Month 11, Day 3
2320 Hours
Tall Bear
Whatever he expected, the answer came in her usual friendly
tone. “Good evening, Tall Bear. You sound tired.”
“We have things to talk about. Can I come in?”
“Into my cell?” That put a quiver of nervousness into her
voice.
“Into the lobby so we can see each other,” he answered.
He could almost hear her swallow. “Well, go ahead. I didn’t
panic when you announced yourself.”
“Okay. Here goes.” He walked forward, halfway to the
dashboard and then turned to look at Mac. She hadn’t jumped to her feet, but
her hands were balled, although not tightly. “You okay?” At another time—no, with another woman—I’d take the time to admire how
her D uniform fits, but not with this woman, and certainly not now.
She let out a breath, unballed her fists and rubbed her palms
on her thighs. She pushed her reader away from her on the bed and leaned back
against the wall. “I’m glad you announced yourself.”
“There’s a forcefield between us,” he reminded her.
“Yeah, I know. But if I’m caught by surprise, I don’t always
remember that. Not right away.”
“Fair enough. Do you feel calm enough to let me send Zhang
home at the end of her shift? Keep in mind that regulations require I have a
guard in here if we have a prisoner in a holding cell. But I could have him sit
near the door so you don’t have to see him.”
“Let me think about that,” she requested, and stared at her
cell floor for a time. “Actually, I prefer to have him where I can see him, I think.” She sat up and
blinked. “Has somebody informed Mr Smythe that I can’t work tonight?”
“Yes,” he answered. “I believe he’s sending an ensign to
cover for you.” She nodded and lowered her head. That subject seemed to upset
her, so he asked, “What are you reading?”
She looked up with pleasure in her face. “A tech manual! Bugs
borrowed it from Ivy, and made arrangements for Della to come get it before she
goes for breakfast, in order for her to put it back. So Mr Smythe won’t even
need to know it left engineering!”
Bear grinned. “I assume it’s not a communications manual,
then.”
She shook her head, dismissing the idea. “Not hardly. It’s
about the warp drive engine!”
“No wonder you’re so happy about it. Now, about your meeting
with Dr Fong. That is supposed to be a private meeting between you two. Doctor/patient
confidentiality, and all that. I understand why you want someone else here, but
it isn’t very private if someone is. And it would be unethical for one of my
people to listen in, especially since we’re still in the midst of an
investigation of the incident that brought you here.”
“Does it have to be one of your people who keeps an eye on
me?” she asked.
“Well, technically, the regulations only require an attendant
be in here, capable of using the dashboard, in case of an emergency. But since
you want someone here—”
“Bugs will be here,” she interrupted.
Bear hesitated. “He’ll be asleep.
She shook her head. “He went home 3 hours ago to rest. He
said he’d be here by 2, and afterwards, he’ll go home and sleep as long as he
wants. It’s his day off.”
Bear still wasn’t sure about it. The captain had suggested a
nurse. “He’s not bound by the patient privacy issue.”
“No, but he’s my brother. Acts like my brother, and I’m
certain he won’t go telling everybody all my deep, dark secrets. He hasn’t
yet.”
It’s a solution I haven’t
considered. Wouldn’t consider for anyone besides Mac and Bugs. The captain
suggested... Well, this is my investigation. “Okay. Bugs, it is.”
That seemed even better than Dr Fong and some nurse, because Bugs would have
some familiarity with security protocols and the dashboard. Doctors and nurses
were seldom cross-trained, while command cadets were cross-trained in nearly
everything. “Okay. I guess that’s about it. I will let you get back to your
reading, and I will go get something to eat and then a nap.”
“Good,” she told him. “You have to take care of yourself,
Tall Person. I hope you know I would never have started this ugly mess if I’d had
any idea how worn-out you’d get trying to figure out what happened.”
“Did you?” At her blank look, he went on, “Start the fight?”
“No!” she answered at once, looking aggrieved. “Winthrop was
waiting in my quarters. I asked him what he wanted, and he said sex. I told him
no, told him to leave, and he grabbed my arm, tore the sleeve off when I tried
to get away. Then he grabbed my shoulder, really hard, and I pulled away again,
tearing my tunic. He hit me, and that’s when I started fighting. In my mind, he
started it. I just wouldn’t be cowed by his methods.”
“Okay, that sounds like he started it,” Bear said cautiously.
It gave him things he could check out; was
a sleeve torn off her tunic? Did she have finger bruises on her shoulder?
He sighed and rubbed his face with one hand. But not right this moment. First, he needed something to eat. And
then a nap. “Good night, Mac.”
“You, too, Bear.”
He left the brig, went to the security office and briefed
Ensign Xavier—who would be covering for him this shift—on the day’s happenings
and the arrangements that had been made. Then he made his way to the mess hall
for a long overdue meal.
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