“Skit, who’s that in with the old man?”

Hazel and Skit were bent over one of the repeater screens in the raised area of Ops near the old mans office, watching the three green blips that marked out the course and height of Boss, Snowy and Flyboy as they flew to intercept the Howling Fuck-up Monkey fighters.

“SKIT!”

Hazel flipped the crescent shaped hole in Skits ear to get his attention.

“OW! Hurty bunny remember! What, who the what the when the why the where for now woman? ”

Skit turned away from the repeater screen and looked up at Hazel. He was still on painkillers but Hazel had the feeling he liked playing the smashed stoned rabbit for effect.

“The girl in the office with the old man, who is she?”

They both glanced through the windows of the old mans office and saw him bent over one of his own repeater screens. Standing behind him with her hand on his shoulder was a young girl. She had dark eyes like the old man and long dark hair, but Hazel knew she was not the old mans daughter as he had a picture of her on his desk. She too was pointing at the repeater screen and asking questions of the old man with the same frown of concentration on her face.

“Oh, erm, she is part of his family or something, not blood but related or some bollocks. Looks like we are flying for her as well now.” Skit added, “There will be even more of the buggers to fight now”

Hazel patted Skit on the head as he turned back to watch the show,

“Just you calm yourself little shot up bunny bag, most of the rest of the squadron are up to speed, and we will be able to put up three full sections soon so..”

Hazel had just shot a quick glance over her shoulder to the old mans office just as he had looked up. The distance to the office seemed far too great, but still the same, she felt light headed and things were slowing down but still going at the same pace. She felt like she was falling sideways and down and in every direction at once. She turned back to look as Skit who seemed now to be so far off but still sitting with her hand on his shoulder and then…

Grass. A steep bank of grass and the night wind in her fur. A massive castle above and railings at the foot of the bank below. Street lights, the moon hanging in the dark sky. A man, looking right at her, holding the railings and staring at her so hard. Behind him a young girl, dressed in black like the man, staring at her so hard.

She felt odd, her arms felt too short and her legs were all bunched up underneath her,

“Is this, this is. Real. Is it?”

She could feel Skits shoulder under her hand and she squeezed hard. She opened her eyes again and could see him looking up at her concerned, and the bank of grass overlaid on top and her head was spinning and she was seeing two things that had no right to be in the same place, but they were real! No! One of these is where I belong but what, which, god I’m lost!

“You look like shit, fancy some air?”

With that skit got her under the arms and took her quickly out into the bright sunshine and leant her against the ops bunker wall. Hazel could see the sun and the moon and the bank and the man and the fighters parked at dispersal in the distance and feel the night wind and the afternoon sun and

“Skit, hit me for fucks sake! Slap me hard now please!”

“Eh? We haven’t even been on a date yet! You sure? You look a bit bad but I hardly think a quick..”

“DO IT YOU PRICK!”

Skit slapped her hard on the right cheek. Hazel felt the sting and spun round and felt the hard bunker wall on her hands, tasted blood in her mouth, and it was gone. No spinning, no grass, no wind. Just bright sunshine and bunkers, and Skit looking rather guilty.

“What was that all about? You looked ill and crazy, you wanna watch that or I’ll set my lawyers on ya” Skit said looking embarrassed. “Hazel?”

“I could see something! Skit, I saw something that was real or, was a place or, or…”

“What? What did you see?”

“I saw…”

And she realised it had gone – totally gone. Leaving behind the emotion but no memory. She felt scared and cheated. She felt like she needed a drink.

“Hey!” said Skit narrowing his eyes “Have you been at my prescription meds?”

They both started to laugh.

“Fuck you bunny boy, lets get a drink and go see how Boss and the newbies are getting on.”