127 A Little Late Blooming Edelweiss

It has been three days after Billy had been admitted to one of the most top notched hospital in the capital city of Jakarta. Not only that, he was also admitted into one of the few VIP rooms, and there were always three men guarding the room from the outside, all of them dressed in casual outfits. The date at the moment was October 2nd 2035, and was also the last day for me in Indonesia as well before I would have to go back to Stuttgart for the last formal debriefing, and then to finally return to my stationed base in Mississippi.

It was quite heart-warming once I knew that E.X.T.I.R.T would cover all of the medical expenses for all of the injuries sustained by each and every personnel involved within the operation, the same thing was also given to all of the casualties resulted. Even though I barely received any forms of serious injuries, I had had trouble getting a good and relaxing rest since the first day we arrived at the hospital, and even more so when I found out what kind of injuries that Billy had sustained after he was thrown away by the extraterrestrial behemoth.

Just a couple of hours after our arrival at late night on September 30th, three experienced surgeons took him to the operation room, where they had spent more or less ten hours conducting backbone operation from the same midnight until the midday of October 1st. Once the operations had finished, one of the surgeons went out of the operating room, looking extremely fatigued and completely drained out, as he told me about the conclusion of his condition.

First of all, he had told me that the good news was that there would be no permanent injuries for the rest of his life. The operation was a success, and no internal tissues, or any organs had been interrupted due to the side effects of the operation. However, he had also told me about the bad news, which was a permanent long scar across his back, which might possibly shaped like a fishbone since it had been impossible for any surgeon to fully recover the patient's state of backbone without leaving any permanent scar due to the severe state of the injuries.

At first, I did not really understand what kind of injuries that he had suffered that he would have to have a permanent long scar on his back, until I received the X-Ray results for his backbone for both before and after the operation on late night of October 1st. I had to hold my breaths for a few times as I saw them, especially when I read the word 'shattered backbones on six different points'. To say the least, each time I looked at the shattered points on his backbone, I felt like I had that same part of my backbone aching for a brief moment. Even though I did not know for sure, I knew that it would be best for Jessica to not see them, at least not through someone showing those to her.

For my injuries on the other hand, they were barely anything compared to what Billy was going through. Apparently, the strong grip of that extraterrestrial behemoth on both of my feet dislocated few of the muscles there, which were all quickly handled through a small operation. The only consequence for me was that I would not be able to run without feeling a terrible sharp pain on both of my feet for the rest of the month, and also not being able to wear any footwear during that time period since I was restricted to remove the bandages covering them.

That being said, Billy had yet to wake up again after the sedation process, and I began to wonder if he would wake up by the time I had to go in about thirty minutes. The clock on the room right above me was then showing the time 03.31 p.m., and each tick of a second felt like it gave me a moment closer to saying goodbye to him before he woke up. I also wondered if Jessica would be able to come back again before I had to go, because she might not have enough sleep since the two of us had waited until Billy's operation had finished before she decided to book for a hotel nearby to get some sleep.

However, just as I was thinking about her, the door to the room suddenly opened up, and before I knew it, she came in right before my eyes as she quickly closed the door. I did not know what I was thinking right at that exact moment, but as soon as she came in both of my legs suddenly made me to get up from my chair. Of course, it made her looked at me in reflex, probably thinking why I suddenly got up just as she came in.

Jessica... I had never seen her looking so gorgeous, even when she apparently barely wearing any make up on her. She stood right there just less than four feet away from me, wearing a long sleeved and unbuttoned violet cardigan, with a low necked brown cropped tank top that exposed a little part of her smooth light golden brown skinned body, before it was covered again with her skinny fit high waisted dark blue jeans. Her crimson high heels high top sneakers just added more perfection to her overall stunning appearance, and since I was not wearing any footwear at the moment, she nearly stood as tall as me.

"Hi…" she greeted me, somehow looking a little bit nervous and her face a little red.

"Uh huh…" I responded to her quickly, as I had my heart beating a little faster. "You looked like you could sleep well…"

"Really?" she chuckled, but still with a little nervousness in her tone. "Then I guess I had not grown out my eye bags after all."

