Subjects

34- Truth Time

"Jeff!" Angie runs to the solider, not fazed in the slightest by his grotesque appearance.

Jeff smiles a little and tries not to look down to his leg, where his eyes always seem to wander to nowadays. "Ange! What's up?"

Angie jumps onto Jeff's hospital bed and if the movement was painful for him he does a pretty good job at hiding it. "I made you a card!" Angie shows him her creation, which really is impressive considering the fact that no one on the ship thought to bring crayons.

Ben slowly trails behind the hyperactive girl so only now he takes his usual sit by the bed. It is getting harder to tell what mood he is in. I'm not even sure Ben himself could tell if you asked him. Thinking about it too much just makes him think of all the things that he should feel bad about, which, to be honest, there are quite a few of.

"This is so great, Ange. Did you see that, Ben? She's an artist!" Jeff praises the very pleased girl. "Hi, Mandy! Check this out, Angie made me a card!"

The nurse gets closer to look at the paper. "You are so talented," she tells Angie, who's smile only widens.

"When can you get out, Jeff?" Angie demands. "Ben is no fun."

"Really?" Jeff cocks his eyebrow at Ben. "In that case..."

"Jeff is leaving soon, Ange," Ben says.

"What? Why?" Angie looks at Jeff wide, sad eyes.

"I just, umm..." Jeff hesitates. "You see, they can't take care of me here. You know my keg got injured pretty badly and it is not going to heal. I need to go to a hospital where they can stop it from getting any worse."

"You won't have your leg anymore?"

Jeff looks forward, trying to suppress his reaction, "no."

"Did they say when is the helicopter coming?" Ben asks.

"Actually, it was supposed to be here by now," Jeff says.

Jeff can tell that something is off with Ben. Plus, he really got tired of talking about his injury and he learned that it is easier to focus on other people's problems than to think of his own right now. It is just too painful.

Angie must have felt the change in the mood, or she just saw someone waving at her from the other side of the room, because she jumps off the bed and leaves them alone.

"Come on, Ben," Jeff says once Angie's away. "Stop brooding and spit it out already."

"Spit what out?" Ben honestly thought he was not that obvious.

"Whatever it is that's eating you up. When you first got here I could never shut you up so don't tell me there's nothing going on," Jeff says. When Ben says nothing he asks, "is it Eva?"

"What? No. What are you talking about?" Ben did not expect this. Whenever he closes his eyes all he can see is the creature getting Jeff.

"I just thought... Never mind," Jeff was never that great at this heart to heart stuff, this conversation is really the peak of his empathy demonstration.

"Look, I don't know what is actually going on with me anymore," Ben tries to explain it without having to involve aliens in the story. "There's so much to process, I feel like I'm just failing all the time."

"You sound like your life is over before it even began, Ben," Jeff puts Angie's card on his nightstand. "You have everything ahead of you. Yeah, maybe you made some bad choices in the past but you got to get past it. Do you even get how lucky you are? You get to be alive! Every day when you wake up you get a fresh start, take it." Jeff has no clue where this motivational speech came from, but he sure is glad the inspiration dawned on him.

"I just have to tell Angie some bad news and..." Ben leans on his knees and fists his hair with frustration. "I'm not sure she can take it."

"Look at her," Jeff nods to where Angie is helping the nurses sort some medical supply. "She is the bravest kid I ever met. Maybe I don't know her that long, but I think she'll handle whatever it is better if she knows about it. She'll find out sooner or later."

"You're right," as much as he would like to delay it, Ben knows that it is time she knows the truth.

When they leave the infirmary Angie is in a great mood, she is always like that after being around people. She loves to talk with them and just see how they do their everyday things. Of course it doesn't hurt that basically every person in the crew fell in love with the sweet girl running around the ship and spreading smiles.

When they get to the main deck Angie instantly runs to the railing and leans over to try and find dolphins. Ben reluctantly follows, someone needs to make sure she doesn't decide to join the dolphins down there in the water. The wind is nice and cool today, at this time of the afternoon there isn't too much sun and this is normally the hour Ben would go out to one of his nightly camping trips.

"I need to tell you something, Angie," Ben suddenly says.

"What is it?" Something about the way he said it makes Angie leave the dolphins and look at him.

"Your father..." Ben instantly regrets his decision to tell her now. But he has no choice. He has to tell her. Jeff is right, it will be better if she knows. "Leo risked everything to save you. They were not happy with him and what he did. I'm so sorry but he is... He is-" Ben chokes.

No amount of self loathing could compare to what he feels when he sees Angie's eyes. His heart is crushed in his chest. The fear that hits him, it is like a giant black hole and he is drowning inside it. In her eyes that glisten from the liquid. In her sorrow.

"He was so brave, and he loved you so much," Ben continues.

"No," Angie can only say. A tear dripping down her face. Ben kneels before her and takes her in his arms. "No," she says again into his now wet shirt. "No."

"I am so sorry," Ben says.

He can feel everything, all of the hurricane of emotions in her aching heart. From disbelief to despair, she throws her feelings out at him and he takes it all in. All the pain that cuts at her soul and the shock, he shares it all. Helping to ease the burden and nearly collapsing under the pressure. They hold on for so long, afraid to let go.

When Eva comes looking for them the sun is already down. She doesn't have to ask what happened. She can feel it too, the darkness that spreads and threatens to eat them up, the broken heart of the eight year old girl. Eva falls to the floor next to them, holding, supporting, sharing. She wants to be gone, to let it consume her.

Until the stars come out.

Until the cold is too harsh.

Until she falls asleep and they carry her back to their room. In her sleep she is peaceful, calm.

She dreams of the day her dad took her to the dog park and let her pet every single dog there. She still was a little shy back then so he went with her to every dog owner in the park and asked them if she can pet their dog.

"I will do anything for you," he said.

Anything.