“Comet, this is perfect. We couldn’t have planned it better ourselves!”
“I don’t see any reason for another agent to accompany Agent Quint. He is an experienced Wraith. He doesn’t need a buddy,” Dr. Hamlin responded to Dr. Ruut’s request.
“Yes, ma’am, but the loss of a limb is a psychological hurdle none of our agents have ever experienced. We don’t know how he will respond to the mechanical prosthetic. In fact, I’ve been surprised at his apparent acceptance of the loss of his hand. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that his academy friend is here, giving moral support.” Dr. Ruut paused, then added, “I’m not her doctor, but Agent Ramirez’s recovery seems to be enhanced by his presence, as well.”
“I will take it under advisement and let you know.”
“Thank you, Dr. Hamlin,” Dr. Ruut said, getting up to leave.
Dr. Hamlin watched him leave her office. She was not trained as a Wraith, but she had a gut feeling about the situation. There was something going on between Agents Quint and Ramirez that was not SWORD-kosher. She went higher up the ladder to discuss it.
The Director of Wraith Activities oversaw everything having to do with Wraiths: their recruitment, their training, their assignments, their medical care, their retirement. It had come as a surprise to Hailey, back when she met the DWA, that the director was not a Wraith herself. The DWA was Mango, the woman who had recruited Hailey into the SWORD academy.
Dr. Hamlin made an appointment with Mango – something she rarely did. “Thank you for seeing me,” she said to the director.
“Dr. Hamlin, it’s my pleasure. How have you been?” Mango replied.
“Well, thank you. I don’t want to waste your time. I’m here to discuss a pair of Wraiths.”
“Comet and Jax.”
Hamlin was surprised. “You know them?”
“Pretty well, in fact.”
“Jax is being sent to a leading physician in the Empire for a proper fitting and surgical attachment of his new hand. It was my best judgement to assign his doctor to go with him. The problem is – well, it’s not a problem per se – it’s an odd request…”
“Comet wants to go, too.”
“Yes, ma’am. How did you know?”
“I know them… pretty well, in fact,” she repeated. “I’ve kept an eye on Comet’s career, and her personal life.”
“What personal life? A Wraith has a personal life?” Dr. Hamlin asked honestly.
“Comet has the ability – unique among Wraiths – to form personal, non-superficial relationships with others. There are three people in her life who are significant to her, and one of them is Agent Quint.”
“Is this something you wish to encourage?”
“It is something she has managed to achieve that brings a bit of happiness to an otherwise lonely existence. It doesn’t interfere with her work. I don’t wish to extinguish it.”
“I see. So, you don’t object to her tagging along on Jax’s trip.”
“I do not.”
“That’s all I needed to know. Thank you for your time.”
“Thank you for coming to see me,” Mango replied, shaking the doctor’s hand.
Dr. Hamlin still had a nagging feeling that something was not right with those two agents. She invited Comet’s handler, Lucky, to her office to discuss it. She also had Jax’s handler, Hawk, comm into the meeting to contribute his thoughts.
“You keep that Comet away from my asset. She’s undisciplined. She’s belligerent. She’ll take advantage of SWORD personnel every chance she gets. Why she’s still an agent, I can’t fathom.”
Hawk’s opinion baffled Dr. Hamlin. Did Mango not know about Comet’s undesirable qualities?
“Oh, come on, Hawk. I don’t see a problem with letting Comet go along,” Lucky answered. “Yes, she’s unique in the Wraith corp; that’s true. But she’s an exemplary agent and currently off the roster until her hip heals. There’s no downside for SWORD if she goes with them.”
Hawk disagreed. “She’s a bad influence on Jax. You let her go and they’ll be off the roster for months. She’ll pull some insane bullshit and drag Jax along with her.”
“What’s wrong with your asset that he can’t determine his own course? Is he so weak that he’ll do whatever Comet tells him to?” Lucky argued, knowing it would perturb Hawk.
“My asset is under control. It’s your asset that can’t be wrangled. Ask Thadeus LaMont. He’ll back me up.”
