and shoved it in his mouth so fast there was no way it could be returned to Kat.
"Hey!" Kat complained in good humour as she didn't really care about him stealing her food but she definitely cared about him thinking he could get away with it.
"I'll buy you another one next time." Tex promised before ate another chip from her bag.
"How's Larrin?" Miller asked when Wolf came through the door. He was cleaning up after lunch as his Mom and the others had returned to Danny and Kara's house to continue the renovations. It seemed like it was decided that they going to finish the house or at least get it to a point where Danny and Kara could do minimal work to fix it up. He figured it had more to do with his Mom twisting the volunteers arms into finishing than generosity driving the project but Danny had helped putting in the proverbial screws for his Mom to twist. The whole 'Kara is pregnant and I have a bum leg' played a lot in the excuses while Miller didn't mind helping for Kara's sake. He really wanted to tell Danny to take a hike with his excuse. He got shot in the leg but it didn't make him an invalid for life.
Kara was doing the heavy lifting in having a baby, that was something that took up a lot of time and energy. Her body was going to bent out of shape for longer than Danny's leg. But at least the banks were to open tomorrow which meant everyone would be paid and Danny could start paying for supplies, more food and beer to pay for the labor.
"She's doing ok, it'll be a couple more days before she can come home." Wolf said as he went to the fridge and pulled out a bottle water and uncapped it.
"That's good." Miller said even though he could tell Wolf wasn't happy.
"Speaking of home, Larrin talked about wanting to get back to Australia." Wolf half lied but he felt he should prepare Miller for the eventuality as he couldn't see Larrin staying in America. She talked about them finding their family to see if anyone survived and he couldn't see her leaving Australia after that given it was their home.
"Ah yeah, I'd expect as much." Miller said trying to be cool about it, he knew as much as he liked Larrin; she probably didn't remember him and they weren't even a couple where he could ask her to stay but even that would be unfair as America wasn't her home. Plus he was Navy, so he was going to be deployed. There was also the fact that if she did remember him, there wasn't anything really stopping them from having a long distance relationship if it was an option but he was getting ahead of himself.
"I just didn't want you to get your hopes up or anything as I don't think she'd stay here. Plus there is an issue about whether your government would allow it and her memory's a little spotty." Wolf said trying to soften the blow but not doing a very good job of it.
"I get what you're saying." Miller said, it was Wolf's way of saying that whatever he was hoping to share with Larrin or had shared was lost to her. Thus she'd not be interested in him.
"Good, I like you Miller. I just don't want you to get hurt." Wolf said to him.
"Mind if I see her tomorrow?" Miller asked as he thought of what he'd gotten for her. He figured he'd still like to see her and maybe they could be friends. More than anything he just wanted to see she was ok for himself.
"Sure, you can come with this afternoon." Wolf offered.
"I'd prefer to go tomorrow when she's had a bit more time to acclimate." Miller said, he wasn't going to share that he'd prefer he go alone as he knew Wolf would have an opinion. One that Miller didn't want to hear at the moment.
"Ok, no worries then." Wolf said.
"So when is the ultrasound booked for?" Danny asked Kara as they laid in their bed, late that night.
"Next week." Kara told Danny as she rested her head on her pillow and looked to him. She couldn't help but feel light and happy as everything was starting to balance out for them.
"I don't want to wait. I want us to get married as soon as possible. We could get go to the Old Courthouse and get the judge to marry us." Danny said as he looked to her, he'd give anything to turn on his side but his injured leg wouldn't allow the movement. That if he tried, he'd probably have to take the proper allotment of pain killers than the one tablet he'd reluctantly downed so he could just sit at the dinner table with their friends.
"Danny, we have to have a wedding. The crew have worked really hard to give us a home. I think we need to give them something." Kara said to him.
"A wedding isn't about them." Danny told her, Kara gave a tired sigh as it was obvious she and Danny had different ideas about what a wedding represented.
"A wedding is our way of showing our commitment to one another but it's also a great opportunity to say thank you to our friends who supported us and gone above and beyond for us. It doesn't have to be fancy but now we have access to our money we could do a large barbecue in the park." She said, it was an idea that had been rolling around her head ever since he asked her to marry him. Sure she had lots of other thoughts and fantasies but she felt a casual wedding in the park where all their friends and their family could come out for the celebration was a nice way of bringing everyone together but also to say thanks.
