A "Lieutenant Lake" story
by Scarlet Lady
Lieutenant Green rubbed his eyes, wearily.
It was only October, and already his fiancée had been busy making plans for
Christmas. He didn’t really mind;
“Are
you all right, Lieutenant?” Captain Scarlet had been watching him with quiet
concern.
Green
nodded. “I’m fine, Captain. Just a little tired, I guess.”
The
Captain nodded. “It doesn’t help
with it being so quiet in here. Why
don’t you put the radio on?”
Needing
no second bidding, the younger man eagerly did as he was asked.
The
strains of a somewhat familiar song burst from the speakers.
Captain
Scarlet grinned at Lieutenant Green, instantly recognising the music. “The radio’s playing
“Yeah,
it’s surprising how much of the old stuff is still popular,” Green replied,
continuing his work. “
He
laughed. “So what did you do last
year, if not copy from other artists?”
“Well
yeah, but we didn’t mess with ELO!”
The
Captain laughed aloud. “Well, yes,
there is that!”
“And
that was a little entertainment for a Christmas party, so I guess she’s decided
it’s different. You know what
“I
certainly do!” he replied.
“Speaking of which, how are you getting on? Have you decided on a date
for the wedding, yet?”
The
Lieutenant nodded. “December 20th.”
“Three days before
“Yeah, I
know. I still don’t know about the honeymoon,
though.
“And
what do YOU want?”
Green
shrugged. “I want to see her happy,
Captain.”
The
Captain laughed. “Well, I can see
she’s got you wrapped around her little finger!”
“No,
sir, I just… I want to do everything in my power to make her the happiest girl
in the universe. She deserves the
best that I can give!”
Scarlet
rolled his eyes. “Well, anyway…
skiing…” He rubbed his chin, thoughtfully.
“Have either of you ever tried skiing before?”
“Well…
no,
sir,
but I was really just thinking of somewhere cold and white.
“And
what will you do?”
Green
smirked at him. “I’ll warm her up
when she decides she’s had enough!”
Scarlet
laughed. “Go for it,
Greeny! Just make sure that you don’t get bored.”
The
Lieutenant chuckled to himself. He
very much doubted that he’d get bored.
The thought of spending a couple of days with
Captain Aquamarine entered the Officers’
Lounge, grinning wildly. “…’Tis the season to be jolly…”
Rhapsody Angel looked up from her book.
“Oh, Kelly! What ARE you wearing?”
The
Captain reddened slightly as Ochre turned to stare at her too. “My Santa hat… Why? What’s wrong with
it? It’s Christmas, after all!”
“Gonna join
“Shut
up, Rick,” Rhapsody admonished.
“You
know, I’ve never seen them come out of the wrong quarters in the morning. They
always seem to be in their own…” he remarked, thoughtfully.
Rhapsody rolled her eyes. “Well, of course they are, Rick,” she said in a mildly
patronising tone. “They’re waiting until they’re married.”
Ochre
snorted with suppressed laughter. “I bet that wasn’t his idea!”
“And
why not?”
Rhapsody asked indignantly, knowing exactly what Ochre was insinuating.
“Well…
He’s a guy… He has… needs,” Ochre said carefully.
“‘Needs’?”
Rhapsody repeated, amused.
“Yeah!”
Ochre responded vehemently. “Men have certain physical… requirements, that we
would much rather fulfil with a woman than…” He looked embarrassed, noticing the
amused expressions on the faces of Rhapsody and Aquamarine. “I can’t believe we’re having this
conversation. I’m right, aren’t I?”
“As it
happens, yes,” Rhapsody informed him succinctly. “
“Yeah,
yeah,” Ochre said dismissively. “Explains why he’s looking forward to the
wedding so much, though.”
“You
are a complete philistine, Richard Fraser,” Rhapsody snapped. “You just can’t
accept that there are more things to life than sex.”
“Now
you’re being unfair, Rhapsody,” Ochre said defensively. “I just don’t like the
fact that some people make out that it’s a crime to play the field a bit before
making a choice.”
Ah, but
she doesn’t, does she?” Rhapsody responded. “Has
Rhapsody seized upon Ochre’s hesitation. “You see? She respects that other
people choose to, let’s just say, conform to modern society. It’s just not the
right choice for her.”
“Maybe,” Ochre said eventually, more to shut Rhapsody up than anything else.
“But I still think that we’re going to see an interesting side of Green over the
next few months.”
Rhapsody sighed. She wasn’t sure why she had bothered; Ochre just wasn’t the
sensitive type. “Just don’t wind him up about it, Ochre,” she said, turning back
to her book.
