Chapter 165: Flight
*Sixth General Order of the Navy – To receive, obey and pass on to the sentry who relieves me, all orders from the Commanding Officer, Command Duty Officer, Officer of the Deck and Officers and Petty Officers of the Watch only.*
Dean sat in the window seat of the private plane watching the land below them grow further and further away. She smiled as she thought about when she and her mom flew to Washington D.C. Her mom had pointed at the baggage handlers.
“Those guys are the most important members of the crew.”
“Why?” Dean had asked, expecting some philosophical explanation since her mom was notorious for making sure that her daughter knew that fancy titles did not mean that the person was more important than anyone else.
“They make sure the pilot has clean underwear.”
Laughter bubbled up, even now as grief washed over her. Reaching down, she gently touched her bracelet flipping open the heart. Her mom smiled at her from the small picture. Swiping at her tears, she let the rest of the memory play out in her head.
“Mom!” Dean had hissed. She was pretty sure that she had blushed but was not certain.
“What? You want someone in dirty underwear flying the plane?” Mary pressed. “Personally, I want the landing strip on the ground and not on cotton.”
“MOM!”
Mary had simply grinned at her daughter as the people around her turned to look. Dean was certain that she had blushed at that.
“What?” Mary had asked innocently. That mischievous grin on her face and her eyes twinkling.
There were a lot of things that she missed about her mom. Her sense of humor was at the top of the list. Very close to it was her sense of duty. On the same flight, a flight attendant approached and spoke to Mary quietly.
Since she had received her doctorate, whenever she flew, Mary always stopped an attendant on the way onto the plane. Anyone that did not know her would assume that she was bragging. In fact, she was doing what she thought a good doctor would do.
There were a few times that it became evident that she had made the right decision. This flight had been one of them.
After telling her daughter to stay in her seat, she followed the attendant up to first class. A few minutes later, the attendant returned and asked Dean to go with her.
“Your mother stated that she needed you to bring her the bag. She said that you would understand.”
Nodding, the young teen stood up and grabbed the carry on from the overhead bin. Then she followed the other woman up through the curtain. Her mother was kneeling on the floor of the plane with a woman on her back with her legs spread wide.
“Hey,” Mary said calming the woman with a gentle smile. “I had that one, you can have this one.”
“It’s too soon.” The woman sobbed.
“No, sweetie, it’s not. I’m surprised that they let you fly.”
“I didn’t have a choice.” She cried. “I’m going to get my husband’s body.”
“He’s being buried in Arlington.” The woman’s mother explained.
“I’m sorry.” Mary murmured just before turning her attention to her daughter. “I need you to get on some gloves and find me a mylar blanket.”
Dean nodded as she did what her mother instructed. The captain stepped out of the cockpit and walked over to the group.
“We have priority for landing and there will be an ambulance on the tarmac for us.” He told the group at large. After Mary gave him an update on what all was going on, he went back into the cockpit. Several minutes later, his strong, calm voice came over the intercom system.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking, we will be landing ahead of schedule today. However, due to a medical emergency, there will be a slight delay in disembarking. I am turning on the seatbelt light and stopping all drink service. We will be landing in fifteen minutes.”
The first-class area was silent except for Mary’s quiet voice telling her patient to push and the woman’s soft sobs and panting breaths. It was shattered by the sudden cry of a newborn that carried through the entire plane.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain, asking that you welcome our newest passenger.”
The entire plane erupted in cheers and applause. Mary handed the newborn to her daughter and Dean wrapped the little boy up in a silver mylar blanket.
“You did it, momma.” Mary smiled at the woman who had tears streaming down her face.
“Thank you.” The new mother whispered as Dean handed her the newborn.
Dean watched as her mother placed small plastic clips on the umbilical cord. When they landed and the paramedics rushed on board, Mary had been calm in telling them everything. It had all been clinical to her at that point and nothing more.
When they began to disembark, Mary had asked that they be some of the last ones to leave. Reluctantly, the crew agreed, and mother and daughter walked out just ahead of the crew.
“Why didn’t you want to go out with your patient?” Dean had asked once they had settled in at the hotel.
“It wasn’t about me or you. And the focus needed to be on the mother and her baby.”
Reese sat down in the seat next to her and pulled Dean out of her thoughts. “What are you thinking about?”
“When me and mom flew to DC, and she delivered that baby.” Came the soft answer.
“Yeah?” he asked pulling her to his side and wrapping a comforting arm around her.
Nodding, Dean curled into him and rested her head on his chest.
“You know that missing her is a natural thing.” Resting his chin on her head, Reese gently held her to him.
“I know.” she admitted. “What if he doesn’t love me anymore?” The soft question was almost unheard in the cabin filled with whatever movie was currently playing.
“You really think that he met some guy in the last few months that made him switch teams?”
“No, but he’s… it’s just…” she huffed out a deep breath. “I feel like such a child when I think about us now.”
“You are, but he’s only two years older than you. You’ve been through a lot, and I don’t think of you as a child anymore. And I know that he doesn’t.”
“Are you sure?”
“Little princess,” her uncle assured her, “you don’t buy a promise ring for a child. And you certainly don’t *make* one for a child.”
“He really did make it?” Dean sat up and looked at Reese, hope evident on her face.
“He did.” Reese smiled at his niece. “He literally put his blood sweat and tears into it.”
“And Sy probably put donut glaze in it.” She smiled as she looked down at her ring and her other hand moved to her necklace.
He couldn’t help but laugh. “He’s the only person I know that I can bribe with a dozen glazed donuts.”
“Mom always like Sy.”
“Your mom liked a lot of things about Sy.”
Her jaw dropped open. “Mom and Sy?”
“Oh, she wished.” Rolling his eyes he gave a light chuckle. “She was missing the equipment that he liked. But they had lots of fun at the cabaret together.”
“Really? Sy?”
“I’ll have to introduce you to his partners sometime.”
“How many does he have?”
“Two that I know of.”
“Is he like you? I mean, not like you, but, you know?”
Reese chuckled. “No. None of them are. I mean, there’s always a dominate in the relationship, that’s just how relationships work. A lot of times, it can change depending on the situation. Think about you and your friends, there’s always a leader.”
She thought for a second and then realization crossed her face. “I never thought about that.”
“Most people don’t. But you always have a leader, and you always have followers.”
“Does that mean that I’m…”
“It doesn’t mean anything about you. Other than you are you. There are a lot of CEO’s and other leaders who are submissive in their personal relationships. And there are a lot of people in lower positions who are dominates in their personal relationships.”
“Really?”
He nodded. “Even in my relationship with Helen, there are times that I have to let her be in charge. And I’m not talking sex, so don’t go there.”
“Wasn’t planning on it.”
The pilot came over the intercom and announced that they were headed into turbulence.
“I’m going to go make sure the babies are still secure.”
“You think they got up and walked around?” Dean teased.
“Have you seen Jagger? Pretty sure that boy is pumping iron in the crib.”
Dean laughed as her uncle kissed her temple and then got up to check on his children and grandchild.
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