Lightyears Series - Episode 4: Standard Protocol

Spacetastic Mysteries

Jake turned me around and demanded, “You want to tell me what that nonsense you were spilling back there was about?”

“It wasn’t nonsense. You have no idea what I have been through…and yes, I want to tell you…but like I said, it is a part of an ongoing investigation. I am not allowed to speak of it.”

“I bet your pal Graham knows about this.”

“Yes, because he is in charge of the investigation…and you know that he and I are very close friends since our high school days. He is happily married with two children.”

We sat and ordered our food through the screen in the middle. “I am sure that Graham was able to get you through this little crisis,” Jake expressed, gesturing to me, “of yours.”

I put my hands over my face and took a ragged breath. I removed them and locked eyes with Jake. I said with grave deliberation, “It is taking all my strength not to go off on you right now, to hit you, to break ties with you forever. I understand that you don’t get that what I have been through could be anything of significance because you just see the dead husband and the two additional children, so you figure my life was rosy. It wasn’t. It isn’t.” I rolled up the sleeves of the turtleneck under my Woodland fatigues, showing my arms to him. “And I have the scars to prove it.” I pulled down the neck of my turtleneck.

“Danny, those are burns.”

“Very good, Doctor Riley. Now can you stop acting like you are the only one who has the corner on trauma? I will never be the Danny you need and want, so stop trying to make me into her. I wish I could be her, but she died about eight years ago.”

He raised the Privacy Wall and voiced, taking my hands, “I’m sorry I didn’t realize. I’m sorry for what you have been through, but you are still Danny. You are still my Danny. I see it in your eyes and in your heart. The burns—I don’t care about them. You will always be beautiful to me.” “I am having the rest of them removed. The doctor is coming in a couple of days. I just want to feel pretty for the first time in years.” I shook my head and remarked, “I know that is vain, but—” He gave me a sidelong glance. “Josh didn’t tell you—” I looked away and then moved my eyes back to Jake. “I don’t want to talk about him. To suffice to say, it wasn’t his style. I just want that one thing that I can control—to get the burn scars on my arms and neck removed. I had them all over my body…I was in recovery for months. I don’t think they expected me to survive. It is the only time your mother was nice to me. She took Zariah in until I was well.” “You said they didn’t expect you to survive. The doctors?” “No, the people who did it to me. Unfortunately, they have never faced the consequences of their actions…and I am starting to doubt they ever will.” “It does not matter what you have been through. I will be with you through it all. All I have dreamed of for the last ten years is getting back to you…and telling you how much I love you.” “There are a lot of things I have been involved with…that when you find out about them you are going to be angry…but will you promise you will let me explain why I had to do what I did, why Graham and I did what we did.” Just then he lowered the Privacy Wall as the waiter came over with our food and drinks. The waiter set a soda and BLT in front of me and a soda and burger in front of Jake. Once the waiter left, he raised the Privacy Wall. “As a Section Chief and General, I respect Graham—” I put half of the BLT to my lips. “You should. He is one of the youngest officers to make General in the Freedom Alliance.” He nodded, lifting the burger to his mouth. “The three of us were close friends in high school. I was always envious of how close you two are. It was like if I wasn’t in the picture, he would have stolen you away from me. I figured it would have been Graham you married and not some random guy.”