Tuesday, October 25th, 7:10 A.M.
After a night spent not sleeping in the hallway, I
went down to the lobby of The Redford to see if there was a free breakfast in
this place. As I took the elevator down,
the thought of seeing Ushtar came to mind.
When this thought came to me, I closed my eyes and prayed that wouldn't
happen. My prayers weren't answered.
When the elevator doors opened at Lobby level,
Ushtar was sitting in his full military uniform on a bench directly in front of
me. For a moment, I hoped Ushtar wasn't
there to see me. Those hopes were dashed
when he saw me, stood up, and slowly started walking my way. I was in full apology mode by the time he got
to me. "Look, Ushtar, let me-"
"Hato, you've had a rough couple of days. Between the plane crash, evading someone you
thought was out to kill you, waiting, waiting, and waiting, you were probably
way strung out and tired and at the end of your rope. I get that, I've been there. Let's just forget that you said what you said
yesterday, and just start fresh."
Ushtar extended his hand to me after saying
that. I let out a sigh of relief as I
mightily shook it. "Okay. Now, what is there to do around here?"
"Commander Lider wanted you to report to him
today, but I got him to push it back untill you get more situated."
I thought about asking Ushtar what he meant by
report, but instead I decided to be funny.
"Okay. Now, what is there to
do around here?"
Ushtar looked me up and down and said, "You
look like you haven't showered in a couple of days."
I shrugged and said, "I haven't."
"Did you not think of it, is Rinoa monopolizing
the bathroom, or?"
"I actually haven't been in the room you got
us."
"Why not?"
The answer to this was so obvious to me, but it took
me a moment to find it and then say it.
"I haven't talked to Rinoa since she shoved us aside and closed the
door on us. I'm kind of afraid to do so
because, in my limited experience with her, I've never been able to adequately
handle Rinoa when I've pissed her off."
Much like I had no sympathy for his stupidity last
night, Ushtar had no sympathy for what I had just said. "Hato, that is not a good excuse. You need to go upstairs and talk to Rinoa,
now. I can't arrange another room for
you, I just spent the morning trying to do that. Also, you are not going out with me untill
you get showered. So, go up there,
convince Rinoa to at least let you take a shower, ask her about going to get
clothes, and be back here in an hour."
I didn't really question what Ushtar was telling me
to do, I just turned around and started doing it. It wasn't untill the elevator doors closed
that I realized what I was doing, and questioned why I hadn't done it
before. Yet, I continued doing it. Maybe that's why Ushtar Alie is a
Captain. He can get people to do what
they are absolutely dreading doing.
Later.
Hato Shurtleff
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