Sub Three was falling like a rock down the walls of the Abyss. Coffey was inside the darkness, now snapped out of his sickness and scared as hell.
The air grew tighter. He looked around at the darkness and prayed to God his death would be quick, and also he prayed to Bud and Lindsey, telling them how sorry he was for what he did.
He then saw the pod's window starting to crack. He saw the silver line spraying cold salt water on his face. His eyes went wide and with deep hate he screamed.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
Darkness.
"Hiram... Open your eyes."
Coffey's wide sea green eyes snapped open in a flash. The last thing he remembered was screaming as the water was just about to enter his pod. Now were the hell was he? He was laying on a wet floor. He stared up at the ceiling which was a bright white and purple.
"Am I dead?"
He looked himself over. He was soaked from head to toe but somehow he didn't feel cold. His shirt was torn to shreds. In one quick pull of his hand the rest of the hanging cloth was off him. He laid back down, not wanting to look around. He knew he was dead. No way anyone would live pass that.
He gave a sigh. He knew he must be in hell. Well that's were he belonged. Hell.
He laid there trying to remember his very short 33 year old life. Most Of it was being alone. The Navy and The Teams. It dawned on him that was his whole life... the God Navy.
He was always known as the cold, hard worker of the bunch and that's how he saw himself too. His parents had shipped him off when he was only ten. No family. No love. Nothing.
He was always alone and the sickness set him off. God everyone was a blur. All he remembered was feeling so sick, with his heat hurting and wanting to throw up. Also the nuke and the NTIS. How dumb could he be really? For all he knew the nuke had all ready blown and everyone was dead.
Sure he was a trained killer but he didn't like to kill and it made him sick knowing he tried to kill the guys on ship, most of all Lindsey.
Lindsey was an okay looker. Kind of on the tomboy side but pretty. The only thing he didn't like about her was her queen bitch ways, always trying to be the boss and trying to out smart eveyone.
God. Did he try and kill her? The last good thing that was in his mind was her eyes looking down at him before he dropped off; her soft beautiful brown eyes.
He knew deep down inside she knew he had snapped out of it. God he wished she was okay.
Coffey laid there for a long time when he felt eyes on him. Slowly he turned his head to the right. He drew in a quick breath and his heart froze. Instead of a wall being there, there was what looked like a glass tank. The kind you look in at Sea World.
He saw the dark ocean outside... and the NTIS.
His eyes grew wide and he tried to lay still. They looked in at him with their glowing eyes, almost as if watching him.
Coffey felt scared to death. He slowly stood up, shaking and almost falling. He stared back at them.
"Hello?"
They watched him without saying a word. He looked back at them confused.
"Why are you here?"
They said nothing.
"They're here to take you home, Hiram."
Coffey turned around with a start. There stood a young man -- mid-twenties, soft brown hair and dressed all in white.
"Who are you?"
The man smiled. "You can call me John. Pleased to meet you, Hiram."
Coffey looked at the man. "Are you an angel?"
The man made small laugh. "What do you think?"
"I think you have the wrong person, man. You don't even known the mess I left back there."
The man looked at Coffey, and his eyes glowed just like the aliens outside. "Hiram. It's not your fault. You were sick. You didn't know."
"That's bullshit! I dropped the nuke! It's my fault!"
"Hiram. It was for the best that you did those things. If you hadn't then the outside will not know about them."
The man pointed to the aliens. Coffey looked at them and then turned back to the man.
"I don't get it?"
The man made a warm smile. "You will... soon. You're a good man, Hiram. You really are. You did nothing wrong... really."
"How are the others on the ship?"
"Everyone is just fine... all but one."
"Who?"
"Lindsey. She drowned when their sub broke down not long after you passed on. She gave her life up for her husband. She's going home too."
Coffey's eyes went wide again. "You mean she's dead! There's nothing you can do?"
"I'm sorry, Hiram. She's gone."
The man then pointed to the left wall and it lit up just like a TV screen. He watched it and saw everyone from the rig in the sub bay... and he saw Lindsey. She looked pale... her eyes gray. He knew she was dead. Everyone was working on her, and Bud was crying. He watched all of her loving friends try their best in bringing her back... but nothing was working. It killed him seeing Bud crying over her dead body... begging her to come back.
"It's all my fault."
"No, Hiram. It was just God's will. That's all."
Coffey watched Lindsey for a long time, feeling his heart break. Coffey felt nervous and put his fingers through his wet hair. A little fell in his left eye and he saw it was now a bright white.
"Come. Our time is short."
Coffey then started to walk to him when the man stopped and smiled. "How could I forget."
"What?"
"Before you go to heaven you get one wish. Now you can't wish yourself alive again... but you could wish to be reborn. Anything you want, Hiram... just wish it.
"Anything?"
"Anything."
Coffey then looked back at the screen. He saw everyone crying over Lindsey's dead body. He looked into Lindsey's cold gray eyes and knew what he wanted. He turned to the man.
"Bring her back."
"What?"
"Bring Lindsey back. That's what I want. Bring her back... make sure she's okay."
"Hiram this is your one wish. Are you sure?"
"You heard me. Bring her back now."
The man then smiled and Coffey then heard cries of joy behind him. He turned and watched the screen. Lindsey was breathing again. Her husbend held her tight as eveyone cried on thanking God. Coffey felt tears run down his cheeks. He then said in a low voice.
"Be happy, Lindsey. Be happy."
He then heard the man call. "There going to be just fine, Hiram. It's done with. You did your part. Now let's go."
Coffey gave a sigh and looked one last time at Lindsey and Bud. He gave a smile and then turned around and walked with the man.
Later:
Back at the Sub, Lindsey was in the Med. lab. She was resting in a bunk. She was tired and her chest hurt but somehow she felt better all over. Something had happened to her and it had changed her. She then thanked whoever saved her life... and was about to turn over for sleep when she felt something dig into her. She looked and saw it was a pair of dog tags.
"Lt. Hiram Coffey."
She gave a smile and then heard Bud enter.
THE END