Page 36 of Dark Survivor
At her usual foul mood, illogical anger flooded Tiny and ripped away her good mood.If she hadn’t signed a contract, she’d return to Maddy.Any female companionship, no matter how hazardous the job, was better than nothing at all.
“Is everything on the table?”Tiny asked and stepped back when the spicy-sweat smell of Nikko came too close to her.
“Looks like it.Want to sit by me?”Grunt shuffled.
She threw out a hand to stop him.“No, thanks, I’m not hungry.I’ll feed the animals.”
She left amid their cries of surprise, and a “We don’t need milk,” from Leah.
Alone time would give Tiny the space to figure out where her frustration, sadness, anger, and despair were coming from.Being a doctor in space wasn’t as wonderful as she’d thought it would be.She didn’t get to be useful often.Making breakfast and tending to the animals had become favorite chores, a way to contribute.
The miasma of chicken shit mixed with pigs and cows assaulted her nose.She winced, swearing she could smell colors.Throwing out a hand, she trailed the wall to the rear of the pens to the pigsty.Thankfully, Dieter was a man of habit, leaving the scraps bin in the same place.A tap of her toe confirmed its location.She grabbed and emptied it into the trough, also located with a nudge of her foot.The pigs grunted and snorted, almost in greeting.The chickens puck-pucked around her while she sprinkled their feed from a bag she’d taken off the wall.
Finding the two cows was harder since they moved around.She had only to pause and sniff to locate them.Dieter would feed them later and muck out the stalls.Both tasks were beyond her abilities.She found a cow’s hindquarters and rubbed along its back to the head.It bumped her, not hard enough to knock her off her feet, though.
“Hey, sweetheart,” she crooned.A skim of the collar identified which cow she’d found.“Spots, honey, how have you been?”She pressed her temple to the older cow’s while rubbing her behind the ears.
When the cow stomped her feet, Tiny leaped back.“I get you.I also need some space, y’know.Where’s Moo?”she called and received no response.
No surprise there.With a sigh, she stretched out her hand and walked, searching for a wall she could follow out.Maybe she could learn a new skill though her mind blanked on what.Regardless of her decision to stay or leave, she had to wait until they docked somewhere nice.She didn’t want to try surviving on a destitute colony or a run-down orbiting station.
As she saw it, Maddy was her only option.Which meant dancing again.
Tiny sniffed, willing the tears not to fall.Maybe artificial eyes wouldn’t bethatbad.Bile rose to merge with the lump in her throat.If she could get over her revulsion, the next hurdle would be the cost.She doubted she had enough tokens for half an eye, let alone two fully functioning eyeballs.So on theMula Pesadashe had to stay because Celestial had barely paid her enough to survive.
She hurried past the laughter coming from the mess and headed to her room.A quick shower to clean away chicken shit clinging to parts of her would be the first order of the day.Hopefully, when she was ready for her coffee, the mess would be empty.She wanted no one to bother her.Today, she was determined to force herself to face the fact that she was alone in the universe, and she had to plan accordingly.
She stripped, tossed her clothes into the wash-box and activated the spray, letting its warmth run over her.Having not known about the nonexistent water rations, she hadn’t thought to buy shampoo or soap, for that matter.Rinsing was all she could do until they next stopped at a station.She pulled on her uniform, stamped on her boots, and this time, buckled herself in.
‘Onward and upward,’ her father used to say.
He probably still did, but she hadn’t recently spent enough time with him to hear it again.The mess was quiet when she snuck in, heading for the coffee machine.She pressed all the right buttons and rocked on the balls of her feet while it percolated.In went milk and too much sugar—a sheer luxury—before she trudged to her ‘office.’
“Morning, Computer,” she said.“Anything new to report?”
She had the computer monitor the crew in case of medical emergencies, like the captain on the cusp of a heart attack, or Dieter jerking himself off with too much force and causing a friction burn.She snorted at her unkind thoughts.It wasn’t his fault he didn’t find her attractive, and she shouldn’t change the way she treated him based on that fact.Still, it was hard.
Becoming blind had pulverized her self-esteem.That made no sense since she was the same old Tinika, just without her vision.On sad days, she was so grateful she’d taken lovers during her studies.She’d need those memories to sustain her, even the not-so-pleasant quickies.
“Morning, Tiny.No incidents to report.Should I resume your audiobook?”
She sighed and slumped in front of her chessboard.“Please.”
She scooped up a pawn and ran her thumb over its head.Thank the Lord for Grunt.If she didn’t have the space operas and Gibs to live through vicariously, her life would be dismal indeed.No, she needed action.She leaped to her feet and grabbed the sterilization spray to clean her med bay again.
‘“Lord Fields will see you now.”
He jerked back, snapping his gaze away from his partner.The receptionist wore a bronze-colored suit sharp enough to draw blood.He jumped up, running a hand over his uniform, conscious of each wrinkle.Beside him, Naomi glowed with grace and vitality with her hands shoved into her pockets in nonchalance.Where she was golden, the Renovare receptionist was somber—midnight-black hair, dark walnut skin, and coffee-colored eyes.Her beauty was striking, so he glared at her, too.
“Thank you.”Naomi gestured to the woman to lead the way.
He made the same gesture to Naomi.It wasn’t as if he had an attack of chivalry, having dragged his manners from antiquity.No, he needed to see her hands, anticipating another strike.Her fury festered, and if he was lucky, he’d make it home with just a tongue-lashing.’
“New crewmate for you to document,” Nikko’s voice penetrated the med bay.“Dieter is showing Vic the rounds.And breakfast was delicious.We missed you, though.”
“Pause audiobook,” Tiny grumbled and set the spray aside.
Weeks would go by without a change in her day-to-day life, then bam, she had injuries and someone to assess.
