𝐒𝐔𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐈𝐂, bradley rooster bradshaw

006 ━ to love and aid

CHAPTER SIX
━━ when i count my blessings, i know where to start
he might not hold my hand no more
but he'll always, always hold my heart

Sage Ruiz used to have a routine.

For a long while she ignored it. She woke up whenever she wanted, wore whatever she wanted, ate whenever she felt like— and it was easy. But now, being back at TOP GUN made her jump right back to routine. She'd rise with the sun, freshen up and get into uniform, have a nice hot cup of black coffee and head off to base. It was oddly easier, and comfortable.

Hopping about the bathroom, she held tightly onto the shower bar before moving herself to the sink. She steadied herself by leaning her left side on the counter as she wiped off the mist from the mirror. This part never changed since the crash.

She wiped herself dry with her towel, lifting a part of her bathrobe off her amputated limb to dry it. Stretching slightly, she did the rest of her routine. A knock on her door stopped her midway; "Coming!"

Holding onto the walls— knowing it would take too long to put on her prosthetic leg— she hopped to her bedroom door.

"Hi sweetie," Sarah greeted with a warm smile as Sage beckoned her in. "I'm sorry for interrupting but I just wanted to talk to you."

"That's fine, you're fine. Nothing you haven't seen anyway," the younger woman joked, making her aunt laugh. Sarah grinned, holding in whatever tears that might show.

After what felt like forever, her niece looked happy. She wasn't fully recovered from it all, but Sarah was more than grateful that she was slowly shining again. Sage sat herself down by her dresser, turning to face her bed as Sarah sat by the edge facing her as well.

"What did you want to talk about?"

She rubbed lotion over her scars, not bothering to look at them. She remembered when she drunkenly thought burning them would make them go away.

"Tom isn't doing so well, you know?"

Sage gulped, looking down at her lap. She held her hands together, willing herself to not think of anything else.

"There's nothing anyone can do, Sage," her voice cracked, tears welling in her eyes. Sage knew she was trying to be strong. Not only for Tom, but for her kids and even Sage herself.

Leaning over to hold the edge of the bed for support, Sage moved herself to sit beside her aunt. With a shaky breath, she wrapped her arms around her.

"I'm scared," her aunt whispered, silent tears falling from eyes. "I don't know what I'd do without him."

Sage bit her lip and kept her face hidden behind her aunt. She didn't know either. Uncle Ice was the only man to show up for her in her life. He was her uncle biologically, but to her he's her father. And to not have him to fall back to is like burning in.

God, she didn't want to ever burn in again.

"I know. I'm so sorry," Sage whispered back, nuzzling her face into Sarah's shoulder.

As the two women sat there in silence and tears, Iceman was downstairs with Maverick in his office.

"How are we gonna get our girl to fly again, Ice? I need her up there with me, not on the grounds hovering paperwork," Maverick sighed.

Iceman sat in thought. He refused to entertain Maverick when he wanted to talk about their personal lives, wanting to talk about work instead. So after Maverick talked about his students, he came back to Sage. If there was anything he wanted for his niece it would be for her to soar in the skies again. The place she once claimed to be her safe haven, that tore her apart. Even then, she pulled herself back together. He was there, not to judge her for her past mistakes or condemn her for something that was out of her control— but to love and aid her.