Lucky rolled her eyes at the suggestion. “Comet and Jax have been friends for a long time. They support each other through hard times. There’s no influence Comet has over Jax that is detrimental in the least.”
Dr. Hamlin re-entered the conversation. “It’s not that far to Light One. They should be back within ten days. Twelve at the most, depending solely on Agent Quint’s recuperation. He’s off the roster anyway, Hawk.”
Laura’s ears perked up at the mention of Light One. Now she knew why Hailey wanted to go along. Not only was Jax her friend, but her mother lived in the Light One colony. “Dr. Hamlin, may I speak to you privately for a minute?”
“Sure, Lucky,” Hawk huffed. “Mute the comm and disparage me as well as my asset.”
“I need to relay private information to the medical director, Hawk. ‘You’ll know what you need to know,’ and you don’t need to know this.”
Dr. Hamlin muted the comm. “What is it?” she asked curtly.
“Comet’s mother lives on Light One. That’s probably why she wants to go. She can support Jax and also visit her mother. They see each other so seldom, Dr. Hamlin,” Lucky said beseechingly, hoping to pull on the medical director’s non-Wraithian heartstrings.
Dr. Hamlin thought over the situation. Hawk’s arguments were vague and heated while Lucky’s were logical and calm. She unmuted the comm to Hawk. “Thank you for your time, Hawk, Lucky. I’ve made my decision. Comet may accompany Jax and Dr. Ruut.”
“But—” Hawk broke in.
“She’s half crippled, Hawk. Surely Jax can handle himself around her,” Hamlin said.
“He is my asset. You’re making a mistake, Hamlin. Ask LaMont if you don’t believe me.”
“Thank you,” Hamlin said, ending the meeting by terminating the comm connection. “Thank you for coming by, Lucky.”
“Of course. Good day, Dr. Hamlin,” Laura replied. She left the doctor’s office.
Dr. Hamlin tapped her fingers on her desk. She picked up her comm, hesitating before making her next call. Finally, she commed Director LaMont. “Thadeus, this is Lisa. I have a question for you…”
Light One Colony
Hailey, Jackson, and Dr. Ruut boarded the transport bound for Light One. They packed all the casual clothes they had, and none of the tools they normally carried with them: no uniform, no Wraith CAA suit, no weapons. The trio spent the days in compression doing physical therapy, watching vids, sharing meals, and getting lots of sleep. Jackson and Hailey were careful to show no more partiality for each other than simple friends would. They didn’t need Dr. Ruut reporting back to SWORD that they acted like a couple. They had developed a certain dictionary of facial and hand movements that communicated specific things to each other: a clearing of the throat followed by a scratch on the chin, a series of blinks in a certain pattern, a hand run through the hair were all messages from one Wraith to the other. A few times, when Dr. Ruut turned in early to his private quarters, Hailey and Jackson snuck off to one of their quarters and luxuriate in each other’s arms for a while before sleeping in their own assigned spaces for the night.
After several days’ travel, the transport arrived at the Light One space port and Dr. Ruut led the small party off the ship. “I’ve arranged for lodging very close to the facility. We’ll just need to get a taxi. I’ll take care of that.” He went ahead of the others, leaving Jackson to walk with Hailey at her slower pace. She was walking with a cane now, but not quickly.
“By the time I’m finished here, you’ll be back to normal,” Jackso
n encouraged.
“Maybe. I’m not pushing it this time. Besides, the longer we’re out of commission, the longer we get to hang around together.”
“I’ll proceed as slowly as possible,” Jackson promised. They walked along, pulling their suitcases behind them. “I haven’t been to Light One since that time we found your mother here.”
“That’s because all Light One missions go to me.”
Jackson looked at her. “Really? How’d you manage that?”
“Lucky’s ways are a mystery to mere mortal Wraiths,” Hailey joked.
“Ah, that’s right. I remember now. Lucky’s a great handler.”
“What’s your relationship with Hawk like?”
“Very professional.”
“He isn’t a friend to you?”
“Do you see him standing by me through the worst thing that’s ever happened to me?”
