I Survived The Storm

4. Next Steps

Shocked, Vic finally got up from the floor, where she had been laying for the past few hours. She knew she had missed a call from Andy but couldn't manage to get up. The news had snuck up on her and some what, knocked her out.

Not only was she feeling worse than yesterday, but now she couldn't be bothered to get better. However with this baby inside her, she had no choice.

Get up get up get up.

But she couldn't. Instead, while straining whatever strength she had left, Vic reached for her phone, dialed a familiar number and waited for the rings.

Travis picked up immediately.

"Help," said Vic.

"What is it?" said her friend with some urgency in his voice.

"I'm pregnant," said Vic and waited for a response.

Nothing came.

"Trav?"

"Yeah I'm still here. Wait what?"

"Yeah. Remember Ruiz? Wait you weren't there," Vic reminded herself.

"Ruiz? Theo Ruiz?" said Travis with some rising anger in his voice.

"How do you know him?"

"Well that's not my story to tell."

They didn't say anything until Travis hung up.

Full of regret, over the following days, Vic tried to distract herself with a plan for the alien in her uterus. She knew she didn't want it, but she was already a couple months along. She didn't know how she didn't notice before.

***

Before he knew it, Travis was at an apartment door. He didn't know how he ended up there or what he was going to do, but he stood there anyhow.

Three knocks and there was no going back. No explaining. He had no reason to do it. And yet he did it anyway.

A shuffle from inside.

Ruiz opened the door.

A rush of anger overcame Travis when he saw him. All these memories came flooding back to him - not good ones either. All bad in fact.

When your best friend killed your husband, it's always bad when that same traitor impregnates your new best friend.

"... Travis? You listening?"

As he zoned back in, he reminded himself as to which of the two horrible reasons he was there for.

"Vic is not yours to take from me. She's my best friend and I don't like what you did," he said, rather civilised he thought to himself.

"Listen, Trav, I'm sorry about everything that's happened but you can't tell me who I can be with. Even if she's your best friend. It's not like I did anything to her."

Travis chuckled at this. It's not like I did anything to her, he mimicked to himself.

"Well maybe you should speak to her then."

He gave him her number and left.

***

As shift began, things moved progressively faster. Kelly had come back to thank them all and showed them Travis junior. After that, a bit of quiet, then a few minor things and a fire down at the local newsagent.

"I'm going to Vic's later to deliver some food, but does anyone want to get a drink after that?" said Andy.

"Sure, but first I need to speak with you," said Travis.

"Alright..."

Once in the office, he launched into a speech about why on earth she would use Ruiz as a sub.

"Well he is qualified, available, and was glad to work here. He even asked about you."

"Well I can think of why he might do that," he muttered to himself. "What about his file? You must've seen what he did when he was captain?"

Andy put her hand on the desk and looked at him.

"What do you have against Ruiz?"

"Well he made a decision," said Travis, pacing now, "which killed my husband."

Andy was taken aback.

"That was him?" She said, whispering now.

"Yeah."

Andy saw that some of the others were looking and straightened her back, correcting her uniform.

"Thank you for that uh... Information, yes. Thank you."

This, she realised, was extremely problematic for Vic.