Judgement – A Cry In The Night (back post)
by Lieutenant Bridget Stapleton
Post Details
::ON::
The buzzing went off in her dream over and over again, like a persistent fly.
In slow progression Bridget awoke. She realized the sound was actually coming from the communication screen in her living room; there was a call coming through. She sat up and looked at the chrono. Almost 11; she hadn't been asleep that long, maybe an hour. Standing, she wrapped a bathrobe around herself and padded barefoot into the next room.
"Answer," she said, her voice scratchy. As the screen displayed a series of logos, she wondered who was on the other end of the line.
No sooner had she finished the thought, her middle daughter, Kylie, appeared. Alarm bells went off in Bridget's head as she saw the expression on the young woman's face.
"Mom, hi."
"What's wrong?"
Kylie looked away, unable to meet her mother's eyes. "We --" She didn't get any farther than that before breaking down into sobs.
"Oh honey," Bridget began, wishing she wasn't millions of miles away. A commotion could be heard off-screen, and it distracted Kylie's attention. She looked off to her left. A door opened, closed, and a chorus of voices could be heard.
Kylie scrubbed at her face with the heels of her hands. "Be right back," she said, barely glancing at her mother.
The haunted look in Kylie's eyes had given Bridget a sinking feeling, and she lowered herself onto a chair to wait, her mind going through a series of tragic scenarios. She could only see half of Kylie and Jake's living room from the angle of their comm screen. That being said, shadows were projected on the wall from the afternoon sun, filtered through what Bridget knew were the sliding glass doors that led off onto the redwood deck.
Jake's torso and head appeared next as he sat on the edge of the coffee table. "Bridget, we've got a situation. Joely's missing." His red-rimmed eyes and quavering chin told of a father's anguish, though his voice had been rock-steady.
"Oh my God," Bridget breathed, clutching at her robe in disbelief.
"We don't know what happened yet," he guessed at the question in her head. "It was sometime this morning. He was in the back yard, on the swing set, had been there maybe twenty minutes. Kylie went out to get him, and he was gone. We've sear--"
He broke off as a tall, beefy man came into view, addressing him. The man was wearing a dark suit and had a dark, square case in his hand. Jake stood, and as he did, Bridget caught a flash of bright light reflecting off Jake's police badge, where it was clipped to his belt. The two men had a brief whispered conversation and then the tall man turned away out of view.
Resuming his seat, Jake said, "My lieutenant. He's brought a squad over to search the woods out back of the subdivision." He looked away and then back at her. "We aren't ruling out kidnapping. They've brought a trace kit for the phone."
"But why?" Bridget's voice blurted out.
"Jake looked away, and scratched an ear. He was clearly uncomfortable with what he was thinking, and didn't meet her eyes as he replied. "I'm..." he started and then paused. A heavy sigh preceded the rest. "I was undercover, had been working a case. My cover got blown three days ago. That's all I'm allowed to say." His eyes were still downcast, but his face was ashen.
"Don't blame yourself, Jacob. Joel's only four. He could have seen a dog in the woods and ran off after it. He could be at a neighbor's house. It could be anything." Anything but kidnapping, God. Please, anything but that.
"Don't you think we've thought of all that?" His raised voice was choked with emotion as he looked up. "We checked with all the neighbors. The back gate was still locked, and he can't reach the latch for the front gate. So he didn't just wander off, Bridget."
"Okay, okay," she soothed. "I wish I was there. I wouldn't be much help but I.."
Jake interrupted her. "I know. And we hated telling you like this. But it would be wrong for us not to. Just... just pray, and tell Edward. But don't tell anyone else."
"Why not? What difference would it make? And maybe I could..."
"Just don't," he interjected. "I've been ordered to keep a tight lid on this."
"Crap," she said. She was thinking maybe the station commander could somehow have been of assistance. Or someone. Anyone.
"I'm serious," Jake saw the look on her face, and guessed at what she was thinking. "We don't know what potential there is, and who knows who. And we aren't taking any risks that could put Joely's life in danger."
An infant's cry erupted off screen and Jake looked away. "Sarah got woke up. I gotta go help Kylie. We'll call you if we hear anything."
"I'll be waiting," she said, her tone bleak.
TBC....
