Misery Abounds

Month 8 Day 30

(Shore Leave Day 1)

2020 Hours

Bugalu

Bugalu stepped off the hotel lift and stopped, surprised to recognize the captain joking with a young couple at the entrance to the hotel restaurant. After a moment of watching, it became apparent the 2 younger members of the threesome were not a couple by the way they both doted on the captain’s every word. Well, captain’s not wasting any time getting to her relaxation. Guess I never thought about her that way before.

The threesome moved into the restaurant, and Bugalu slowly moved forward, a bit rueful about his dining choice for the evening. I may have gotten one of the cheapest rooms at this hotel for the night, but I should have known at least some of the senior officers would choose a swanky hotel at the base of the space elevator to start their R&R. Well, too late now. As soon as Mac gets done in the salon, we’ll have our meal and settle in for the night. She’s been awake almost 2 full days, so she must be ready for some sleep.

“Good evening,” the hostess greeted him. “Do you have a reservation?”

“I do,” he stated. “But I’m a little early, and my friend isn’t here yet.”

“Would you like to wait here or at your table?”

There were a few chairs lining the wall; he’d be able to see Mac when she arrived. “I’ll wait here, thank you.”

He hadn’t been sitting for more than a minute or two when a commotion brought his attention to the hostess' station, where a beautiful redhead clutched at the marble-topped podium before lurching out into the hotel lobby. “Mac!”

She whirled to face him. The slit skirt swung around her legs, and she wobbled on the extreme heels of her shoes. “Bugs!” He hurried forward and she crushed him in an embrace. “Let’s go! I have to get out of here!”

Without eating? “What’s wrong? What happened?”

Her face was pressed against his neck. He could feel every shudder of her body, every time she wobbled uncertainly on her extra tall shoes. “I don’t feel well,” she groaned. “I may be sick.”

“Take your shoes off and get on the elevator.” He scooped up her heels as she ran for the lift. On the 2nd floor, he rushed down the hall, leading her to the room he had rented. Holding the door open, he pointed her toward the bathroom. He could hear her retching and wondered if she needed him to hold her hair out of the way. No, she’s got it up. He glanced at the heels he still held, placed them next to her duffel bag in the open closet area. They match her dress perfectly. And what a dress! Never thought I’d ever see her in a dress like that. Her father wouldn’t approve. Space, Matt would have had a melt-down, and his thoughts on women had started to mellow by the time she got to the Academy.

The retching had stopped. After another couple minutes, he heard a subdued, “Bugs?”

He stepped to the open bathroom door. “How can I help?”

“Could you... put me to bed?”

He helped her climb to her feet. “Maybe I should call MacGregor.”

Her legs seemed to wobble as she walked. “I’m pretty sure it’s something I drank,” she answered.

“What did you drink?”

“I don’t know. He wasn’t drinking whiskey.” Having reached the side of the bed, she put out an arm to steady herself against the wall. “Did I vomit on the dress?”

He dutifully looked for any mess on the red fabric. “I don’t see any.”

“Good. It’s expensive. Get me out of it. I can’t sleep in it.”

He hesitated for half a second, tried to remember a time when Davo or Makena had arrived home drunk, and he had helped her get to bed without their parents finding out. He unfastened the dress down the back and it slipped to the floor. Still shaking, Mac managed to push the blankets away and climb into bed. Bugalu pulled the blankets over her before he retrieved the dress from the floor and hung it up.

“Bugs.” He returned to her side, and she reached out to take his hand. “I wish all my brothers were like you. And I’m sorry.”

A tear escaped from one of her eyes. He used the corner of the sheet to dry it. “Sorry about what?”

“I was trying to make dinner special. Instead, I messed it up.”

“Not your fault. I thought I arrived at the restaurant early, but I must have been late, because you were already inside, looking for me.”

“They had to make so many alterations to that dress, I assumed I was late, so I went in. Instead of you, I found... someone who... thought he knew me, and I ended up drinking something I shouldn’t have, and now we didn’t even get any dinner. I don’t want any, the way I feel, but I bet you’re starved.”

“I’ll order room service and watch a movie while you sleep.”

Her bottom lip trembled as another tear leaked out. “I feel so stupid, Bugs! What was I thinking?”

Who did she find? Someone caught her attention without making her angry - another first - but it really has her upset. He wiped that tear away also. “We all make mistakes, Mac. We have lots of time to eat together.”

She tried to smile, but couldn’t manage it. She rolled over, raised her head to look around the tiny room. “Where are you going to sleep?”

“On the floor. There’s an extra pillow and blanket in the closet.”

“That’s not fair! There isn’t enough floor in here for a midget to sleep!”

He chuckled. “Mac, on my first full shore leave, 6 of us shared a hotel room this size for 2 nights. I’ll be fine.”

“It still isn’t fair. I’ll have to think of some way to make it up to you.”

Bugalu did not let his first thought slip out of his mouth, because he was her adopted brother, and that thought was not suitable for a brother to say. Instead, he drawled, “We’ll talk tomorrow. Get some sleep.”