Lieutenant Green smiled to himself as he left the Control Room. He wanted to go straight to his fiancée,
but decided to see if he could get hold of Colonel White first. Guessing that he would probably be on
the Promenade Deck, he headed there.
Colonel
White had been tending to his plants.
He had many varieties on the deck, as he enjoyed gardening as a means of
unwinding. Now, he was sitting
beside his most prized plant, sipping at a cup of tea.
His
aide entered and stood before him.
“Hello,
Lieutenant, what brings you here?”
Green
cleared his throat, awkwardly.
“Well, sir, I wanted to talk to you while we were both off duty…”
“Oh?”
The older man set his tea down and waited for his junior officer to continue.
Clearing his throat again, he tried to work out how to start.
Smiling, the Colonel offered some assistance.
“Why don’t you sit down?”
“Thank
you, Sir,” Green replied, taking a seat beside him.
“Now,
what’s all this about? It’s unlike you to be at a loss for words, or looking so
flustered, for that matter.”
The
Lieutenant scratched the back of his neck, again displaying his nerves. “It’s about
“Is she
all right?” White inquired, frowning.
“Oh
yes, sir – she’s perfectly all right.
It’s just that… well… we have a date in mind for the wedding, Colonel,
and I wanted to run it past you, before making any plans.”
Colonel
White sat up a little straighter.
“I see. Well, this is good
news, I’m sure.”
His
aide nodded. “I hope so, Colonel.”
“Well?
What’s the problem, man?”
The
Lieutenant fidgeted uncomfortably.
“We were thinking about the 20th of December, Colonel.”
“Do you
realise how close to Christmas that is, Lieutenant?”
Green
nodded, smiling politely. “Yes,
Sir, but I am also aware that neither
White
smiled back at him thoughtfully.
“You do have a point. Were
you planning on a honeymoon of some kind?”
“I was
hoping to have one over the Christmas, but I still have to talk to
“Going
anywhere in particular?”
The
Lieutenant grinned at him. “Well,
“I
doubt you get much snow in
“That’s
true enough, sir, but we celebrate Christmas
differently. Maybe next time I can
take her home…”
White
frowned. “Well, why don’t you do
that for your honeymoon? I wouldn’t have thought you’d like a week of snow!”
“Oh, I
don’t know, sir,” he chuckled, eyes sparkling. “After all, we won’t get much time alone
if I take her back to my home.
Besides, a place seems all the nicer when it’s snowing outside… uh… when
I say that, I mean…”
The
Colonel laughed. “Don’t worry,
Lieutenant. I’m not exactly too old
to understand your feelings, you know.”
Green
smiled at him. “Actually, sir, I
have one last thing to ask…”
“What
more could you want, Lieutenant? I’ve just agreed to grant you your wishes for
the wedding and honeymoon…”
“Would
you do me a great honour, Colonel?” he asked, quietly. “I’d like you to be my best man.”
For a
moment, the older man was silent.
“The honour would me mine, son,” he said at last, with a small smile.
Captain
Aquamarine waited patiently for her partner to speak.
“What
is it, hun? Are you okay?”
“That’s
a nasty cough you’ve got there.”
“Hmm?” The
Lieutenant blinked. “Oh. Sorry.”
Aquamarine frowned. “Are you sure
you’re okay?”
“Yeah,”
she smiled back at her partner, sheepishly. She wasn’t sure why she was struggling
so much – she knew exactly what she wanted to say, but somehow couldn’t work out
how to say it.
Why am I so nervous? Kelly’s one of the best
friends I have! Clearing her throat again, she began. “Kez… I’d like
to ask… a… a favour, I s’pose…”
“Anything, honey.
You just name it.”
“Kelly,
I want you to think this over very carefully.”
The
Captain grinned at her. “I think I
might just be able to manage that…”
“Would
you be my maid of honour? I’ve thought about it very carefully, and there’s
no-one I’d rather ask.”
Aquamarine stared at her, not knowing quite how to react for a moment. “Well… I…” She grinned. “I’d be… honoured!”
“Careful! I need to still be breathing by the time the wedding day arrives!”
Releasing her partner quickly, the Lieutenant reddened violently. “Sorry!”
“Now…”
The Captain became serious again.
“What do I have to wear? Not my dress uniform, I hope…”
“No!
That’s the bridesmaids!”
Aquamarine pulled a face.
Carefully, the Lieutenant dragged a large carrier bag closer to her and began to
rummage.
“What
are you looking for?”
“Fabric,” she replied, without looking up.
“No, that’s mine… no…”
Aquamarine moved to her side and waited, watching with curiosity.
“Aha!”
