Norfolk Naval Base, Portsmouth Naval Hospital, 15th of February 2030, 0500 hours:
Silence was all there was in the hospital as activity ceased, excluding from a few nurses and doctors on night duty keeping things as they should be. It was quite dark, as many of the lights were turned off to preserve electricity, not to spend the bills on empty and unused rooms, or to keep the patients still well asleep in the early morning. A humming sound could be heard as the HVAC's worked around the clock, keeping the temperature inside the hospital optimal.
Inside a room, Rosey could be seen in a dark room, wrapped by a thick blanket, her hand still attached to the IV bag, keeping her hydrated. Her chest rose and fell as she continued breathing, keeping the systems inside her body functioning.
Everything was peaceful, until all of a sudden, her eyelid began to twitch, and a blue light glowed through it, shining the room. She moved her head left and right and bit her lips; she whimpered and tears began dripping down from her cheeks. It was until a hit landed hard on her right cheek, causing Rosey to be jolted awake, eyes open, and her body immediately went into a sitting position.
She eyed the surroundings but was unable to see much due to the dark environment around her. Her ears were ringing, giving her a slight headache, as if a big bell were rung beside her. But after a moment, her hearing began to clear up and she could hear a familiar voice right beside her, calling her out.
"Oi, you hear me or what?"
Rosey turned to her left to see a dark-haired girl right beside her, dressed in a long sweater and trousers, her legs crossed, and her eyes were staring at hers.
"So this is what they call the SEMI syndrome.. Huh." Marie remarked of the seizure Rosey just had earlier in a nonchalant tone.
Rosey looked up at her, blinking before wiping her eyes from the dirt that had piled up on her eyebrows.
"What are you doing here?" Asked Rosey with an annoyed look on her face upon hearing and seeing Marie being... Marie.
"Well.. uhh.." Marie thought for an answer. "Dunno, can't sleep at all... had this idea of just visiting you and stuff."
"How long have you been here?" Rosey sat up and leaned on the headboard, all while still staring at her.
"Uhh.." Marie turned to her wristwatch, looking at it before answering. "A few hours?"
"Did you seriously just stare at me while I was sleeping for... hours?"
"Well, what am I supposed to do? Sleep tight in my room and do nothing? You should be lucky that I woke you up when you had a seizure." Marie looked away, disengaging from the stare.
"But do you seriously have to slap me?" Rosey gave Marie an annoyed look, glaring at her.
"Yes, because I refuse to wake you up normally." Marie kept her eyes away from Rosey.
"Ckk..." Rosey tutted and rolled her eyes.
There was silence for a moment in the room as the two stared away from each other, one annoyed and one just silent and stern. It was until Marie continued with the answer.
"I hate seeing you tearing up." Said Marie in a low tone.
Rosey turned towards Marie upon hearing what Marie just said, with a confused look. "Huh?"
"... That's why."
"Hahh?" Rosey gave an even more confused look towards Marie. "You slapped me because I teared up? How does that make any sense?"
"Bla, bla, bla, don't make any sense." Marie turned back towards her before then standing up from her seat and began walking towards the door. "Anyways, I called the nurse a while ago when you had a seizure; they should be here soon."
"Where are you going?" Rosey looked at Marie as she headed towards the door, about to leave.
"Hungry, the stores are about to open. So.. yeah. Want something?" Marie arrived at the door and looked back toward Rosey.
"Oh, well.. Uh... The usual stuff," said Rosey.
"Melted cheesy potato? Heh, always that, okay then."
Marie went out the door, leaving Rosey alone in the room, passing through a nurse that was walking to Rosey's room.
Rosey laid back on the bed, sighing. She then looked towards the window, where the sky began to brighten up. No sun though, as the grey clouds continued covering the sky.
"When will the clouds go away?" She wondered.
Massachuttes, Boston, 1000 hours:
The sun was entirely blocked, as it was blocked by the thick clouds looming above the skies over the city. Snow continued to rain down into the town in small volumes; the streets were packed with snow while at the same time being swept away by the snow trucks.
In a neighbourhood with houses dating back from the 50's, with Cape Cod houses being the most prominent, there could be seen a house with two girls playing with a middle-aged, dark-haired woman, throwing snow from each other's snow wall.
Medellein could be seen wearing a thick overcoat, sitting on the porch, on a chair beside a middle-aged man sitting just across the small round table wearing a sweater with a long white shirt on the inner layer and trousers, with a flat leather shoe as his footwear, watching the girls playing with the woman.
"They sure look happy." Medellein remarked.
The middle-aged man turned towards Medellein upon hearing her remark, being too glued to the sight he was seeing before answering. "Y-Yeah." He laid back and sighed. "They sure are happy."
Medellein looked at the man, a bit worried after him sighing, as if something was bothering him from the inside. "Is there something wrong, Professor?"
"Well.. nothing really." He placed his hand on his chin, using it as a place to put his head as he continued watching the girls and the woman playing. "It's just that.. This is the first time I see them in a very long time. After the towers went down and all. I've always wondered why we never managed to find their bodies; all they say was many of the bodies were crushed into bits. Then knowing that they're alive from the leak."
