CHAPTER 5: The Talk
She dragged me into her room and sat me on her bed.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" she asked, her eyes burning holes in the top of my head. I stayed silent for a minute.
"Well?" she prodded.
"Everything..." I said finally.
"Well that's real specific." She sneered. Her body became less tense then and she sat down on the bed next to me.
"Let's go over to the couch?" she asked and grabbed my hand. She had the light down to a soft grey tone. She had a panel tv, two living chairs, black, with super squishy cushions and a therapist couch. That made the room.
"Sit." She said displaying her hand toward the couch. I sat down and looked at her as she sat in one of the chairs. She was staring at me still, not angrily, but expectantly.
"It's been six years." I said as I rubbed my hand over the top of my head. She nodded.
"I know, you told me that before, but that's all you said before you got called off." She said. "But six years since what though?" she asked.
"Six years since I was told he was dead." My voice sounded dark and it had a right to be. "It was the worst day of my life, not to be melodramatic." Opal raised an eyebrow at me.
"What do you mean since you were told he was dead?" she asked. She tried to cross her legs but was stopped by her armor. Glancing down at it, she stood and started to take it off. I stood and started the same.
"Back then I was just a simple marine on deployment in the Keplar system. One night my commanding officer called for me during dinner. When I got to his office, he handed me a Paper-Pal." I felt a strain in my chest coming on hard. "He just gave me this sad look like he knew everything, which he probably did, but I had no clue still but of course that made me uneasy." We had both finished getting our armor off and she was sitting with her legs cross like shed planned. I was still standing, frozen.
"When I read the report, it had the president's seal on top and I knew it wasn't going to be good news. Little did I know I had lost Peter?" I felt dead inside, every fiber of me just so blah I didn't even know how to feel. I fell back onto the couch with a plop.
"So Dr. Savannah and you were... together?" she asked, slightly confused.
"Yes." I said simply.
"Shit... that's rough." She said looking away for a slight second. "Continue though." She said and I nodded, just looking up at the ceiling. "It said that Peter or Dr. Savannah's lab had been attack by Mombasa Corporation terrorists, killing everyone." My voice choked off and I closed my eyes. I shook my head ever so slightly remembering the pain during that day...
"His lab was somewhere in Cambridge, Virginia. We lived in Reston when I was home on leave. I did six months on six months off thing. When I was gone he'd live at the lab or... nearby it. He had an apartment right across the street I believe." I was rambling but she just seemed to absorb it all.
"But I thought it was the safest place in the world; security guards, attack turrets and bots, blast proof doors and glass, I mean the place was a fortress!" I said. "It was a tuff pill for me to swallow, that's for damn sure."
"How long were you guys together?" she asked. I couldn't help but let out a short laugh thinking back at the time...
"We met in college at Ft. Forge Military Science Academy up in New York. It was only what, twenty years old at the time, beautiful facilities. I was a sophomore marine in training and he was a freshman biochemistry and mechanics engineer. I was 21 and he was 18, fresh out of high school. He was on a full scholarship." I said.
"Smart cookie." She said with an impressed grunt. I sighed.
"Yeah, he is..." I was remembering back now, the first time I saw him... my squad was running, training when one of my friends, Kennith, tapped my shoulder, "Look at the new geeks." He said jokingly. I did look and I nearly had the wind knocked out of me. He was in the white lab coat like everyone else but DAMN did that boy make it look good. His fiery red hair shined bright in the sun and that smile when he laughed, god damn!
"Tony, you alright dude?" Kennith asked. I nodded but didn't really care what he said. All I knew was d to meet him somehow...
"But yeah, we started dating during that year, 2220, and we dated until the so called accident' in 2226. Now it 2232 and I don't even know what to do about him being across the hall from me at night!" I said, I was just tired now, of everything. Opal gave an understanding mmhmm' and nodded her head.
"I'm surprised you never got married. It sounded like you guys were together for a while." She said sounding just a bit surprised. My heart cracked and my body went rigid. When I spoke, my voice was nothing more than a hollow whisper,
"I had bought a ring..." Opal's hand slowly made her way up to her lips.
"Oh no, Hawthorn..." she gasped quietly. For the first time since the night I was told Peter was dead, water ran down my cheeks. Opal was quiet and unmoving, letting me have my time. I cried for a short while, just having the small amount of release defiantly helped but there was nothing that would fully heal the place missing in my heart besides that one man...
After I finished crying, both Opal and I were just beings in a room. There was nothing special about us being there. She was sitting and I was lying down. No one was talking and neither of us showed any emotion. Everything was calm, normal.
"So that whole thing about how you couldn't protect Skeeter... that was really how you couldn't protect Dr. Savannah?" she asked. All I did was nod. Honestly, I think it was the only thing I could do at the moment. Opal then stood up and paced for a few moments.
"Do you want to go see how Skeeter's doing?" she asked me. I looked up at her. She was expecting me to go with her.
"Sure, I'll give Peter the rest of those stupid rocks too." I said. She nodded and started to leave the room but then stopped halfway to the door and looked back at me as I sat up.
"Do you feel better?" she asked. I nodded,
"Yeah, I do." And I did. It felt good to finally tell someone the shit that's been on my mind all of these years. I got up off the couch and grabbed my armor, opening up the compartments. I grabbed one rock and held it in my hand, rolling it around a bit. This little rock caused so much crap...