Her partner pulled out some shiny, light green/blue fabric. “I know it’s a little bit light to be
aquamarine, but I thought it would look good on you. I’ve got some aquamarine fabric, too,
and I’ve come up with a design for your outfit… well, two, actually.
Didn’t know whether you’d prefer a dress or a suit.”
“You
designed these?” The Captain took the designs carefully. “Oh honey! They’re beautiful!”
“I can
use my automatic sewing machine to run them up – that’s how I’m doing my wedding
dress. All you need do is pick
one.”
“And
the bridesmaids?”
“No, I
don’t think I should stitch up the bridesmaids. That’s not very nice.”
The
Captain laughed. “You know what I
mean!”
“Yeah,
I know,” she grinned. “So, what’ll
it be?”
“I’d
prefer the dress,
“Right
then,”
She set
everything up and curled up on the sofa, shivering as she supervised her sewing
machine.
Mustn’t fall asleep…Don’t
like to leave the computer running without me…
The Lieutenant sat up quickly. At first, she thought it was an alarm of some kind that had woken her, but then she realised the situation was much, much worse. She flew to her computer to find that the sewing machine had jammed. On the screen of the computer, a message flashed.
Lights
blinked and the sewing machine began to make a terrible noise.
“Don’t you dare!” the Lieutenant yelled at the machine, trying to think of something that she might be able to try to save the dress.
Silence
greeted her.
Her
mind raced. She had no idea what to
do to rescue her dress, and the thought of it going down the pan was too much to
bear. “Pete! I need help!”
There
was a groan at the other end. “Yes,
you do. Did you really have to wake
me at 3am?”
“I’m
sorry, Pete, but it’s an emergency! My computer crashed while it was making my
dress, and…”
“I’ll
take a look in the morning – and by that, I mean when I get up, not in half an
hour,” her brother snapped in reply.
“Until then, I suggest you get some sleep!”
“What? I can’t sleep while I’m worrying
about this, can I? It’s important!” She frowned,
realising that she could hear nothing. “Pete! OI! Pete…” Tears welled up in her
eyes, as she realised that he’d cut the link and gone back to bed. She’d been abandoned.
Now what can I do? I need someone who knows
about these things, but I can’t call
Tourmaline had said it was 3am, so why did her clock say it was 9? She rubbed
her eyes and looked again.
Blimey! So when I thought it was eleven, it
must’ve been one – I was reading the clock mirror image! No wonder I was so
tired! She yawned, and thought carefully.
Well, I’ve been waking Kez and Sue rather a lot; lately… don’t want to disturb them
again.
“Charity…” she called softly into the comm., as she opened another link. “I know it’s the middle of the night,
but I’m in trouble…”
“Hi,
Charity
stared at the comm. in surprise.
The
Lieutenant fought to bring her emotions back under control. “I c-can’t ask you… to do that…”
“You
didn’t. Hang on, and I’ll be with
you as soon as I can.”
“Oh,
“I
f-fell asleep…” She turned to her friend with trembling eyes.
“Well,
I should think you did, at three in the morning! Don’t you ever sleep?”
“Says
you,” the Angel returned. She
sighed and unplugged the sewing machine before restarting the computer. “Now, let’s see if we can rescue this
dress…”
The
Lieutenant watched in tearful silence as Charity carefully freed her wedding
dress.
“Let me
see the plan,
“No,
but you need sleep. Go to bed, or I
won’t mend the dress.”
“Not
tired…” she replied, stifling a yawn.
“No,
you’re shattered. Go on,
Without
another word, the Lieutenant curled up on her bed.
“Under
the covers, please – and turn the light off,” Charity ordered.
Frowning, the Angel pilot stood and went to her, touching her forehead. “Yes, you are!
“Nothing!”
“Well,
I’ll have to get Nurse Thistle.
Wrap up and stay quiet.”
The
Lieutenant tried to get up. “I’m
okay. Just
tired.”
“You
said you weren’t tired, earlier! What am I going to do with you?” she sighed,
and sat beside her. “All right, I
won’t call Sickbay. I’ll stay here
with you and work on the dress, for now.” She looked at her sternly. “But if you seem to get any worse, I
WILL call Gem.”
“I’m
jus’ tired, I expect…”
“Well,
you don’t want to make yourself ill so close to your wedding! You need to be fit
and well.”
Charity
stroked her hot forehead, gently.
“Sleep,
She
smiled up at her friend. “Where’d I
be without you?”
“Sickbay, by the look of you!
Have you been sleeping at all?”
“Been
too busy…” she yawned loudly and blinked rapidly in an effort to keep her eyes
focussed.
