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“With any consolation you will be celebrated as a hero.” Stratts words echo through my head. My heart pounds against my ribs.
Run!
I need to run faster. They were going to kill me if I don’t.
God where’s Mark. I need to find him. Tell him what they are going to do to me, but they were on my heels I didn’t have the distance to try to find him.
I kept on going.
I saw the fence before I could start climbing it and someone tackled me to the ground. My face was pin down to the earth, I breathed in the soil trying to commit the smell to memory I grabbed at the Earth, trying to put dirt under my fingernails so I’ll have something of my home.
“You know who you are.”
“Carl please!” I beg my friend to help me.
Then cold metal pressed against my skin then I heard a click and I was hoisted up. They handcuffed me and dragged me across the grounds of the facility. I wanted to say something desperate like I would sabotage the mission, but those words die in my throat. I could only imagine how disappointed Mark would be in that type of statement.
I was escorted to a cold cell that looked like it used to be a bunker. There was a small window with steel bars over it and in the distance stood the Hail Mary on the launch pad, my coffin.
***
A long time had passed or maybe it wasn’t long at all. It’s kinda hard to tell when you’re in a cell thinking about how you’re going to die soon. It was a clear day, the sun shining brightly it made the ship gleam, winds were mild. He knew that this would be his last day.
He hears footsteps coming closer and closer. It was possibly the doctor coming to induce a coma. His heart raced, the doctor would deliver his sentence, and it will be all over.
They came around the corner. Except it wasn't the doctor, it was Stratt, anger boiled inside me. She had ruined my life; she was ending it. She wasn’t alone Carl follow close behind, then a few more guards and “Mark!” I flew to the bars that kept us separated. Panic welled up inside me. He had that stupid smile, but his eyes were sad.
“We will let you say your goodbyes.” Stratt said in a matter-of-fact tone like it was just another day and not his last.
One guard opened his cell door and another pushed Mark in, and he instantly crashed into him. Mark hooked his chin over Ryland’s shoulder. Ryland felt something hard and cold between them, then he realized the absence of Mark’s arms around him. Ryland looked down at Mark’s hands, they were also handcuffed in front of him. Mark followed his train of thought, “They thought if I weren’t cuffed, I’ll break you out of here.”
“I tried to run, I wanted to find you, I -I don’t want to die.” His words were choking him.
“I know, I know. I’m here.” Mark did his best to hug him.
He wanted to sob and let the flood gates open, but he held them back as hard as he could so he could see Mark’s face. It wasn’t supposed to be this way. Yesterday everything was different. There was another party with bad karaoke after too many drinks. Mark was singing a song he can’t remember the name of it, felt like a lifetime ago.
“I would take your place if I had the coma gene.” Mark said softly.
He hated the self-sacrificing nonsense that Mark was saying. “No. It wasn’t supposed to be this way or that. You have spent enough time in space. I just wanted both of us to be on the ground.”
“Me too.” Mark reached out and took his hand. There was too much left to say and not enough time, He just wanted to be with Mark.
“Alright that’s enough.” One of the guards said.
“No!” he screamed. There were going to Rip Mark away and he would never see him again. He held on to Mark. His lifeline, his tether to Earth, as if just maybe if he held on long enough time wouldn’t end. Ryland wouldn’t wake up in the emptiness.
Mark kept facing Ryland unmoving. “I’m not going anywhere.” Mark breathed the words so quietly that only he could hear them. Mark kept putting his weight on him, hugging him with his whole body.
“I said that’s enough!” the guard yelled backed grabbing Mark’s shoulder Ryland could feel him being ripped away from him. His whole world.
“And I said fucking no!” Marked yelled back, turning to face the guards, Stratt and Carl. “I’m never going to see my fiancée again, so I’m going to spend every last minute with him!” Mark’s voice cracked. It stunned everyone into an eerie silence.
Ryland felt his lungs constricted, warmth spreading through his chest. “fiancée?” the question escaped from his lips.
Mark turns to face him, his eyes shining, his face red. He fumbles with his jacket reaching for the inside breast pocket the best he could with his handcuffs. He then pulled out a loop of string tied in a knot, “I took your measurements this morning when you were still asleep.” Ryland felt hot tears running down his face. Mark’s gaze lifted from the string to his eyes, “I was going to do this when we went back to San-Francisco on the bay but.” Mark exhales a sharp breath, “Ryland Grace will you marry me?”
“Yes!” my voice shaky, I felt like I was going to fall apart. Here in a jail cell hours for my exile and death; is the one I love the most asking me to spend the rest of my short life with him. I wanted to hold him, put my hand through his brown hair and hold his face and I couldn’t do any of that.
Mark held his hands in mine the best he could and slid the string ring over my finger. His thumb rubbing back and forth over my knuckles. Our eyes met we were both crying now. I felt so much joy and sorrow, I never thought I would get married and our marriage would end in the next few hours, we were supposed to have so much more time. I lean down our lips met. Through shaky breathing and hot tears, we kissed.
