Posted by Lieutenant Helena Laursen (Helm/Nagivation Officer) in Memory: Luna

Posted by Captain Marceau Renault (Commanding Officer) in Memory: Luna

Posted by Lieutenant Helena Laursen (Helm/Nagivation Officer) in Memory: Luna
Posted by… suppressed (21) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
Akela nodded, “I’ll bring you both back something.” She headed down the corridor toward the large mess and out of sight.

Yvette, was sitting on her bunk next to Helena’s, doodling on a notepad. She looked up when Marceau came in and waved. She got up and walked over to him. “She’s still asleep. She’s barely moved the whole 8 hours. Whatever Akela gave her kept her out. She didn’t even stir when everyone came through during the lunch break.”

Yvette

“Allez manger,” Marceau said in French. Then he realized he’d spoken in French and translated: “Go eat.” He sat on the bunk on the other side of Helena’s, reclining onto it. “I will stay with Helena.”

~ Marceau

Yvette being one of their linguists didn’t mind when Marceau slipped into French. It kept her on her toes. “Elle ira bien. Nous nous en assurerons..” She slipped out of the bunk room as he sat. Helena slept for at least another hour. Some of the squad came in and saw Marceau sitting beside her and were unsure if they should stay or go. They all wanted to know what happened but wouldn’t ask. They were exceptionally quiet, not wanting to wake Helena up.

“Merci. Elle a besoin de se reposer et de faire une pause.” Marceau replied in French. He took a rest himself while he waited for her to wake, not sleeping, but eyes closed.

Kenneth was in a foul mood the whole day, which didn’t help the speculation. He was not happy with the route that Driscoll had taken and was going to talk to Marceau about reporting him for it. Full fledged captain or not, it wasn’t okay. What really was bothering him was how Driscoll mentioned how Helena hadn’t been with the squad in their off times. He felt like it was his fault, he was the one who handed down the punishment. Even though it had been lifted, Helena still stayed away. He’d made her a target. At least that’s how he felt, and he was angry at himself. He sat down on the opposite side of Marceau. “She still asleep?”

Kenneth

Marceau nodded. “I am glad she is. She needs the sleep. And the break from… Everything.” He gave a long sigh. “I can’t wait for this mission to be over.”

~ Marceau

“Not like last year is it?” Kenneth said. “The work isn’t bad. Not really. I’m enjoying really using everything we’ve learned, but all this other.” Kenneth shook his head and then sighed. “I feel like I did this to her. Maybe you should look for a different first officer.”

Kenneth

“No,” Marceau said. “Not like last year. I don’t mind space and we get real bunks.” He glanced at Kenneth and shook his head. “There is no better first officer. How do you think you did this?”

~ Marceau

Kenneth rested his elbows on his knees. He leaned forward and clasped his hands together. He glanced at Helena and away. “Something Driscoll said. About how they had noticed Helena wasn’t spending her free time with us any more. I… I didn’t mean to make that happen.”

Kenneth

Marceau clapped him on the shoulder. “You were right that there had to be consequences for her actions. You didn’t make her stop spending her time with us. You made her stay away from…” He realized even after the punishment ended why she had been staying away from the crew. She didn’t like Lucy. And Lucy had included herself in everything. “Lucy.” He finished and then sighed. “It is not your fault. We will fix this. We’re the blackjacks. We always do and always will.”

~ Marceau

Kenneth nodded, but the responsibility weighed heavy on him. “Do,” he sighed, “you don’t think Helena feels that way do you? That we… that I excluded her from us?”

Kenneth

“I think Lucy excluded her, not you. I think Helena knows that.” Marceau looked at him. “I’m going to have a talk with her. Akela said she said some pretty concerning things.”

~ Marceau

Kenneth nodded. Marceau was right, now that he thought about it. Why hadn’t any of them said anything? Stopped it? They should have. He looked sharply at Marceau. “Concerning? What…?” He shook his head. Akela and Marceau were doctors, that was confidential. “I think I’m going to go find something to do.”

Kenneth

Marceau was angry at Lucy and himself for letting it happen. “Don’t blame yourself, Ken. Helena will be okay.”

~ Marceau

Kenneth nodded and headed to check on everyone else. He knew Yvette had switched shifts so he also made sure to check and make sure she had gotten a meal.

Helena slept awhile longer, but not much. She rolled in her sleep and groaned. She had slept long enough and hard enough she was stiff and her head hurt. Her hand presses against her head and she cursed in her native Icelandic.

Helena

Marceau sat up as soon as he heard her start moving. He smiled at her. “Helena. How do you feel?”

~ Marceau

Helena looked over, used to finding him in the next bunk. She grinned, a flippant remark on its way out. Then her face changed. A brief flash of sadness and then a neutral mask as shenfully woke up and recent events returned to her. She sat up. “I’m fine. Ready to go back to work.” Assuming she wasn’t being discharged by Driscoll.

Helena

“Helena, attendez.” He said, slipping into French again. A sure sign of his anxiety and stress. The words sounded like ‘’elena attonday’. “Please, talk to me. What’s wrong?” He asked, giving her a concerned look. Not even as a cadet captain or doctor, but as her friend.

~ Marceau

Helena looked conflicted. Right now the problem felt like to her that she was his friend, but not the other way around any more. If it wasn’t for the fact he wouldn’t fly with anyone else, she was certain he would have traded her to another squad by now. Not that it mattered. Driscoll was going to kick her out.

The worst part was, she hadn’t been insulting or threatening Lucy. Not at first, but then that high priced doll twisted it. So no Helena shouldn’t have put her in her place the way she did. The whole squad sided with her. Lucy took advantage of it too. Not even when it was work related did anyone stand up for her, or with Driscoll. It was fine. They made their choice obvious. And because she couldn’t attend meetings, she wasn’t contributing like she should to the team. So Driscoll was right about her.

