The Astronaut's Wife by Robert Tine Read Free Book Online

called me an American hero I said, ‘Thank you very much, sir.”
Jillian laughed leaned down and kissed him lightly, then turned the wheelchair back toward the door. “Now that’s a little more like it,” she said.
“Then I asked him what he was wearing and he hung up on me. Why do you think he did that? Can you imagine, me—an American hero and I get such disrespect.”
“Amazing,” said Jillian. “Some people just didn’t learn good manners. “
“My feelings exactly,” said Spencer. He climbed out of the wheelchair and stretched. “I’ll take it from here.”
    NASA had the ability to turn a public relations disaster into public relations gold. No sooner had Alex Streck and Spencer Armacost been released from the hospital, allowed a couple of days at home for a little rest and rehabilitation, then the press department of the agency called them back to the Cape for a space shuttle Victory victory celebration. It was a perfect opportunity for a carefully staged
photo-op. And the icing on the cake was that the public had been invited.
    Jillian Armacost and Natalie Streck sat with the wives of the astronauts on the mission on a bleacher erected on the lawn in front of the main administration building. Jammed in with them were dozens of tourists, curiosity seekers, and space buffs who ranged in age from eight to eighty.
    The bleacher faced a huge American flag with the entire crew of the Victory posed in front of it. Over their heads flapping in the light breeze was a huge banner that read simply: WELCOME BACK!
    A phalanx of photographers fired roll after roll of film at the seven astronauts, calling out to them by name to look this way and that. And to smile— above all to smile. The danger had passed, the program was back on track, and if you didn’t believe it, here was photographic proof. The picture would appear around the world by that time tomorrow. The astronauts looked happy, the NASA officials looked happy. The spectators were delighted.
    Only Natalie and Jillian looked concerned. They spoke in whispers, not daring to risk being over-heard.
“Jill,” Natalie asked. “Spencer . . . does he ever talk about it? About what happened?”
Jillian looked from the photo shoot and then back at the very worried-looking Natalie.
“How do you mean?” she asked warily, trying to stave off a series of painful questions. Questions she had asked herself since the day it all happened.
“I mean . . . does he ever say anything about
what it was like?” Natalie hissed. “Did Spencer ever tell you what it was like? About what happened when they were alone up there?”
Jillian shook her head and touched Natalie’s arm lightly. “It’s okay, Natalie. They’re back. Don’t beat yourself up over it. Try to forget. Try to put it behind you.” She spoke with a firm self-confidence she did not feel at all.
Natalie was not fooled by this show of certainty. She sensed that Jillian’s brave face was nothing more than a mask, a facade. “He doesn’t talk about it, does he?” She did not wait for a response, feeling that she knew the answer already. “I know he doesn’t talk about it,” she went on. “Neither does Alex. Never. Not a word.”
Jillian nodded. “It must have been horrible,” she said. “Why would they want to relive it?”
“How could they not?” Natalie said, her voice rising slightly above her discreet whisper. “You’re right, it must have been horrible. Those two minutes, they almost died, Jillian. I have thought of nothing else since it happened. So they must, too. It’s only natural.”
“But they didn’t die,” Jillian protested. “They didn’t die. They came back and they’re well again.” She looked over at the crew. All of them seemed genuinely happy. And why wouldn’t they? Alex and Spencer had cheated death. It must be an exhilarating feeling. At least, it should be, shouldn’t it?
Natalie could not leave it alone. The experience of the two men went around and around in