Fly High and Go Far

PHOENIX-Chapter Eight: Lay You Down by Nikki Lane

Sam walked outside the hospital with her hands on her hip and the other on her phone as she talked on it. Her mother stayed in the hospital room with her father as he rested up from exploratory surgery. He was scheduled for an actual surgery that day so Mrs. Kazansky stuck by his side until he was taken away. Sam shut her phone off and sighed heavily before walking back into the hospital. She walked all the way to her father's room where her parents sat and watched whatever the hospital offered on their televisions. Sam took a spot in one of the chairs and looked down at her phone. The room was silent, but there was nothing to talk about. The only thing that interrupted it all was the doctor walking in to take her father away. They said to come back tomorrow since he'd need rest after surgery and that it would be best.
Sam walked out with her mom holding onto her arm. The walk to their car was silent, just like the hospital room was. The sound of cars driving by and sirens approaching the hospital filled their ears. It was enough.
They reached the car, and Sam opened up her mom's car door and let her in before she went to the driver's seat. The car ride was quiet and not chaotic. Sam hated seeing her mother like this, but more so hated the fact her father was in the hospital with no one there with him. Sam walked to her room and got dressed in athletic wear, telling her mom she needed to go on a run to clear her mind.

Sam put her earbuds in, playing music that she could run to. She started running down the sidewalk and kept going, and going, and going. When she was done it had been an hour. She had two texts. One from her mother that read: would you like lunch? And the second one from Trace.
"I'm here for you," she had texted. Sam smiled at her phone and then walked into her house, taking her music out to greet her mother.
"What do you want for lunch?" Sam asked. Her mother sighed and shrugged, sitting at the island.
"I don't know if I can eat. I know you need to eat," she said. Sam nodded and offered up smoothies, knowing that the place she and Phoenix would go to was down the street. Her mother agreed and Sam set her earbuds down and grabbed her wallet and keys.
"Do you want your normal?" Sam asked, standing at the garage door. Her mother nodded with a forced smile.
Sam drove the ten minutes to the smoothie place, getting her favorite and getting her mother's usual. She paid and headed home, quickly walking back inside the house to hand her mother her's. Sam propped herself on the counter and sipped her smoothie slowly.
"Your father won't be out of surgery for another hour," her mother piped up after swallowing her sip of smoothie. Sam looked over at her mom and nodded.
"Do my brothers know about this?" Sam asked. Her mother nodded.
"They're on their way today to stay the weekend and probably the week," her mother replied. Sam nodded and took another sip of her smoothie. They all knew this was the end. It was just a matter of what day this week was going to be the end.

The weekend passed, and Sam went with her family to visit their dad. One tracheotomy later, and they were hopeful everything was okay. But his body was fighting off an infection that no one knew if he'd come out of. Sam wiped her face and continued on, knowing that her job was her father's bidding. She had to get her mind focused, but it was hard.
What was even harder was her going to work Monday morning knowing the rest of her family was there at the hospital without her. No one knew except for Phoenix. The rest of them continued on like it was a normal day. But Sam knew that if and when her dad died, she would be pulled from the program. Not for her actions, but for the safety of herself and the plane. There was no telling what would happen until it was already happening. Sam knew better, and she went to work like it was a normal day until they said otherwise.
But Maverick also knew. He sat down with Sam and placed a hand on her shoulder before class started.
"Look, I know about your dad," he said, softly as to not alert anyone else. "I won't make you fly. I know you're in your head and with him right now. It's dangerous for you to go up in that plane." Sam understood and nodded.
"I would like to be with him right now if I could," Sam whispered. Maverick patted her shoulder and removed his hand.
"Do you want me to get you your emergency leave? You're allowed two weeks," he asked. Sam nodded, feeling tears well up in the corners of her eyes. Maverick walked her to the office to sit down with the two admirals who were also well aware of Admiral Kazansky's well being. They asked Sam a couple of questions before printing out tangible copies of a leave chit.
"Your leave starts tomorrow at 0800. But we will grant you today off no questions asked," Cyclone told Sam. She was sat in a chair in front of his desk. Maverick had left to go start class with people asking where she was. But Sam didn't care, she wanted her Dad.
"Thank you, sir," Sam whispered. Cyclone leaned back in his chair and sighed.
"You do know, Kazansky, that with you not being here for the next two weeks, you are not going on this mission," he piped up. Sam looked at him and nodded with a blank expression.
"I understand, sir," Sam replied. Cyclone nodded and sat back up to lean on his desk.
"You were my number one pick for Team Leader. I just wanted you to know that," he started. "We have a promotion to Lieutenant Commander in here, distinguished awards and merits, letters of recommendations, and hell, we even have your Top Gun, Flight School, and Academy paperwork," he flipped through a folder and inhaled deeply. "Just know that not going on this mission will not hinder you in any way."
"I understand, sir," Sam replied in a soft voice. Cyclone sat there in silence and then dismissed Sam to go home. And that's what Sam did.