"Right.. After the 2020 leak." Medellein looked down, thinking. She remembered that one day, during the middle of the pandemic, right when she had just arrived back in Norfolk for a port call. There were protests at the gate, many people not wearing masks, yelling death threats and other insults towards her. News was spreading about the new young maidens she was with the victims of the terror attacks or other accidents.
"Say.. Ms. Medellein." The man called her out, breaking her out from her flashback. "How were they when they were with you?"
Medellein looked back up towards him. "Oh, well. They're fine. They're well mannered. Lily's a bit too quiet, while Alisia's a bit more open and she talks more."
"Did anything happen to them?" He asked once more.
"Well.. nothing happened. Nothing has harmed them. Yet." She answered before asking. "So, Professor. I heard that you want to pull them both out of the force. Is that right?"
"Eh, well.." He thought for a moment for an answer. "Well.. I cannot really choose." He covered his face, releasing a heavy sigh. "Choosing to have them back means having them returned in coffins. No one can afford to maintain their cubes except for the ones with money to keep them alive."
"Right.. Just one cube requires almost one and a half million. The facility and the tools needed, then security." Medellein looked back towards the girls that were still playing with the woman. "What about your wife? What's her opinion?"
"H-Her opinion?" He sniffed, wiping his face from tears that could be seen dripping from his eyes before answering back. "Well.. I don't really know. We had fights whether we should or not; I found her cutting her wrist one day. At some point, I really wish they were dead the whole time."
Medellein's eyes widened upon the words being said, but she quickly shook her head and recovered and looked back at the girls. She cannot believe what the man just said. "W-Well.. At least their well-being will be taken care of. The only thing that you should be concerned about is them not going to have a normal civilian life or being allowed to marry and other things. They're pretty much tied to the armed forces."
Silence filled the atmosphere; no reply came back from the man. Medellein decided to not talk further and just turned back towards the girls and the mother as they kept on throwing snowballs from each other's snowwall. She looked at Lily in particular, where she saw Lily throwing the snowball in high-angle trajectories, hitting both Alisia and the mother dead accurately.
"I bet she uses the computer," Medellein chuckled.
"Ms. Medellein?" The man called her out once more after a heavy sigh.
Medellein turned towards him. "Yes, professor?"
There was silence for a moment; nothing came out of his mouth. He gave a look at the girls and the mother before eventually asking her. "... Can you please... take care of them well?"
"Well, I-"
"Don't just say I'll promise!" He grabbed her hand and pressed hard on it. "Please, make sure they have a good life. I cannot do much for them as a father. Please raise them well. Keep them away from whatever evil there is. I beg you." He begged in an urgent tone.
Medellein stayed silent until he eventually stopped and gave her a look of beseechment. His eyes staring right into her eyes to be assured completely.
After a moment of silence, she spoke up. "I cannot promise or guarantee anything." She paused for a while before continuing. "I cannot guarantee their happiness, their security, or their well-being. But I can guarantee you, that whatever happens will be of my responsibility or have to go pass through me." She looked into his eyes. "I will do anything for them both, even if it costs myself."
The man went silent upon seeing the look on Medellein's eyes, having mixed reactions within his mind. He then leaned back and looked back at the girls, still playing in their own snow forts, throwing snowballs, still thinking of the words Medellein just said.
Eventually, after a while, the girls and the woman returned back to the house, with some sweat dripping from their skin.
"Alright, now, how about you two take a bath first?" Said the mother with a smile on her face to the two girls, Alisia and Lily. "We don't want them sweat frozen on our skins, right? While that, I'll cook something delicious."
"Oh.. thank you." Said Alisia with a shy smile on her face. Lily, meanwhile, just nodded silently and without saying a word.
"Ms. Medellein, would you like to join?" The mother turned towards Medellein, who was sitting down.
"Well, I have some things to do back in Norfolk." Medellein stood up from her seat, holding her overcoat to her arms. "I only came here to see how the girls are doing."
"Oh, please, Ms. Medellein. No need to be that in a hurry! I beg." Said the mother in a pleading tone.
Medellein thought for a moment, thinking whether she should accept the invitation or not. Then she nodded. "Well, he wouldn't mind me sending a report a few hours late. Alright then."
"Splendid!" The mother looked back towards the girls. "Well, ladies? What are you two waiting for? Come on, before you two catch the cold."
The girls went in, followed by the mother, into the house. Medellein then began walking towards the door, about to walk in when the man called her out once more.
"Ms. Medellein?"
Medellein turned back towards the man. "Yes?"
The man was about to say a word before stopping before a voice came out. He then just shook his head. "Nothing."
"Oh, alright then.. Are you coming inside?"
"In a minute," said the man.
Medellein nodded and entered through the door, leaving the man alone outside. The man just stared at the front yard where the snow forts were still present, remnants from the snowball fight the ladies just had earlier. After a moment, he then stood up and walked inside the house.