"You want to flip burgers on your wedding day." Danny said sceptically, Kara chuckled and shook her at him as he really didn't get what she was saying.
"No, I want to pay some people to provide barbecue foods and a simple wedding cake. We could have it in the park where we landed, invite the crew and anyone who has family in town-"
"That's over 200 people." Danny said cutting her off.
"I think we can put our money together and afford it given what they've done for us. Provide soft drinks, juice, water and add a BYO notice for alcohol on the invitation but no gifts, just their presence as witnesses. It's not like anyone is going to get drunk in the middle of day with the Captain or the XO there. But I think they'd appreciate a good meal and a reason to celebrate family and love." Kara said pushing her agenda as it was what she wanted. St Louis weather was fairly warm for the time of year and the weather had been good. So there was no reason they couldn't have a beautiful outdoor wedding followed by a barbecue reception.
"True, I could call around tomorrow and find out the costs for food and permits for the park." Danny told her, acquiescing to her wishes as he couldn't see the downfall except the possible burn to their savings. But then he knew that people of the Nathan James were family and they deserved a fun celebration given the past few days.
"Thank you." Kara said as she leaned in and kissed him.
The following morning,
"Hello?" Miller called out as he knocked on the door to Larrin and Dr Scott's room. Larrin who'd been laying in bed looking deep in thought looked to him. He couldn't help but smile to see she was awake and even though she was injured, she looked well.
"Hi, if you're looking for Dr Scott. She's gone for a walk." Larrin told him, she couldn't help but smile as she actually remembered him. Ok, correction, she knew he was the guy who saved her when she'd ran straight into a gun battle like a twit. But she also remembered him from before, at least she was sure she knew him. She had memories of them at a dinner table, at a park shaking hands, there was a ball which she wore a dress that she couldn't imagine herself wearing. Then she remembered them pulling lizards off a dark hallway. That memory she was pretty sure was a dream as it was too weird. But she couldn't help the way he made her want to just smile, it was just annoying that remember his name.
"Actually, I'm here to see you." he said which pleased Larrin to no end as he didn't look at her with sympathy like everyone else did.
"Me?" Larrin asked as she pushed herself up in the bed as bed she could. She couldn't help but feel a little self conscious and embarrassed as she probably looked a nightmare with her hair in brushed and tangled. She kind of wished she'd taken better note of her appearance but then having people look at her with such sorry eyes and what she knew made personal grooming sit low on the list of priorities.
"Yeah, I wanted to see how you were doing." he said as he moved to her bedside.
"I'm ok, broken arm, Swiss cheese memory but I do remember you." She told him with relief as it was nice to remember someone from the time that was so patchy and nearly have complete memories.
"Yeah?" he asked.
"I just can't remember your name." she confessed with a chagrin, he didn't look upset in the slightest at her lapse in memory. But her cheeks burned in embarrassment as she still couldn't used to the memory loss given she tended to remember everything.
"Eric Miller." He said as he pulled over a tray table with wheels usually reserved for meal time over to her bed and placed a canvas bag on it. "I was going to bring you flowers but I figured you'd like this better." he said to her as he pushed the tray table in front of her.
"You didn't have to do that." Larrin told him, now curious as to what he'd gotten for her. She wasn't expecting people to get her anything, she highly doubted there was a hallmark card to cover her problems.
"I wanted to." Miller assured her, he watched a little nervous as he wondered what Larrin remembered of him and how she would take the 'gifts' he'd brought for her. She tried to reach in with one hand to pull out the first item but didn't have the leverage to pull it out of the bag. "Maybe I should do get it out for you." he offered.
"Please, I'd hate to give the doctors more work." Larrin said, Miller chuckle as he pulled out a medium sized plush doll of Snoopy. "Oh my god! Snoopy! I must have told you." Larrin added, she greedily snatched the plush toy from him and wrapped her good arm around the toy. He couldn't help but feel like he was going to have a very successful second yet now first meeting with Larrin.
"No, I just like Snoopy." Miller told her, Larrin narrowed her eyes suspiciously at him wondering whether to take him at his word. "I swear, it was him or Big Bird. I figured you can use the company or use him as a pillow for your arm." he offered, it was his excuse for not getting flowers. He just like the permanency of the stuffed doll over the flowers as flowers died which he felt was incredibly depressing.
