Persistence of Vision

  ***

  Maggie didn’t know how many hours she’d been practicing with Nat when Joan came in. She told them that dinner would be served soon but that Doc wanted Maggie to swing by Medical first. Then she took a closer look at Maggie.

  “You all right, Maggie? You don’t look so good.”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Just tired.”

  “She really ought to practice up until dinner.”

  Joan glared at Nat. “Well, she can’t. Doc needs her, and she’s obviously exhausted. We aren’t leaving for two more days. She can practice more tomorrow.” Without another word, Joan put an arm around Maggie and guided her toward the door.

  Once they got out into the corridor, she turned Maggie to face her. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “Yes, of course. I’ve just been at this all day.”

  Joan scrutinized her before nodding. “I’m sorry I can’t go with you. I need to find Lila. Will you be okay getting to Medical by yourself?”

  Maggie forced a laugh. “Of course I will be. Stop worrying.” She gave Joan a quick hug. “Go find Lila.”

  She watched Joan go around the corner before turning to go to Medical. She didn’t want Joan to know how exhausted she really was. She trudged through the corridors, concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other. Had Medical always been this far from the cargo bay?

  As Maggie neared the door to Medical, she heard voices she immediately recognized.

  “Marcus. Think we ought to talk sometime? Haven’t seen you in ten years.”

  “Whose fault is that?” Marcus sounded angry.

  “Not yours. Of course. But we’re here now.”

  “You mean you’re here now.”

  Maggie peaked around the corner to see David nod.

  “So you are.” Marcus turned toward a door across the room from Maggie.

  “Can’t you just…curse? Or fight? Or something other than this…silent treatment?”

  Marcus turned his head to the side but kept his body facing toward the door. “You want me to do something to make you feel better?” he asked quietly.

  “No. I want you to get it out. Know you hate me—”

  Maggie saw Marcus shut his eyes, face pained.

  “Know you’re angry…rightfully so. But isn’t it…better to get it out now before you go on…mission where you need to be…emotionally stable?”

  Marcus did turn toward David then, eyes flaring. “Don’t tell me how I need to be on a mission. You know nothing about it.”

  “Know you’re already…unstable anyway. Because of her.”

  Marcus clenched his fists. “Excuse me?”

  “Maggie. You have…feelings for her. You have feelings for her, and she doesn’t remember you.”

  Marcus’s jaw clenched and his arms shook.

  David took a deep breath and shook his head. “Not a good idea, Marcus. You must…understand what her…role in the prophecy is.”

  “I know what her role in the prophecy is!”

  “She’ll…die trying to bring down the Unions. That’s…understood.”

  “That’s your prophecy, not mine. And I do not accept that.”

  David shook his head again. “No. It’s not one prophecy or the other, Marcus. That’s what…trying to tell you. If we…the Uni—collectives, win, it’s because they’ll kill her to make sure she can’t destroy them. If you win, she’ll destroy herself bringing down the…collectives. Either way, your feelings…putting the team and the mission at stake.”

  “I won’t let her die.” Marcus grated through clenched teeth. Even from her hiding place, Maggie could see that his vision was misty.

  “Everyone dies sometime,” David said quietly.

  “That’s easy for you to say. You haven’t been around. You weren’t there when our father died. He whispered your name—yours and our mother’s—on his death pallet. But you couldn’t deal with emotion, good or bad, so you took the coward’s way out and chose not to deal with it at all.”

  “Yes. And we make no excuses for that.”

  Marcus stared at his younger brother, tears escaping down his cheeks. “No excuses, or no apologies?”

  David sighed. “Neither. Don’t regret what…happened. Maybe it was the cowardly thing to do, but…was what we had to do. Was logical. Easier to live in a collective mind. We still believe that.”

  “Then why come out at all?”

  “Because what they’re doing isn’t right!”

  David made the outcry while looking Marcus straight in the eye. It was the first full sentence Maggie had heard David say with that kind of conviction. He immediately looked wary and lowered his voice.

  “Father instilled a sense of morality that…couldn’t ignore. Marcus”—David stepped closer to Marcus and put a hand on his own chest—“know how much wrong has been done to…you. And father. He’s gone now, and…can never make amends to him, but…here with you, now. Don’t expect you to trust or like…us right away. Have to earn that. But would rather you yelled and cursed—but talked—than keep…avoiding… us like this.”

  “So what? You’ve gone from being a coward to a coward with a morality complex?”

  David looked at Marcus steadily, his gaze never wavering. “If that’s the way you need to see it, then yes. Will always tell you the truth, brother. Never was a liar. Maybe a coward, but at least was…up front about it.”

  Marcus guffawed, and David held up his hands.

  “Not something to brag about, but it is the truth. And…will always give it to you straight, even when you don’t want to hear it.”

  “Leave Maggie out of this.”

  “Can’t. She’s too important. And she’s not for you.”

  Marcus clenched his teeth, balled his fist, and struck. His blow connected solidly and sent his younger brother sprawling. David twisted mid-air and landed on his side.

  Maggie clamped a hand over her mouth and hid behind the wall again, praying neither of the men had heard her. She held her breath, wondering if she should intervene, but something told her this was a situation that needed to remain between brothers. After twenty seconds, Maggie gathered her courage and peered into the room again. Neither brother was looking in her direction.

  David sat up on one elbow. Blood trickled from his nose, over his lips, and down his chin.

  He didn’t try to get up. He just looked at Marcus, expressionless. After a moment, he dropped his gaze. Maggie didn’t think it wasn’t out of deference but out of defeat.

  Marcus fell into a crouch at his brother’s feet. “Get up, David.” He said it quietly, but not with menace.

  David’s eyes rose to Marcus, and there was surprise in his face.

  “Get up,” he said again when David didn’t answer.

  “Why?” David muttered. “What’s the…point?”

  “If you want me to respect you and trust you as an individual, then you’ve got to start acting like one. No matter how hard it is or what the consequences are, you’ve got to get up on your own. So get up.”

  David stared at the ground for several seconds, and Maggie didn’t think he would do it. Finally he turned over and pushed himself up onto all fours. He stayed there for several seconds. Then he sat back on his knees and slowly dragged one knee up until he could put his foot flat on the floor. He put his hands on his knee and tried to push himself up to his feet. It took several tries. Tears escaped his eyes and scurried down his cheeks. When he was standing straight, he lifted his chin and put his shoulders back. Only then did he turn to face Marcus.

  Maggie thought David looked a little taller. Marcus swallowed several times but didn’t say anything. He nodded at his brother then turned and left the room.