Op ZOMBIE - Out on the balcony

Nigel had forgotten how quiet it usually was in Abby's presence, but he was certain it was never this awkward.

She received him at his shuttle landing, early in the morning, and welcomed him back to Earth, with easy familiarity. She then led him to her quarters ,so that they could catch up in private. He'd never been to Rachel's quarters ,so the expansiveness of the Soopreme suite had really caught him off guard. His shock had doubled ,when she placed her glasses into his  hand without a word, before brushing passed him and through a doorway. Over the clamoring of moving pots and pans, Nigel could have sworn that he'd heard her mutter "Abby won't need them where she's going anyway." .Followed by Abby asking him whether he wanted marshmallows or not. He didn't.

After she'd returned with their hot chocolates, she'd encouraged him to tell her about the Galactic Kids Next Door. And while he tried to insist that he couldn't tell her much because of how classified his work was, she soon had him talking. He talked about everything from  the galaxies he'd seen, and the missions he'd led, to the people he'd met, and the strange languages they spoke. All with little more than her gentle prodding. She had a way of getting him to talk, she always had. It's a wonder he'd managed to have secrets at all.

And now with their hot chocolates empty, they were sitting out on her balcony in silence. Nigel realized suddenly, that she hadn't spoken about much of anything herself. And while that wasn't particularly new, she hadn't even told him how everyone was.

“Abby?” ,he began,”How's the team ?”
“Good.”
“Come, on Abby.” he urged.
“Numbuh 5 means, they aint any different. Kuki's still Kuki, Wally's still Wally, and Hoagie's still Hoagie.”
“And you?” he added.
“Abby's fine. She knows you won't believe her, but she is. The kid who lost her game of tag is a newbie, but he's bright. And Numbuh 5 trusts he'll take the Kids Next Door to great new places.”
“I didn't ask how the Kids Next Door was doing ,Abby. I asked how you are doing. Today's your thirteenth birthday.”
“Don't you think Abby knows that?! “ she retorted, ”We didn't lose track of time when you left, Numbuh one. And Abby aint Numbuh 4. She knows she's thirteen today,  and everyone else does too. Today is the last day she'll remember your face, or any of their faces. Or anything else she's done for most of her life until now. It's all over, and at noon today, Numbuh 5 is gonna sit down in that godforsaken chair, in that godforsaken room. And there's a good chance that only Abigail Lincoln will get out of it."

Had he always been this bad with conversation?

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Okay so and I are doing a collab called Op ZOMBIE together.
It'll be made up of pictures ,and little minifics, like the one above. This is my first!
Do you have any advice? Drop me a line, and if you liked it, a comment would be lovely, thanks~

P.S. - I know about Op MAURICE, and the TND. But it was up in the air about whether or not she'd be recruited then,
and it's still up in the air now.

Next :frankly-furter.deviantart.com/…