The
Angel shook her head. “Next time,
call for help. That’s what friends
are for! I know you wouldn’t hesitate to help one of us…”
“Sssss… I… G…”
Charity
smiled and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
“Good night, sweetie.”
Captain
Aquamarine smiled at her. “It’ll be
fine,
She
nodded, and smiled at each of them in turn.
Come on,
Quietly, Captain Tourmaline came to stand
beside her. “Never thought I’D be asked to give you
away,” he joked.
She
stared up at him. “How do I look?”
“A
picture – I’m proud of you.” He nodded, a small smile playing on his lips.
“You
can relax a little bit, Pete,” she whispered. “If I wanted Captain Scarlet, I’d have
asked him.”
The
Captain took her arm as the music began.
“For now, I just want to make an effort for you – it’s your big day,
after all.”
They
walked down the aisle in quiet succession.
Captain Tourmaline led his sister to the alter,
where Lieutenant Green was already waiting with Colonel White.
“Seymour Griffiths,” Father Ivory intoned in a formal manner. “Do you take Elizabeth Murray-Stone as
your lawfully wedded wife, and do you swear to love honour and care for her in
sickness and in health?”
“I do,”
Green replied, with a slight nod of his head.
“Elizabeth Murray-Stone,” he continued, turning to
“I do,”
she answered quietly, turning to smile up at her husband.
“Then
in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I declare you husband and wife.
You may kiss the bride.”
Lieutenant Green gathered her into his arms and kissed her passionately.
“Woo!”
Captain Ochre grinned.
Captain
Cerise nudged him sharply and turned to Aquamarine, rolling her eyes. “I can’t take him anywhere!”
Ochre
turned to her. “Sweet,
ain’t it? She seems quite happy about becoming his ‘awful’
married wife!”
The
Captain opened it. Inside was a
small, golden acorn pendant. “Oh,
“You’ve
been such a great support; I had to get you something.”
“No,
you didn’t.” Aquamarine hugged her close.
“Why an acorn, though?”
“Oh,
honey!” She hugged her partner close.
“You’ve helped me, too.”
Rhapsody and Symphony turned.
“
Rhapsody opened her gift with care.
Inside the box was a gold heart, with an angel in its centre, studded with
diamonds. “Oh,
“You’ve
both been great. Thanks.” She
hugged them both close. “I don’t
know whether I’ll get chance to see you again before I go, so I HAD to make sure
I saw you now.”
“You’re
sweet,” Symphony smiled at her.
“Make sure you have a good Christmas. Where are you going?”
“It’s a
surprise,”
“Have a
lovely time.” Rhapsody put an arm round her.
“It’s a
pity you have to miss the celebration, but I’ll make sure that some of the cake
is sent to the
“Thanks.”
Though
Lieutenants Green and
Charity
Angel entered the Conference Room and made a beeline for the bride. “I see the dress held up okay. That’s good!”
“Better
than me,”
Charity
smiled and hugged her. “You really
had me worried, that night. I
thought you’d made yourself ill – you were pale, you were exhausted…”
“I
know,” she sighed. “Please, don’t
tell
“My
lips are sealed,” the Angel replied.
“
The
Lieutenant hugged her close. “If it
weren’t for you, there wouldn’t have been a wedding – I wouldn’t have a dress,
for a start! Even if I had been able to sort it all out, I’d have been too tired
to make the vows, anyway, and probably would’ve celebrated Christmas in the
Sickbay!”
Charity
smiled at her. “You push yourself
too hard. You’re married, now –
learn to share the bad stuff, as well as the good. Turn to us when you need us… and I don’t
mean when things are so far out of hand you don’t know what to do, either!”
Lieutenant Green went to his wife, seeing that she was becoming weary. “D’you
need a nap, before we get going?”
“I’ll
sleep on the plane,” she replied, smiling.
“I just want to see everyone, before we get going.”
“Who’s
flying us down?”
“No, I
think I’d prefer to give you my undivided attention. You look so tired…”
She
smiled at him and stifled a yawn.
“I am a bit. But it’s a good
tired.”
He
chuckled and hugged her close.
“Okay,
Nurse
Thistle turned to him.
“A lift?”
“To our
honeymoon retreat,” Green explained.
“You’re
off, then?” Charity asked.
He
nodded. “Hopefully.”
Thistle
gave them each a big hug.
“Congratulations, both of you.
Have a merry Christmas!”
“You
too,”
“I’ll
fly you down there,” Charity offered.
“Get your stuff, and call me when you’re ready – I’ll meet you in the
hangar.”
Mrs.
Elizabeth Griffiths smiled as she stared out of the window at the snow. “Oh,
Her
husband grinned and hugged her close.
