“Babe, are you okay?” Love and concern were reflected in Jessie’s eyes as she glanced anxiously at Lachlan, biting her lip uncertainly as the airplane hit a patch of turbulence. The pilot had announced that they would be approaching Burlington in approximately fifteen minutes and she had noticed that his hands were clenched as if in pain.

“It’s manageable.”

He was trying his best not to snap at her as she had asked the very same question throughout the whole flight in what seemed like twenty minute intervals. Problem was, the Oxycontin had started to wear off over an hour ago, only he was tired of the fuzzy floating sensation that it created; it made him feel as if he was somehow disconnected from his body and watching himself from three feet overhead.

“I’m sorry. I know I’m behaving like an annoying mother hen.” It was time for another dose of pain killers, but she knew how much Lachlan hated the feeling of being drugged, even if it did dull the pain. He reached over and grabbed her hand, giving it an affectionate squeeze in answer.

He didn’t know what he would have done without her. He knew she had her doubts about all that had happened, but she had taken a leap of blind faith and met the crisis head on. The telephone conversation with Thorne, dealing with his C.O., the airline reservations secured within a few hour’s notice (first class had definite advantages over flying coach, especially when one’s leg was bound up in a bulky brace, not to mention the wider aisles that were wheelchair friendly), the rental of a mini-van with enough room for him to stretch out in the passenger seat … and then of course she had put her life on hold, taking time off from work to look after him.

“I’m glad you’re here with me.” He meant it with all his heart. “How’s Kahlua holding out?”

Kahlua was Jessie’s aging and cantankerous tom cat who was sleeping in his carrier directly beneath her seat. She had considered setting him up with a local pet boarder, but had decided at the last minute to bring him along. Pet tranquilizers had kept him calm and asleep for much of their trip and Lachlan couldn’t help but feel a bit of sympathy for the crotchety feline. Truth was, Lachlan had been the only human male that the cat had ever warmed to, and the two had developed a rather amusing camaraderie over the past several weeks.

Jessie leaned forward in her seat and took a peek through the mesh top of the carrier. The imposing Siamese opened one eye and flicked his tail as if to say, don’t think for one minute that I’m going to forgive you for this indignity...

“I think he’s gonna be mad as hell with me once we get to the Inn. You’ll have to sweet talk him into complacency.”

Lachlan gave a soft chuckle. “I remembered to bring his catnip toys.” It was oddly comforting to discuss normal things such as angry cats when they were both facing something so extraordinarily frightening and he fought to hang on to the moment. “I think he’ll like staying at the Inn. The downstairs suites have these wonderful bay windows and he’ll enjoy doing nothing but basking in the sun.”

The moment was short lived. Pressing against the back of his mind was the very real fear of not knowing what the future would hold. His military career was most likely over; his knee would need more surgery and it was probable that his kneecap would need to be replaced. He’d also been suffering from a constant ringing in his ears, which his doctor had explained was known as subjective tinnitus.  Only time would tell if it would go away on its own or require medication or perhaps even surgery to lessen its severity. If that ended up being the case, he knew that his days of flying were at an end.   

It had always been his nature to try and view a situation philosophically. He had become a master at adapting to new surroundings and situations, but his patience had reached an end. His military career was the least of his worries when faced with the reality that he and his brothers were all facing. And what about Jessie? She’d been a pillar of strength throughout this ordeal, but how long could she carry it off? How long before she took a good look at what she was getting herself into and decided that it wasn’t worth the heartbreak? She deserved better. It was at that very moment that he gave her a silent promise: if we make it out of this unscathed, I’ll do everything in my power to make sure that every day you know just how much I love and appreciate you.

As if reading his mind, Jessie squeezed his hand and laid her head on his shoulder. She wondered if he was aware just how much she loved him. A few months ago she never could have imagined herself walking away from her life and a good paying job to be with a man she had only known for a few short weeks, but here she was. The decision had actually been a relatively easy one. Despite all the weirdness of Lachlan’s claims that he had come from another plane of existence, her inner logic accepted the idea that perhaps there was more to his explanation than an uncanny resemblance to a temperamental actor’s image on the front cover of a bargain basket DVD.

Among all the other concerns hanging over their heads was the horrible knowledge that a member of this strangely extended family had suffered some horribly unfortunate fate that was directly related to all that Lachlan had been struggling to explain. At first Jessie had considered not informing him of what Terry had told her during their brief telephone conversation, but realized that he would want to know the truth and deal with it head on. To his credit, Lachlan had accepted the news with stoic reserve, not even questioning why Terry refused to inform them who had been taken until they had reached the Inn.

Ladies and gentlemen, we are approaching Burlington International Airport. Please return your seats to their full upright position…

Lachlan’s stomach tightened in anticipation of the jarring jolt his body would take during the landing. Maybe he should have taken a pain killer while he still had time for it to kick in. “I hope this bloke knows how to properly land a plane.”

Jessie reached over and again took his hand in hers. “I’m right here, babe.”

***

Close to an hour later, (although to Lachlan it had seemed much longer) they had loaded their luggage, an angry cat, and a wheelchair into the back of their rented minivan and were on their way. Lachlan finally admitted defeat and took a dose of painkillers and by the time they had pulled onto Interstate 89 he had fallen asleep, much to Jessie’s relief. Between a cranky cat and a pain wracked boyfriend, she had almost been pushed to the edge.

She had a sudden appreciation for what her father must have gone through the summer he decided that their entire family would drive from San Diego to Yellowstone National Park. They had made their trip not in a state of the art minivan but a past her prime 1973 Ford station wagon. She shuddered at the memory, thankful that they’d reach their destination in under two hours.

Lachlan slept for most of the trip, his dreams filled with images of him flying in his beloved F-18. It was evening, and the sky was lit up with stars so bright that it was almost blinding. Then the dream shifted, and he was flying over snow capped mountains. The sight was so beautiful that he wanted to get closer. Smiling as he released the canopy lock, the canopy flew open and the g-force sucked Lachlan from the cockpit.

He awoke with a start, disoriented from the drugs, but then he saw Jessie sitting in the seat beside him, and he remembered.

“Hey, how are you feeling?” Jessie glanced over and smiled. “Thirsty?”

She held out her bottle of water which he gratefully accepted.

 “How long was I asleep?”

Jessie checked her watch. “About 45 minutes. Did the nap help any?”

“Not really.”

“Well, we should be there shortly. I called Terry while you were asleep and he said that there’ll be someone ready to help us unload when we arrive.” She was trying to sound cheerful but the expression on Lachlan’s face told her that he wasn’t in the mood to be cheered. “Babe, everything’s going to be all right. I know it will.”

He knew that she was trying to be positive, and he loved her all the more for putting up with him. “I hope you’re right, Jess. But I have a feeling it’s gonna get worse before it gets better.”

He prayed that he’d be proven wrong.