Embrace

The heartless embrace of the world is quite comforting to me. I hear the rain as it lightly batters the metal roof of Kelly’s house. I feel the air around me, while it is cooler than usual it most certainly does not feel that way with the humidity. I sense the way my sweat is clinging to my skin and even when and where it is sliding down it. Focusing on the world around me is most certainly easier without the rocking and bobbing of a vehicle. But I still miss it.

I detect Kelly’s voice but not the words.

“-Alright?”, Kelly asks me as she pulls me out of my focusing. She could have asked me anything with only hearing the ending of it. “Are you alright?”, My roommate asks me. I allow a moment of silence to fall between us as I open my eyes and let myself mull over her question.

“I’m fine.”, I answer as I roll my neck. A hushed crack escapes my neck as I look at Kelly to see a frown crease her face at my response.

“Then why-”, She inquires as she wipes my cheek with a soft caring hand, “Do you have a tear running down your face?”

“I’m pretty sure that’s just sweat.”, I say as I slowly rise to my feet. Despite being stuck inside I still feel the need to get some movement.

“Sure it is.”, She retorts with an eye roll as she raises her arms in case I need help to rise to my feet. It has been a few weeks since I gained consciousness again, I am fine but she dotes on me like a mother watching her pup. “Could you tell me about your home?”, She asks as she finally realizes I do not need help to stand anymore.

“Why?”, I question as I turn to look at my small friend.

“Well you might be homesick and talking about it might make you feel better.”, Kelly responds with a warming smile.

“I don’t feel ill.”, I retort as I begin to walk around the large room.

“Homesickness isn’t a physical illness.”, The medic begins to explain to me, “It really just means you miss home.” I stop in my tracks and meet her gaze.

“I live in the colony ship.”, I finally open up to Kelly about my home before an awkward silence can fall between us. She blinks slowly as if she is having trouble processing what I just said.

“I’m sorry.”, She says as she seems to have collected herself, “What?” Seriously? Why does everyone here seem to be utterly baffled by the concept of the colony ship? I suppose I cannot really blame Kelly though since New Yuma is really all she has ever known.

“It’s a large land ship where my people live.”, I explain to her as I begin to walk in our shared space once again. “It’s large enough that it could probably house all of New Yuma in it and still have plenty of room for everyone who still lives there.”, I answer her question about the size of the vessel before she can ask it.

A stifling wordlessness fills the air between us, making the already humid air even more unbearable. The rain begins to pound with vigor against the building before either of us can truly find the words to continue.

“That must really be something!”, Kelly says finally filling the air with words anew. “There’s that smile again.”, She cheerily remarks as a smirk creases her face.

“I am not smiling!”, I retort with more aggression than I intended. I huff in annoyance. Her smirk has changed to a full grin as she seems to stare at my face without a word. “Please stop staring.”, I sheepishly state as I put a hand over my face to try to hide my embarrassment.

“Oh! Sorry about that.”, My small roommate says with a hint of surprise as she covers her mouth. “You just looked so…”, She begins but never finishes.

“I looked?”, I inquire as I stop in my tracks and meet her gaze.

“Never mind, forget I said anything.”, Kelly mutters as she lowers her hands into her lap and looks down at them.

A silence falls between us once more. I look up at the roof as I notice it actually has become silent, it appears the rain has stopped.

“It’s no longer raining.”, I mumble breaking the silence.

“Seems so.”, Kelly responds rather despondently. It seems my remark on her staring broke her spirit, what a strange thing to become dejected over. “Oh!”, She exclaims before yet another awkward silence can fall. She hops up to her feet with a surprising burst of energy and excitement. “There’s something I should show you! I hope you have the energy for it!”, She quickly rambles as she entwines her leaf thin arm with my much stronger uninjured one. She is always concerned about my injuries, possibly too concerned to be honest. “I think you’ll love it!”, She adds loudly into my ear as she begins to practically drag me out of the house.

-- -- --

A wondrous sight fills my eyes. The sun breaking through the clouds with its beams acting like spotlights wherever it touches. The acidic smell of the rain fills my lungs, satiating me. Tall stocks of wheat and corn shimmer with the drops of rain as if to strengthen the already vibrant difference between the crops and the dull brownish orange dirt. But even the dirt the crops are being grown in looks vibrant with the dampness of the rain. The small mounds of dirt with young blooms and seeds of plants I do not even recall ever seeing before charming me with their hidden potential. I am speechless to all this beauty.

“Like it, huh?”, Kelly says with a smirk as she eyes my response. I am still without words as she gives my back a gentle caring pat.

“You grow crops.”, I say with my dropped jaw still at the miraculous sight before me.

“Indeed we do.”, The medic responds with a voice full of pride as if she herself is the one who grows them.

“This,”, I stammer as my visions begins to blur, “This might be as impressive as the colony ship.”

“Really?”, My small roommate responds in surprise. “Glad you like it.”, She adds after a moment.

It truly was as impressive, but it was definitely a different kind of impressive. The care and tenacity it requires to tend to such fickle and gentle plants is quite comparable to the way our engineers had to take care of the vessel. And how my father...

“Are you okay?”, Kelly questions me and knocking me out of my thoughts. “Those aren’t tears of joy.”, The tiny girl adds as she wipes a stream of tears from my face.

“I’m,”, I stammer as I sniffle in an attempt to stop my tears, “I’m fine.” I am suddenly embraced by the small medic in a gentle hug.

“It’s okay.”, Kelly comforts me again. She looks up at me with a smile before she continues, “Just look at the crops.” Her gaze lands upon the crops as she adds, “I’m right here if you need to talk though.”

A calming silence envelops the two of us as we observe the sight. Despite all of the beauty before my eyes, I am still filled with thoughts of my father. Is he alright? Has he heard back from the other scouting teams? Has he sent out a rescue to find me and Alton?

A chill overcomes me as I think about Alton and how I have not seen him in quite some time. Is he alive? If he is, is he okay? Where did he end up after the dirt sail flipped?

“You can tell me what’s wrong.”, Kelly says with her gentle voice breaking through my ever deepening darkness of thoughts like a bright beacon of light. “You should really try to hide it better.”, She teasingly adds as she carefully wipes a tear off my cheek.

Wordlessly, I look at the smaller girl but before she can say anything in response I rest my head onto her shoulder and just begin to let my tears free.

“It’s alright.”, Kelly says as she begins to gently rub a hand against my head. “Just let it out.”

The air begins to be filled with the sobs of my worry and dread as I finally just let all of it out without a word. There is no judgment in Kelly’s embrace. It felt good much like when the world caresses me while I focus. But this is different. The girl’s embrace feels comforting and loving. It is as if I know she truly cares about how I feel, physically and emotionally, without even a word being spoken.