“I knew you’d like it here.”
“Well,
I’ve always wanted a white Christmas…
Lieutenant Green chuckled and put an arm round her.
“Well, we may not be in
Without
saying a word, he lifted her into his arms and kissed her.
His
wife returned the kiss, relaxing in his arms as she let her eyes take in the
room: cheerful open fire, scented candles glowing to add to the cosy atmosphere,
garlands of holly, ivy and mistletoe…
Green
cuddled her close to him, and carried her to the large armchair by the fire.
“You sure you’re warm enough?”
“I’m
fine,
“Yeah,
well…” He smiled, settling down with her on his lap. “I know how sensitive you are, and I
don’t want you getting sick.”
“I
don’t think you’re going to give me the chance – you’re taking very good care of
me.”
“That’s
my job,” he chuckled. “You
should’ve heard the threat Pete gave me.
You may not be related officially, but he’s definitely your brother!”
Gently,
her husband rocked her while singing softly.
“Goodnight, pretty one,
I’ll
come for you in de morning
In de
morning…”
The
following morning dawned cold and bright.
Without a moment of hesitation,
“You
know,”
“When
you’re with me, it’s fun. I think anything could be fun and
exciting, if you’re beside me!”
“Tobogganing?”
Green
laughed. “How about we decide over
a hot cocoa?”
Smiling, she hugged him and allowed him to lead her back inside. “Anything you say – you’re the sensible
one!”
The two
sat together on a large sofa, sipping at the hot chocolate that
“I
never knew snow could be such fun,” Green remarked suddenly. “I’ve only been out in it during
missions, and then it’s just a nuisance.”
“That’s
why I couldn’t understand why you chose to come here for a honeymoon,
He
shrugged, smiling. “I knew you’d
like it – especially at Christmas.”
His
wife set her mug down quickly to give vent to a sneeze.
“
“
“Okay,
but maybe we should stay in for now.
Just to be sure.”
“Like
you said, I’m the sensible one. I
want you to have a good Christmas, and you can’t do that if you’re not feeling
too good.”
Smiling, she continued to drink her chocolate.
“Fair enough,
Green
grinned and grabbed his own drink, before moving even closer to her. “I love you.”
“And I
love you,” she put her mug aside, sneezing again.
“You
know, I really need to get you warmed up.
D’you want to go to bed for a while?”
“Bed? We
haven’t been up that long!”
Green
finished his drink and cuddled her close, kissing with a passion as he rubbed
her back and arms.
She
sighed and relaxed in his embrace, kissing back.
Carefully, he lifted her up and carried her back to their bed. “Let’s get you warmed up…”
“Happy
birthday,
Green
was smiling happily at her. “Happy
birthday,” he repeated.
“Thank
you! Thank you so much!” She looked around again.
“I’d
eat your breakfast, before you even think about anything else,” he suggested
with a chuckle.
After
breakfast, the married couple opened the cards and gifts together, chatting
happily.
“Hey,
look
Carefully, he helped her to lift out a beautiful white gold angel pendant,
noticing a slip of card as he did so.
“It’s from Pete,” he told her, handing over the card with a smile.
“To my sister, with love.
Pete,” she
sniffed, and looked up at her husband tearfully.
Green
hugged her close to his heart. “He
does love you, you know. He’s proud
of you, too.”
She
nodded, and rubbed a hand across her eyes.
“I’m lucky to have him.
Almost as lucky as I am to have you.”
Kissing
her gently, he smiled. “Hey, take
it easy.”
“Hey,
you’ve been through a lot. It’s
okay, nothing to worry over,” He kissed her again. “From now on, we’ll go through
everything as a couple – maybe the load’ll feel
lighter, if we share everything.”
She
cuddled into him. “I love you.”
“Love
you too,” he smiled, resting her head against his cheek.
Smiling, she straightened up to select a long parcel and leaned back against
him, struggling to open it.
Green
helped her quietly. “What’s this?”
“A new
tripod!” She
rested it on her lap, removing the packaging with difficulty.
“I
remember you saying that your old one was a little worn. Who’s this one from?”
“Gem,”
Green
looked the tripod over with interest.
“This one looks built to last…”
“Yep!
It’ll probably outlive me!”
He
looked at her sharply. “It will if
you don’t eat, and keep allowing yourself to get too cold,
“
“I
don’t want to take you back to Cloudbase sick. What’ll Colonel White say?”
“He’ll
say… ‘I can see
“No,
he’ll say: ‘Can’t trust you off this base for a second, can I?’ And you know
what,
“That’s
the kind of excuse I’d expect from a six year old…”
Embarrassed, she turned away.
