* * * * *
Her key in the door roused him from a light sleep. He sat up in the recliner and waited for her to enter. The door opened enough to allow her in, then the light from the hallway was extinguished, leaving the room in almost total darkness.
She started towards the bedroom. He watched for a moment before speaking. "Karmie?"
She froze, her head turning towards his voice. "What?" she whispered. A shiver began to take over, she had hoped he'd be in bed and asleep, but then again, Mac could get by on no sleep.
He rose and walked over to her. "You okay?"
"Please don't go."
He pulled her close and felt her cold face against his bare chest. "I have to. I'm not going to hurt you, believe me. Many military wives survive their husband's tours of duty. And you'll be one. You're a survivor, Karmie. Look what you got through before." He gazed down into her eyes, searching. They were red and swollen from crying, and he smelled the faint scent of a strawberry daiquiri. "You have the most expressive eyes," he whispered, gently running his hand along her cheek. I'm going to miss them. I can always tell what you're thinking..."
"Mac..."
He kissed her tenderly, tasting the drink. "How many...?"
"Just one." She closed her eyes and allowed herself to be swallowed by her husband.
Studying her face, he noticed the haggard expression her usually radiant face wore. "Karmie, you look awful," he commented, his voice filled with concern. "Are you feeling okay?"
"I'm just very tired. And depressed. Two years..."
"Eighteen months," he corrected.
She laid her face against his shoulder, rubbing her hand across his chest. "Too long." She felt his muscles tighten under his skin. "When do you leave?"
He let out a deep breath. "Tomorrow. 0900." He fought against the urge to take her there in the living room. The daiquiri was making her quite relaxed, and her hand traveling over his chest was not helping. "Karmie, let's get you into bed." He scooped her up into his arms. "Honey, you up to...?"
She didn't reply. "Karmae?"
"Hmmmm?"
"Nevermind." Low-Light couldn't understand his wife's behavior. It just wasn't like the Karmae he knew. But then again, he was still learning about her. Their brief times together in between missions and his daily work on base left hardly any room. He was never there consistently enough to learn her patterns of behavior. However, he thought, neither did she have much opportunity to discover him. Karmae was at a slight advantage, she could ask anyone of his friends, especially Lisbeth. That woman had a knack for seeing right to the heart of people. He in turn, had no one, save Karmae herself, to inquire. He set her on the bed, and turned away for a moment, glancing to his duffel sitting by the door. Loosening his belt, he peered back over his shoulder to Karmae, who was taking off her shoes and socks. She pulled her shirt over her head and tossed towards the laundry basket, missing it by several feet.
"Karmie, you feeling up to...? I mean it is our last night together for awhile..." he asked, repeating his thought from the living room.
In response, she unhooked her bra and tossed it to the floor. That was all the invitation he needed.
* * * * *
The next morning at 0830, Low-Light stood at attention as Sergeant Slaughter inspected his troops on the tarmac. His eyes followed the big man as he looked each man up and down. Finally, Sarge returned to center and stood in front of his troops. "Excellent," he remarked, nodding. "Excellent. Men, at ease. We will be boarding in a short time."
As the men relaxed, Sergeant Slaughter turned and noticed the lone figure standing at the edge of the tarmac, her scarf blowing in the breeze. "Low-Light! Front and center!"
Low-Light looked up from his duffel he was retying and then to Scoop, who shrugged. He rose from his squatted position and walked over to the Sarge. Coming to attention, he asked, "Yes sir?"
"At ease Low-Light. That your wife?"
Mac glanced over at the figure he had not noticed before. "I believe so, sir. She was still asleep when I left this morning. She's taking this rather roughly."
"Most wives do," Sarge replied. "Go say goodbye one more time, then come back. We board in five minutes."
"Yes sir." Low-Light pushed his goggles up on his forehead and strode towards Karmae. Reaching her, he took her hand. "I thought sneaking out would be easier."
"It wasn't."
"I know. I'm sorry," he apologized. "Look, I've got to go. Kiss me once more, then get out of this weather, okay?"
Karmae brushed away a stray tear as she nodded. Their lips met in a passionate kiss that was only interrupted by the shout of "Low-Light!" from Scoop. He broke away and started to return to his group. "I love you Karmie. Don't forget it," he said with a slight smile.
