Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Learning to Live: Everything In Between

Started a new story. . . got addicted to LOST and then this Desmond/Penny story started to form and wouldn't let go until I started writing it. 
Twenty hours off the island…

Waking with a startled jolt, the sun filtered into the quiet but warm room. It took a moment to blink away the sleep and jumble of thoughts and dreams that came with it.

I kept having the most vivid dreams all night that Charlie was calling out to me with excitement as I stood on the platform. I quickly ran towards the room, in hopes that he would tell me that he had found a way to turn off the blocked transmitter and had succeeded in finding a way to get us all off the island. When the door closed with a resounding thud, it was then that I knew that it wasn’t possible for both of us to leave.

Trying my hardest, I wanted him to open that door or find a way to crawl out the now shattered, but only window in the room. As my heart sunk, I knew that wasn’t going to happen. He struggled to keep his head above the water as he wrote something on his hand and put it up to the door window.

Three simple words were written in black sharpie: Not Penny’s boat. I read the words back as he nodded in warning and disappeared into the water that had filled the room.

Penny.

The shock was apparent on both of our faces as we met for the first time in three years. I climbed up that ladder faster than my body would work. As I was making my way up, I paused to say a silent thank you to Charlie, because without him this moment wouldn’t be possible.

Then again as I ran my hand over the other side of the bed, I felt like I was only dreaming. Then the bathroom door opened and Penny came out wearing a red silk nightgown.

“You’re awake.” She leaned against the doorframe, with a grin that only added to her beauty. “How did you sleep?”

Slowly sitting up, I put my pillow behind me for support. “I almost forgot what it was like to sleep in a real bed.”

She smiled again. “It seems like you needed it. You’ve been asleep for almost twenty hours.” 

“Twenty? Well that’s almost a full day gone.”

“Give or take. It is a new day, however.” Gesturing towards the clock on her side of the bed, I found her to be right—it was a new day; 8:15 to be exact.

I flipped back the covers and felt my balance falter as I stood. Penny was instantly beside me: her arm tucked under mine. “I think I stood too quickly, that’s all.”

Who was I kidding? Penny was a smart woman, who knew when I was feeding her a lie. “Sit.” She rubbed at her forehead as I sat down on the edge of the bed. “I knew that we should have had someone check you out after you got off the boat.”

“I’m fine—just feeling like I’m still on the boat.” 

“That and you’ve just been lying in bed for the past twenty hours.”

“There is that.” Collecting my thoughts to what I could possibly add, was when my mind started racing with questions, thoughts, doubts and everything in between.“Thank you, Penny.”

“For what?”

“For finding me.” I rubbed my thumb over her cheek, and she closed her eyes momentarily—her hand settling over mine.

“You know how I told you that I had a tracking station?” I gave a nod. “When you called from the location of the boat you were on—I was able to pinpoint an exact location of where you were.”

“I remember you telling me that on the boat, but it all feels like a blur now.”

“You’re probably still in shock.”

“You really have been doing your research.”

“I wanted to be properly motivated when you came back to me.”

Scrubbing my hand over my face, I perked my head up at the scent that wafted up the stairs. “Is that coffee?”

“I have breakfast cooking downstairs.” Pausing, she nodded and stood up slowly. “I should probably go stir it before everything burns.”

Adjusting on the edge of the bed, I resisted the urge to rub away the headache that was had been forming, long before I woke. “I’ll be down in a few minutes.” As she turned back to me with that intense expression, I nodded in reassurance and she reluctantly left the room. 

1 comment:

  1. Aw, I love these two! Desmond is probably my second or third favorite character. It's just lovely, I can't wait to read more! -Lindsie

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