Missing in Action

Chapter Twelve

I dumped by empty tray on the side where someone would collect all of the trays from later. Then, I made my way into the corridor.

I looked both ways down the grey-walled corridors. Although the corridors were long, I could see James anywhere. I knew that he wouldn't be in his room because he never goes anywhere that he can be found easily when he's in one of those moods.

I tried everywhere except the garage as I called it and the flight deck, so he had to be there somewhere.

I checked the garage first. Our planes were down there. Where mine was normally parked was surrounded by a long white curtain.

"You scratched her up badly," Chief Technician Holmes said.

I turned to face him. He was the same age as me, and he was quite hansom. He had short, light brown hair and sparkling green eyes. Jack Holmes had always been kind, and he was the sort of person that you found yourself talking to about you're problems even if you didn't mean to.

"How badly?" I asked.

"You burst the tyres, and your front wheel snapped off which scratched the bottom of the plane badly," he replied.

He watched me for a minute as if was debating something.

"Did you manage to fix her up?" I asked.

"It's not the plane that we're all worried about Lieutenant Davis," he said before he began to walk towards the curtain.

"Have you seen James?!" I called after him.

"He's on the flight deck!" he called back whilst he waved over his shoulder. Then he disappeared behind the curtain.

"Thanks!" I called, but he didn't reply.

I walked towards the door and the stairs up to the flight deck. I could feel the cold sea breeze coming through the open door. I could taste the tang of salt in the air.

This was my first piece of freedom since before I had crashed that plane. And that scared me.

I put my hands on the doorframe. The grey metal was cold under my fingers. It was rough from years of battering from the elements out on the seas.

I took a deep breath and began to climb the stairs.

I took more effort than it should've done, but eventually I reached the top.

The flight deck was completely empty. It must have been cleared during the storm, and if we were heading home, then there wasn't any need to put the planes back on the deck. The tarmac stretched the length of the ship, but towards the right, James stood in the middle of the runway.

I jogged over to him.

"Hey," I said.

He didn't reply. He was just staring at the floor.

I looked to the spot he was looking at. A small portion of tarmac had come up. It was black around the outside.

"It's where you finally stopped," he answered my unasked question.

"James-" I began, but he cut me off.

"I ran for you. I was the only one out of my plane. I think Henry froze. He must have been thinking what I refused too, but as I got closer, I could see that you were unconscious," he said.

"James don't," I said. I didn't want to hear this, not now, not ever.

James ignored me.

"Your plane was nose down, you had snapped the front wheel off and your tyres had burst. The nose was bent, and fuel was leaking everywhere. It caught fire Cassidy," he was on the verge of tears now. I don't think that he cared if he was seen crying anymore.

"People tried to pull me away. They said that you were probably already dead and there was no point me risking me life, but I fought my way to you Cassidy. I couldn't let you die," he said.

"James, if you think that this was your fault-" I said.

"It is Cassidy! If I had just radioed in asking about the weather-" he began.

"But I did James! I radioed in about the weather!" I exclaimed.

"Cassidy why didn't you tell us that there was a storm coming?!" James demanded.

"Because I was told that the weather would be fine!" I yelled.

"By who?" James asked.

"By Captain Johnson," I replied.

James went stiff. His hands balled into to fists. He promptly turned and began stalking away.

"James! Don't do anything stupid!" I shouted after him.

He yelled something back, but the words were whipped away by the wind and were carried out to sea.

I looked over to the control tower and out along the runway. This ship was all I had ever known for almost all of my Navy career. I used to love it, but at that moment, I didn't.

I just stopped loving something that had been my home.

I ran to my room and picked up the first piece of paper that I could find. I began to write.

I had to get it all down before I changed my mind.

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A/N Ooo, something's happening!

Shout out to @Lala123_ for my first comment and for following me! It really made my day so thank you!

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Imagine_Fiction.