chapter11


    Yannissuddenlygrabbedmyhand,insistentlytryingtogivemethering.


    Itookit,thenthrewitintoanearbymuddypuddleinfrontofhim.


    “Goodbye,Yannis,”Isaid,lookingathim.


    “Afterthisrescuemission,let’snevermeetagain.”


    Therescueoperationwentsmoothly,andwemanagedtoevacuatehundredsofthousandsofpeopleinjusteightdays.Whenthesupportteamwasleaving,theheadquartersheldagrandfarewellparty.


    Yannisdidn’e;Iheardhewassick.


    Therelevantauthoritiesorganizedafewpeopletovisithiminthehospital,whileeverythingelseproceededasusual.Aseveryonewassayingtheirgoodbyes,Isuddenlyfeltashadowfallovermefrombehind.


    Withoutguessing,IcouldtellfromtheshapeoftheshadowthatitwasIan.


    “Aren’tyougoingtoseehim?”heasked.


    Ishookmyhead.“There’snoneed.”


    IheardYanniswouldbedischargedsoon,andtherewereplentyofpeopleconcernedabouthim.


    Theydidn’tneedme.


    “You’reverydecisive,”Ianpraisedme.“Iknewarosecouldn’tbelongtojustonestar.”


    Helookedupattheskyandsighedsoftly,“Iwonderwhichofthemillionsofstarsintheskyitwillchoose?”Content provided by N?velDrama.Org.


    Ianwasbeingquitepoetictoday,whichwouldhaveconfused others.


    Butunfortunatelyforhim,Iwastherosehewasreferringto.


    <i>It</i>wasn’thardtounderstand.


    “Perhapstherosedoesn’tneedstarstobloombrilliantly,”Irepliedwithasmile,thenmercilesslyremindedhim.“Commander,theincidentreportisdueintwodays.”


    “Shit!”


    Iancursedunderhisbreath,puttinghisarmaroundmyshoulderlikeabrotherandpullingmebackwithhim.“Don’tthinkyoucanmakeme workovertimealone.”


    Hesaidthis,butintheend,hewastheonefranticallyworkingatthputer.


    Iwatchedhimstrugglingandsmiled.


    ThenIdeletedanewtextmessageonmyphone.


    “I’vefoundthering.I’llloveyouforever.”


    Perhapsthisishowpeopleare,onlyrealizing whatthey’velostafterit’sgone.


    ButI’msorry,noonewillwaitforyouforeverinthesamece.