The pilot’s voice came over the cabin speakers once again, but this time he was more breathless and sounded a lot more worried than his first broadcast. “Ok, we’re, uh… (roger, flaps 20) – we’re having a major problem here… I don’t think we can make the airport in Grand Rapids, so we’re going to land (activating APU) at a local airport a few miles ahead. This is going to be a rough landing, so get into crash positions as instructed by your flight attendants.”
Carson looked forward, where all three flight attendants lay in a bloody mess, two in the aisle and one across the seats. They were in no condition to give any instructions, but somebody had to step up.
“Everyone, listen!” he boomed. “Take off your glasses and put everything loose in the seat pocket in front of you. Then put your head down and keep it down no matter what!” There was probably a lot more the passengers should be doing, but that was all Carson knew. He figured what he had told them might save lives. There wasn’t much more he could offer.
“Carson, I’m so scared!” Pam’s voice, rife with absolute terror, concerned him more than his own safety or the safety of any other person on the plane. Instinctively, he sought to ease her worries through any means possible.
“Honey, I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I don’t care if this plane crashes or not – I promise, if you do what I tell you, when I tell you, you’ll be fine. Are you with me?”
His statement worked. Most of the panic faded from Pam’s eyes, and she smiled at him with a newly-found confidence. “I understand. I trust you.” Seeing her in less fear gave Carson reason to, if not return the smile, feel good about what he’d just said.
His satisfaction gave way to horror as her relieved face changed, with no warning, to a hideously mangled and bloody version for the briefest second.
Then she was gone.
Pam had disappeared, along with the other passengers and the bloody flight attendants and the glow of the early dawn coming through the cabin windows. The entire scene faded to black. A second later, he was alone in his own bed, feet propped against the headboard, hugging the side of the mattress for all he was worth. Sweat soaked his sheets and he trembled violently.
Slowly, he released his grip on the deformed mattress, allowing it to return to its original shape, and rolled so his feet rested on the floor as he sat up. His upper body and stomach heaved as Carson worked to regain his breath as well as his composure.
Another one. Goddammit. It’s been almost four fucking years, and they keep happening. His shrink had been telling him the dreams would start to become less frequent and realistic, but it sure didn’t seem that way to Carson. Well, his weekly appointment was tonight. He would ask her for some different advice.
Carson rose and staggered into the bathroom but didn’t turn on the light. It would further wake him and make getting back to sleep that much more difficult. He also feared seeing his own eyes in the mirror. He used the toilet, splashed a little water on his face, and headed back to his bedroom, hoping to get more sleep yet afraid of returning to dreamland.
Chapter 6
A Lack of Preparation
Carson stared at his cell phone Monday evening, deeply conflicted. He wanted to make the call, to enjoy the witty give-and-take that accompanied his conversations with Katie, but at the same time he wished he had pretty much anything else to do. No, he knew damn well what he had to do, and the sooner he stopped this budding relationship, the easier it would be for her. Yeah, but what about you?
Ignoring the painful question, he made the call.
At the third ring, he hoped maybe she wouldn’t pick up, delaying his sentence a little bit, but that hope died with the sound of her sassy yet harmonious voice.
“Admiral! Or should I call you Sir Carson? How are you?”
“Sir? Have I been knighted?”
“Yes. I’m entirely too important and valuable to have been rescued by anyone less than a fully-vested knight. An admiral just doesn’t cut it.”
“I don’t remember the Queen tapping me on the shoulders with a sword.”
Katie giggled. “I took care of it. I’ve got that kind of juice with Liz over at Buckingham.”
Carson rolled his eyes, both amused and frustrated. This was exactly the casual banter in which he didn’t want to engage, but it came so easily with her that he fell right into it.
“Well, I guess I better get a horse and some chain mail,” Carson observed quickly, hoping to change the subject. “Based on your enhanced level of wise-assery, I’m assuming you’ve suffered no ill effects from your, shall we say, impromptu swimming lesson.”
“Assery?! That’s not even a word!” she protested.
“No, but you have to admit it’s spot on.”
“OK, that’s true – at times,” Katie hedged. “And, to confirm your assumption, I remain perfectly healthy.” Her voice dropped an octave. “I appreciate you calling to check on me.”
Oh shit. “No problem. I knew you’d be OK, but I think it’s somewhere in the Knight’s Handbook to make one final check.”
“One final check? You mean, that’s it? ‘Splash-Save-Thank you, Ma’am?’”
“Well, I don’t think it’s appropriate to come over and take your vitals every other day.”
“Of course not, silly. But there might be – you know – other reasons to call and check on me, don’t you think?”
I’m not doing this right! “I’m sure there are, but – “
“I mean,” Katie jumped in, “don’t you think you should give me the chance to thank you?”
“You already did that – twice,” Carson reminded her.
“That was just a start.
