Sisters Under The Skin, part 3: Whole New World (re-post, B5, 3/14)
Part Three is still what I consider introduction in this story, but it really begins to focus on the crux of the matter. I started this piece thinking what if you woke up and everything had changed? What if you stayed still and everyone in your life moved on? It feels that way to me sometimes, like the world is progressing and I'm stuck. Maybe it feels more that way the older you get. In any case, Anna is still feeling her way. It is amusing to me now, that I once thought this story was complete in six chapters when there was so much more to tell.
Sisters Under Their Skins
Part Three: A Whole New World
Standard disclaimer applies; not my characters or settings or backgrounds. But they are my words.
********************************************************************************
The next day the station was in an uproar. Even Anna, confined to MedLab, felt the tension in the air. The staff spoke in stage whispers, and were busy preparing the patients for possible evacuation, though to where it was obvious they had no idea. Anna understood they were under attack, and she briefly panicked, wondering if these Shadows had come back for her.
After a few hours, the anxiety lessened, but it was only replaced by a sort of confused despair. Everyone was very kind, but no one had time to sit with her, and for the first time since Anna had awakened, Delenn did not come by. The hours dragged by, and that evening when Stephen came to check on her, she had progressed from worry through despair all the way to intense boredom.
"I don't understand why I can't access the computers," Anna persisted. "Surely you can convince Commander Ivanova I'm no danger to the station. You got all that tech out of me!"
"She's a bit hard to convince," admitted Stephen. "But you can't blame her. She's responsible for everyone now, since the Captain left. And after today's attack, there are more important things on her mind."
"This isn't like any hospital or doctor's office I've ever been in. Don't you people have any old magazines?" Anna smiled at Stephen, then added with a flutter of fear. "The attack is over, right? I heard them talking..." she gestured towards the staff.
"The Shadows broke off the attack, but no one knows why. Or whether they'll be back. I'm not sure if that's good news, or bad news," Stephen answered grimly. "You really shouldn't be worrying about it in any case."
Anna leaned her head back against the pillow. "I'm in this up to my neck, Doctor. I need to understand, so that I don't worry. It's what I don't know that brings on the anxiety."
Stephen smiled, "I can see that. I'll ask the Commander again. How about Universe Today's Year in Review edition? I think I saw one kicking around the nurse's station in MedLab Two."
"How about the last three years in review?" replied Anna half sarcastically and half poignantly.
"You got it," said Stephen.
*************************
Two days later, Delenn came by MedLab early in the morning. Anna had finished breakfast, and was sitting up in bed, surrounded by printouts and photographs, newspapers and a few old-style books.
"What is all this?" Delenn inquired. "Are you preparing a manuscript?"
"They still won't let me on the net, but they've gotten me hard copies of the news. History would be more like it," Anna smiled at Delenn. "I've missed a lot." Her forehead wrinkled. "There are quite a few conflicting narratives here."
"I am not surprised," replied Delenn soberly. "Sometimes I think there are as many versions of the truth as there are people to tell them."
"Journalists often have agendas," replied Anna. "But so do we all. I'm used to sorting through evidence and getting an idea of the facts behind the presentation. Something is certainly wrong back on Earth. These attacks on civilian targets..." she shook her head. "I can see where John was coming from, but separation from the Earth Federation. That is such a desperate measure. The retaliation could have been catastrophic."
"He had allies," replied Delenn mildly. "He did what he felt was right."
"I still can't see him disobeying a direct order to implement martial law. He had no trouble locking out civilians during the food riots on Mars. He was ready to fire on them if ordered to," said Anna thoughtfully.
"That does not sound like John," Delenn asserted forcefully, then stopped herself. "I am sure Captain Sheridan did what he had to do in that situation," she added uncomfortably as Anna stared at her. "But I came to tell you something," Delenn went on hurriedly. "We are finally mounting a rescue mission, to Z'ha'dum, to see if we can locate the Captain."
Anna's face paled. "Who is going? And why now? Has something happened?"
Delenn kept her face as expressionless as she could. "Commander Ivanova will lead the mission. I am providing the transport and will accompany her. Lyta Alexander is also coming; she believes she may be able to contact the Captain telepathically."
"Okay," relied Anna slowly. "I guess that makes sense. But why does Lyta think that? John has no psi ability, not the least little bit."
