<USS Meridian> =/\= It Hurts Mummy =/\=

From: Jon Armstrong <cadenarmstrong@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: ussmeridian@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2006 23:54:07 -0500

=/\=It Hurts Mummy  =/\=
by Caden Armstrong
Special Appearance by
Anikka and Fionn Armstrong (Caden's Parents)

Caden woke up after having another nightmare. After being awakened so rudely by his third nightmare of the day, he went in and went to the bathroom. He took his time in there and after a while he went and opened a comm channel to his parents. He sat down at the table and took a deep breath as the channel was opened.

In the Armstrong quarters aboard a transport ship called Nessari's Way, Anikka and Fionn were asleep. The comm signal caused Fionn to grumble as he went over and answered the call. At the sight of his father, Caden broke down in tears again. "Dad," he cried. "Dad, it's Zak."

Fionn sat there and heard what his son was saying, and soon Anikka was over his shoulder looking into the screen. "Cade," she said. "Caden, be still," she told her son.

Caden tried to pull himself together. He and his siblings never called Anikka anything but Mother. But his efforts to pull himself together had failed, and his grief overtook him. "Mummy, he's gone," the distraught father said.

"Who's gone, Cade?" she asked, suddenly worried.

"Zak," he cried.

Anikka gasped in horror while Fionn wept silently.

"Dad, I don't know what to do," he cried. "Mummy..." he trailed off.

It was clearly a measure of how distraught he was that he'd use that term. Anikka shook silently for a moment, before taking a breath and clearing her mind of outside distractions. "Tell us what happened, Son," she said softly.

"Some sort of telepathic creature was interfering with us. He made us think we were hearing different distress calls, but when Marnie and I were asked to confront it, an ally helped us but he took Zak. He was Called," he cried.

It was such a jumble, the way Caden said it, that it took Anikka a few seconds to make any sense of his words at all. "Took Zak? Why?" she asked.

"He needed help to defeat the creature," he said. "Marnie says Zak offered. He said he could help."

"Offered..." his mother echoed. "And then he was Called? Or did the Call come before he offered?" For some reason, it mattered.

"I think it came before he offered," he said sadly. He knew where this was going.

Fionn looked up. "And then he offered to go and help a stranger? After he was Called?" he asked in surprised tones.

Caden nodded.

Anikka looked at her husband for a moment and then back to the comm unit. "Not many nine year olds would," she said softly.

Caden shook his head. "Zak was special."

"Why are you blaming yourself, then?" she asked him. For it was obvious that he was.

"I should have protected him better. He had more to do here," he said.

"Not if the Power Called him... and gave him a final task," Fionn interjected. He shook his head, thinking wistfully of the boy who had wanted to be an architect.

Caden sighed. "I wanted to see him grow up," he said. "He should have been able to grow up. I should have protected him better," he repeated.

"You know it doesn't work that way," his mother reminded him. "You ought to know it by now, Caden."

"I know," he said after a long pause. "I'm still afraid Marnie will blame me. Or Davey will be afraid to stay here."

"Not a lot of choice, where you stay, when there's a war going on," said Fionn, and Anikka added, "I'll call over to the Curie and have them send Susan to you."

Caden nodded. "It might help. It might not," he said.

"I didn't raise you to be a pessimist," Anikka reminded him.

Caden nodded. "I don't feel very positive right now," he said. "I don't feel like doing much of anything but being miserable."

"What's Marnie doing?" she asked.

"She's asleep," he said. "I was before, but I keep having nightmares," he said.

"Susan can help you with that," Anikka promised. She wanted to go to him herself, but as his mother she couldn't in good conscience offer to Sort him.

"I'm sorry to have called so late," he said.

"Don't be," she said quickly. "We're still your parents. We always will be."

Caden nodded. "Do you know where Marnie's parents went?" he asked. "Are they still on Earth?"

Fionn nodded slowly. "We got most of the children out, but some adults had to stay. They stayed."

"That's good," he said. "We'll have to contact them when we can, I guess," he added.

"Not so good," his father corrected. "You must not have heard..."

"We've heard about the attack," he said. "I meant about the kids," he said.

"There's no contacting anyone on Earth," Anikka said softly. "Not by subspace, and not telepathically. The Borg have put up some kind of massive interference field."

Caden nodded. "We've heard," he said. "I can't tell you where we are or where we're headed. But...." he trailed off.

"But you're in the task force that's supposed to deal with these things," said Anikka. "And the fleet is about to move. I'll send Susan to you before the fleet breaks up."

Caden nodded. "It might be safer if she waited until this was over," he said.

"We don't know if or when it'll be over," said Fionn, as Anikka's eyes unfocused. She was calling telepathically to the younger Sorter, several ships away.

Caden shook his head. "We'll manage until it's over," he repeated.

"You'll do as your mother says, for once," his father insisted.

Caden looked at his father. It wasn't often Fionn used that tone with any of his children and less often with Caden. "Dad," he started to protest. "All right," he relented after a moment.

"Son, listen." Fionn's voice was low and serious. "This is real. It's scary. We may not be here to talk about it a month from now. But as long as we're alive and the Power is with us, we'll fight for our lives and our freedom as best we can. And you can't do that if you're a wreck."

"Yes, Sir," he said. "I think I can manage, but if you think its better to get some help..." he trailed off. "I'm sorry," he concluded.

"Of course you're sorry," his father chided gently. "Don't forget, I know what it's like to lose a child. Even when you're expecting it, it's hard. It tears at your heart. You keep wondering if there was something you could have done differently." There were suspiciously damp trails on his cheeks, but he kept going. "What you have to realize is that your children are entrusted to you for whatever time they've got, and you don't control that. All you can control is how you behave toward them. Love them, and let God sort out the rest."

"I know," he said. "I just hate how this had to happen. I think we're going to make sure that Davey is safe, though," he added. "But at the same time, I don't want to send him away either. Right now I just want to spend my time hugging and loving on him," he admitted.

"There's nowhere to send him, right now." Anikka was back from that inner place. "Hug him and love on him. When this is over," she raised her eyes in a gesture of silent prayer, "we'll see about having him someplace other than with your task force."

"I'd have to discuss it with Marnie, of course, but I'll mention your offer as well," he told them.

Both his parents nodded.

"Susan will be shuttling over within the hour," Anikka added. "The fleet is going to move very soon, so we thought it best to get her to your ship right away. It's been cleared through the fleet command already." Since she hadn't moved away to use another comm unit, she knew he would understand that there was someone higher-placed than herself who would know about the People and be able to shift personnel between ships.

Caden nodded. "Thanks Mum," he said with a smile. "Thanks Dad."

"God bless," Fionn said gently. "Give Marnie and Davey a kiss from us."

"I will," he said. "They could use all of the blessings you have to offer. Hugs and kisses too," he said with a sad smile.

<USS Meridian> =/\= It Hurts Mummy =/\=

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