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Chapter 4
The oil rig explosion and subsequent deaths were hard on the crew. For the first time, Christine saw them shaky. Even Mike. When he finally came in that night; she could see the exhaustion on his face. While she had complained about not having any patients, now she had more then she knew what to do with. And judging from Mike's face; he needed to sleep more than anything.
"Girls asleep?" Mike asked quietly.
"Soundly. Please thank your crew for looking in on them while I was in the hanger." Christine said.
"I think that was all Lieutenant Foster and Commander Garnett." Mike said.
"You look tired." Christine remarked.
"I am. Hopefully its calm. Master Chief and Lieutenant Granderson have the bridge." Mike said.
"She shouldn't…" Christine started.
"Oh, I know. But she was insistent. Master Chief will keep an eye on her. Gator is capable too." Mike said.
"So, what next?" Christine asked.
"I'm not sure, honestly. Tom is…obsessed. Its not healthy." Mike remarked. He would not be having the conversation with anyone but her.
"Mike; you'd better get some rest. You are about to drop." Christine said.
"I need to shower first." Mike said. They both stood up and he smiled down at her.
"Just shower in here. If not, someone will stop you with a question and you'll get caught." Christine told him.
"I don't want to wake the girls." Mike answered.
"They are out." Christine answered.
"Alright." Mike agreed.
"Mike…when this is all over…can we talk? I know now isn't the time but…after?" Christine asked.
"Yeah." Mike agreed before kissing the top of her head. It wasn't unusual but something about it…she leaned up and gave him a kiss. Initially, it was supposed to be on his cheek but it landed on his lips. If they were only feet from their daughters—their very inquisitive daughters, it might have continued.
"After?" Christine repeated.
"After." Mike agreed. He kissed her again and then followed her into the bedroom area. Katie was sleeping like a statute, while Hannah was stretched across the bed, horizontally. "I'll move her so you can lay down." Mike agreed.
"Thanks." Christine said as she watched him move Hannah over in the bed, closer to Katie. He kissed both of their foreheads before standing back up.
"They're growing up." Mike remarked as he tucked the blanket over them.
"Yes, they are." Christine answered.
"Too bad they are going to land in a changed country." Mike said before grabbing his pajama pants and walked into the bathroom.
She changed into her nightgown and settled next to Hannah; who even in her sleep, was hyperactive. Christine curled close to her and a few moments later, Mike came through after his shower. In just a few more minutes, she could hear his snores.
She loved how close they were and she dreaded the distance she could tell was coming. The distance dictated by the fact that she and Mike were no longer married. She wasn't even sure why she did it, but she got up and walked into the main area, where Mike was sleeping on the pull out couch. She climbed in next to him and put her arms around him.
"Christine?" Mike asked.
"Yeah." She answered. Nothing more then sleeping next to each other would or could happen.
"Okay." Mike answered. He put an arm around her and drew her close. She had missed the strength of his arms.
It was honestly the best she had slept in a long time, even before the Red Flu. She hoped it would help Mike.
By the time she woke, he was gone and the girls were rambling around. Katie came out and looked at her, sitting up on Mike's bed now.
"Mom, what does this mean?" Katie asked.
"I…got overheated and just needed to have some fresh air. I came out here. It was cooler." Christine lied.
"I heard Dad leave about a half hour ago which means you slept in here together?" Christine asked.
"Katie; nothing happened." Christine said.
"As long as you two don't give Hannah any ideas. I don't particularly want to be a part of some happy family." Katie said.
"Katie; what happened after Emma died…it was not your dad's fault. Lucas dying was not his fault. In case you hadn't noticed; he isn't the most expressive guy." Christine said.
"He couldn't have saved Emma or Lucas, but he could have supported you. He left you to grieve for Emma on your own." Katie remarked.
"And likewise; he grieved on his own as well." Christine reminded her.
"Mom; he left you. He could have asked for longer at home and he didn't. And once he did come home from deployment, none of us dared to bring Emma up around him." Katie said.
"Katie; grief is complex and all-consuming." Christine said.
"Its not grief. He never wanted Emma. I heard him say that to you before he deployed. I'm just glad she never saw how cruel he could be." Katie said.
"Katie; he's never been cruel to you. You've never known anything but love from him. No, his reaction to my pregnancy wasn't great but he would have loved Emma. A part of him still does. Now; you need to take a breather and understand; your dad loves you and he loves Emma, in his own way. You will not behave this way anymore." Christine pointed out. Just then Hannah came out from the bedroom.
"Mama, I'm hungry. Can we go eat?" Hannah asked.
"Yeah. Do you want your hair braided?" Christine asked. Hannah had her hair ties and her comb in hand.
"Yes, please." Hannah said. Christine settled her next to her and began braiding the hair while Katie got up and went into bathroom area. Christine was going to have to find a way to patch things up between the father and daughter, sooner rather than later.