"Captain Sheridan had been working with the Vorlon ambassador, and Lyta believes Kosh touched John's mind. She had a connection with Kosh, and somehow...well, I don't actually understand it myself," she confessed. "But it is a chance, and more of one that we have had."
"Why now?" asked Anna again. "Why not before?"
Delenn had been standing by the side of Anna's bed, but now she wandered over to the glass wall, and placed her forehead against the cool smooth glass. It half-served as a mirror as she leaned against it, but all she could see of her face was the darkness behind her eyes. In a monotone, she recited, "There has been a report of an explosion on the planet. The ship in which Captain Sheridan traveled is believed to have been destroyed. It was a nuclear explosion, one or perhaps two of them. The assault on their homeworld may be the reason why the Shadows broke off the attack here."
Anna swallowed the bile that had risen in her throat. "If he wasn't on a ship in orbit, then...he was on the planet? When the explosions took place?"
"We do not know any more details," replied Delenn carefully. Turning to face Anna, she added with stoic calm, "We will find out when we get there. I wanted you to know of the mission in any case."
"Thank you," replied Anna. "I am grateful, and God knows I hope you find him. But be careful, Delenn. From what you've told me, these Shadows are not the type of enemy to be remain paralyzed for long, even after a major setback." She reached one hand up to her head, unconsciously stroking the close-cropped hair at the surgical site. "I'll see you when you get back," she added.
Delenn merely nodded and left the room quickly. Anna whispered after her, "Good luck."
*************************
Before the White Star left, Stephen had prevailed upon Susan to allow him to release his patient from MedLab, and let her take up residence in the Captain's quarters. Stephen insisted he needed the bed, but then he had also asked that Anna be allowed access to the computer system. Susan had balked at the first, insisting that Lyta first perform the delayed deep scan on Anna that Susan had requested. Stephen refused, citing his patient's health. He wasn't going to risk the fragile integration of Anna's personality this soon after brain surgery. The battle raged briefly, but after Susan had ordered the mother of all firewalls to be set up on the Captain's com-system, she had finally barked her assent. But, "I'm holding you responsible for her, Stephen!" had been her final words. "Do that scan as soon as it's safe!" Stephen had held up both hands in surrender to her orders, although he wondered a bit what he was letting himself in for. He would have to keep a close eye on Anna, and ask Delenn to help when she could.
Anna had not been certain about leaving MedLab, but listened carefully to Stephen's voiced reasons, and thought she understood his unspoken reasons as well. If she was going to adjust to the world she found herself in, she needed time, and she also needed to be out interacting with it. A Security officer, a nice man named Allan, had brought her ID card back to her, and explained that it had been set up with an allowance for purchases. The computer had everything else she needed; maps, details about the station, information on the people. It was an impressive place, like a huge city. Not unlike a ship, only larger and with civilians, and Anna thought maybe that was the reason John had pulled the assignment. It explained how he could do it, not that she had any real doubts about his abilities, but not why he was doing it. The news reports said that Clark had picked him personally. The more Anna thought about that, and what she knew of John's disinterest in politics, and what she had told Delenn about his devotion to duty, the more it seemed like Clark had chosen him for those traits. Anna smiled. If the President had imagined he was getting a yes man for the position, he truly did not know her husband.
Anna spent a good deal of the first day exploring John's quarters. She recognized many items from their shared past, but there were new things as well. Their wedding picture was tucked away up on a wall shelf. For a while she just sat on the couch and stared at it, wondering what he was doing right now; whether he was even still alive. In the afternoon, she found her way to the Zocalo, and purchased some clothes. Dr. Franklin told her she's arrived with no luggage or personal possessions. Obviously she hadn't been meant to stay long.
That evening she ordered dinner in. Cooking had crossed her mind, but John's larder was pretty bare, even for him. Afterward she sat on the sofa, legs curled up beneath her, hugging a pillow to her chest. The tears wouldn't come, no matter how much she longed for release. Maybe that was a good sign. Maybe that meant he was still alive. She fell asleep on the couch, wondering how far Delenn and the others had gotten on their desperate journey.