“That’s terrible. I’m lucky to have Lucky. She came looking for me in T’skala. Spice, too.”
“Spice! I haven’t thought about her since the academy. How’s she doing?”
“She’s great. If those two didn’t come for me when they did, we would’ve suffocated on that asteroid. I’ll tell you a secret, but if you spread it, Lucky will chew off your other hand.”
“OK, sufficiently scared here,” Jackson said, mock-seriously.
“She said she has feelings for me, like a little sister. I like to tease her and call her ‘mom’. Then she gets all huffy and says, ‘I said little sister, not daughter!’”
“Have you ever told her about the LM?” Jackson asked.
“No way. It’s that feeling of protectiveness she has that would make her turn me over to the head-squad.”
“Then I’m glad you didn’t tell her.”
“I did tell Carter, but he hasn’t let it slip in all the years I’ve know him. He doesn’t have much contact with SWORD anyway.”
“But why’d you tell him?”
“He doesn’t have an LM, and he was so damn lonely. He needed someone to love him, even as an uncle. He saw I did something, so I told him about what you figured out. He said to me, ‘You’re not going to tell SWORD about that, I hope.’ I know he won’t blab.”
Hailey and Jackson made their way to the taxi zone. Dr. Ruut held the door open on one for Hailey to climb in. Jackson followed her and Dr. Ruut went in the front seat. He programmed the vehicle to take them to the hotel. “Our appointment is first thing in the morning. I guess we have the evening free to explore.”
“I hope you’ll excuse me, Doctor. I’d like to get as much rest as I can before we meet the doctor tomorrow,” Jackson said.
“And excuse me, Doctor. I don’t think I should walk around too much,” Hailey added. “But please, don’t let that stop you from having a good time. It must be ages since you’ve been on a planet.”
“Indeed, it has. I intend to savor every hour of every day.”
“Good for you, Doctor Ruut. I hope you have a good start this evening,” Hailey said. “Don’t get wasted, though. We need your brain in working order in the morning,” she teased.
“Yes, ma’am, Agent Ramirez, ma’am,” Dr. Ruut teased back.
At their lodging place, Dr. Ruut dropped off his things in his room, turned around directly and went back outside. Hailey and Jackson didn’t expect to see him for several hours. They had adjoining rooms with each other and with the doctor, but they locked the door to the doctor’s room and walked freely between their two.
“So, we have to find out the rules for getting married on this planet,” Jackson stated, unwrapping his stump arm from the bandages.
“And we have to comm Karen and Carter.”
“Right. And we have to do all this without Dr. Ruut finding anything out.”
“He’s so high on fresh air, I think he won’t notice anything we do,” Hailey laughed.
“Maybe your mom knows how to arrange the marriage. She’s done it, after all.”
“Good idea. I’ll comm her right now.” Hailey reached for her comm and sat down on the bed. Jackson sat beside her. She sent a ping to Karen’s comm, requesting a voice connection. Karen returned the ping almost immediately. “Hi, Mom. How are you?” Hailey said into the comm.
“I’m great if you tell me you’re on Light One,” Karen answered.
“I’m on Light One!”
Karen let out a cheer. “Where are you? Can we get together?”
“Yes. We’ll be here for several days.”
“We?”
“Jackson’s here.”
“Am I on speaker?”
“You are now,” Hailey answered, punching an icon on her comm.
“Jackson, do you remember me?” Karen asked.
“Of course, Ms. Ramirez. It’s good to hear your voice again.”
“You sound as dreamy as you did – how long has it been? – twenty years ago?”
“Twenty-two,” Jackson corrected. “I look forward to seeing you.”
“When will I see you two?”
“We’re at the Eversly Hotel on the south side of Segundo. Jackson has an appointment with a specialist in the morning, but we’re free this evening.”
“I can get there in twenty minutes!” Karen suggested.
“Do you mind coming out here?” Hailey asked with a smile to Jackson.
“What kind of question is that? You know I’d drop everything to see you, sweetheart!”
“We’ll meet you in the lounge, just off the lobby, OK?”
