The Five Unnecessaries

Chapter 21

I woke up, only wanting to hide under the covers again when I saw my Council review on my agenda right after breakfast. I spent the morning reading with Collin, perusing maps of where in the Republic I had traveled. We discussed how I should have ordered my food differently as a Terra on a budget and where I could rent a cheaper room next time.

Eva returned later that morning with a Vessel who was twenty weeks along and having early contractions. Collin had rushed down for her EE, but Michael went out again. The contractions stopped within minutes of getting the right meds, and both the Vessel and the baby were soon looking better. Eva's debrief ended faster than mine and she met me in the garden.

Megan ran out of her Circle when she saw Eva and me on the garden wall. She gave me a quick hug and said she would have visited sooner, but her trainer had warned her I might be in therapy. When she asked why, I said I couldn't say, but then I blurted it all out anyway. They listened. Megan checked on my wound. Eva cursed and paced like Collin, who I had to tell to not punch Tessa. Megan told us about the kids who lived in the warehouse areas. Eva laid on the stones underneath the growing flowers as she listened.

"My Unnecessary said there were more kids around that area, living in the warehouses and foraging in the forest for food. He wanted to go find some of his friends, but since the rule is to protect one at a time—"

"Yeah, looks like someone missed that memo," Eva said, giving me a mock-judgmental glare.

"Hey, after the Council grills me for disobeying the rules, I don't know if it's going to be worth it."

Eva looked at the flowers above her as she picked some petals off. "Yeah, it will."

I turned to Megan, who seemed like she was in a trance, looking up at the growing vines on the strings. "It will always be worth it. You better never regret it, Aislyn. Any of it. Ever."

Their words gave me the confidence I needed to get to the Council room and through most of my debrief without stuttering.

Most of their questions were simple and concerned certain details in the debrief which Collin and I had prepped for. Several people, including John Naderville, commented that they were in a rush to get to the next review. There were some who asked me nearly four times, in slightly different ways, about my "motivation for breaking policy" and my "reasons for throwing away tradition." I answered the same way each time.

"I didn't rescue two. I rescued one. I allowed her to be the hero she already was. She saved him, and I saved her."

Murmurs followed. A reporter with an MCU typed furiously every time I spoke. One smiled and whispered loudly enough for me to hear: "I got tomorrow's headline." They didn't realize their headline would arrive in the room after my Council review. The rumors and conjecture about Tessa hadn't solidified into anything close to the truth.

Matheson, the leading Council member, commended me for breaking the rules to save their lives, at which Eldridge winked. When asked about Tessa, I told them what I told Patterson. I tried hard not to say anything with anger. We needed to save as many as possible; I didn't want her as an enemy if it meant she couldn't save any more lives.

After the review, everyone took a break in the hallway. Patterson dismissed the reporters. I wanted to ask him about my mystery rescuer. Instead, I ran into Eldridge, beaming with pride.

"Well... that happened."

"Do I get to ask a question?" I asked, rather playfully.

"Not before me, but I'm sure you aren't ready for mine."

His grey eyes were half-closed, almost a little suspicious. I tilted my head to the side, smiling, sure he was joking about something.

He raised his eyebrows and said, "My dear, you know my position and my rank, but you may not understand what talents would propel a career to these heights. I excel at several things, not the least of which is knowing when someone isn't telling the whole truth. And you left something out."