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Chapter 40 – Into a Gentle Smile

Chapter 40 – Into a Gentle Smile

[Location: Decontamination Depot t3rm1nu5 - Infirmary]

“So, what do we call you?” Charlie said, as he moved himself to the edge of the gurney.

The tall young man standing next to him bowed slightly. “We go by our call sign. My name is Abiathar.” He smiled.

Charlie visually inspected the man, to see if there was any evidence that he was a cyborg. He looked close to six and a half feet tall, and heavily muscled. He had handsome features, his head was shaved smooth, and his slightly tanned skin looked flawless. His dark blue flight suit wrapped close to his body, and his black military style boots were well polished. “You look like you could be a tight end for the University of Alabama.” He stood from the gurney.

Abiathar straightened and crossed his hands at his waist. “Thank you, sir. Lodabar-Central has maintained my structure quite well and performed frequent software updates.”

“Just sit back in the chair and we’ll get you over there.” Linda said as she helped Charlie as he shuffled toward the wheel chair.

His face soured as he twisted. “Pain killers must be wearin’ off.” He grabbed the armrest of the chair with his shaky hand in an attempt to steady himself. He slowly pivoted his body, trying not to move his ribs, and lined up his back side with the seat.

“Let me help, Mrs. Kennedy.” Abiathar stepped behind the chair and helped Charlie as he lowered himself into the seat. “I’ll administer a pain killer as well as a sedative once we’re onboard, so he’ll be more comfortable for the ride.”

Charlie closed his eyes and exhaled a slight moan as he collapsed into the chair. “Okay…get me outta here.”

Linda adjusted Charlie’s jacket to make him more comfortable and pulled the zipper up close to his neck. “You need to stay warm.” She placed an aqua blue blanket across his lap and lovingly tucked it around his legs.

“Okay, okay…I’m good.” Charlie smiled. “I just wanna go.”

The captain leaned forward, released the wheel chair’s brakes, and began to push Charlie forward while Linda walked beside them. As they headed out of the infirmary, Linda stepped out front and held open the door. Charlie closed his eyes and placed his hands on his lap while his head lightly bobbed up and down as the three headed toward the evac hatch.

Linda leaned into Charlie as they walked. “The captain is gonna take good care of you, hun. You’ll be going to the medical facility in Lodabar-Central. Remember how well they treated Roy a couple years ago when he had those gall-stones?” Her smile diluted slightly.

Charlie lifted his head and nodded as the three headed down the hallway between the control room and the cafeteria. As they headed into the hydrogen facility, Charlie began to look around to see what damage had occurred.

He pointed toward a row of tanks. “Looks like the high pressure slurry tanks held together. If those puppies would’ve ruptured, we’d all be wearin’ a mask right now.” He glanced at Linda. “Maybe this place isn’t in such bad shape after all.”

Linda wrapped her arm around Charlie’s shoulder as they walked. “Don’t worry about this place. We need to get you fixed up before we do anything else.” She smiled and looked into his eyes. “You’re most important.”

The captain spoke. “Lodabar-Central has dispatched a crew to help you get things cleaned up and take care of the bodies. They’ll be here in about forty-eight hours.”

“Good.” Charlie said, his eyes closed and resting. “So, when I get back I’ll survey the place and see what needs to be repaired.”

As the three arrived at the air-lock of the evac hatch, Linda’s lower lip trembled as her eyes began to well. She crouched next to Charlie, closed her eyes, and hugged him. “I’m sorry I can’t go with you, hun. They won’t allow it.” She sniffled and caught her breath. “But once they’ve fixed you up and you’re settled in your room…” she pointed at her husband, “you v-mail me, got it?”

The captain locked the brakes on the wheel chair and stepped a few feet away.

Charlie leaned his head into Linda and tucked it under her chin. “Yes ma’am. I’ll be fine.” He swallowed the knot that had formed in his throat and choked out the words, “I’ll be back so fast you won’t even know I’ve been gone.” He lifted his head from the cove under her chin and smiled at her. He tilted his head back and the two shared a tender kiss.

“I need a few minutes to get the transport bed ready.” Abiathar walked toward the controls of the air-lock. “We best get going, folks.”

Charlie sat and watched as Linda stood and wiped the tears from her cheeks, knowing her heart must be about to tear into two.

“Remember, you better v-mail me.” She pushed out a fake smile as tears continued to slide down her cheeks.

Charlie looked up at her and their eyes locked. “As soon as I can.” He swallowed hard and ran his knuckle back and forth under his nose to keep from crying.

Linda slowly stepped back outside the air-lock as the captain adjusted the controls to close the door. The dull thud made by the door as it came to a rest caused Linda to flinch and clutch her heart. Linda and Charlie’s eyes remained firmly locked as they looked through the window of the three-inch thick door.

The hair on Charlie’s head tossed about slightly and the sound of rushing air could be heard as the control of the atmosphere inside the chamber was handed to the Abiathar.

The captain walked toward his ship, opened the hatch, and stepped forward. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Charlie continued to watch Linda as she wiped tears from her cheeks, her eyes red. He exhaled his own feelings of sadness and slumped in the chair.

Linda had been right. The temperature inside the air-lock was cool, so he wiggled himself around a bit, found the pockets of his jacket, and placed his bruised hands inside.

As he sat there filled with unhappiness, he felt an object in the bottom of his right pocket. He ran his fingers across it trying to identify what it was, but he was unable to. Curious, he pulled the object from his pocket.

As he held the small object between his first two fingers and his thumb, his entire body froze as questions swirled in his mind. He stared at the object while his breathing stopped and he could feel his heart painfully constrict with every beat.

In his hand he held the memory card from the security room console. As he inspected it closer, he realized that remnants of dried blood covered the small orange plastic device. Still numb, he slowly turned his swollen eyes toward Linda, his mouth hanging slightly open.

She glanced at the card in his hand and then into her husband’s eyes for what seemed like centuries. Then a tender smile washed over her face and she lovingly nodded.

Charlie glanced down at the device in his hand and then back to Linda. He inhaled and slowly let out a long, slow breath, wincing as his broken ribs moved inside of him. Still looking at his wife, he began to imagine how Linda had been involved in the carnage that had taken place over the last twenty-four hours. The brutal thoughts dragged through him like the rip-teeth of a hunting knife as his swollen eyes closed and a cold shudder rumbled inside of his body.

As he continued to hold the card, he glanced back to see where the captain was and realized he was still on the ship. He looked down at the card again and sighed. He glanced at his wife and then back to the card. He set his jaw and blinked a few times to clear his tears. Then he pressed the card with his thumb and snapped it into two pieces. He folded the two tiny pieces together and locked eyes with his wife again.

After a few seconds, he looked down and saw a long thin air vent where the bottom of the wall met the floor. The vent was a part of the air-lock’s atmospheric equipment and was used to empty the gasses inside the chamber into space. He tossed the broken pieces from his hand and watched as they slid down into the vent. He knew that immediately after the Abiathar undocked from D.D.315, the air-lock atmosphere would be exchanged and the pieces would be exhausted into space, putting an end to their wordless discussion—one that would never be brought up again.

Charlie lifted his eyes to Linda and used the muscles of his swollen face to pull his mouth into a gentle smile. He mouthed the words. I love you.

As she stood there clutching her hands over her heart, she mouthed the words back: I love you more.

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