“Well…”
Green relented and hugged her close.
“I know I must sound like a party pooper, but I care,
Her
husband laughed merrily. “You’re
crazy!”
“It’s
part of being a
He
chuckled. “Wanna try out that tripod?”
“Could
do,” she smiled back at him.
“Can try out some night-shots, tonight! I bet that’d look
good, if I set it up right…”
“Not
yet, then?” He
smiled and cuddled her into him.
“Your hands are like ice,” he whispered. “D’you
feel okay?”
“Yeah,”
she sighed, as he began to rub her back and shoulders. “I am as long as you’re here.”
“That’s
not what I meant,
He took
her hands and kissed them, trying to warm them. “I can’t help it. You mean more to me than anything.”
She
smiled and kissed him playfully. “I
love you, too. So… so much.”
“Come
on, come on,” Scarlet urged, glaring at Captain Blue. “I know it’s
Christmas, but
Charity
Angel flicked some paint at him, cheekily.
“Perhaps if you did less yelling and more working, things might move a
bit quicker!”
Scarlet
turned to her angrily. “I’m just
saying that things aren’t moving fast enough.”
“No, we
know you’re not,” she returned.
“Guys,
c’mon,” Blue sighed, tiredly.
“Charity, how’s the painting going?”
The
Angel smiled at him.
“Nearly done, Captain.”
“That’s
great. Just be careful with the
walls, okay?”
Scarlet
rubbed his temples and tried to calm down.
“Right… what do we have to do next?”
“We’ll
have to let the paint dry, or it’ll all be ruined, Paul. I vote we have lunch, once we’re done.”
He
groaned loudly. “But this is taking
ages…”
“We’re
nearly done,” Charity pointed out.
“Once the paint’s dry, all we have to do is get the furniture in.”
“What
about their belongings?”
“I’ve
assigned Charity to help Aquamarine and Cerise sort through all
Scarlet
nodded. “Pete’s gone to find them a
Christmas tree and a few odds and ends… I wonder how he’s getting on.”
“As
long as he doesn’t go crazy – we’ll have to store all that stuff until we’re
ready for it!”
Charity
laughed. “You should’ve thought of
that before you gave him the job!”
Scarlet
turned to her, raising an eyebrow.
The
Angel smiled at him sweetly and continued her work.
“She’s
got a point, Paul,” Blue pointed out.
“I just
want this ready by the 27th. It’s the 24th, now!
Tomorrow’s Christmas, so everyone’s going to be too busy enjoying themselves –
that leaves one day!”
“Have I
come at a bad time?” Captain Aquamarine asked, poking her head round the door.
“Kelly!
My life saver,” Scarlet smiled at her warmly. “What can I do for you?”
The
Captain held up a beautifully made lampshade. “Is there anything else you need?”
“That’s
wonderful!” Charity told her, with enthusiasm.
Scarlet
nodded. “Great work. Have we got everything, now?”
“
“I
know,” Charity piped up. “I
mentioned it to Nurse Thistle – she said to put it to bed with a hot water
bottle.”
Blue
laughed. “What d’you
think, Kelly?”
“Oh, it
just needs to be cleaned up a bit, maybe a new shade to match this one…” she
held up the one she’d made for the ceiling. “Want to help with that, when you’re
done here, Charity?”
“Sounds
good!” she beamed.
Scarlet
turned to her severely. “Just bear
in mind that you’re on light duties due to exhaustion. Take it sensibly.”
“I’m
all right. All I did was
miss a couple of nights of sleep…”
He
rolled his eyes and turned to Aquamarine.
“Keep an eye on her, would you?”
She
nodded, smiling. “Don’t worry,
Captain.”
“Here,
She
nibbled it and smiled. “
“Why
not? I
don’t think it’d matter if you put on a couple of pounds!”
Green
popped a sausage into her mouth, playfully. “I do, but I wouldn’t mind you
putting on some extra weight. You do need a little building up.”
She
smiled, eating quietly. “I’ll see
what I can do.”
After
the meal, they sat together in a little sitting area, cuddled together with a
mulled wine each. Green hugged his
wife close, stroking her hair. “How
are you feeling?”
“Like a
Christmas turkey – stuffed!”
He
kissed her, stroking her stomach gently.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah…
Just really drowsy…” She yawned and fidgeted slightly, trying not to fall
asleep.
He
smiled. “Finish your drink, and
we’ll head back. Can’t really fall
asleep in here – they’ll think you’re drunk or something!”
Her
husband watched with amusement as she tried to keep herself from falling over.
Quickly, he put an arm round her, steadying her.