There was a stiff cough Ryland almost didn’t hear it at first. He didn’t want to break apart from Mark in fear that they would drag him away. Eventually they had to come up for air and when They did Carl broke the silence. “I’m a marriage officiant; would you like to get married?” He was stunned, the man that stood over him as people tackle him to the ground was offering to marry them. He looked at Mark and he looked just as shocked.
He couldn’t help to think that this is selfish, did Mark really want this? To be married to a dead man. What would that pain do to him; I turned to face my fiancée. “We don’t have to; you deserve a lifetime.” my words ripped me apart as I said them.
Mark took my hand again looking at the ring, “I rather be with you as your husband today then not at all.” His eyes found mine once more and my heart swelled.
“Okay let’s get married.” A smile ghosted on my lips then faltered “I wish I had a ring for you.”
“It’s okay.” Mark said through a strained smile, and I knew that it wasn’t. “Plus, I don’t know if you can call that a ring, I was going to start looking after we went home.”
His words ate me up inside. It was a ring! I never had anything that was a physical object of someone’s love. I will be able to feel his love for the rest of my time. “No, you put it on my finger yourself it is a ring.”
The Idea came to him. He was still wearing his yellow rain jacket. He brought the lining up to his teeth and tore the thin fabric. Then with his fingers he guides the tare the best that he could until he had a strip of fabric that he liked the length of. He tore the strip of fabric off his coat with his teeth. He held Mark’s hand on his own and tied the strip of fabric around Mark’s ring finger.
Mark smiles, more tears falling from his face. “Thank you,” he breathes it was so quiet that he would have missed it if they weren’t standing so close.
They turned to Carl who was standing on the other side of the bars of their cell. Carl pulled out a note card and a pen out of his coat pocket. “Sign this before we get started.” Carl said passing the items through the bars. I stair at the things not understanding, Carl saw my confusion and fill in the blanks, “It so we can make Mark a marriage license later.” Right because I’m going to die and Mark will still be here. We both signed the paper and passed it back to Carl.
Carl tucks the piece of paper back in his coat pocket giving it a small pat. It made him smile, Ryland knew if times were different this could have been a really sweet wedding with him officiating and all their friends but sadly their witnesses where some guards Ryland didn’t know and Stratt, who had been silent this whole time. Him and Mark face the officiant.
Carl started “We are here today to celebrate the love between Ryland Grace and Mark Watney. You two meant by chance and fell in love despite the circumstances. Together you have brought happiness into each other’s lives. Ryland and Mark please face each other and join hands.” They both fumble with the placement of their hands before finding a comfortable position.
When he faces his soon to be husband in this makeshift ceremony, He could see a whole life of what could have been with Mark. Buying a home together with a big yard for a garden, traveling together and seeing the world, growing old together. That last one hurt the most, He wanted to see what parts of Mark’s hair would go gray first. He wanted to see crow feet formed from shared laughter over the years. That is the time he will never get.
“Do you Ryland take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, to have and to hold, from this day?”
“I do,” I promised.
“Do you Mark take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, to have and to hold, from this day?”
“I do.” He smiles at me.
“Well, you already exchanged rings. By the power invested in me”-
“Wait I would like to say something,” I Interrupted Carl. It’s not like I can make much of a vow, but I needed to say something to him, “Mark I have never seen anyone shine as bright as you. Your determination and your optimism are inspiring to watch. I’m so happy that I got pulled into your gravity.”
Mark was really smiling now, “The moment I walked out of your lab the day we met I knew I would never be the same. Your stubbornness and your problem solving is so wonderful to watch. I am so lucky to have gotten the chance to know you.”
After the moment pass Carl continue “By the power invested in me I now pronounce you husband and husband. You may now kiss.”
They lean into each other, taking each other’s lips they kiss slowly. They could stand here forever and be happy. God he just wanted to hold his husband. Their husband’s now! The thought sent butterflies through Ryland. He pulled back to look at his Husband in the eyes just as shining and wet as his were. The blue gray color reminded him of the fog.
A guard whispered in Stratt’s ear and Ryland knew that the fantasy was over. Why can’t they just leave them for five minutes. In the somber tone Stratt spoke up “We really need to prep for launch.” Before either Mark or I could react, a guard stabbed a syringe into me.
“What the Fuck!” Mark Grabbed the guy and pulled him against the bars as hard as he could, making sure to leave bruises. Then I saw another syringe before I could get my words out Mark was given a shot.
Everything was getting wobblily. I could feel myself losing my balance. “Mark” I hear myself say. He turns to me reaching out to steady me.
“That is just the sedative, we won’t induce coma until we are at the medical Facility, of course Dr. Watney won’t be able to join you on the mission since he doesn’t have the coma resistance. This was just another precaution,” Stratt says with a twinge of sadness.
Him and Mark staggered to the bed, everything felt dizzying while standing. They laid down unable to fight what the drug was doing to them. They face each other, he could feel Mark’s breath on his nose. He tried to fight against sleep, knowing this would be the last time they would see each other. Their noses bumped together, “I love you,” I say. I’m so tired It just comes out as a whisper. “And I love you. To Tau Ceti and back.” I hear Mark say we hold on to each other. Then the world went dark.