"Hey Commander!" Skeeter said with a smile on his face as I walked in the room. He was still weak but at least his skin was looking the right color now. Peter and the other two scientists looked up at me as well.
"Anthony." Peter said.
"Peter." I said back to him before plopping down the container of irocarbon on the counter. "I think this should cover any needs that you have for your research." Peter's jaw dropped as I walked away.
"How are you feeling Skeeter?" I asked. Dr. Harding walked up with a chart in hand.
"He lost 80% of his blood and was a few short minutes away from death when we got him in here, but he'll be fine if not a little weak from his incident... at least for a few days." Dr. Harding said.
"Thanks Doc." I said. I gave him a smile which he returned, briefly, before walking away again. I turned back to Skeeter.
"I overheard Dr. Savannah say we got way more than needed. Guess this heroic act was all for nothing." He said jokingly.
"You dick you almost died!" Opal said and bapped the side of his head.
"Commander, you have a call from President Wade incoming." Cynthia said over the PA. Great...
"Oh so you hit the cripple?" Skeeter asked playfully. I smiled and turned to walk out of the room. At least I wouldn't be in a sour mood that a teammate had died. Peter glanced up at me and we watched each other as I walked out of the room. I knew we would talk soon, rather he came to me or I'd lose my mind and hunt him down.
I stood outside of the communications room door dreading going in.
"You know he doesn't like waiting." Cynthia said as her heals clicked on the floor.
"You know I don't care." I said with a small grin. She just shrugged her shoulders.
"I'm just trying to make it easier on you." She said. Her face was buried in her Paper-Pal as she flicked and tapped away on the screen. I sighed and rolled my head around, cracking my neck. I knew she was right and figured it would be easier to just get it over and done with. I took a step forward and the doors opened. Almost simultaneously the colorfully white hologram of Wade popped up.
"Ah, if it isn't the hero himself. Bravo, bravo!" he even had the balls to clap along with that snooty grin he wore. Of course he did though, miles upon miles separated up.
"Just be glad that Skeeter is still alive." I growled. He held up his hands in defense and then clasped them together.
"Oh it would have been such a tragedy if Mr. Xio was killed in action. Trust me I would have been crushed." He sat down at his desk and looked at his finely manicured fingers. "Just as heartbroken as the scientists." His head turned and his eyes were piercing.
"I'm sure." I said gruffly. He was being super bitchy for some reason and I didn't know why, but I did know it was pissing me off.
"Now all you have to do is get the rest of the stuff and then, wham, you're done! Then you and Dr. Savannah can live happily ever after."
"Fuck you Edwin!" I blasted. His eyes became massive and his face an angry troll at the use of his first name. "I've made a pretty thick line of shit you can say to me Mr. President, but dont you ever fucking dare to mention Peter and I's past relationship since you're the lying retard that destroyed it in the first place." After I finished, I stood there huffing and he sat there dumbfounded at his desk.
"Never, and I mean never, use my first name again. I am your commander and chief!" His voice was calm but it seethed rage. I narrowed my eyes.
"I'll use your first name as much as I so damn please, Edwin. There's nothing you can do to me you haven't already fucking done." We were both stuck in a staring match. The hatred oozed off of both of us. He eventually slammed his elbow down on his desk and pointed his finger at me.
"The only reason I haven't discharged you yet is because I need you. Be happy you're good at what you do." He said through his teeth.
"And I still don't care. Are we done here?" I spat. Wade nodded and without hesitation, I turned and barged out of the room.
"God dammit!" I yelled and punched the wall next to my bedroom door. I was so pissed I couldn't type in my lock key code without screwing up the numbers. I don't even know why it's locked; I must have done it on accident.
"You need any help?" Peter said tentatively from behind me. I stood up quickly and turned around. I must look like a wreck right now, pissed off, stressed, and tired... hell...
"Yeah, my damn door won't unlock." I said, puffing out air. He walked over to the touchpad, his shoulder just barely brushing my chest. It made me shutter.
"What's your code?" he asked, looking up at me. I stood frozen for a second, blanking on the number.
"Uh, 2220." I said dumbly. He processed that number for a moment and then typed it in. My door unlocked and he gave me a small smile that melted my heart. He even showed teeth!
"Good night Ton... Commander." He said, catching himself before he said my name. I turned to him as he walked across the hall.
"All because you're on my ship, you don't have to call me commander. Tony or Anthony is just fine although, it was never a good thing when you used my full name or title." I chuckled a little bit; partly over the small amount of reminiscing, the other over nervousness that I just had the balls to slightly flirt. He blushed just a little bit and he turned away.
"Goodnight Tony." He said quickly before he stepped through his doorway for the night. When mine closed behind me, I let out a massive breath I had been holding.
"Jesus Christ..." I said breathily. He smiled. HE SMILED! At me, for me. It was wonderful, god I missed that so much.
After doing my nightly routine and stripping for bed, I slipped under the covers and closed my eyes. I still felt alone in my bed but the smile he gave me, gave me new warmth that I haven't felt in a long time. It was enough to let me fall asleep rather quickly that night.