***********************
The next day passed in similar low-key fashion. Dr. Franklin contacted her on the com-system and requested she come to MedLab for some more tests. That, and a trip to the market were her only forays outside John's quarters that day. She'd set the computer to search for news items to do with Babylon 5 prior to their separation from Earth, and had retrieved a list of news mentions, documentaries, political commentary, and even some society news. Settling down with a cup of tea, she started to watch. A few hours in, she came on Cynthia Torqueman's piece. In their conversations, Anna had never gotten around to quizzing Delenn on her un-Minbari appearance. The documentary answered some of her questions, but she flinched at the tone of the reporter's probe. Delenn had been her first friend here, and the news report was irritating in its assumptions. She'd never had much to do with the Minbari, but after the war she'd studied their history, at least as much as was available. Their federation was old, much older than Earth's, and some of their non-destructive extractive techniques as applied to her own field were intriguing. As for John, he was a professional soldier and harbored no animus towards the enemy once the war was over. She had followed his lead in that, although after the Lexington incident it had been hard.
Eventually she'd worked her way through the official records, and decided to turn off the monitor for a while. There was a series of data crystals, set neatly in rows in a black felt-lined drawer under the main com-unit. She looked through the labels and saw one with her name set out in John's precise hand-writing. Picking it up, she wondered what was on it. Curious, she set it in the reader, and turned the monitor back on. Her own face lit up the screen and began to speak. It was her last transmission to Lizzie, just before she'd shipped out on the Icarus. Why did John have it? Then her heart lurched in sudden realization. Lizzie thought she was dead. She should contact her, right away. After a moment she reconsidered. Who knew what was going on on Proxima right now? Anna tried to recall whether the colony had broken away from Earth; she thought not. It was probably best to wait, though she chafed at the thought. Aside from John, there was no one she'd rather see than Lizzie. Here, in this place, she knew only Dr. Franklin, and Delenn. Sighing, she wished the Minbari woman would get back soon, and against all odds, bring John back with her. It would be good to have someone to talk to.
***********************
The next few days blurred together. Dr. Franklin contacted her at least once a day to see how she was getting on. She was getting more familiar with the station layout, and made herself go out and explore the facilities every day. It wasn't really like a city, now that she thought about it, more like a frontier outpost. Businesses were rudimentary, geared towards passing travelers and the diplomats and soldiers stationed there. There were lots of restaurants, a plenitude of kiosks selling small portable items and souvenirs, but only a few markets and clothing stores. She'd heard there was a thriving underground but hadn't had time to find it, much less explore it. The central core contained the garden areas, providing foodstuffs and oxygen replenishment, as well as a welcome respite from steel and plascrete.
She was sitting in the garden on one of the webbed metal seats, enjoying the splashing sound of a small fountain when Mr. Allan appeared before her, clearing his throat awkwardly. "Mrs. Sheridan?" he said, pausing to loosen the collar of his uniform jacket.
"Yes?" she answered brightly. It was quite lovely here, and her mood was more peaceful than it had been since she'd awoken in MedLab. "What can I do for you?"
"There's been a message from the White Star," he began awkwardly. "That's the ship Commander Ivanova and the others took out to Z'ha'dum," he added quickly.
Anna stiffened. "A message for me?"
"Not so much," mumbled Zack. "But I thought you would want to hear. They're on their way back, be another couple of days probably. Although it was sure a quick trip. I figure the Commander souped up the engine before they left." His tone was full of admiration, and the certainty that if it was possible, Ivanova could do it.
"Is there any news?" asked Anna, suddenly unable to speak John's name. "Anything at all?"
"Nothing good," confessed Zack, bleak despair underlined by the dark circles under his eyes. "They didn't find him," he said gently. "It doesn't look like he made it." As Anna's face crumpled, he added hastily, "That's just my interpretation, though. The Commander and Delenn...they'll know better what chance there is." Running his hand through his thick unruly thatch of hair, he said "I hope I didn't make things worse telling you."
"I appreciate your taking the time, Mr. Allan," said Anna, trying to sound sincere, although her voice sounded thick and heavy. It was suddenly hard to breathe.
"Yeah well, seemed the right thing to do," replied Zack. His link chirped and he answered, receiving instructions to head back to Security's main HQ. "I have to go now, ma'am," he said. "Let me know if there's anything I can do for you."
"Thank you," replied Anna warmly. "I will."
After the tall gangly officer had disappeared through the archway, Anna stood up slowly, as if her muscles had stiffened in the last few seconds. She made her way back to John's quarters, fighting the impulse to cry with each step. Once safely back inside, she set the door lock to maximum privacy, and stumbled to the couch, falling down upon it. Finally the tears fell, as she was able to accept and fully mourn her husband's fate.
