Fly High and Go Far

HANGMAN-Chapter Ten: A Funeral and a Yelling Match

Did Sammy have a fantastic Saturday and forgot about the impending sadness that was her father's funeral service? Yes. Did it hit her like a train that the happiest day she's had was followed by the worst day in her life? Absolutely.
She spent her morning making sure her dress blues were ready to go, sighing as she fixed both her golden wings and her medals. Her Saturday would have been way better if it wasn't for the fact she now had to bury her father with her family by her side.
Her family was escorted by the Navy, due to her father's rank and status when he was alive, to the chapel where everyone stood around for a service.
The burial was as you would expect for the Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Sammy stood next to her mother with a brother on each side as her Uncle Pete did the honors of placing his wings down on the casket. Behind them all stood the teammates of Sam and behind them stood more sailors that were stationed at the air base with them.
Mrs. Kazansky received her husband's flag and thanked the service member who handed it over. Sam stood there, helping her mom receive the flag, before giving a salute. She dropped her hand and stood there, feeling numb. It was absolutely unreal, and it opened up the stitched up wounds she held.
Everyone went back to the Kazansky's after everything to say their condolences and to make sure the four of them were okay. Sam sat in her rattan chair, next to the one her dad used to sit in, and drank some whiskey on the rocks, ignoring everyone. She was still in her dress blues, not caring if they got alcohol or condensation on them. The sliding glass door opened, and Sam didn't care to acknowledge whoever was coming outside to spend time with her. The figure walked over and sat in the empty chair next to her and grabbed her hand when she set down the empty glass on the table between them.
"Sam," Seresin piped up softly. "You need to stop drinking." He capped the half empty whiskey bottle that was full at the start of them all arriving about an hour earlier. Sam sighed and put her hands clasped on her stomach, slumping down into the chair.
"I don't want to remember anything," she whispered, fiddling with her thumbs. Hangman sighed and stood up to stand in front of her.
"Rooster, Phoenix, Coyote, and I just watched you drink four glasses of double shot whiskey," he replied, grabbing the bottle and the glass from her. "I'm taking these inside." Sam waved him away and didn't move from her position in the rattan chair, staring out into the distance. The sun began to set, creating golden hour, making Sam realize she had to go to work tomorrow. She was regretting turning her leave in, but knew that the entire bottle would be downed each day and that was no way to live. She stood up, straightened out her jacket and walked in to find her friends still standing and waiting.
"Come here," Rooster piped up, embracing her in a tight hug as Phoenix and Coyote joined in. Hangman came out of the kitchen, presumably from emptying the bottle of alcohol out, and walked over to join the rest of them, hugging Sam from the back.
"We love you, Kazansky," Phoenix said, burying her face into her friend. The four of them pulled away from Sam and patted her back.
"We're going to see you tomorrow," Coyote said, making sure she knew that this was a speak it into existence type of deal. Sam nodded.
"I'll be there tomorrow."
"Good," Coyote replied and patted her back. "I'm going to head out now."

Eventually, night had fallen and everyone left, leaving Sam alone in her room.  She took off her dress uniform and hung it up, movements slowed and full of numbness.   She hoped to never have to wear her uniform with the medals on it ever again.  Her dad's death drained her.  God forbid one of her teammates died.
  Sam cozied into bed, not even bothering to remove her makeup, but she did have the energy to take her hair out of the bun.  Tomorrow was a new day.  A new day without her dad, and she knew that it would either be awkward and solemn, or worse.  The admirals, mainly Cyclone, would realize she no longer had the protection of a four-star, and she was at the hands of his three stars and out of the program.  He knew that she was good at what she did, and so did everyone else.  Her name was plastered on a high-rising billboard just for her last name alone.  Everyone knew her dad, even presidents and the higher ups.  And everyone knew he had a daughter, who had been compared to him since the moment she entered the Naval Academy.  She hated it, because she wanted to be her own entity, but it made her life easier.  It seemed that everyone knew the basics about her and made it easy to introduce herself. But sometimes, she wishes that she was a nobody.