Thwarted Dreams -- Chapter 15

Disclaimer: The TV show Dark Angel, all of the characters that appeared on it (Colonel Lydecker, etc.), and everything else that has to do with the show belong to their respective owners, not to me. No money is being made off of this fic. I only own the original characters (Caroline, etc.).

Notes: Spoilers/spoiler-ish stuff for “Designate This.”

“Mom, why can’t I stay up later?” nine-year-old Jenny whined.

“For the last time, Jenny, you have school tomorrow and if you are late because I can’t get you out of bed because you stayed up late again, I will not be writing you an excuse note,” Caroline reminded her. “Now go to bed. Do I have to get your father?”

“Fine,” Jenny said. She pouted and stomped upstairs to her bedroom. She paused and leaned down and smiled sweetly. “But if the humidity keeps me up, can I watch TV then?”

“Yes, if we didn’t have central air conditioning and don’t think that I won’t be checking in your room to see if you turned the air conditioning off in there,” Caroline countered.

“Darn,” Jenny said. She continued on to her room and slammed the door behind her.

“And no slamming your door!” Caroline yelled. She sighed and sat down on the living room couch. “She can definitely be a handful sometimes.”

“True,” Patrick said. He took a sip from the glass of water that he was holding.

“I might be held up at base tomorrow,” Caroline said. “You know I’ve got stuff piled up left and right. Geez, I’m doing half of General Tate’s work and I’m doing it much better than the guy. I should have his rank by now.” She shrugged. “I guess it’s still old-fashioned chauvinism at it’s finest.” Actually, it’s most likely you and Don and whoever holding me back so that I don’t end up in a position closer to Manticore and to punish me for finding out as much as I did about it.

Patrick shrugged. “Yeah. Listen, I’m going to be working in my office. You won’t disturb me, will you babe?”

“Of course not,” Caroline assured him.

“Thanks,” Patrick said. He got up and went upstairs.

Caroline snorted. “Have fun, asshole.” She turned the TV on and sighed. Patrick had become distant with her since her recovery from the ‘accident.’ It didn’t matter to Caroline if he was distant or not. With the way that she felt about Patrick, she actually preferred it. Caroline knew that he had cheated on her several times and that he had more than likely been cheating on her throughout their marriage, but she didn’t care. She just felt sad and sometimes angry that she was pretty much trapped in the marriage. If it wasn’t for Jenny, I don’t know what I’d do. I probably would have taken a chance already and tried to bail.

She turned off the TV, bored by what was on, and got up and walked over to the living room window and looked outside. Just another muggy night in Georgia in June. I actually like it here, even though I am living and working with Patrick day in and day out. I’m glad that we got transferred here five years ago. Caroline smiled to herself. It definitely could be worse.

She looked down and saw Jenny’s backpack lying on the floor and rolled her eyes. I told her to take her backpack upstairs after she finished her homework. I said that she could do her homework down here at the coffee table only if she remembers to take her backpack upstairs with her when she’s done. Then again, she does do her homework so I shouldn’t be too angry with her.

A noise from upstairs caught Caroline’s attention. That sounds like the phone in Patrick’s office. She quietly went upstairs and snuck up to the door of Patrick’s office and sat there with her ear pressed against it. Are you out of your mind? The doctors said themselves that you don’t have any brain damage so you know damn well what happened the last time that you got caught!

“Yeah, this is Colonel Nelson,” Patrick said. There was a pause and then Patrick sounded shocked. “You’re kidding. Why wasn’t I notified last night or earlier today? It’s completely burned to the ground? Yeah, I know I saw the Eyes Only broadcasts, the moron has only been broadcasting the message across the country for the last three months or so, but…they were all burned with the facility, right? The transgenics got free? Even the X7s couldn’t stop them? Damn. Yeah, I guess you can’t help dumb luck.”

Caroline felt a spark of hope. She recalled the Eyes Only broadcasts with vivid clarity. Burned to the ground and they survived? Can he really be talking about what I think he might be talking about?

“Yeah, I know,” Patrick continued. “What about Director Renfro? Did she make it out? That’s a shame. Yeah, let me know if you find her remains at the site. I’ll go to the funeral, sure. What happens now? Should I stay or…okay, I will. I’ve been married to her for over twenty years now. Another few years won’t hurt. Yeah, you read my mind and I understand now. Thanks for letting me know about this, Eric. It has been an interesting ride with Manticore, too bad it’s over. I’ll talk to you later. ‘Bye.”

Caroline quickly and silently moved away from the door and back downstairs. She felt like jumping for joy. All of the transgenics are free and not just Zack! Now it just might be time for me to be free, too. She walked into the kitchen and picked up her cell phone from where she had left it on the table and dialed a number.

“Hello?” a man’s voice answered.

“Al? This is Caroline. Caroline Nelson,” Caroline said.

“Ah yes, Caroline,” Al said warmly. “What can I do for you?”

Caroline grinned. “I need you to help file divorce papers for me, Al…”

TBC