Beyond the Horizon | Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw

Part Nine - An Admiral's Funeral

Rooster left my room around nine PM when visiting hours ended. I fell asleep shortly after, my body desperately needing rest to help recover from the emotional stress I had been under during the eventful day.

I woke up the next morning to someone calling my name repeatedly.

"Dice. Dice, come on, I need you up now." I slowly opened my eyes and saw Maverick standing over me with his hand on my shoulder. He looks as if he hasn't seen sleep in ages. Dark circles under his eyes add some color to his pale face, his hair askew. 

"Hm? What's going on?" I asked groggily. 

"We got good news and bad news. Which first?" 

"Bad first. Always," I say sadly. The feeling of impending doom intrudes my brain as I worry that something may have happened to my family, or maybe Phoenix got put in the med bay as well after her G-LOCK incident. 

He tries to lighten the mood ever so slightly, "ever the optimist, huh?" I chuckle nervously, praying to someone, anyone that his bad news doesn't confirm my suspicions. "A close friend of mine, and the man that helped me push your application forward for Top Gun, Admiral Kazansky, passed away recently and his funeral's being held today. I was hoping you'd join us. It isn't until later in the day, but I wanted you to know as soon as possible," Maverick was clearly devastated by the loss of another one of his close friends. 

"Oh God, Mav, I'm so sorry. I'll have to talk the nurses about my release when I can, but I'll be sure to join you all."

"That was the good news. I talked to the nurses before coming in and they said they're happy to release you today. Rooster's waiting outside. He'll walk you back to your dorm." He starts to walk out the door before turning around, "One more thing..."

"What's that?" I sit up in my bed.

"I don't know every detail of what happened between you and Rooster in your years at Top Gun, but it's clear that it's affecting the both of you. It's got to come to an end. I can't-," he pauses, "I won't lose two of my best pilots to some stupid rivalry."

"Sir, I can assure you, it won't get in the way." He draws his lips into a tight line before nodding once and leaving my room. 

Not having any other clothes with me, I change back into my flight suit. I quickly glance at myself in the bathroom mirror, and try to flatten out my hair a bit. On the counter of the bathroom lays a small kit consisting of a toothbrush and a small tube of toothpaste. I take advantage of it while I'm already here. Once I've finished, I gather the rest of my things, including my helmet and the cards that the team left me, leaving the balloons behind since I didn't have much space in my room for them. 

I walk out of my room and head to the nurses' station to inform them I'd be leaving. Once I finished filling out the necessary paperwork, I walked down the hallway that led to the exit.

Halfway down said hallway stood Rooster, leaning against the wall behind him, taking great interest in his shoes. I assume he heard the sound of my boots coming down the hallway as he looks up and smiles at me. 

"Hey," he greets.

"Hi." 

"Did you sleep ok? You're still feeling fine?" He starts to question. We begin to walk down the hallway at a slow pace.

"Yes, I'm fine. You know they only kept me overnight for observation."

"Yeah, I know, but..." He trails off.

"How was your night? After you left my room."

He sighs. 

"I confronted Maverick."