I noticed that she was holding a couple of flower bouquets, with one on her left hand more abundant the other on her right hand, but nevertheless they both seemed to be of one and the same kind, just with different colors – white on her left hand, and red on her right hand. I knew that one would definitely be for Billy, since there was an empty vase on the table right beside the chair where I had sat on earlier, but I could not stop myself from wondering what or who the other would be for.

"Gorgeous flowers…" I said as I smiled and looked at the flowers she held.

"Oh, right…" she quickly responded, stuttering a little, "I have to put this on the vase…"

I could not stop but to look at how the flowers just fit her overall appearance from the top to bottom. It was like if there was a same kind of flower somewhere and there was also her standing beside it, it would seem that if someone were to pick the flower and give it to someone, it must be for her.

"That is a-" I was about to say the name of the flower, before she cut my words off.

"Edelweiss…" she answered as she was still putting the white ones on the vase. "There was a small flower shop just beside the hotel I stayed in, and just my luck, the lady inside the shop said that there was a couple of late bloomer Edelweiss, and since there were only two left, she gave me a good discount."

She was right though. If I had to come and think of it, as far as I knew Edelweiss usually bloomed from early May to the middle of September. I guessed that there were some very few kinds of Edelweiss that could bloom a little late after all. Then, there was a brief moment of awkwardness between us as there was nothing else that I could say to her, and besides, the fact that my heart was beating yet a little faster again did not help at all.

Fortunately, she told me several things that she had to do starting the next day, especially about the archeological findings. Apparently, she would have to stay for another two days since the representatives of the National Board of Archeologists would like to meet with her and asked her further about the ancient megalithic traces back on the mountains.

I asked her how important it might be, to which she said that it could shake the whole national records on prehistory, and not only that, another full scale archeological investigation would most likely be conducted thanks to the pictures of the three artifacts that we managed to take directly from there, with her as one of the direct supervisor for the investigation. I could only nod on what she said, since I knew full well she deserved all of her achievements. Then, as she finally finished telling me what was in store for her in the near future, her face gradually became sad as she looked at me straight in the eyes.

"You are… about to leave soon and go back to the U.S. again after this, right?" she continued by asking with a rather sad tone as she looked at the clock.

"I guess Commodore Quentin has already told you, then…" I answered to her as I forced myself to smile and sighed.

"So, I thought that I can give this one for you…" she said as she gave me the red edelweiss, as she seemingly fidgeting her finger a little. "I hope that you will consider it as my… farewell gift to you…"

"You know…" I responded to her right away, somehow suddenly with a weight in my heart, "My mom loves Edelweiss so much. I bet she will be really happy if the two of you can meet one day…"

She immediately smiled, but somehow I could also see that she was holding back her tears. I put the red Edelweiss gently on the table, just as I remembered that I was wearing an emerald rosary necklace given to me by mom back when I had just graduated from the Navy Officer Candidate School. I slowly removed the rosary necklace as I stepped closer to her, and of course with my heart beating faster in every step, before I proceeded to put it on her smooth neck.

"This necklace…" I said, as I was struggling really hard in staying calm, "She gave it to me right after I graduated from the Navy OCS…"

"Travis…" she responded, in a very soft and sweet but a little trembling voice.

"I hope you do not mind if I give it to you, okay?" I continued, as I caressed her cheek with my right hand as gently as I could. "My apologies for being selfish but… I want you to always remember me through that necklace…"

She was not saying anything and just kept on looking both of my eyes with her watery and shining black eyes. I then mustered up my courage as I leaned in closer to her forehead, tiptoed a little, and kissed her forehead gently as I closed my eyes for a few moments. After about five ticks were heard from the clock above us, I slowly pulled myself away from her as I nodded once and forced myself again to smile, before I began to head for the door.

"Until we meet again…" I said with a low voice, as I slowly pulled my hands away from her cheek and looked to the clock which showed the time 03.57 p.m., as I was about to reach the red Edelweiss on the table again.

Just as I was about to walk away, she held my left hand with her right hand, and still looked at me in the eyes before she then stepped closer towards me quickly, and held the back of my head with both of her hands softly before she reached for my lips, locking them with hers.