"You probably would have won with either." Larrin admitted to him as she was a sucker for soft toys even though she was supposed to have 'outgrown' them. Snoopy was one of her childhood favorites.
"Good to know, I also brought food; a couple apples, croissants," he pulled out the apples placing them on the table, followed by the paper bag with croissants. "Butter and Vegemite." he finished, he watched as her eyes went wide at the Vegemite jar.
"How in the world did you get Vegemite in America?" she asked in wonder, he chuckled as she looked like he just proved to her that Santa and the Easter Bunny existed.
"Imported food store. Apparently in an apocalypse this stuff will be the last thing to be eaten." Miller told her, it was a real ego boost for him to know that all his hard work in finding the things on the table and just showing up were all worthwhile. It was worthwhile as Larrin was smiling and appreciative of his gift, not that he expected anything less but it was good to see it.
"I don't see why people would be against it. It's full of good stuff. Can we have some?" Larrin asked in a hopeful tone as the hospital food wasn't all that impressive and frankly a taste of home and good memories was what she needed right now.
"Sure, though you'll have to tell me how much of this stuff to put on the croissant." Miller said as he gestured to the Vegemite jar. He didn't want to ruin a croissant by over buttering or putting way too much Vegemite on it.
"Doc," Wolf said, he liked how Doc jumped at his appearance at her side. She brushed a stray strand of red hair behind her ear and gave him an annoyed look for creeping up on her. She hated how the some of the soldiers could make nearly no sound as they walked. Some were so practiced it was second nature but still she hated being snuck up on. Especially when she had pulled an all nighter and was fried from too much coffee.
"Wolf, how are you on this fine morning?" she asked him as she focused on her work as she writing notes into a patient's chart. She also used it as a distraction to calm her pounding heart as Wolf scared the crap out of her.
"Ok, I wanted apologise for being pissed at you yesterday." Wolf said to her, she rose an eyebrow half tempted to tell him that he should be apologizing for scaring her two seconds ago but let it slide as it was rare for people to say 'sorry' to her.
"Meh, I deserved it and frankly you're not the first person to get angry at me or the last." Doc said dismissively as she finished her chart notes.
"Still, I'm sorry. So how is Larrin?" Wolf asked as he smiled at her, she looked a little frazzled and tired which made him wonder if she had gotten any sleep since the last time they'd seen one another.
"Why don't you go see for yourself." Doc asked as she handed the chart over to the nurse's station giving the nurse a smile as she took it away.
"Miller is visiting her, he doesn't need me hanging around." Wolf said, Doc turned to Wolf and wore an amused expression.
"Really? No big brother over-protectiveness?" Doc asked him, quite surprised he wasn't going to be hovering around the room threatening to break legs or make suitors 'disappear'.
"Have you meet Miller?" Wolf asked her.
"Briefly." Doc told him, which was true. Miller wasn't much in the looks department in her opinion but he was polite and friendly enough, she certainly wasn't going judge him further given everyone had a type. If Larrin was into Redheads then that was her thing.
"Well, trust me he's fairly harmless in comparison to other guys on the ship." Wolf told her.
"So you want them together?" Doc asked him.
"They have had time alone and they spent it pulling lizard statues off a wall and placing them all over the house like a joke instead of better things." Wolf said with a wry smile. He knew if it was Burk or Danny they would have at least tried to make a move, hell Danny knocked up Kara in less than four months of knowing her. Burk might not be a rule breaker while on the ship but who knew what he was like on solid ground without frat regs getting in the way.
"better things." Doc repeated in a skeptical tone as it sounded weird for sure but also like fun to play a prank.
"You want me to show you better things?" Wolf asked her with a salacious smile that could melt the knickers off a nun. Doc was slightly dazed by it for a moment before she shook her head. She really needed to get some food and sleep as she could see herself saying 'yes' and not entirely because she needed or wanted a refresher in 'better things' but because it could possibly save her some walking.
"Do I look that easy?" Doc asked him.
"No, you look hungry." he said, his tone rich with double entrendre. Doc pursed her lips to hide her smile.
"Yeah, I need a hot meal and bed, preferably alone as I need sleep not better things." she told him.
"Well, you want to go grab a burger? I know a good place. I have a car." Wolf drawled in a tempting manner to her.
"Ok, but you're buying as I have no money." Doc told him.
