Empyrean Iris Story Collection

Apathy

Krill peered around the doorframe into the captain's quarters, he definitely planned on speaking with him about Sunny, this was the third time in two days she had slammed her head into a doorframe because she wasn't looking: mostly because she was listening to music. To keep the integrity of her skull, he thought it might be best to limit her music time, for her health or course.

When he came around the corner, he found Captain Vir kneeling on the floor with Waffles, scratching her behind the ears with one hand and fitting her into a vest with the other. Krill was only just beginning to understand the human script but he thought he read.

Service Dog DO NOT TOUCH.

"Captain, what is that?" He wondered, completely forgetting his earlier question.

Captain Vir looked up from where he knelt rubbing the dog's ears, "Oh, It's her service vest." When Krill didn't seem to understand, the man continued, "Sometimes human's train dogs to help people with stuff like a disability, medical condition or mental illness. The vest allows her to go into places other dogs can't."

"Oh.... Is that because of your leg than?"

The captain shook his head, "No, I used to have pretty severe PTSD after coming home from the war. I don't so much now, but sometimes I have my days."

Krill shifted a little nervously, "May I ask...." He trailed off not sure how to phrase the question.

Vir grinned at him, "Krill, you know you can ask me anything right, but I get what you're trying to say... the war ending was actually worse for me than the war itself."

***

Lieutenant Vir lay on his bunk in the dim lighting listening to the sound of the ship's distant engines. His missing leg throbbed. Even with it gone, it was still destined to haunt him. Door opened a crack, he listened with apathy as the Captain spoke to one of the other officers

"How are they?"

A long pause followed, "About as good as you'd expect."

The captain gave a long sigh, and Vir could hear the sound of his clothes shifting, "Well, we just started our descent, so get them up, and let's get these boys home."

***

Vir sat in the shuttle as it rocked underneath him. He looked down at his missing leg, and the shitty surplus prosthetic they had given him, the knee didn't even bend forcing him to limp around on crutches. He had already fallen more times than he could count. He squeezed his eyes shut as the ship rocked harder trying to force down the panic as the sound of the ship's engines grew louder and louder in his ears. His leg throbbed with the beating of his heart, and his breathing sped up.

They touched down some minutes later his head ringing as the shuttle coasted to a stop and the doors were opened. He gathered up his crutches and levered himself to his feet limping horribly at the awful prosthetic and his stupid crutches. He slipped coming off the ramp landing hard on his side. The soldiers on the tarmac rushed forward to help him up, but he angrily shrugged them off. They stepped back hesitantly as he struggled to his foot, hip smarting. He could feel his eyes growing hot with unshed tears, but he forced those down too angrily limping away from the ship head down. He didn't want to see their faces, the pity, the cripple.

He felt so stupid angry at that idiot boy obsessed over aliens and UFOs. If he had just been normal, none of this would have happened. Even the thought of aliens made him sick, made him want to curl up, to run away, though he couldn't even run now. His throat tightened; he felt as if a massive hand came down to constrict his chest. Still nursing his bitter thoughts, he was ushered through a door into the terminal, and there he saw them. His mother and father waiting for him by baggage claim.