JFK part three

A few weeks had passed since the two's heart to heart and nobody but the doctor knew why the two were now so close. It was only hours before the launch when the two friends came out of the doctors office all suited and booted for their trip into space.


"Ok so Mike you know what to do if anything happens?" the doctor asked. A look of worry on his face.

"Trust me." Mike said. "I'll take good care of the old man." He said patting Joseph on the shoulder.

"Hey." Joseph said smirking as he nudged Mike in the ribs. "Less of the old little boy." All three laughed as Mike and Joseph started to make their way to the launch pad.

There was an uneasy feeling that afternoon in control centre as they went through the final check lists ready for take off. Once the final thing had been checked countdown started from 20… 19… 18… Doctor Colin Reed made his way across to where everyone was standing a nervous look on his face. 15… 14…





"What's up Doc?" Asked the commander in charge.

"Well." The doctor stopped at the sound of a voice he'd not heard for a while 10… 9…





"Dad." Came the voice he turned to see young Joe running in. "I must speak to my dad." 5… 4…





"I'm sorry." Said the commander. "It's too late" 0… ignition. Joe fell to the floor. "What's wrong?" Asked the commander. Joe held out a letter which the commander took and read.

'To whom it may concern

My name is Michael Woods and I have both the honour and privilege to be joining Mr. Joseph Fredrick Keen on this next mission. Joseph has told me a lot about his family. How much he both loves and misses each and every one of you. I know how Joseph must feel as I am estranged from my family due to my father. He never could understand why I wanted to go up into space instead of selling cars like him. I had the honour of going to Joseph's house a few weeks ago. He showed me a picture of the four of you together Joe junior looks a lot like his dad as does Marc, and I can see where his daughter Lucy gets her good looks from. He told me his only regret in life was making his wife and family feel neglected and by doing so loosing them. He begged me never to make the same mistake. Joseph doesn't know I'm writing this letter, and normally I wouldn't interfere in other peoples families what with mine being so screwed up, but I thought you all had a right to know something about him. Joseph recently had some bad news. He's been ill for a while and recently the doctors have told him its cancer. Unfortunately it was left to late and it has spread throughout his body. I know this is not the ideal way to find out and that Joseph will probably kill me when he finds out I've sent it because he didn't want to burden you. Well I'll have to go again I am sorry you found out this way and if any of you need to talk I'm here.

Your friend Michael Woods.'

The commander put the letter down and looked at the doctor.

"Did you know about this?" He asked. The doctor slowly nodded yes. "My office now." The commander demanded. The doctor made his way as the commander gestured for someone to come and look after the young man. "Mr. Keen if you go with this man he'll take you somewhere quiet and I'll be with you as soon as I can." The commander watched as the young man was helped then he made his way to his office.

A few hours later both the commander and doctor emerged from the office.

"I hope you're right doctor."

"I am Commander trust me I wouldn't jeopardise the mission." The two made their way back to the control centre.

"Patch me through to the shuttle." The commander demanded.

"Can't sir."

"Don't tell me what I can't do patch me through now."

"Sir the shuttle is currently in communications black out it will be till the mission is finished Sir."

"How long ago did this happen?"

"Two minutes sir."

"Any messages before this happened?"

"Only that everything was ok."

"Thank you boy." The commander turned once more to the doctor. "I pray to God you're correct doctor and that the mission is not at risk."

Up in the shuttle the atmosphere was calm and relaxed as they entered communication blackout.

"You ok Mike?" Joseph asked his mate who was sat beside him.

"Yes fine just thinking."

"What about?" Mike turned away.

"Nothing to worry about." Just then a voice came over the intercom.

"Ok men the target of our mission is within sight. Everyone prepare to get ready." Within an hour the satellite, that had orbited the moon instead of continuing its journey onwards, had been grabbed by the extending arm and brought on board the ship to be taken to the space station for repair.

The space station had been disused for the last two years but instead of sending it crashing into some planet or off into outer space or even dismantling it they had decided to leave it in case such an event were ever to happen.

"Mike. Go and find the main control centre." The Head of the Mission ordered once they had entered the station. "Once there try and get the life support back on then we can begin to get this satellite fixed." Mike nodded and headed off down the long corridor. Within half an hour the life support was fully functional and the satellite had been placed in the workshop. While the two with the technical ability began to fix the satellite and the Head of the Mission checked their ship to make sure everything was ok Mike and Joseph found a quiet little bit of the station to talk.

"Joe I have a confession to make."

"Want I should call a priest?"

"Ha ha Joe." Mike said as he punched his arm.

"You know how you asked earlier what was up and I said nothing?"

"Yes and I knew you were lying."

"Well I was and I wasn't."

"What? You're the most confusing man I've ever known."

"Let me try and explain." Joseph turned to face Mike making him feel even more anxious about telling him what was up. "Well… you…. I… well physically and that I'm fine, but."

"But what?"

"But after telling you what's up I won't be." Joseph looked at Mike even more baffled now than he was before. Mike continued telling Joseph all about how his story of losing his family touched him but the fact he didn't want to tell his family about his current situation was one thing he didn't agree with.

"What the hell have you done Mike?"

"I wrote them a letter telling them how honoured I was to be working with you and to be friends with you. I then went on to say how you regret not having them in your life and that you now have cancer and don't want them to know." The silence that occurred after Mike had finished speaking seemed endless, like the vastness of the space outside that both men sheared a common love for. After a while Joseph slowly stood up and started to head off down the corridor.

