Participants:
| Scene Title | Calling Home |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Claire is unable to sleep, so she decides to make some phone calls. |
| Date | January 12, 2010 |
Night time is the worse time for Claire anymore. Unless she is completely exhausted, her mind will start to wander and dive into memories she'd rather forget. When she does sleep the nightmares come, images of moments lost to her.. Of being splayed open on the operating table while a faceless man seems to chortle excitedly as organs reform in the open cavity.
This makes for rough nights for Claire. The only person who would really know it is her bunk mate Hurmura, her ability to sense emotions would catch them all from the young woman. Terror and fear seem to be the strongest of these in the deep of night.
Her actions the day before haunt the young woman, as guilt clenches at her stomach making sleep nearly impossible. A majority of the night is spent not think to on her moment of shame when she asked Rene to wipe Magnes' memories.
Finally she just couldn't lay there anymore.
After getting up and sliding on her boots, Claire slips out of the room hoping to not wake her sleeping bunkmate. There is a suddenly need to call her mother to talk to her and hear her reassuring voice. It takes only a few minutes to get down to the phones and slip into one of the crap spaces.
Fingers punch the number she spent yesterday tracking down, she may have known about her mom before, but now… she had to go through the motions again. However, this time she did it without calling her dad.
Standing there, blue eyes stare at the metallic number pad listening to the steady ring over the hand set. There is a nervous swallow and a touch of joy as there is the tell tale clicking of someone picking up and a familiar voice. “Hello…”
“Mom! It's…”
“..you've reached the number of Sandra Bennet and Mr. Muggles” Yap yap!
It's only voicemail.
With a heavy sigh, Claire turns and leans her forehead against the cool metal of the wall, one arm resting above her head as she listens to her adoptive mother drone on about leaving name and number. When the beep finally sounds in her ear, it takes Claire a moment to speak.
“Hey mom… It's Claire.” She starts in an uplifted voice trying to keep from worrying her mother. “ Um… the thing I told you about is still going. I… don't remember how much I told you, but… we're on what will be the last mission. It's an important one. I just want you to know I love you mom.” She has to stop as a lump catches in her throat.
Claire's voice chokes up as she continues, eyes already prickling with tears. What she says next is hard for her, “I'll come see you when I get home, but I want you to do something for me. I need you to take Lyle and Mr. Muggles and go into the mountains. See if you can have dad take you camping.”
Leaning beach, head turning to glance at the door behind her, she continues. “If we fail at what we are doing… there.. well.. will be a flood, mom.” Closing her eyes, the vision showed them in the briefing seem vivid behind her lids. “ I…. know it sounds crazy. But… I just trust me mom. If it never happens then you know we did it. If the flood comes..” There is silence for a long moment as she has too work really hard nt to start crying. Then suddenly and softly, the Ex-cheerleader who has been so brave murmurs tearfully.
“I love you mom… Tell….” Again her voice catches with her emotions, “ Tell Dad… tell him I love him too? And that I understand what he went through all those years in the Company.”
Sniffling and wiping fiercely at her wet cheeks, “I've gotta go mom.. Remember.. get to safety and hope the flood never comes. Please.” Reluctantly, Claire settles the receiver back in place, she continues to hold it for a long moment, fingers curled around it tightly as if trying to hold on to that link to her mom for just a little longer.
Finally with a sigh, her hand slides away and she pushes at the door, ready to leave. However, as she starts to step out of the small cramped box of a booth, Claire pauses. Eyes stare at the floor in front of her as the need for family overwhelms her… but not just any family.
A glance down the hall, Claire slips back in and slowly shuts the door. Picking up the handset again, she hesitates for a long moment, seemingly having second thoughts. It's only a small hesitation before her fingers punch the numbers.
Swallowing nervously, Claire leans against the wall and slowly slides down to sit on the bench, as the line picks up. A smile touches her lips, something that she hasn't done in a long time, especially for the individual on the other end.
“Hi Dad…. It's Claire.”