Time To Move On

Posted on Thu Sep 22nd, 2011 @ 7:17am by Lieutenant James Holbridge

HOLBRIDGE FAMILY QUARTERS
DECK 24


Jim knew his days of lying were over for sure. He had been harboring doubts about his path in the Fighter Corps for weeks, and this last assault on his being was the icing on a very foul-tasting cake. He rolled out of bed, away from the slumbering warm form of his ex-wife (soon to be just "wife") and padded down stairs into his kitchen, He walked over to the wall replicator and whispered "Grilled ham and cheese sandwich, pepper jack cheese, warm." The food appeared and Jim quickly took a bite. He wasn't supposed to snack at midnight but getting up every three hours to relieve his bladder was work!

"Mom's gonna cut yer nuts off, Dad!" Little Jimmy Holbridge said quietly from the table.

"You don't talk about your momma like that, boy!" Jim said sharply, thumping his son alongside his head.

Jimmy rubbed the side of his head. "I'm just saying you're not supposed to eat at night."

"When you are a doctor, you can tell me what to do! As I recall I am your father, not vice-versa." Jim squinted at his son. "What in the hell are you doin up at 2 a.m.?"

"Couldn't sleep, so I came and got a snack and decided to read some more!" The boy held up his textbook from school, a history text.

"History was my favorite subject, son. Before I became a pilot, I was going to be a exo-geologist. I was going to get my doctorate then work for Grandpa finding rare minerals for the corporation to mine. But Uncle George kinda stole my thunder and stepped into that position..." Jim looked down and saw that the little boy had fallen asleep while he was talking. Jim quietly picked up the boy and took him back into his room, carefully avoiding the small toy landmines designed to sting the hell out of his bare foot. Theelder Holbridge quietly laid his son down in his bed, then pulled the covers snug around him.

After leaving the boy's room, Jim quietly looked in on his twin daughters, the current terrors of his life. His girls had their mother's angelic looks and their father's penchant for getting into mischief. The girls had planted itching beetles in the desk of an unpopular teacher and laughed themselves silly as the teacher danced and howled his indignation. Jim had been called to the school and the principal had threatened expulsion, but a few words from Jim had smoothed the whole thing over. After the meeting, Jim had taken the girls out for iced Betazoid chocolate as a reward for adjusting the arrogant prick-teacher's attitude. "Nobody messes with a Holbridge, especially my two ladies!" Jim had smiled.

Now the girls were fast asleep, each one snoring softly as did their mother, who had magically appeared beside Jim. The taller man quietly put his arm around his wife's waist, hugging her form close. Tricia hugged back. "There's a hole in our bed that only you can fill, babe," Tricia said quietly, leading her man away from the girls' room.

"I can't sleep, hun. The mugging is on my mind, along with the accident. I almost left you guys alone again, but this time I wasn't off gallivanting with the boys celebrating some bullshit flying milestone."

Tricia pulled Jim to the couch, then laid her head on his hairy chest. "I know that your days in a squadron meant a lot to you, honey, and that this command tour hasn't gone like it's supposed to, but out here there is little need for aces that can fly like you can. You talked with Admiral Wegener some time back, didn't you? Why not take him up on his offer and become a member of his senior staff?"

Jim nodded his head sleepily. "I think I'll do that in the morning....after breakfast....."
Jim was off the duty roster until his next scheduled check-up. He very quickly fell asleep with his wife's warm form on his. Tricia smiled to herself as she let sleep overtake her as well. She had her husband out of harm's way, or so she thought.

MCPT James Holbridge
Ex-Vampire Squadron CMDR
Starbase 900