Wade laughed bitterly, inside. Did Harry know how he felt? Did he think that military men were just brass and polish with no feelings, no friends to worry about, no cares outside of regulations and orders!
"Eight minutes." The voice came again.
Wade left the Secretary, went to the mike resting on the communications desk.
"Starfrost. This is Mother," he said.
"Go ahead, Mother." Ackerson recognized his voice.
"Double check everything. Repeat. Double check everything, oxygen, hammock straps, loose objects, everything."
"Relax, Mother! You sound like you're going to have another baby." Ackerson laughed over the loud-speaker.
Wade gave the mike back to the radio man carefully. He walked back to the small television screen and sat down. The Starfrost looked like a silver monument standing alone out there on the sand. Soon there would be nothing there but sand. Wade felt like a mother hen waiting for her first egg.
He adjusted the contrast, brightened the picture. Perhaps the Secretary was right. Everyone had their reasons for doing things. He wondered what Tomer's were?
"Do you think he will make it, Wade?"