She nodded. "I love you too." As he walked away, she added, "Watch the smiles, your face will crack!"
He didn't dare turn around. He walked up to his duffel, picked it up and slung it over his shoulder. A moment later he boarded the transport jet with the rest of the group. He deliberately picked a seat on the opposite side that Karmae was standing. Stalker dropped into the seat next to him.
"Wife gonna be ok?"
Low-light rubbed at his chin. "Yeah, she's tough. She'll mope for awhile then find something to keep busy. I told her to start looking for a house if she wanted to."
Stalker nodded. "You're in for it."
Staring out the window, he waited for the plane to start moving, the roar of the engines loud in his ears. The plane taxied to the runway, and rotated to the correct heading. He was now on Karmae's side and could see her, still standing in the spot he left her. The jet began its takeoff, speeding down the runway. Karmae passed him, and became a small dot as the C-130 ascended into the gray skies. He sat back in his seat and let out a long breath. This wasn't going to be easy.
* * * * *
Karmae strode down the hall in the hospital until she came to a door marked 'Captain Carl Greer, MD.' She knocked and entered when she heard the call to come in.
Lifeline was exactly where the nurse said he would be. Stretched out on Doc's leather sofa, glasses off, eyes closed. "Lifeline?"
He opened his eyes. "Karmae! What a surprise. Come on in. What can I do for you?"
She dropped into a chair, studying the man who had helped save her life a few years ago. "You're joining Cooper's group soon," she stated.
Lifeline was taken aback. She wasn't supposed to know. "How'd you..."
Leaning forward, she stared into his eyes. In a low voice, she said, "Don't forget who I am." She sat back again. "And I understand subtleties in shifts in personnel. But, that's not why I'm here. I need you to deliver a message to Low-Light. I don't trust the mail to get it to him." She opened her purse and removed an envelope "It's very important."
Lifeline sat up and took the missive from her out stretched hand. "Okay, I'll do it, but I know nothing on how it got into my possession."
She nodded. "Fair enough. Thanks a lot, I really do appreciate this." Karmae got up and started for the door. "I'll see you around."
"Bye." Lifeline slipped the letter into his thigh pocket. Low-Light had been gone for two months, and according to Lisbeth, Karmae was adapting pretty well. He made himself comfortable again and closed his eyes. Something about her was nagging at the back of his mind. He suddenly realized what it was. "She's gained weight around the middle..." he muttered. He sincerely hoped she wasn't dealing with Mac's absence with food. He sighed, and suddenly his eyes flew open as he smiled. He knew what that letter was all about.
* * * * *
Three weeks later, Low-Light was snoozing on his bunk at base when he felt a tickle under his chin. Swiping at the irritant, it stopped and he dropped his hand. The tickle appeared again, and when he opened his eyes, he found a bemused Lifeline dangling a white envelope in front of him.
He knew what it was instantly. Grabbing it from the medic, he asked, "She give it to you?"
"Don't know how else I came about it," he answered, shrugging. "She said it was important, and that she didn't want to wait for the mail."
Low-Light nodded. Letters took a long time. Only two had been exchanged since he left almost three months ago, and he was starving for news. Tearing open the end, he propped himself up on an elbow and began to read.
Mac,
I asked Lifeline to deliver this because the news it contains you need to know as quickly as possible. Please have a seat if you aren't sitting already.
Ok. I guess the easiest way to tell you this is straight. Cooper, I'm pregnant.
"She's pregnant, isn't she?" Lifeline asked.
Low-Light sat up in his bunk, and whapped his head on the low ceiling. Swearing, he rubbed at his head, his eyes widening in astonishment. He could only nod as he kept reading:
When you left, I was just over two months. You've been gone two at the time of this letter, which, using simple math, means I'm at least four when you receive this. Please write me back or try and call and let me know how you feel about all this.
Much love and I miss you,
Karmae
Low-Light let the letter flutter from his frozen fingers to the floor. He glanced at Lifeline. "I'm gonna be a father. And I won't be there for her..." He fell back against his pillow. "Oh shit."
Lifeline stood up from leaning against the wall, picking up the paper and setting it on top of Low-Light's trunk. "I'll leave you alone so you can think." He left the room.
"Think?" Low-Light muttered under his breath, running his hand through his hair. "I don't know what to think. I'm gonna be a father."