hard deck ≫ top gun: maverick

XIII. ONE LAST TIME

Summer had been wondering when Lieutenant Trace would tell Joey about the impending mission. She'd been worried about how Joey would take the news, ever since Rooster told her that Phoenix would also be going on the mission.

"Joey..."

"You knew this whole time, didn't you? This was why they were in San Diego in the first place."

"Joey, I didn't know that she would be selected," Summer replied. "And you know I'm not at liberty to discuss things like that."

"But you did know, didn't you?" Joey sobbed. "How long have you known?"

Summer sighed. "Joey, you can't be mad at me for this. I can't talk about these things with you, and you know this. And neither can Phoenix."

They sniffed, wiping a hand under their eye. "You could have given me a head's up."

"No, I couldn't have."

Joey sighed and leaned back into Summer's couch, blinking back tears as they stared up at the ceiling. "Do they really think no one is coming back?"

"I know it's extremely dangerous," Summer said, wrapping an arm around Joey's shoulders. "Whatever it is."

"Who else is going?" Joey asked, looking at their friend. "Is Rooster?"

At the mention of Rooster's name, Summer felt her face crumple. Her lip involuntarily wavered, and she felt wetness spring to her eyes.

"Oh my God, Summer," Joey whispered, pulling the woman in for a hug. "I'm so sorry."

"Still not the worst news I've gotten this week," Summer mumbled. Thankfully, Joey missed it. Summer still hadn't told her friends about her diagnosis, and she wasn't sure how to break the news to them, especially Joey. Joey had clearly had enough bad news this week.

"I should have known it was too good to be true," Joey muttered, running a hand through their hair. "I mean, I knew what Natasha did for a living. I just ..."

"Now you know why I don't get involved with the pilots," Summer said quietly.

"Yeah," Joey said, shoulders slumping. "It's just not fair, is it?"

Summer sighed. "Nothing is fair."

"What are you going to do?" Joey asked, turning to Summer.

"What do you mean?"

"About Rooster."

"Oh." Summer shrugged and cleared her throat. "Nothing."

"Nothing?" Joey repeated.

"I'm sorry, what am I supposed to do? Joey, my patients --"

"Oh, don't give me that shit," Joey scoffed, rolling their eyes. "You can lie to yourself, you can lie to Rooster, you can lie to everyone else, but you can't lie to me. Don't act like I don't know what happened when the two of you disappeared at the bar last week."

Summer sighed. "Joey, you don't understand."

"I don't understand?" Joey echoed with a short laugh. "I'm the only one that does understand! Natasha is going on the same mission as Rooster, Summer. She's got the same death sentence."

It wasn't the same, but Summer couldn't begin to explain that to Joey. Joey was healthy. If Natasha came back home alive, she and Joey could go on like normal.

It was different, because Rooster wasn't the only one with a death sentence.

"Don't you care about him?" Joey asked in a soft voice.