“Okay… you are tired, aren’t you? Don’t worry, I won’t let you fall.”
She
allowed him to guide her to the door, shivering as it opened and let in a whirl
of wind and snow.
“Boy,
that’s some storm…” Green looked down at her, doubtfully. How could he possibly drag her through a
blizzard like that?
“I’ll
be all right once we start walking,” she assured him with determination,
guessing what he was thinking.
“You
sure?”
“Yes,”
she smiled up at him and nodded.
“We can’t stay here, can we?”
“If
you’re sure,
The
weather was worse than
“You
okay?” he yelled in her ear.
“When
we get back,” she replied.
Green
found himself half carrying and half dragging his wife. She was desperately tired and it was
becoming difficult for her to breathe the cold air. “We’re nearly there,” he coaxed. “Come on,
She
nodded, concentrating on walking for all she was worth.
Can’t keep this up much longer, she
thought.
It’s just too cold and I’m so
tired…
Their
chalet loomed out of the snow.
“Made
it,
His
wife didn’t answer. She ran
straight into the bathroom, locking the door behind
her.
He
sighed and hung up his coat, moving his boots to one side as he did so. That done, he went and
knocked on the bathroom door.
“
She
emerged a moment later, pulling a towel round herself and shivering violently.
“’Kay, Seymour…” she sniffed.
“Sorry. I should’ve listened to you… we
should’ve waited at the lodge.”
He
hugged her close. “It’s okay,
“It was
lovely,” she nodded. “Now, I just
need to sleep it off…”
“Don’t
go to sleep,
“They’re coming!” Captain Cerise hissed, shoving Aquamarine through the door of
the quarters they’d been decorating.
“Quick – everyone hide in the bathroom!”
Charity
lit the last candle in the centre of the small folding table. “They would be early!”
“Some
people have no consideration,” Cerise agreed, gesturing for her to join them.
Captain
Scarlet leant against the shower.
“Did we finish everything?”
“There
were still a couple of boxes to sort through,” Aquamarine told him. “But I’m sure
“Ssshh!”
Blue hissed. “They’re coming in.”
Nurse
Thistle opened the door for them.
“I hope it’s all to your liking,” she said, quietly.
Nurse
Thistle opened the bathroom door wide.
“There’s quite a team of decorators in here,” she remarked, with a grin.
“I just
supervised and helped with the heavy labour,” Scarlet informed them, modestly.
“Everyone chipped in. Aquamarine
made the lampshades and throws.
Charity helped to hang the wallpaper and painted … she also helped to paint me…”
“Rhapsody and Symphony helped with the decorations,” Charity said. “And Sue kept Pete under control, when
he bought them!”
Green
laughed. “Sounds like you made a
great team!”
Cerise
blushed slightly. “I also helped
Diane to annoy Paul, Adam and Pete, I’m afraid. It was our job to tell them where to put
everything.”
“Oh no! Two
supervisors doing one job – it must’ve been awful!”
“It was
when they started arguing!” Scarlet groaned, loudly. “Honestly – women!”
“Careful, Captain,” Thistle warned.
“You happen to be outnumbered.”
“Yeah,”
Green agreed. “Thanks – all of you!
It’s just so unexpected…”
“Well,
we sorted through as much as we could,” Charity told them. “I didn’t know where to put your sewing
machine,
“And
there’s a box full of books, ELO memorabilia and a heap of CDs,” Cerise added.
“Which
they wouldn’t allow me to burn,” Scarlet added, winking at Green.
“Good!”
Green returned. “You upset
“
Captain
Tourmaline put an arm round his brother-in-law. “He’s protecting his wife – that’s how
it should be!”
Scarlet
rolled his eyes. “That one doesn’t
need protection… yet.”
Charity
Angel took a seat beside
“
“Yeah…
it’s just been a long week…” She smiled at her and blinked as her eyes swam out
of focus.
“Careful,
“No,
I’m okay. Just need a drink, I
think…”
Charity
cuddled her close. “I’ll get you
one. Just curl up here.”
“
“Think
so,” she mumbled, cuddling up under a throw. “Just suddenly feel so tired…”
“Maybe
we should go,” Scarlet suggested.
“Come on, Adam.”
Nurse
Thistle went with them to the door.
“I’d better stay here, for now.
Just in case.”
Blue
nodded and looked back at
“Not
yet,” Thistle replied. “I’ll call
them, if I feel the need. She might
just be very tired.”
The two
men left quietly and Thistle went to Aquamarine and Cerise, who were standing
back and clearly feeling awkward.
“I
don’t like to leave her, when she’s like this,” Cerise said, quietly.