"Are you ok Joe?" Mike shouted after him. Joseph stopped and stared at him.

"What do you think Mike? I've been betrayed by someone I thought I could trust. Next time just tell me and I'll point out the right place to stick the knife." Joseph once more turned his back on Mike and walked off towards the shuttle.

A couple of hours after this everyone was back on the shuttle and ready to take the satellite back to its launching place in outer space. Everything seemed to be going as planned little did they know that upon reloading the satellite just one little red wire was caught up on the grappling hook but no one knew.

"We're nearing the launch point prepare to realise the grappling hooks from the satellite." As the grappling hooks were released the wire was stretched from one arm to the other. "Ready to launch satellite?"

"Ready."

"Launch satellite."

"Launching satellite thrusters at one hundred percent." The satellite had just left the side of the shuttle when suddenly every alarm and light started to beep and flash. Nobody at the time knew but the burn of the satellite's thrusters had burned through the stretched wire.

"What's going on?" Mike shouted up to the cockpit.

"Not sure yet." The Head of the Mission shouted back as he started shutting everything down. After half an hour going through each system carefully and methodically the problem had been found. "Ok men well its part of the fuel system that's been damaged. Due to the fact that it happened within seconds of the satellite launching I'm surmising the fault is in the panel behind the grappling hook. This means one of us has to go out there see what, if any, damage there is and if possible, fix it." All five men looked from one to another mumbling.

"I'll go." said Joseph.

"You can't." replied Mike. The two stared at each other.

"What's going on?" The Head of the Mission asked sharply.

"He's ill he shouldn't go out there." Mike said. The commander turned sharply to look at Joseph.

"He's right." Joseph answered. "Which is all the more reason for me to go out."

"Less reason." Mike answered angrily.

"I'm terminal for God sake Mike. I'm retiring next month, if I'm alive to see it because best case scenario I only have two and a half months left to live. I should go out I have a hell of a lot less to lose than any of you guys if it goes wrong out there." Mike went to reply but the commander beat him to it.

"Joe you're right it does make more sense and Mike." He said turning towards him. "He's more than qualified to fix any problem out there he's also more qualified than any of us to be out here full stop." Joseph made his way to the suit's.

He suited up quickly and stepped into the air lock. After tying himself off him so he wouldn't float away, opened the outer door and made his way slowly and carefully around to the problem area.

"Ok I'm there." Joseph said.

"What can you see?" Came the voice over the headset in his helmet.

"It looks like one of the wires has snapped." Joseph tried to reach but was just short of reaching it. "I'm going to have to unhook myself." Joseph said.

"Joe don't. Wait a minute and one of us will extend the tether from this side." But it was too late. Joseph had untied himself and pulled his way across.

"Ok I'm there. I'm right the red wires been broken it looks like the thruster of the satellite has burned straight through." Joseph grabbed the two ends of the wire. "Ok I'm going to connect the wires now." There was a slight flash, and a small burst of energy that hit Joseph as he connected the wires. Within seconds of the wires being connected everything inside the ship started working properly once more. Amongst the shouts of joy and clapping that was coming through the headset came a voice.

"Ok Joe everything's good here make your way back in and we'll head off home." There was a silence from Joseph's end of the radio. "Joe can you hear me?" The commander asked the shouts of joy from the other men stopped as still there was no answer. "Joe."

"I'm here, but err there's a bit of a problem about coming back."

"What do you mean?" Mike chirped in anxiously.

"Take a look out the starboard window." The men looked. There floating out of reach was Joseph.

"Hi guys." He said waving.

"Joe hold on I'm coming." Mike said. The commander grabbed Mikes arm.

"Mike." Joseph said. "You can't none of the other tanks have enough oxygen."

"We can't just leave you." Mike said fighting the tears back that were starting to well up in his eyes. The commander shook his head and Mike collapsed in a heap.

"Let's go guys." The commander said fighting back tears. "Joe." He said turning towards the window and looking out.

"I know." Joseph replied. "Get going. I'm just going to hang around here and do a bit of singing." He said light heartedly as the shuttle slowly moved further away form Joseph he started to sing and his voice filled the shuttle through its speakers. "Amazing Grace how sweet the sound." Mike smiled as the sound of Joseph singing this song.

"I'll tell your family for you." Mike said.

"Thanks son." Joseph said interrupting his song then starting up again. Soon the shuttle fell silent as Joseph was out of communication range. Joseph stopped singing and slowly began to close his eyes. A bright white light blinded him and heavenly voices filled his ears with singing. 'So that's where I went wrong.' He thought to himself after seeing the point where Roses love began to fade for him. 'I wish I could take it back.'

Later that day the shuttle landed Joe junior was the first out to the tarmac.

"Dad." He shouted. One by one the men left the shuttle. Mike was the first and made his way to Joe junior.

"Are you Joseph Keen?" He asked.

"Yes." Mike stood to attention and saluted.

"Michael Woods sir. May I say what an honour it was to serve with such a brave man like that of your father." One by one each of the men did the same, each saying what an honour it had been and how they would miss him. Joe junior after the last man had gone fell to the floor Doctor Colin Reed came to his aid.

"My dad never knew I loved him." he said to the doctor.

"Of course he did son and he never stopped loving you either." He replied as they walked back into the building together.