This entry was originally posted at http://vjs2259.dreamwidth.org/328447.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
Sisters Under Their Skins
Part Three: A Whole New World
Standard disclaimer applies; not my characters or settings or backgrounds. But they are my words.
********************************************************************************
The next day the station was in an uproar. Even Anna, confined to MedLab, felt the tension in the air. The staff spoke in stage whispers, and were busy preparing the patients for possible evacuation, though to where it was obvious they had no idea. Anna understood they were under attack, and she briefly panicked, wondering if these Shadows had come back for her.
After a few hours, the anxiety lessened, but it was only replaced by a sort of confused despair. Everyone was very kind, but no one had time to sit with her, and for the first time since Anna had awakened, Delenn did not come by. The hours dragged by, and that evening when Stephen came to check on her, she had progressed from worry through despair all the way to intense boredom.
"I don't understand why I can't access the computers," Anna persisted. "Surely you can convince Commander Ivanova I'm no danger to the station. You got all that tech out of me!"
"She's a bit hard to convince," admitted Stephen. "But you can't blame her. She's responsible for everyone now, since the Captain left. And after today's attack, there are more important things on her mind."
"This isn't like any hospital or doctor's office I've ever been in. Don't you people have any old magazines?" Anna smiled at Stephen, then added with a flutter of fear. "The attack is over, right? I heard them talking..." she gestured towards the staff.
"The Shadows broke off the attack, but no one knows why. Or whether they'll be back. I'm not sure if that's good news, or bad news," Stephen answered grimly. "You really shouldn't be worrying about it in any case."
Anna leaned her head back against the pillow. "I'm in this up to my neck, Doctor. I need to understand, so that I don't worry. It's what I don't know that brings on the anxiety."
Stephen smiled, "I can see that. I'll ask the Commander again. How about Universe Today's Year in Review edition? I think I saw one kicking around the nurse's station in MedLab Two."
"How about the last three years in review?" replied Anna half sarcastically and half poignantly.
"You got it," said Stephen.
*************************
Two days later, Delenn came by MedLab early in the morning. Anna had finished breakfast, and was sitting up in bed, surrounded by printouts and photographs, newspapers and a few old-style books.
"What is all this?" Delenn inquired. "Are you preparing a manuscript?"
"They still won't let me on the net, but they've gotten me hard copies of the news. History would be more like it," Anna smiled at Delenn. "I've missed a lot." Her forehead wrinkled. "There are quite a few conflicting narratives here."
"I am not surprised," replied Delenn soberly. "Sometimes I think there are as many versions of the truth as there are people to tell them."
"Journalists often have agendas," replied Anna. "But so do we all. I'm used to sorting through evidence and getting an idea of the facts behind the presentation. Something is certainly wrong back on Earth. These attacks on civilian targets..." she shook her head. "I can see where John was coming from, but separation from the Earth Federation. That is such a desperate measure. The retaliation could have been catastrophic."
"He had allies," replied Delenn mildly. "He did what he felt was right."
"I still can't see him disobeying a direct order to implement martial law. He had no trouble locking out civilians during the food riots on Mars. He was ready to fire on them if ordered to," said Anna thoughtfully.
"That does not sound like John," Delenn asserted forcefully, then stopped herself. "I am sure Captain Sheridan did what he had to do in that situation," she added uncomfortably as Anna stared at her. "But I came to tell you something," Delenn went on hurriedly. "We are finally mounting a rescue mission, to Z'ha'dum, to see if we can locate the Captain."
Anna's face paled. "Who is going? And why now? Has something happened?"
Delenn kept her face as expressionless as she could. "Commander Ivanova will lead the mission. I am providing the transport and will accompany her. Lyta Alexander is also coming; she believes she may be able to contact the Captain telepathically."
"Okay," relied Anna slowly. "I guess that makes sense. But why does Lyta think that? John has no psi ability, not the least little bit."
"Captain Sheridan had been working with the Vorlon ambassador, and Lyta believes Kosh touched John's mind. She had a connection with Kosh, and somehow...well, I don't actually understand it myself," she confessed. "But it is a chance, and more of one that we have had."
"Why now?" asked Anna again. "Why not before?"