Aquamarine looked over at the Lieutenant with concern. “What can we do?”
The
Nurse put an arm around them both.
“Go and sit down, for now.
Aquamarine nodded quietly, and went to sit down out of the way with Cerise. “Hope she’s all right…”
Thistle
went back to
“Just
very tired…”
“Well,
I suppose that’s not very surprising.
Especially after all the preparation you did for your wedding…”
Charity
helped her to sit up and drink some water.
“How was the honeymoon?”
“Wonderful!”
She
smiled and put an arm round her.
“Good. Was the weather
okay?”
“Oh! It
was great!” she grinned. “I’d
forgotten just how much I love snow!”
“Calm
down,
“S’pose so…” She yawned loudly and sniffed.
“Have
you caught a cold,
“I feel
okay,” the Lieutenant shrugged.
“Probably just needs sleep.”
“We’ll
leave you to it, then,” Thistle decided.
“Call me if you need me, though.”
“And
me,” Aquamarine added, standing up and going to her. “I’m never far away.”
Cerise
took her hand, gently. “Look after
yourself, sweetie. I worry about
you.”
Green
smiled and hugged her gently.
“There’s no such thing as worrying too much. You’re very special.”
The
Lieutenant sighed tiredly and smiled up at them. “So’re all of
you.”
Charity
was the last to leave. She helped
Lieutenant Green to make his wife comfortable and turned up the heating for
them.
“Thanks,” Green said in a whisper.
“
“I’d do
anything for either of you – you should know that.”
He
smiled and nodded. “Thanks,
Charity, it’s appreciated.”
Charity
hugged him gently and touched
As the
weeks passed, Lieutenant Green rarely left his wife’s side. She seemed to be constantly tired and
rather fragile. It worried him a
great deal. They began to try to go
to bed as early as possible and he did all he could to help her rest.
He
cuddled her close to him one night and kissed her. “
“
“You
shouldn’t be this tired. I want to
know that you’re okay – there could be something wrong.”
She
sighed and pulled away, trying to get up.
“I’m
sorry.” He hugged her close and gave her a kiss. “I didn’t mean to upset you. It’s just starting to scare me,
that’s all…”
She
pulled away again, becoming more insistent. “
He
stared at her. “What’s the matter?”
“I have
to use the loo! Please,
Green
released her, quickly. “I’m sorry,
His
wife didn’t reply. She ran off as
quickly as she was able.
He
sighed and decided to get up and wait for her at the door, thinking that perhaps
she’d run off to be sick. “You okay
in there?”
He put
an arm round her and led her back to bed. “Did you throw up?”
“No,
Seymour. I just had to… uh… No, I
wasn’t sick. Don’t worry.” She
reddened violently.
“You’d
tell me if anything was wrong, wouldn’t you?”
“I’m
fine, as far as I can tell. I
probably just had too much to drink, or something.” She cuddled up against him.
“Okay,”
he smiled and kissed her. “Sleep
well,
“You
too.” She
yawned loudly and relaxed in his arms, settling down.
After a
sleepless night, Lieutenant Green dragged his wife down to the Sickbay. “This is for your own good,
“I
know,
He
shook his head. “You don’t usually
have to use the bathroom every five minutes…”
“I
expect I’m going down with a virus. It affects… things like that, sometimes.”
“Then
you’re sick,
She
nodded. “But I can fight a cold on
me own…”
“Not if
it’s wearing you out, you can’t. You’re not getting out of this,
She
nodded quietly and allowed him to drag her into Sickbay.
After
several questions and a number of tests, Doctor Fawn sat the couple down. “It’s nothing to worry about,” he began,
carefully.
“Actually, it should be good news,” he continued.
“Good
news?” Green repeated. “What makes
you say that?”
Fawn
leaned back in his chair, smiling at them.
“Let me be the first to say it; congratulations – you’re pregnant,
Green
smiled at her, happily. “Oh,
She
continued to stare for a moment.
Then she fainted.
“
“Fainting and dizzy spells are common,” Fawn explained. “Put her in the recovery position –
she’ll be all right.”
“Nausea, sickness and exhaustion are also common symptoms, in the early stages,”
the Doctor continued. “You’ll both
have to take special care.
The
Lieutenant would normally have been annoyed by this, but instead she smiled and
hugged Green close. “This is the
best Christmas present I could have asked for… even if I will have to wait for
it…”
“Same
here!” He
lifted her into his arms and kissed her.
She
smiled and cuddled against him. All
of a sudden, nothing mattered to her.
She had her future spread out before her, and she knew it wouldn’t be as
daunting or lonely as it had seemed when she had first joined Spectrum. Life was good!
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