Quiet Convalescence

[Jeremy Hunter]

Floor Seven had been emptied of everyone but a few nurses and three doctors on rotating emergency shifts. Every elevator had no less than four Liberty Marines on rotating twelve hour shifts, and at the door to room 1-17 had single woman in a black leather jacket with a sidearm strapped to her thigh. She was reading a book quietly, not really paying attention. The floor had been quiet for hours and hours, Alexis feigning sleep. No, she was scared of another nightmare. Eyes closed, she had one hand on Rika's head, the girl on her lap. Rika had refused to leave for days, and well...the hospital didn't tend to argue with Vice Admirals. And so, she decided to open her eyes and sit up...to find someone at the window. Her eyes went wide, as last night's nightmare flooded back. The pain, the degradation...Milly using her just to screw with her son, using her for...vile things...she looked at the figure standing at her window, back to her, as she gently sat up, trying to not wake up Rika.


She yelped softly. "...are you alone in Harmony." She cocked her head. "...surely they'd...not need to send anyone else when...they have you..." she bit her lip cutely, eyes wide and shiny.
"I am not the only one.. I am not the one who caused this chaos." Lizzy gave back and smiled. "You are acting cute, Alexis.. trying to make me talk by this?" With these words her smile turned vile.
Alexis blushed. She had been made. "Is...miss Young as sweet as you?" she tried, aiming to change the conversation.
"Young? She is way more horrible then me.. but served me well, in a couple of ways."
Alexis looked away, her cheeks inflamed worse. "...i...if I serve you well here...w...will you not hurt me?" That's all she needed. She knew the infiltrators...now she had to survive.
"If you serve me well I will not erase all of your memory." Lizzy winked at her and shortly kissed her again.


The memories of what she had to do to survive Lizzy's initial appearance were still fresh...but in the pain she had found someone. Smiling lightly, she petted her daughter, no longer looking at the figure standing at the window.
"You know I should be arresting you."
"It's poor form to arrest the guy who saved you." Jeremy replied, turning. He was in full Navy Uniform, complete with the hat. A few medals were on his chest, two Purple Hearts, a gallantry medal...
"Impersonating a Navy officers....wearing medals unearned..."
"If I was in the Navy, I'd have a lot of purple hearts...and gallantry? Sorry, I don't recall seeing the Durango charging into Drake...or the Marlone. There was a distinct lack of 'gallantry' from Liberty." He waved a hand. "Enough, let's not let the jesting get too far. I wanted to make sure you knew Lizzy is fine. She's been causing trouble for awhile, mostly mischievous and nothing bad. She's clean, so you're fine."
"...I'm far from fine, Jeremy."
He turned away, not speaking. Alexis wasn't wrong...what he had seen her go through had left mental and emotional scars...what awaited Milly Stone was a fate Aelita would be broken up over, but that was the price of what she did. He looked down, toying with a small coin. His mother just looked at Rika, tearing up as the silence thickened. The awkwardness was ended by the door opening.
"You have two minutes." Kei said. Nodding, Jeremy fitted the cap on. He turned to his mother, and thats when she realized his eyes were different. Not the beautiful blue like hers, but a dark green. He looked at her for a minute, then turned. "You'll have visitors soon. And I've overstayed my welcome." He walked out, leaving Kei to stand there, hands in her jacket pockets.
"...Hey, Kei?"
"Yes, Vice Admiral?"
"Two Purple Hearts...Combat Action Award...." she looked up. "Didn't you earn those medals during your joint service with the LSF?"
Kei merely smiled. "Yes."

Alexis fell silent, petting Rika further. She let Kei walk out, and as the elevator dinged, Alexis Hunter again was weighed with secrets and mysteries. She looked at her daughter...once again, home.

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May you ever walk in the Light, Shizune.