Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Troy Hunter (Senior Medical Officer) in Forward Lounge

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Stella Gagnon (Communications Officer) in Forward Lounge

Stella had made her way into the lounge and found it exactly as she had hoped it would be. Empty. She walked and sat on a little bench seat against the wall and sat down placing her violin across her lap carefully. It occurred to her that she hadn’t played it since her academy days. A long time. She took the violin from the case and slowly, lightly drew the bow across the strings which immediately made the sound of a cat’s tail caught beneath a rocking chair. Laughing at herself she rosined her bow and tried it again. After she had tuned two strings, she gave it another try which brought out the sweet sound that she remembered.

She then took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She gently began to play the violin letting it find its own song. A slow sleepy sad song of heartbreak and lost loves. The song of Evangeline cursing the river queen for stealing her lover away. The song went on. The song of a broken-hearted woman shaking her fist and cursing at a witch she could never hurt.

Only halfway through this song though a smile came across Stella’s face as she started to play another song. It was a song of celebration. A song which commanded that people dance. And so, Stella did. Swaying her hips as though the violin were her partner. She whirled around and tapped her foot as she started to play the Acadie À La Louisiane.

Stella Gagnon Lt.Jg. Comms.

Hunter was alone walking through the corridors lost in his own thought when he picked up the sound of music ‘’That’s strange ‘’ he uttered ‘’Music?’’ . He slowly followed from where the sound was coming from ,stopping at the Lounge .To his amazement the doctor saw Stella playing the violin while swaying to the music.

Hunter just stood at the entrance , his arm resting against the wall with his head on it, he closed his eyes lost in the music that filled the air .It made him feel serene,relaxed and calm.......in a few words in a state of peaceful happiness and contentment.

Hunter Dr.

Stella kept on playing. Perfectly oblivious of Hinter being in the doorway. She was caught up in the music she was paying and the song she was singing. The story of her people. Their endurance and survival against all odds. Suddenly she got the feeling that something was wrong. A kind of feeling that alarms you to something when you don’t know what that something is. She quit playing and dropped her bow to her side as if she were preparing to use it as a sword. A hilarious thing if one thought about it. But she held her violin behind her to protect it. Her bow could be replaced but the one-hundred-year-old violin of her great grandfather could not.

Stella then turned around and saw someone. Then it dawned on her that it was Hunter leaning against the doorway. On seeing him she immediately stepped back as if she would have to defend herself. She felt cold and to her irritation she felt the hand with the bow in it shaking a bit. ” La Diab’ “she hissed under her breath. Then though she remembered the message that Mister Joe had sent her. She remembered even more the song she had been playing. She drew herself up then to her full height and spoke out to Hunter saying in calm tone. ” May I do something for you Mister Hunter?”

Lt.jg Stella Gagnon Comms