Healing

Sally slammed her staff into a target, dodged to the side, and then broke into a sprint. Her simple cloth garments allowed her complete freedom of movement. Move. Strike. Move. She fought her way through the course again and again. With a yell she swung and struck with such force that she felt the vibrations up her arms.
Finally, she had to stop. Her body was exhausted and she was breathing so hard she thought she was going to faint. She staggered to her room and collapsed on the floor before she could make it to her sleeping mat.
She eventually drifted off to sleep, and her mind floated back to Cherri: The once tranquil place where she had lived many days full of sunshine, laughter, and clean running streams. But she was there the day it all ended. She experienced again the plasma bombs raining down like meteors, her village going up in flames, the screams of the dying, and the smell of smoking flesh.
* * *
Sally was jerked back to a groggy half-sleep by a pounding on the door.
“Sally?” she heard Jim ask
“Go away.”
* * *
A few days later, Jim called everyone into the meeting room. Once they were all seated he snapped his fingers and the wall screen lit up with a few different video news feeds. He then explained the situation.
“A few hours ago, a group of space pirates captured a remote military station in orbit over Nordox. As usual, we’re the only combat-ready Federation ship in the area.” Jim waved away the news windows and brought up a 3D map of the station. “We’re going to dock at the supply hatch at the far end of the station, here. We might have a chance of taking them by surprise.”
Alex dropped a fist on the table. “Sounds good to me. Let’s get in there and take those punks out.”
* * *
Shortly before they arrived Sally went to her room. She took off her clothes, slipped into her combat suit, and zipped it up. She still didn’t like how it felt unnatural and restricted her movement, but she figured it was better to be uncomfortable and alive than dead. Then she went to the armory and picked up a laser rifle along with some extra energy packs.
Sally joined everyone else on the troop transport General Redford had given them for this sort of occasion. Samuel took the pilot’s seat, while the rest of them sat along one of the benches in the back. Jim quickly reviewed the key points of the plan with them while they all checked their equipment again. Then they had nothing to do but wait.
“You guys want to hear a funny story?” Tod asked. No one responded. Tod shut up.
* * *
They finally docked at the station. Samuel turned around in his chair. “Be careful in there. I’m expecting all of you to come back.”
Sally took up position with Jim, Alex, and Tod outside the door. Jim placed a breaching charge and signaled for everyone to move clear.
After the door blew apart, they tossed in some flash bangs before rushing in to rain lasers down on the pirates. The pirates had greater numbers, but they were no match for a coordinated strike team. Realizing that they could not win there, they retreated deeper into the station.
Jim brought his team into a huddle. He took out his PDA and called up a layout of the station.
“I figure they’re going to hole up here for a last stand,” he said, marking a particular area with a finger tap, “Our best bet is to come in here, like this.” He drew some lines to show how he wanted everyone to move in. “They’re going to be waiting for us, so watch out.”
* * *
They rushed in and broke off in different directions. Sally fought her way across the room until she became pinned down behind a supply crate. The pirates must have figured they had her trapped because they began taunting her.
“Hey, sweet thing.”
“I surrender. Take me away and punish me.”
“Want to ride my rocket ship?”
Their calls reminded her of those of the soldiers looking for survivors in what was left of her village.
Sally snapped. She leapt out with a snarl, slammed her finger down on the trigger, and ran forward, spraying the pirates with lasers. Her sudden assault caught them by surprise, and some were cut down before they could react. Eventually, her weapon beeped when the LED display on top read 000.
As the adrenaline wore off, she was overcome with pain and nausea. She looked down to see the smoking holes in her suit. Sally fell to her knees with a moan. She felt like she was going to die.
Then a reassuring hand rested on her shoulder.
“You all right?” Jim asked.
“I’ll manage.”
Jim and Alex hooked their arms under hers. She felt so weak, but she was able to stagger back to the transport with their help before blacking out.
* * *
When Sally opened her eyes she didn’t know where she was. After a moment of disorientation and panic she began to recognize the interior of the sick bay. She sat up. Movement was still stiff and painful, but nothing like before. Then she noticed Jim sitting in a chair nearby, watching her. He got up and came over to sit on the bed next to her.
“Listen,” she began, “What I did back there was so stupid. And the way I’ve been acting…”
Jim took her hand in his own. “I don’t care about that. I’m just glad you’re alive. But I need you to tell me what has been bothering you. No more games.”
At first, Sally wanted to retreat back inside herself again, but she realized how sick she was of that dark, lonely place. Though it terrified her, she went ahead and began telling Jim the story of what happened that day. The toxic emotions that had been brewing inside of her started to trickle out.
“I looked up and saw what looked like candle flames in the sky. When they got closer I realized they were ships, but I wasn’t afraid. Not until they started dropping plasma bombs. Then everything was on fire and everyone was running and screaming.” The release was painful, and Sally felt her resolve wavering. She took strength from Jim’s presence to press on. The trickle was becoming a flood.
“I hid when I saw the ships landing. Everyone who was already dead was the lucky ones. I heard what they did to anyone alive.”
Now tears were streaming down her face, her voice was breaking up. “And my family. I miss them so much.”
Jim listened until she finished, and then he held her close while she sobbed into his shoulder. She felt an amazing sense of relief. Jim let go of her and stood up.
“You should rest now.” Sally didn’t argue. She felt exhausted. How long had it been since she had started talking?
As Sally lay there she realized that she could never forget what had happened, but the memory would no longer be a black hole inside of her, draining the life out of her.
At some point she drifted off to sleep. However, this time she dreamed of fields of tall, swaying grass; waterfalls; fluffy clouds; and bright, wispy nebulae.