"Are you sure? It's a long way down."
"I'm sure, Dad. I'm the only one who can do it," David pleaded.
John looked around to the Rangers but none of them were close enough
to hear the conversation. Everyone knew the situation was dire.
John nodded, "All right. I'll be here the whole time."
"Thanks, Dad. I won't let you down." The nine-year-old turned to
the Minbari with the harness, who had been awaiting the decision.
John monitored from the distance as his son's straps were attached.
The situation was an accident, unforeseeable by anyone. David and
his friend, Jadier, had gone with the Ranger bodyguards for some fun
on snow-covered ice. They found an embankment that was not too far
a walk. What they did not know, or see, was the crevice on the walk
back up the hill. Jadier had simply disappeared from David's side.
Jadier was a Minbari of David's age. His father was of the warrior
caste and his mother, the religious. Jadier's father decided to
transfer to the Rangers a few years before. When David and Jadier
met at a Ranger function, they had become fast friends. It was a
relief for John that his son had a best friend. The youngster had
many other friends, but no one with whom he was as close.
When John heard about what happened, he had immediately left for the
scene. Several worker caste Minbari, engineers, had also been
alerted and were taking measurements, doing their best to rescue the
youngster. Enlarging the hole had been out of the question, the
embankment developed a long, horizontal crack that threatened to
cave in, forever entombing Jadier.
The young Minbari had been in the hole for two hours. Blankets had
been tossed down to him but he was still cold in the subfreezing
temperatures. He was on an ice shelf, and it was beginning to
crack, but the crack was still too small for him to fall through.
As time passed, the danger increased.
John and David had been watching, off to the side. Delenn would
have been there, too, had she not been offworld. She was also
completely out of reach, something about a solar flare and some
asteroids. On being approached by the Minbari workers for David's
help, John had been so hesitant. The plan could fail, or something
could further go wrong and they might lose both boys.
It was his son's determined voice that convinced John, so like
Delenn's. Not a waver from the treble voice, just a promise. He
knew he would have to cut the strings and let go of his son some
day, but he wasn't counting on that day being today.
Twenty minutes after David's descent, there was no news, John began
to worry. He had to keep his distance for the stability of the
ice. "Oh God," he groaned to any deity that might be
listening, "Please. Please help him do this. Please keep both
those boys safe."
He turned and waved over Ranger Mitch Baldwin. "Yes, sir?"
"Let me have your radio, would you? I don't know why I didn't think
of that before."
"Of course, sir." Ranger Baldwin reconfigured his radio and set up
the President, even though he was sure Sheridan could do it himself.
Finally, over the radio was heard, "We have them, repeat, we have
them, both juveniles are above ground and on the safetyzone."
John had seen the boys lifted out of the hole and it was hard as
Hell not to move a muscle, crawling over the ice to get to his son.
He wouldn't risk it, for all the need that was in him, he was going
to make sure not to endanger anyone else. Followed closely by
Ranger Baldwin, he made his way around the circumference of the ice
to his son, thanking God the entire way.
"Hi, Dad. See? I did it." David smiled.
"Oh, you sure did. I am proud of you, as always." John hugged David
to him. He saw Jadier being embraced by his parents, also, and
hugged his son still tighter.
"I think I'm ready to go home." David said.
"Don't you want to say good night to Jadier?" John offered.
"I did. On the way up. We agreed though, he has to be with his
parents tonight, same as I have got to be with you. Maybe we could
have something good when we get home?" The boy asked.
"Sure, what?"
"Ice cream." David began laughing at his father's expression as
they walked back to the Compound hand in hand.
The End
Author's Chapter Notes:
Standard disclaimers apply. Sorry about any errors, I know they're out there. Also sorry about the not standard disclaimer presentation but I was in a hurry. You all know the general drill—not done for money, characters not mine except for those that are original.