Admiring the Light

Ep 48

"Open that box right there."

Caitlyn did as she was told for once, curious about her foster mother's background. Maybe she could exploit it and have a bit of fun. "There's a letter in here-"

"You just gonna stare? Read it for me."

"First Sergeant Moore, due to your unfortunate physical and psychological afflictions, we must release you from the United States Marine Corps. For your impeccable service record, you are being discharged with the highest honor we can provide, and we thank you for your service. Enclosed herein shall be the documents serving as proof of your honorable discharge, and details of your specific benefits." She mused over the letter. "What's this about?"

"Honorary discharge, military." Penelope chuckled, her smile dropping quickly.

"You were a marine...? Why'd they discharge you anyway?"

"I served for 19 years, but in that last year of service, I'd felt like something just wasn't right in my chest. I'd thought, hey, I must've just overworked myself. But it only got worse. Then when I had a stroke, they'd found that I had a coronary condition. And after getting put on limited duty, I started getting cold sweats when I went back to training. I would get so tired easily. Sometimes I'd even lose track of where I was."

"... oh- did you serve there?"

"No, but I think you've heard plenty about me."

"Sounds like fun, physically withering away."

"Yeah, sure. Only regretted it after the consequences. Out there, you stand by your brothers and your brothers fight for you. You fight for the ones that can't defend themselves, put your own physical health on the line for them. Who do you fight for, Kate?"

"..."

"Who do you fight for?"

"Nobody..."

"Cause you don't have nobody to fight for. Correct?"

"Mmph."

"You've never cared about someone like that. You've never had to watch one of your friends slowly bleed into the ground, as they try and fit an entire life into a few words before they die early. You're not a tough girl, a tough girl would be able to open herself to her friends and not crumble entirely when they leave her. You could never do that."

"..."

"What kind of person do you want to be?"

The kind that didn't get her mother to walk out. She thought.

But she refused to utter a word.

...

"Who's in charge of this DJ booth-? Like-" Natalie glanced around through the sad crowd, as one pathetic green strobe light struggled to even light up the ground.

"Agreed, it's kinda quiet." Lola nodded.

"Noddin my head like yeah, movin my hips like yeah."

"Woo! Got my hands up, playin my song, know I'm gonna be okay-"

"Hey Sport! What's up?" She smiled.

"Ooh, looking fancy tonight, are we?"

"This is a high school dance, isn't it? Why are they playing Miley Cyrus." Guinevere sighed.

"Objection, your honor, blasphemy towards Party in the USA."

"Overruled, because it's fire."

"For real thoughhh, like just- get into it, Sport!"