Fly High and Go Far

HANGMAN-Chapter Seven: Assurance

Sam went into work like normal, but instead of wearing civilian clothes that she could wear underneath a flight suit, she wore her khakis. She put on shirt stays to keep her top from moving around, and made sure her name tag and ribbons were situated correctly. Her cover was put on her head, and she sighed loudly, trying not to cry. Her mission today was get her emergency leave filled out and situated. Per the Navy regulations, she was to be given two weeks off, which extended into when the ship they were all assigned to was to be deployed. So not only was she going to miss the rest of training, she was going to miss the mission itself. It didn't hurt her or make her upset in any way, but it did make her feel like somewhat of a failure. This was her father's idea. This was his mission. And his only blood was to be apart of it. But not anymore.

She walked out of her room and headed to the garage where she planned to take her mother's car, not feeling like having anymore tears come falling out. But when she could only find her father's keys, she had no choice but to take his vehicle. She grabbed her backpack and headed out, making sure her ID was accessible in the car door. When put the keys into the ignition and opened the garage door to back out, she pulled down the sun visor upon seeing the sun already blinding her. But what fell out, Sam wasn't expecting.

A piece of paper with her name written in her father's handwriting sat on her lap. She looked down and grabbed it. He was always playing jokes on her and knew that she regularly had the visor flipped down. She smiled a bit, but ultimately put it aside to head to work. Though, upon arriving to the parking lot, she was early like every other time. She grasped onto the letter and opened it up slowly, scared over the fact that this was the last time she would ever communicate with her dad.

"To my sweet Samantha," it began. Sammy felt her eyes sting, and she knew she was about to lose it. "I'm leaving you this note because I love you, and you make both me and Mom oh so proud. I know one day I will be gone, but please do not mourn me. We'll meet again someday. For now, take care of your mother and give her the hugs I may not be able to give her anymore. She was and will forever be my everything. I wish I could give you a hug one last time. You are a chip off the old block. My chip off my old block." Sammy started to feel the tears run down her cheeks.

"I remember when you told me that you wanted to go to the Academy at sixteen. I was so proud of you. After trying to convince your brothers to go, they said no and that they had a better future than that. But, I didn't even have to talk to you about it. In my wallet, all these years, I have had two pictures of you. You in your flight suit, and you in the cockpit of my F-14 when you were just a little kid."

"Your mother never had a favorite child, and I never did either, but everything you have ever done has made me the happiest father in this entire world. And I will still love you even when I'm gone. Love, Dad."

Sammy sat in her car, crying and holding the paper close to her chest, knowing that this was the last thing she got from her dad. She shook her head before she heard a knock on her window, making her jump. She looked over and saw Hangman standing there.

"Can I get in?" He asked, pointing to the passenger side. She nodded and unlocked the car door for him. He sat down and shut the door, sitting in silence. Sam wiped the tears off of her face before Hangman grabbed her hand and kissed the top of it.

"I can't do this anymore, Seresin," she said, holding onto the letter for dear life. Hangman noticed it and only read "Love, Dad" at the bottom, immediately knowing that she had a new wound open up in her heart.

"You don't have to. You have two weeks off, Sam. Two weeks to recuperate and to spend time with your family," he whispered to her, rubbing the top of her hand. "I pulled up and saw you crying, and trust me, my heart hurts for you."