The morning after

Dreadful figures flashed in Thierry's head, a fat drop of sweat flowed from his forehead down to his chin. He looked at the dark clock, 6 AM printed in fluo green light. Thierry gritted his teeth, everything happened. From the Alice incident, the escape, his soldiers, Karin, the station attack. He clamped his fist and prepared to hit the damn table.

"Good morning Officer Blank," Amadea, the ship's AI inquired "Would you like me to prepare breakfast? Would you like a coffee with it?"

Thierry's fist softened, "'Morning Amadea, I," He paused, he had to act tough, even in front of an AI "Yes, I would love some coffee, with sugar please." A small beeping sound could be heard as Amadea gradually switched the lights on.

"Understood Officer Blank, Alice is in her room, she didn't manage to sleep, I tried to convince her to get out of her bed but to no avail, I would recommend visiting her before heading to the cantina."

Alice. This sweet little thing that Thierry loved to grew up with, she didn't get much sleep either. I hope she is okay. He had to see her.

The poor little thing didn't get any sleep at all in fact. She spent the whole night even if short, crying. Submerged by emotions from what happened a few hours ago with Thierry to the awareness of what happened at the station. Between the heat in her stomach and on her small chest and very worrying nature. Alice was torn in a storm of emotions she failed to keep in. It resulted in hours of dry tears, muffled agony, and unreasonable thought. Despite Amadea's reach, and even chatting with her for an hour or so, she still felt this pain in the back of her wet throat and butterflies in her belly. Amadea, that does not understand emotions, and after running a quick diagnosis, ran her programs to cheer her up. After several failures, she did what her programming told her to do, seek for help. Yet, Officer Blank, even if agitated, was asleep and miss Black, Karin being her first name, slept like a log while snoring like an Irish drunken man. Her remaining option was to send a message and wait for a response or wait for one of them to wake up. No matter what she chose Alice would have had, in her perspective as an AI, to suffer longer. She sent her message to Lin's station but considering how far away the station is, it would take 7.8 hours, and on the assumption that they would answer immediately. The AI then went to sleep mode awaiting new input.

Thierry entered the room. Alice stood there, her cheeks wet, sat on the bed, looking at the wall. "Alice," my dear Alice, he thought. "Are you okay?" Before Thierry even managed to follow it up, Alice's eyes went wide as she understood who saw her like that. She jumped on her bed and found much-needed support her head shoved in a pillow, now the rest of the world won't see her anymore. Thierry didn't move an inch as the sudden vigor she showed after being still for a few awkward seconds when he entered the room.

"Alice," he sat on the bed next to her. "We will fight through this, together, I couldn't sleep too, please, look at me." She didn't flinch. Even if her heart was beating wildly after he said the word "together." She was ashamed, she had no idea why but didn't want to be seen like this, she didn't want to be a burden, she had to stay strong. She gasped. Her eyes opened, only to see the chest of the one she loves dearly. Thierry took her head and embraced her in a cuddle. They stayed like that for a minute. Alice's tormented face fading and letting its place to one big grin. Her face red from blushing, drool coming over from her small mouth. She had never been this happy in her life. This is everything she needed right now. "Amadea prepared breakfast for us, we should pay tribute to our men today," Thierry said before breaking their hug. She didn't want it to stop. She would have loved to retain him with her arms, yet she had not the strength to do it. Yet she drought her cheeks, dressed up, and made her way to the cantina. WAIT?! Was she only in her PJ's when Thierry walked in?!