She looked at him, unable to say anything. It didn’t matter. She just wanted to go back to work. Maybe if she went to Driscoll and told him the strain was too much, she couldn’t handle it, he would ket her resign without penalty?

Helena

Marceau looked upset and worried. “Helena I’ve missed you this year. I… I’m sorry I didn’t see what Lucy was doing. Making you stay away by coming to everything. I should’ve known she hadn’t really had a change of heart about me serving.” She’d said she had but now he was pretty sure she had an ulterior motive. “No one blames you for your not being around.”

Helena shrugged. “I blame me. I opened my mouth, I got the punishment I deserved. You all were forced to make a choice, and you did.” She’d defended him, stood up for him when he was sick and Lucy was taking advantage. It wasn’t like Helena had never had conflict with a friend before or a major disagreement, but this felt different. They all chose Lucy, but the only one that hurt was Marceau. But he loved Lucy, or thought he did. Helena wouldn’t respect him nearly as much if he couldn’t put his partner before his friends. But then why did it hurt so much? She shrugged again. “You all did fine without me.”

“No, we didn’t.” Marceau insisted. “We passed our courses yes, but Helena, we all missed you. Especially me.” He looked at her with a sad, upset look. “You said what you said. There had to be consequences for it. But it wasn’t supposed to be all year. I didn’t-” he stopped and sighed again. “I want you with the squad. Nowhere else.”

Helena nodded, but it was more because she knew that’s what he wanted. “That’s what I want, too, but if Driscoll has his way, I won’t be serving anywhere.”

Finally he sighed, hands in his lap. “I spoke to Driscoll on your behalf and Kenneth and I are considering filing a formal complaint against him. He was harassing you on purpose, because of some training they want you to do this summer. He won’t do it anymore, okay?”

~ Marceau

Helena looked at him pure confusion. “Training?” That made no sense. What more torture did he have in store for her? “You didn’t have to do that. Now he’ll take it out in you. I’ve obviously messed up somewhere.” She could tell he was upset, and gave him a reassuring smile. “Probably sending me to remedial boot camp. I’ll be so hot and fit when I come back, I’ll burn the dorms down with a look.” She reached down for her boots to slip them on. She didn’t know what to say to him. She didn’t like him being upset. “It’s fine, Marceau. I made my choices.”

Helena

“No!” Marceau seemed to get more upset as she started pulling her boots on. “Flight training. With…” he couldn’t remember who, “Someone older than us. A group. He said they’d harass you and he wanted to be sure you were up to it. But he did it in such a terrible way…” he looked at her again, “Please, Helena. It’s not fine. Don’t try to brush this away.” He was stressed and anxious, and to Helena, even back then, clearly so. He looked like this was the airport at Boston all over again.

~ Marceau

She paused as she slipped the second boot on and set her foot on the floor. She turned on her bunk to face him. Her expression was all he needed to know she didn’t think any of it was okay. “What do you want me to say, Marceau? That I was wrong? I have, over and over again.” Her behavior violated the code of conduct for officers and cadets, but Helena knew in her gut that she was right in that argument. “That I’m sorry? I have, I’ll say it a million more times if you want. I’m sorry I upset you and made things difficult. That wasn’t my intention. That I my best friend almost died, and I lost him anyway? That I miss you and everyone else. That’s it’s lonely being a cadet with no squad? Lie and say it will never ever happen again. I can’t, all I can say is I’ll do my best not to.” She blinked to clear the wateriness in her eyes and met his gaze again. “Tell me what you want me to do or say. I’ll do it.” She would, without question do anything for Marceau.

Helena

“I know you’re sorry, I know you know it was wrong. And I know you were right.” Marceau actually looked like he might cry when she said she’d lost him. “You haven’t Helena, I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere and I don’t want you too. Please, believe me. I don’t want you to say anything. I just want you back in our squad where you belong. I want my best friend back.”

~ Marceau

“Marceau…” she hated seeing him that way. He had so few people in his life that wanted him for just himself. She’d been incredibly self centered she supposed. She’d stopped making an effort because it felt like no one else was. That wasn’t fair to him at all. She shouldn’t have done that. “I will always be your best friend, Marceau. Always. I never stopped.”

Helena

“I never stopped being yours, either.” Marceau moved to her bunk and gave her a quick hug. “I’ve missed you, Helena.” And if what Driscoll said was true, she’d be gone all summer. “I’m sorry for what happened. I don’t know if I said that. But I am.”

~ Marceau

“It’s not your fault, Ljón.” Helena hugged him back, just a bit longer than a quick hug. She didn’t know what her summer would be like, but watching him spend it all with Lucy, staying at her apartment the whole time would be awful. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Helena

That was the weird thing, Marceau didn’t really want to spend the whole summer with Lucy. He just didn’t want to spend it alone, either. He wished Helena and Lucy got along better. But he wasn’t going to say that. Instead he decided to change the topic. “Are you hungry? I have food for both of us.”

~ Marceau

Helena didn’t like Lucy. It was that simple. She had tried, really tried, to like her. To get along with her and make her feel welcome… until Marceau got sick. She would continue try, but Lucy didn’t like her either.

Helena nodded, “Food sounds good.”

Helena

Even if Marceau and Helena didn’t know they liked each other, Lucy did. She could tell and it drove her crazy. She wouldn’t hate Helena so much if she didn’t think Marceau was going to leave her for Helena someday. Marceau gave Helena the tray from the mess, cold now but still good, and then grabbed the second tray for himself. He had waited so he could eat with her. “I’m glad you got some extra sleep. You needed it.”

~ Marceau