If Jove Stray

Chapter 5: stuck in bed

Harper knew that Cameron would lecture him the moment she found out he had stayed up all night programming for Austen. For now, he was inclined to believe it was worth it. No way anyone let him work in builds for cycles, but he could switch departments and work from his hospital bed.

Austen set him a message back saying she'd review his work before giving him any more. Communications was working on various programs to get Ibsen's data from the satellites to the various members of the base. Harper had simply written a code that made a copy to the tekcom server and then messaged each department head the download code. This way the information could be utilized as soon as possible.

Harper drummed his fingers on his holo-rib, wondering if the tekcom in his berth was still powered on and if he could reach it from here.

"Dashiell! You're here early," Madison said in the next room. Harper stilled, closing his eyes to eavesdrop. He knew that Cameron had been spending more and more time with Dashiell, and he wondered what the two of them were up to.

"I was hoping we could wake him today," Dashiell admitted. "Ty can spend time with his family first; Alcott has enough on her plate."

"I think you're moving too fast," Madison warned. "You are asking too much; congress is going to wonder and what are you going to say when they ask why Alcott agreed to this? Many of them know she isn't on the registry."

"Why does everyone know everything in this place?" he grumbled. "Anyway, I'll tell them that we're not terribly concerned with Alcott having more kids, and Ty had no other match. I don't know what they want from me, I'm getting this adjustment passed or I'm going to die trying. I want to wake my daughter. I want us to know with certainty that we have more people coming. We can't live in this purist scientific dreamland and... "

"Dashiell, I know. You don't have to convince me. But I'm telling you that Alcott agreed to the partnership, not that she agreed to wake him. It's been less than a day. Val and Titus are not going to die if we wait a couple more weeks."

"But Alcott could change her mind," he argued. "And this would be for nothing. How many people would we be putting into cryo next cycle we don't do something?"

Madison sighed. "A dozen."

"And how many if I pass my new bill?"

"One."

"Then I don't know why we're arguing," he said. "Call Louis and wake Ty. I will personally message Alcott and let her know that he'll stay with his parents for a couple days to acclimate. She won't have to deal with him for another week, if ever."

Harper wondered if Madison had forgotten about him or if they didn't care that he could hear what they were saying. He pulled out his holo-rib, wishing he could sleep. The pain in his leg wasn't too bad; he didn't want to take any more drugs. They made his head cloudy. The cast was a bit itchy, but he hoped that he was behaving well enough for Madison to let him out of medical bay soon. He couldn't sleep here. He didn't sleep well normally, but the lights were always on here.

"Harper, I didn't realize you were up," Madison said, coming into the room. "Or did you not go to bed?"

She gave him a stern look.

"If the lights were ever off in this place I might be able to sleep," he complained. "Now if I went home..."

"Absolutely not," she laughed. "If you can go a single day eating all the vegetables, and sleep a full eight hours and do the therapy that Blair has been asking of you then I will consider letting you go home."