A Spaceman

Chapter 8--Take it past the limit

I actually have to go to class today. Well, I didn't have to, but I'd already taken three sick days. 

Then I get to class and I find out that classes are suspended due to number of Plague cases.

I hit the door, then since I'm out and bothered to get entirely dressed and tried to make myself look healthy and all around not knocked up, I lean against the wall looking at my tablet responding to all 69 of a my dad's messages which amount to him being super bored and wanting someone to talk to him.

I tell him I'm actually studying and to leave me alone can't he go arrange a battle for himself to be in. I was being sarcastic but he was like 'good idea' so I feel like I should ask him about that later. I would bother him about it now but I'm a little concerned with my life and the life of his grandchild to fully entertain and monitor him. which is why I'm doing this. Fuck. I wish he would just be in Space for a few days so I could go to the crisis center and just get it done and not freak about him wandering in at any given moment because he tracked my wrist pad. He does that sort of thing. He walked into a girls bathroom once looking for me. I was eight. And I'd talked to him five minutes before.

I groan. But there's no guarantee he's going to be in space because he's on planetside so since I'm dressed and out I should do it now but----ah not yet. Just not yet. a few more days of pretending to be normal before my every waking moment I'm reminded of my life revolves around keeping this unborn human alive.

"Hey, Tess," oh shit shit. Just a guy I used to go out with. not a problem at all.

"Hey," I say, smiling as not morning-sick as I can.

"I haven't seen you around much," he goes to touch my arm but I pull away before I know what I'm doing.

"I----I'm fine," and when I don't let him touch me that's the first time I realize I'm so not fine.

"You look---bad---like not bad like----sick," he stumbles because he's a stupid man.

"Yeah, I've been under the weather, don't want you to catch it um---didn't realize classes were canceled," something somebody who literally has nothing better to do apparently than looking at my class websites and give me tips on assignments and send me videos of his flight-mates falling into insidious traps he set for them---could have told me. But I'll stab him in the throat later.

"Yeah um---that sucks, hope you feel better," he says, as I back away when I really want to hug him and then so don't and don't want anyone touching at me at all.

"I will, eventually," I say. I turn my wrist pad off and then I run back to my dorm.

**

Okay the world is a much brighter place now that I've had the correct amount of medication and the correct amount of sleep. I can think clearly again and I can do this. A couple more days, and I go to my assignment. Enjoying being home. Good things. Ah shit not even I believed all that. but seriously, I can think much better now. I found a long-sleeve t shirt of my dads that apparently I dried like eight times in the night, so now my arms are covered. And, awesome brilliant idea, offer to hold and feed baby. Then, I don't actually have to eat because I'm feeding baby and nobody will notice because I'm so obviously fussing with food.

Rexie: 60 fucking points because this is so freakin' natural.

"You don't have to hold him," Anya says, as we sit down and I'm holding small me. "He spits up."

"So do NCOs," I say, making her smile.

"I made pancakes," my mum is trying, bless her. Everything's fine. Nobody is staring at you. They're all just trying to be nice that's it. Anatoly is just sullen he's not actually evil and trying to destroy you.