The Last Goodbye

Posted on Fri Apr 22nd, 2016 @ 3:26pm by Captain Melody Windsor

Mission: First Strike
Location: Melody Windsor's Quarters

'Windsor Rock', the boys used to call her. Unshakable, unflappable, unmovable. Her men had watched her lug the dead carcasses of her fallen soldiers from the battle field and never drop a tear. They'd seen her get attacked, get wounded, be beaten by enemy assailants and only come back angrier and more dangerous than before. They knew she was fierce and ferocious. She was a rock, she was unshakable.

But right now... Melody Windsor was shaken.

Grim faced and stony she'd helped the medical staff put Danny's body on a gurney to be taken to the ship morgue. Never shedding a tear, she'd helped her men unload and pack up their gear, and still found the spirit to give a stron speech on their success that day and how proud she was. Finally, once things had calmed down, she found a smile for them and quietly left to go get some rest.

As the door to her quarters slid shut behind her, though, she fell to her knees and she wept. She pounded the deck and screamed out her frustrations and hurt. She wasn't sure how much time passed, but she finally found herself curled into a ball, sobbing quietly on the couch, trying desperately how to cope with the idea of not having her brother, her father, or Danny. The men who meant the most were gone, and she didn't know what to do with that.

She couldn't stop crying for what felt like years, each team she thought she'd found a calm in her heart it broke again. Finally, though, the tide of sorry faded to a dull ache and she could think again. She stood and made her way to the small kitchenette in her quarters for a glass of water. On her way back to the couch, her eye was caught by a pending message alert on the terminal on her desk. Eager for something to get her mind off of Danny, she walked over to see who it was from. The name gave her pause:

"Staff Sergeant Daniel Browden."

The time stamp didn't make since: Set during the battle.

Without thinking she tapped it and Danny's face, contorted with pain and blood trying to pool in the corners of his mouth, appeared giving her the best smile he could manage, "Hello, Red," He said, his warm voice washing over he ears like waves.

"I'm not walking out of this one... I hope this makes it back to the ship... pulled myself someplace safe to try and send you a message... You can do this," He said, his tone growing serious. "I know what you're thinking right now. I know you, Red. You're telling yourself you can't do it without me, you're beating yourself up that you couldn't save me or your dad or your brother. I know you. But I'm telling you right now: You can. Mel, you're so strong, so smart, so beautiful. You gave me the amazing honor of being your stand in father over the last several years, and I can't tell you how wonderful that was for me. I can't tell you how proud I am of you, and the woman and soldier you've become. I can't wait to tell your dad all of our adventures. He's gonna be proud too," Danny said, smiling broadly. Suddenly, the smile faltered and he winced, wiping blood from his lips.

"I'm... I'm okay, Red," He said, a look of concern on his face. "Hurts a lot right now, and... I... I can feel me fading. Don't have much time now," He said. She could tell he was right. His eyes were drooping and his face was desperately pale. Melody was wiping tears furiously but she couldn't tear her eyes away, "But I'm okay, Melody. Do you hear me? Don't you worry about me. I can finally rest, I can finally be at peace. And I'm not gone. I'll be here, watching over you no matter what you do or where you go. Your dad and I both will."

He took a deep, labored breath, "I'm going to go. You don't need to watch this old man die. I love you, my adopted daughter. You've put so much light and joy into my least years. You've made me so proud, and you've done so well. You be good, now. Be good," He said, giving her one last smile before the video cut out.

Melody stared at the screen for a long time, tears rolling down her face like rivers, her heart somewhere between broken and whole again. Hearing him say those words, seeing his face one last time - hearing that he was okay... it healed her already in ways she couldn't comprehend. As the tears rolled down her face harder and her sniffles became sobs again, Melody smiled. She put her head down on the desk and cried, so happy to hear him say he was proud, and so sad that he was gone. But it was something for her to hold to... something good, even though it hurt.

Danny was at peace. With a little time, maybe Melody could be too.