"I remember everything."
Alicia steps forward.
The human barricade parts for her without hesitation, like an automatic door responding to its rightful owner.
Captain Chambers' expression flickers between relief and anxiety.
"Everything, Chief? You remember everything?" His voice trembles with anticipation. "So you remember that you are our Chief? You can return to work immediately?"
Hope surges through him.
Desperate hope.
Alicia inhales slowly.
"Captain, I apologize if I was not clear earlier. Let me explain. Please, let us all sit."
She walks to the living room sofa and takes a seat without rushing.
She waits.
Captain Chambers stands frozen for half a second.
Then he quickly follows and sits across from her.
Arthur does not sit.
He knows this conversation is not his. But he also knows Captain Chambers is unstable. So he positions himself beside the sofa.
Crossing his hands.
Standing.
Watching.
Liam understands immediately that this is no longer his battlefield.