'Wha-?! Jess…' I thought to myself.

Her sweet, fragrant smell, her smooth skin, those tempting lips, and the exposed little part of her body made me failed miserably in containing my composure. I slowly closed my eyes, while I somehow had both of my hands holding on her exposed body in reflex, and thought to myself how I lucky I must be to share my first experience on the current situation with her.

'Forgive me, Jess…' I thought to myself, finally holding her a little more firmly, as we still had our lips locked with each other. 'I think I will not be able to stop myself anymore…'

.

.

.

"Ga-urgh… go get a room, you asshole…" said a very familiar voice from inside the room, all of a sudden.

Billy's sudden awakening made both Jessica and I extremely shocked to the point that we nearly jumped backwards at the same time. Nevertheless, she could not contain her happiness upon seeing her best friend already waking up as she rushed quickly beside his bed and hugged him gently so to not hurting him.

"Come on… I woke up with all of these… pains and aches all across my body, and the first thing I see with… my own eyes, is a fresh couple kissing?" Billy complained in an upset tone and a little trouble speaking clearly. "Give me… a break…"

"Ha… haha... do not you think you are little late in waking up?" I asked him, as I could also barely contain the happiness in me upon seeing him finally regained his consciousness.

"Said the guy… who arrived a little late… in finding me… under the tree…" he replied to me, as he also finally chuckled.

I really wished I could stay by his side just a little longer, but unfortunately one of the guards outside knocked the door and asked for me to come outside since Commodore Quentin had been waiting. I quickly grabbed the red Edelweiss on the table before saying my goodbye to both Billy and Jessica.

"Bill, Jess, I-" I proceeded to approach his bed and her as well, as I was about to say my goodbye before Jessica then cut off my words, by reaching for my lips again but only for about three seconds.

"We will be fine here, Travis…" she said to me softly as she pulled her hands off my left cheek.

"Yeah, until we meet again, Black Caiman…" he also said to me as he winked softly.

As I finally went outside and closed the door, I realized that Commodore Quentin had been waiting right beside the door all along. Also, for some reason I somehow thought that the guards were holding their laughs, although it could also be only in my imagination. The two of us then proceeded our way to the nearest stairs, but just as we arrived right in front of the washroom, he told me if I wanted to see something wrong on my face.

"You may want to see that there is something slightly wrong on your face, son…" he said as he cleared his throat and leaned against the wall.

I was confused by his words, but still went inside the washroom nonetheless to see what was wrong with my face through the mirror. As soon as I looked at my own reflection, I was surprised to see that there was a slight lip gloss mark on the upper part of my lips. I quickly wiped it off with the tap water as my whole mind was filled with embarrassment upon the realization that the guards were holding their laughter because they had an idea of what had been going on inside the room. That being said, Commodore Quentin also definitely knew about it as well.

"First time?" he chuckled as I quickly rushed outside from the washroom and still feeling embarrassed. "Next time, learn to be more discreet, son."

"I appreciate the concern, Sir…" I responded to him, not knowing what else to say.

"One more thing… your girl handed me her personal contact card as an official member of the National Board of Archeologists." he continued and handed me a small card. "She gave it in case the E.X.T.I.R.T wanted to contact the Board directly, but I figured out that for now you will need it more than we do…"

I immediately figured out that he meant to give me her personal contact number, since I still had not had the chance to ask her directly about it. By having her number, I would not need to worry when I could see her face and listen to her voice anymore.

"Wow… thank you, Sir!" I said to him, suddenly with some happiness feeling inside me.

"Yeah… I figured out that it is about time you deserved someone to help you taking care of yourself, anyway…" he responded to me as he smiled and kept on going down the stairs.

Another extraterrestrial threat had finally ended for real, and I also had both my new friend, and well… love interest… survived the ordeal. With the end of the recent incident I began to wonder however, if there would be another similar incident in the near future. Nevertheless, if that were indeed to happen, I supposed that mankind would be able to counter it, no matter what the costs and consequences were, for by then we would definitely have our own way to defend ourselves from the guests from out there…