Our Hope

44 - Angie

A single fluorescent light panel illuminated this section of the hallway. It flickered sporadically. Ash and dried blood covered the once white tiled floor. Her head hurt from crying and the noxious smell of death and decay filled the station. She could not believe what had happened earlier. Survivors were lined up against the wall next to her and across from her. Another hallway intersected ten feet away on the right side. The emergency workers have been marching back and forth through that hallway since the crash.

They spent the night here just the four of them nestled against each other and the wall. Many hours ago, a black silhouette from the shadows came looking for her husband.

"Dr. Anderson?"

"Yes?"

"We need your help."

He left. Then they became only the three of them.

Her husband returned a few minutes ago. He said, "Disaster crews were arriving, and Dr. Bettencourt is on his way too."

She did not register his words because losing her best friend was the only thing she ruminated about right now. She cried and dozed off, dreaming about her and Julie in college together. Roommates.

Oh, the trouble they got into. She smirked, woke up, and realized the truth.

She fell asleep again for maybe an hour on the floor. Then woke to Dr Bettencourt standing in front of them speaking loudly.

Why is he here, now? Then she recalled.

Dr. Bettencourt bellowed, "We have lost many. My heart goes out to every one of you. Yet in times of progress, sometimes terrible tragedies occur. We must not break when moments, like these become difficult. We owe it to the dead to continue forward in their names."

He paused a few seconds and said, "Your transport to Mars was en route during the accident and is waiting for you unharmed. It is docked and ready for departure. We are prepared to honor the deceased, first, but we cannot stay here forever. You may have noticed because you slept on the floor."

Dr. Bettencourt went by the four of them. He had removed his business jacket and rolled up his sleeves at some point. His knees had been smeared with the same colors on the floor. "Cole, there you are... and Hope too. I worried about you after hearing about his parents."

He placed his hand on Cole's shoulder but did not receive a response from him. "I am so sorry for your loss."

"Colton Donaldson? I'm looking for Colton Donaldson." A dark-skinned black man wearing a deputy police badge marched around the corner hollering. He repeated, "I'm looking for Colton Donaldson! I have an important message from his uncle."

"Excuse me?" Angie got to her feet. "He's..." her voice cracked. She coughed. It had been a day since she had spoken and had breathed in a lot of the smoke. She cleared her throat, "Cole is over here." She gestured at him. "We are his legal guardians." She was not sure what the correct term was, but she nodded toward her husband.

He searched on his viewer for the name and read it. "Timothy Donaldson." Then he restarted, "He sent this message, I am sorry for your loss. I am hurrying to get there. Dr. Bettencourt is paying to fly me there for tomorrow's wake."

Wake?

"Do not worry. Your uncle Timmy is on the way?"

The Deputy announced, "That is the end of his message now I need to inform you that Timothy Donaldson is contending Julie and Michael's Last Will and Testament and there will be an emergency custody hearing tomorrow when he arrives. Judge Jackson will preside over the case."

Hearing?

Like everything else she heard, she did have the mental energy to handle anything else. Mental exhaustion and a lack of sleep caused her mind to shut down again. She closed her eyes and dreamed about her and Julie again.