Delenn had been standing by the side of Anna's bed, but now she wandered over to the glass wall, and placed her forehead against the cool smooth glass. It half-served as a mirror as she leaned against it, but all she could see of her face was the darkness behind her eyes. In a monotone, she recited, "There has been a report of an explosion on the planet. The ship in which Captain Sheridan traveled is believed to have been destroyed. It was a nuclear explosion, one or perhaps two of them. The assault on their homeworld may be the reason why the Shadows broke off the attack here."
Anna swallowed the bile that had risen in her throat. "If he wasn't on a ship in orbit, then...he was on the planet? When the explosions took place?"
"We do not know any more details," replied Delenn carefully. Turning to face Anna, she added with stoic calm, "We will find out when we get there. I wanted you to know of the mission in any case."
"Thank you," replied Anna. "I am grateful, and God knows I hope you find him. But be careful, Delenn. From what you've told me, these Shadows are not the type of enemy to be remain paralyzed for long, even after a major setback." She reached one hand up to her head, unconsciously stroking the close-cropped hair at the surgical site. "I'll see you when you get back," she added.
Delenn merely nodded and left the room quickly. Anna whispered after her, "Good luck."
*************************
Before the White Star left, Stephen had prevailed upon Susan to allow him to release his patient from MedLab, and let her take up residence in the Captain's quarters. Stephen insisted he needed the bed, but then he had also asked that Anna be allowed access to the computer system. Susan had balked at the first, insisting that Lyta first perform the delayed deep scan on Anna that Susan had requested. Stephen refused, citing his patient's health. He wasn't going to risk the fragile integration of Anna's personality this soon after brain surgery. The battle raged briefly, but after Susan had ordered the mother of all firewalls to be set up on the Captain's com-system, she had finally barked her assent. But, "I'm holding you responsible for her, Stephen!" had been her final words. "Do that scan as soon as it's safe!" Stephen had held up both hands in surrender to her orders, although he wondered a bit what he was letting himself in for. He would have to keep a close eye on Anna, and ask Delenn to help when she could.
Anna had not been certain about leaving MedLab, but listened carefully to Stephen's voiced reasons, and thought she understood his unspoken reasons as well. If she was going to adjust to the world she found herself in, she needed time, and she also needed to be out interacting with it. A Security officer, a nice man named Allan, had brought her ID card back to her, and explained that it had been set up with an allowance for purchases. The computer had everything else she needed; maps, details about the station, information on the people. It was an impressive place, like a huge city. Not unlike a ship, only larger and with civilians, and Anna thought maybe that was the reason John had pulled the assignment. It explained how he could do it, not that she had any real doubts about his abilities, but not why he was doing it. The news reports said that Clark had picked him personally. The more Anna thought about that, and what she knew of John's disinterest in politics, and what she had told Delenn about his devotion to duty, the more it seemed like Clark had chosen him for those traits. Anna smiled. If the President had imagined he was getting a yes man for the position, he truly did not know her husband.
Anna spent a good deal of the first day exploring John's quarters. She recognized many items from their shared past, but there were new things as well. Their wedding picture was tucked away up on a wall shelf. For a while she just sat on the couch and stared at it, wondering what he was doing right now; whether he was even still alive. In the afternoon, she found her way to the Zocalo, and purchased some clothes. Dr. Franklin told her she's arrived with no luggage or personal possessions. Obviously she hadn't been meant to stay long.
That evening she ordered dinner in. Cooking had crossed her mind, but John's larder was pretty bare, even for him. Afterward she sat on the sofa, legs curled up beneath her, hugging a pillow to her chest. The tears wouldn't come, no matter how much she longed for release. Maybe that was a good sign. Maybe that meant he was still alive. She fell asleep on the couch, wondering how far Delenn and the others had gotten on their desperate journey.
***********************
The next day passed in similar low-key fashion. Dr. Franklin contacted her on the com-system and requested she come to MedLab for some more tests. That, and a trip to the market were her only forays outside John's quarters that day. She'd set the computer to search for news items to do with Babylon 5 prior to their separation from Earth, and had retrieved a list of news mentions, documentaries, political commentary, and even some society news. Settling down with a cup of tea, she started to watch. A few hours in, she came on Cynthia Torqueman's piece. In their conversations, Anna had never gotten around to quizzing Delenn on her un-Minbari appearance. The documentary answered some of her questions, but she flinched at the tone of the reporter's probe. Delenn had been her first friend here, and the news report was irritating in its assumptions. She'd never had much to do with the Minbari, but after the war she'd studied their history, at least as much as was available. Their federation was old, much older than Earth's, and some of their non-destructive extractive techniques as applied to her own field were intriguing. As for John, he was a professional soldier and harbored no animus towards the enemy once the war was over. She had followed his lead in that, although after the Lexington incident it had been hard.
