flashlight revealed a crumbled section of wall and pinpoints of light shining through. Several good kicks from her combat boots loosened enough of the cheap drywall for her to scramble across and then carefully help Chase. His wrist was giving him a lot of pain. They hobbled awkwardly through the empty store. His injuries were on opposite sides of his body making it difficult for her to hold onto him. The glass doors in the front of the shop were shattered and they stepped carefully onto the sidewalk.
Outside it was all bright lights and noise and shouting voices. Night had fallen, though the parking lot was nearly as bright as day. There seemed to be a whole platoon of regular soldiers on the ground now. Far more than earlier and almost no young trainees like the Juniors and the Seniors. Banks of spotlights illuminated the area and several jeeps outfitted with machine guns and manned by gunners nearly ran her and Chase down as they roared by. Overhead, armed military drones crisscrossed the skies. The operation had escalated significantly.
She got Chase to the medics before setting out to find Sergeant McNeil. No doubt a major dressing down was waiting for her. One she deserved. Reckless behavior. Endangering herself and Chase, etc., etc. Eventually, she spotted her Squad Leader with a group of Seniors. Taking a deep breath, she saluted and explained venturing into the booby-trapped hallway. She had only just decided that she should tell him what happened in the blood freezer when he cut her off.
“Are you hurt, Christensen?”
“No sir, nothing serious. Chase has a broken wrist and a sprained ankle.”
“What?” He seemed distracted. His eyes scanning the immediate area.
“Chase, sir.”
“Medics, right? Good.” He waved over a slight young man in Home Guard fatigues. “This is Private Wainwright. Go with him. He'll take you to the hospital.”
“Sir,” she tried to make him understand. “I'm not the one injured.”
“Not you, Christensen. Your sister. She's been hurt. In the explosion.”
With that, he pushed her towards the Private and left.
An hour later, Sky was back in the hospital, in her uniform, with her weapons, just like the night before. Her ghost dog Alex under her chair. She even had a headache again. The only difference was now she waited in the Intensive Care Unit instead of ER.
No one would tell her anything. Eloise came about a half an hour later. Sky explained about Operation Cineplex and the explosion. Possibly caused by her . After that, the two of them sat in silence, holding hands. They got Sky's mom on video conference finally with the tablet PC instead of the phone, that way the screen would be bigger.
Her mom was pretty shaken up by Sky's appearance. She'd completely forgotten her tactical uniform was covered with dust, dirt and more than a little blood. Both she and Chase had been pretty cut-up from the flying debris. Eloise went to get them some coffee allowing Sky to have a little time alone with her mom.
Sky started to cry almost immediately, apologizing incoherently again and again for possibly hurting Kara. That apology eventually slipped into one about being sorry she was not more like her big sister.
“Why would I want you to be like your sister?” Her mom looked surprised. “Darling, why would you say that?”
“Don't you?”
Her mom frowned, rubbing her eyes with the palms of her hands. “I hate being far away at this time in your life. Not that there's ever a good time. I should be there with you. Being on patrol in Tactical, putting your life on the line. You're only sixteen and, really, why would you think I want you to be like Kara? I'm glad you two are very different people.”
“Are you? Cause you always tell her how great she is and how strong.”
“And I don't say that enough to you? Sky, I'm sorry. She needs so much more than you.” Her mom tugged her hair back from her face and wound a ponytail holder around it. That's was something she did
Outside it was all bright lights and noise and shouting voices. Night had fallen, though the parking lot was nearly as bright as day. There seemed to be a whole platoon of regular soldiers on the ground now. Far more than earlier and almost no young trainees like the Juniors and the Seniors. Banks of spotlights illuminated the area and several jeeps outfitted with machine guns and manned by gunners nearly ran her and Chase down as they roared by. Overhead, armed military drones crisscrossed the skies. The operation had escalated significantly.
She got Chase to the medics before setting out to find Sergeant McNeil. No doubt a major dressing down was waiting for her. One she deserved. Reckless behavior. Endangering herself and Chase, etc., etc. Eventually, she spotted her Squad Leader with a group of Seniors. Taking a deep breath, she saluted and explained venturing into the booby-trapped hallway. She had only just decided that she should tell him what happened in the blood freezer when he cut her off.
“Are you hurt, Christensen?”
“No sir, nothing serious. Chase has a broken wrist and a sprained ankle.”
“What?” He seemed distracted. His eyes scanning the immediate area.
“Chase, sir.”
“Medics, right? Good.” He waved over a slight young man in Home Guard fatigues. “This is Private Wainwright. Go with him. He'll take you to the hospital.”
“Sir,” she tried to make him understand. “I'm not the one injured.”
“Not you, Christensen. Your sister. She's been hurt. In the explosion.”
With that, he pushed her towards the Private and left.
An hour later, Sky was back in the hospital, in her uniform, with her weapons, just like the night before. Her ghost dog Alex under her chair. She even had a headache again. The only difference was now she waited in the Intensive Care Unit instead of ER.
No one would tell her anything. Eloise came about a half an hour later. Sky explained about Operation Cineplex and the explosion. Possibly caused by her . After that, the two of them sat in silence, holding hands. They got Sky's mom on video conference finally with the tablet PC instead of the phone, that way the screen would be bigger.
Her mom was pretty shaken up by Sky's appearance. She'd completely forgotten her tactical uniform was covered with dust, dirt and more than a little blood. Both she and Chase had been pretty cut-up from the flying debris. Eloise went to get them some coffee allowing Sky to have a little time alone with her mom.
Sky started to cry almost immediately, apologizing incoherently again and again for possibly hurting Kara. That apology eventually slipped into one about being sorry she was not more like her big sister.
“Why would I want you to be like your sister?” Her mom looked surprised. “Darling, why would you say that?”
“Don't you?”
Her mom frowned, rubbing her eyes with the palms of her hands. “I hate being far away at this time in your life. Not that there's ever a good time. I should be there with you. Being on patrol in Tactical, putting your life on the line. You're only sixteen and, really, why would you think I want you to be like Kara? I'm glad you two are very different people.”
“Are you? Cause you always tell her how great she is and how strong.”
“And I don't say that enough to you? Sky, I'm sorry. She needs so much more than you.” Her mom tugged her hair back from her face and wound a ponytail holder around it. That's was something she did
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