Battlefields and Bloodlines

New Assignment, Old Trauma

Chapter 7:

The beginning of the next daylight cycle came way too early.

Skyy groaned when my alarm went off at hour four of the daylight cycle. "Why so early?" She grunted, rolling over and sitting up.

"Why are you getting up? You've got another hour at least." I asked, starting the process of getting dressed and grabbing my stuff.

"Because I want to say goodbye, you dingus. I think Edwards was planning on getting up too. We'll walk you to the loading dock."

I blinked back some tears as I finished getting dressed. That was unimaginably sweet of them.

I finished getting dressed and waited for Skyy, who was moving much slower than me. "Come on, sunshine. Get moving or I'll have to walk to loading dock three by myself."

She grumbled at me, but moved faster.

We both made our way to the bathrooms at the end of the floor and each did our morning routine. Skyy's involved a complicated skincare routine that I was left waiting for her to complete.

My skincare routine consisted of soap, moisturizer and hope that my complexion would be kind to me, so I took significantly less time. I banked a lot more on the hope than on the moisturizer.

"What is that?" I asked, as Skyy smoothed yet another layer of something over her face.

"It doesn't matter. What matters is that it keeps me pretty. And with Beau around, I need all the help I can get in that department." Skyy told me.

"Aw, come on. As if Beau makes a difference, we both know you try to be your prettiest because it makes you feel good." I said, jabbing her in the ribcage with a finger.

She swatted me away. "Fair. That's true. He has little to nothing to do with my skincare routine."

I waited a few more minutes and checked my watch. I had about twenty minutes before I needed to be in loading dock three.

"Are you done? I have to go. I want to be early."

Skyy sighed dramatically. "I am finished. Just let me put this stuff back and we can go."

I walked out of the bathroom with her behind me to find the entire team, including Jackson, waiting for us.

"Let's go, weirdos. We've been waiting forever." Edwards teased, coming up and looping an arm through mine. "Let's get our dear surgeon to the loading dock."

The group of us made our way into the lift and then exited on the loading dock level. I stopped them all just outside the lift.

"I got it from here, y'all." I took a deep breath and looked at each one of them. "You're some of the best people I know, and I hope everything works out so well for each of you."

They pulled me into a giant group hug. Even Johanson. Jackson stood on the outside, patting my shoulder. She didn't seem much for physical displays of affection. I had to peel Skyy off of me, though.

I said goodbye and waved, turning to head to loading dock three.

There were a few people out and about at this time of the daylight cycle, but not very many.

I saw exactly where I was supposed to be, because I saw Fletcher standing and talking to someone.

Thrak.

I shifted my pack onto my other shoulder and swallowed down my heart, which had suddenly made its way into my throat.

I approached the two of them at the same time another person did, from a different direction.