Eventually she'd worked her way through the official records, and decided to turn off the monitor for a while. There was a series of data crystals, set neatly in rows in a black felt-lined drawer under the main com-unit. She looked through the labels and saw one with her name set out in John's precise hand-writing. Picking it up, she wondered what was on it. Curious, she set it in the reader, and turned the monitor back on. Her own face lit up the screen and began to speak. It was her last transmission to Lizzie, just before she'd shipped out on the Icarus. Why did John have it? Then her heart lurched in sudden realization. Lizzie thought she was dead. She should contact her, right away. After a moment she reconsidered. Who knew what was going on on Proxima right now? Anna tried to recall whether the colony had broken away from Earth; she thought not. It was probably best to wait, though she chafed at the thought. Aside from John, there was no one she'd rather see than Lizzie. Here, in this place, she knew only Dr. Franklin, and Delenn. Sighing, she wished the Minbari woman would get back soon, and against all odds, bring John back with her. It would be good to have someone to talk to.
***********************
The next few days blurred together. Dr. Franklin contacted her at least once a day to see how she was getting on. She was getting more familiar with the station layout, and made herself go out and explore the facilities every day. It wasn't really like a city, now that she thought about it, more like a frontier outpost. Businesses were rudimentary, geared towards passing travelers and the diplomats and soldiers stationed there. There were lots of restaurants, a plenitude of kiosks selling small portable items and souvenirs, but only a few markets and clothing stores. She'd heard there was a thriving underground but hadn't had time to find it, much less explore it. The central core contained the garden areas, providing foodstuffs and oxygen replenishment, as well as a welcome respite from steel and plascrete.
She was sitting in the garden on one of the webbed metal seats, enjoying the splashing sound of a small fountain when Mr. Allan appeared before her, clearing his throat awkwardly. "Mrs. Sheridan?" he said, pausing to loosen the collar of his uniform jacket.
"Yes?" she answered brightly. It was quite lovely here, and her mood was more peaceful than it had been since she'd awoken in MedLab. "What can I do for you?"
"There's been a message from the White Star," he began awkwardly. "That's the ship Commander Ivanova and the others took out to Z'ha'dum," he added quickly.
Anna stiffened. "A message for me?"
"Not so much," mumbled Zack. "But I thought you would want to hear. They're on their way back, be another couple of days probably. Although it was sure a quick trip. I figure the Commander souped up the engine before they left." His tone was full of admiration, and the certainty that if it was possible, Ivanova could do it.
"Is there any news?" asked Anna, suddenly unable to speak John's name. "Anything at all?"
"Nothing good," confessed Zack, bleak despair underlined by the dark circles under his eyes. "They didn't find him," he said gently. "It doesn't look like he made it." As Anna's face crumpled, he added hastily, "That's just my interpretation, though. The Commander and Delenn...they'll know better what chance there is." Running his hand through his thick unruly thatch of hair, he said "I hope I didn't make things worse telling you."
"I appreciate your taking the time, Mr. Allan," said Anna, trying to sound sincere, although her voice sounded thick and heavy. It was suddenly hard to breathe.
"Yeah well, seemed the right thing to do," replied Zack. His link chirped and he answered, receiving instructions to head back to Security's main HQ. "I have to go now, ma'am," he said. "Let me know if there's anything I can do for you."
"Thank you," replied Anna warmly. "I will."
After the tall gangly officer had disappeared through the archway, Anna stood up slowly, as if her muscles had stiffened in the last few seconds. She made her way back to John's quarters, fighting the impulse to cry with each step. Once safely back inside, she set the door lock to maximum privacy, and stumbled to the couch, falling down upon it. Finally the tears fell, as she was able to accept and fully mourn her husband's fate.
This entry was originally posted at http://vjs2259.dreamwidth.org/328447.html. Please comment there using OpenID.