Galennic [#Wattys2017]

25

Since Galen had not made a physical appearance in Orson's life yet, I'm going to do the switch chapter with Lyra. Because why not?

Also, I'm going quite a bit off canon (Catalyst canon) so I'm sorry if that bothers you. (Of course if you've made it this far, you already know that).

I don't own anything.
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Lyra was released from the hospital early, considering how severe the accident had been. She had fallen on the back of her head, and even though her head hurt like hell from her concussion, the only injury she suffered were a few deep cuts from ice pieces. But the permanent damage was the memory of the incident and the fact she was blind in her left eye now.

While at the hospital, Lyra learned to coordinate her body and grow used to the fact she couldn't see past her nose. It was weird and sometime she felt like she was walking on uneven ground. She even found it hard to look at anything electronic for a while, using her com only to text Orson back when he asked about Galen.

When she was released, Lyra used her remaining credits from her pocket to buy a bus fare back to Aria Prime. She had nowhere else to go except home, though she didn't really want to go back. She hated her parents and they seemed to hate her. She had even been told she should have been a boy, though Lyra proved more than capable of taking a boy's position. Growing up, she was forced to become the housewife (or house child), hunter, and caretaker for her parents.

As she sat on the bus, she recalled when she first learned about scientific research. It was on one of her hunting trips when she was about six. She ran across a boy and his father. They were examining the ground and Lyra thought they were tracking animals. It turned out they were just staring at the plants. Somehow, she got into a conversation with them, and the next thing she knew, she was learning all about the wonders of a flower, known as a chrysanthemum. That was Lyra's first introduction to an education and it never left her.

She never found out the name of that man and boy. She had never asked and they never asked her. But Lyra had always hoped one day she would see them again.

Lyra arrived at her home. She sighed and began muttering to herself. "The Force will guide you. Trust the Force." She had learned about the Force from her father and though he called it a hoax, she believed it could help her. Lyra stopped talking and pushed open the door. "Mama! Papa! I'm home!" Her heart dropped when she saw the empty bottles of liquor scattered across the floor.

"About time you came back!" Snapped her mother. "Come in here, child!" Lyra did obediently. "Take this." She shoved some dirty dishes into Lyra's hands. "Get those cleaned up and then tell us about Rudrig."

Lyra went to the sink (which apparently had not been cleaned since she last saw it nine months ago). She began washing the dishes quietly. Her father then stumbled into the room, his body reeking of alcohol. A bottle of whisky was in his hand "I got the bill for school the other day." He sounded like he had had five too many drinks.

"I sure as hell hope it wasn't big," her mother yelled from her rocking chair.

"Oh it was Kriffing big. It's not even from Rudrig." Lyra felt her body stiffen and she couldn't move. The cup on her hand dropped into the sink.

"So ye slack off school, child?" Her mother shouted.

"Not it was from that Kriffing Republic's Program." Her father took a swig of whatever was left in the bottle and set it down on the counter.