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Chapter 7
The trip up the Mississippi was rough, especially when people didn't show up to be vaccinated. Rios sent Christine to check President Michener's stitches and he let her in with a kind smile. After his suicide attempt, Christine took a liking to him.
"Mrs…Ms…Slattery, I'm sorry. I forget that you and Commander Slattery are not married any longer." President Michener said.
"Then how about you just call me Christine?" Christine asked.
"Yes, ma'am. So…do you think this will scar?" President Michener asked.
"There might be faint scars, but we can get you some Vitamin E oil. That will help." Christine said as she assessed the wounds.
"Your girls brought me cookies in earlier. They made them with Bacon. Really good. Hannah is so sweet. Not that Katie isn't." President Michener remarked.
"Katie is…struggling." Christine admitted.
"Difficult age normally and with all that's happened, I'm sure even worse. Adults don't have the coping mechanisms to deal with all this. I can only imagine it from a kid's viewpoint." President Michener commented.
"Its actually been a tough few years. Lucas was not the enIt was an unexpected pregnancy. Mike…Commander Slattery didn't handle things well but he grieved in his own way. Katie is convinced he didn't." Christine explained.
"Its been a tough few years for you all." President Michener said.
"Yeah. We drifted apart after Emma died, but we've not been divorced very long. I think we were both still figuring things out as single people." Christine remarked with a smile.
"How long were you married?" President Michener asked.
"Nearly twenty years. We waited a few years to have kids. Traveled some when we weren't working." Christine said as she remembered visiting Spain with Mike.
"Sounds nice. And now? You don't seem…divorced. You seem like a very married and happy couple." President Michener asked.
"I honestly don't know what's happening." Christine admitted.
"Some friends of mine split up and divorced. A year later, they were back together. Turns out, what they thought was growing apart was actually just their relationship maturing. I'm not saying the loss of your son and daughter is easy. There's a lot of pain to overcome. But I do think you two can find your way back to each other. Honestly, you're over halfway there now." President Michener said as Christine packed her supplies up.
"Well, if I were you, I would not tell Captain Chandler that. He hates my guts." Christine said.
"There is something about you that he respects though. Not sure exactly what." President Michner said before picking his pen up.
"I was friends with his wife. We were opposites but we hit it off. Maybe its that? Anyway, I have some Vitamin E. I will bring it to you." Christine said before collecting her kit and leaving. It was her last appointment for the day, so she headed back to Mike's quarters. The girls were inside and Katie immediately seemed pissed.
"Dad said that when we get to wherever, we may have to live together!" Katie said.
"Not sure. It would make sense though." Christine said.
"So you two can screw around?" Katie asked with narrowed eyes.
"Kaitlyn Elizabeth! Not appropriate. Your father and I are adults. What we choose to do, is between us. We love you both. You will have a home and if your dad lives there with us, we will create a home for you girls. While us being together does affect you girls, it would not be negative. And we are not even together. We just have to make some decisions that concern yours and Hannah's safety." Christine said. Katie abruptly went into the bedroom area and slammed the door shut. Christine looked down at Hannah, who was sitting on the couch.
"Mama, I wouldn't mind if we all lived together again. I missed Daddy. But what does 'screwing around' mean?" Hannah asked.
"Don't you worry about that. We will just have to see what happens." Christine answered. She sat down next to Hannah and put her arm around her. Hannah loved to cuddle and after losing two children, Christine would never pass up cuddling with her again. There would come a day when Hannah didn't want to anymore, just like Katie.