Ensign Bridget Stapleton
Doctor (General Practitioner)
Main Sickbay, DS5
Other characters:
NPC'd by Charlene
by Lieutenant Bridget Stapleton
Post Details
| Title | A Cry In The Night (back post) | |
| Mission | Judgement | |
| Author(s) | Lieutenant Bridget Stapleton | |
| Posted | Tue Dec 06, 2011 @ 2:37pm | |
| Location | The Stapletons' Quarters | |
| Timeline | SD 39, 22:50 |
The buzzing went off in her dream over and over again, like a persistent fly.
In slow progression Bridget awoke. She realized the sound was actually coming from the communication screen in her living room; there was a call coming through. She sat up and looked at the chrono. Almost 11; she hadn't been asleep that long, maybe an hour. Standing, she wrapped a bathrobe around herself and padded barefoot into the next room.
"Answer," she said, her voice scratchy. As the screen displayed a series of logos, she wondered who was on the other end of the line.
No sooner had she finished the thought, her middle daughter, Kylie, appeared. Alarm bells went off in Bridget's head as she saw the expression on the young woman's face.
"Mom, hi."
"What's wrong?"
Kylie looked away, unable to meet her mother's eyes. "We --" She didn't get any farther than that before breaking down into sobs.
"Oh honey," Bridget began, wishing she wasn't millions of miles away. A commotion could be heard off-screen, and it distracted Kylie's attention. She looked off to her left. A door opened, closed, and a chorus of voices could be heard.
Kylie scrubbed at her face with the heels of her hands. "Be right back," she said, barely glancing at her mother.
The haunted look in Kylie's eyes had given Bridget a sinking feeling, and she lowered herself onto a chair to wait, her mind going through a series of tragic scenarios. She could only see half of Kylie and Jake's living room from the angle of their comm screen. That being said, shadows were projected on the wall from the afternoon sun, filtered through what Bridget knew were the sliding glass doors that led off onto the redwood deck.
Jake's torso and head appeared next as he sat on the edge of the coffee table. "Bridget, we've got a situation. Joely's missing." His red-rimmed eyes and quavering chin told of a father's anguish, though his voice had been rock-steady.
"Oh my God," Bridget breathed, clutching at her robe in disbelief.
"We don't know what happened yet," he guessed at the question in her head. "It was sometime this morning. He was in the back yard, on the swing set, had been there maybe twenty minutes. Kylie went out to get him, and he was gone. We've sear--"
He broke off as a tall, beefy man came into view, addressing him. The man was wearing a dark suit and had a dark, square case in his hand. Jake stood, and as he did, Bridget caught a flash of bright light reflecting off Jake's police badge, where it was clipped to his belt. The two men had a brief whispered conversation and then the tall man turned away out of view.
Resuming his seat, Jake said, "My lieutenant. He's brought a squad over to search the woods out back of the subdivision." He looked away and then back at her. "We aren't ruling out kidnapping. They've brought a trace kit for the phone."
"But why?" Bridget's voice blurted out.
"Jake looked away, and scratched an ear. He was clearly uncomfortable with what he was thinking, and didn't meet her eyes as he replied. "I'm..." he started and then paused. A heavy sigh preceded the rest. "I was undercover, had been working a case. My cover got blown three days ago. That's all I'm allowed to say." His eyes were still downcast, but his face was ashen.
"Don't blame yourself, Jacob. Joel's only four. He could have seen a dog in the woods and ran off after it. He could be at a neighbor's house. It could be anything." Anything but kidnapping, God. Please, anything but that.
"Don't you think we've thought of all that?" His raised voice was choked with emotion as he looked up. "We checked with all the neighbors. The back gate was still locked, and he can't reach the latch for the front gate. So he didn't just wander off, Bridget."
"Okay, okay," she soothed. "I wish I was there. I wouldn't be much help but I.."
Jake interrupted her. "I know. And we hated telling you like this. But it would be wrong for us not to. Just... just pray, and tell Edward. But don't tell anyone else."
"Why not? What difference would it make? And maybe I could..."
"Just don't," he interjected. "I've been ordered to keep a tight lid on this."
"Crap," she said. She was thinking maybe the station commander could somehow have been of assistance. Or someone. Anyone.
"I'm serious," Jake saw the look on her face, and guessed at what she was thinking. "We don't know what potential there is, and who knows who. And we aren't taking any risks that could put Joely's life in danger."
An infant's cry erupted off screen and Jake looked away. "Sarah got woke up. I gotta go help Kylie. We'll call you if we hear anything."
"I'll be waiting," she said, her tone bleak.
TBC....
Ensign Bridget Stapleton
Doctor (General Practitioner)
Main Sickbay, DS5
Other characters:
NPC'd by Charlene