“I’m already out the door!” Karen replied. “I’ll see you soon!”
“Bye, Mom.” Hailey closed the comm with a laugh. “An hour from now, we’ll have all the information we need about getting officially, legally, recorded-in-the-archives-forever married.” She fell backwards on the bed. Jackson turned to look down at her.
“I’ve never seen you so happy,” he said.
“I’ll bet you have,” she replied, reaching out to put a hand around his head. He bent down and kissed her. “Like, maybe the moment you showed me how to feel again.”
“Yeah, you were pretty happy that time, too.” Jackson smiled down at her. Then his brow creased. “You got a new limbic monitor,” he stated like a question.
“Yeah. I got a new everything. All my implants were fried on that T’skala trip. Ugh! I said, ‘Trip’.”
Jackson laughed. “The guy’s dead. It’s just a word now.”
“I know, but saying T’skala and that word together… I’ve got to avoid that in the future.”
“Aaaanyway, back to your implants, the new LM, you can manipulate it the same as the old one?”
“Yeah. I was a little worried because it’s a newer model, but they weren’t trying to defeat our ability to defeat it, so it’s just as easy to bypass as the old one.”
“That was a lucky break.” He leaned on his left elbow. With his right arm, he tried to caress Hailey’s arm, but he was awkward and at one point impaled her with one of the protruding wire stubs that had been surgically implanted into the end of his stump. She didn’t react to the insignificant wound, but it bled a tiny bit and he noticed it. “Shit, I stabbed you.” He sat up. “I guess I should keep the bandage on it until the next surgery. I thought since the skin was healed…”
“It’s no big deal. But you probably don’t want to go around catching your arm on things.”
Jackson lightened. “Right, putting holes in the sheets and curtains and lounge chairs.”
Hailey sat up. “Just a couple of days and you’ll have a brand-new hand that can grope me all over.”
Jackson laughed. “And I will!”
Hailey kissed him and said, “Let’s go downstairs and wait for Mom.”
Hailey and Jackson chatted in a couple of comfortable chairs until Karen entered the lobby. She spotted them and called out, “Hailey!” as she hurried to the lounge. Hailey got up and hugged her mom tightly. Jackson stood behind Hailey. Karen saw him, remembered him, and released Hailey to give him a hug as well.
He gladly reciprocated and reveled in the motherly embrace.
After greetings and “how are you’s”, the trio retired to a quiet corner of the lounge and ordered drinks. Karen noticed, for the first time, Jackson’s missing right hand. “Oh, my goodness. Lost in the line of duty, I suppose. I’m so sorry, Jackson.”
“Thank you, but it’ll be OK. That’s why we’re here, to get a prosthetic.”
“I thought SWORD did all its own medical work on that space station,” Karen said.
“We’re here to see a specialist in the field and get Jackson a perfect fit with the best new hand available.”
“And they let you come along?” Karen inquired, knowing SWORD was not the least bit sentimental.
“I’m still recovering from a problem injury,” Hailey held up the cane she used, “so I happened to be on the Scabbard when Jackson came in. Dr. Ruut convinced the higher-ups that we’re good for each other’s recoveries, so they let us do physical therapy and hang around together.”
“What a wonderful coincidence,” Karen said happily. “Well, not the injuries. I’m sorry to hear about that, but the timing is good.”
“Indeed.” Hailey looked at Jackson and they shared a smile. “Mama, I have a question for you. When you and Papa decided to get married, what did you have to do?”
Karen looked between the two of them, thrown for a loop by the sudden change in subject. “Is this an announcement?” she asked, barely able to contain her joy.
“Just to you,” Hailey said with an equally joyful smile. “Fate is on our side, bringing us together, sending us off the space station right to your planet. We want to get officially married, all legal and recorded.”
Karen got up and hugged Hailey, then Jackson. “I’m so happy for you. Does that mean you’ll be working together?”
“SWORD can’t know about this, Mom. I thought maybe we could be recorded as citizens of your town. Just a couple of locals getting married.”
Hailey's Comet Anthology Page 42