Page 34 of Tattle Tail
“Have you taken anything?” he asked.
“I went to the medical clinic this morning. It is a common cold. Just a virus.” She climbed into the bunk and curled onto her side.
Joseph did not believe anything was just a virus. His father passed away after being bitten by an insect carrying a virus. The same virus hospitalized Marigold. He had nearly lost half his family because of a virus.
Still, a common cold, not a rare blood-borne pathogen.
“Did the medics say it was a common cold or are you shitting me?” he asked.
She groaned. “Can we argue later? A cold. They said rest and gave me pills.”
“What pills?”
She pointed to her bag on the floor. Not asking permission, he dug into the side pocket of the carry-on until he found the pill bottle. It was a common over-the-counter pain reliever.
“Have you taken them?”
“Not yet.” She moved to sit up.
“Impossible woman.” He pushed lightly on her shoulder, encouraging her to lie back down. “Stay. I’ll get water. Do not move.”
Outside the cabin, a crew member snagged his attention to sign off on the maintenance log. Concerned for Peaceable, he signed the data pad without looking the order over. The work was routine, refueling and basic safety checks before every take-off.
Returning to the cabin, he gave Peaceable the glass of water. “Drink this. Don’t worry about spilling. Take the pills. A mouthful of water helps.”
“I know how to swallow,” she snapped, taking the pills. The tips of her claws scraped against his palm.
The irritation in her voice soothed his worries. If she had enough energy to be snippy with him, she’d pull through.
When she finished, he handed her a damp cloth. She held it, confusion on her face.
“For your fever. Lie down and sleep. I’ll get us in the air.”
“Nettle—”
“And I’ll take care of Nettle. She’s my buddy. Aren’t you?” He picked up the carrier and Nettle hissed. “Ah, you’re just like your mommy. Such a sweetie pie.”
Peaceable muttered something that promised violence.
He dimmed the lights as he left the cabin. “Computer, monitor Peaceable’s body temperature and lower the room temperature three degrees. Alert me when she wakes.”
* * *
“Sensors indicateyour guest will wake soon,” the computer announced.
“Excellent.” Joseph dug his fingers into Nettle’s fur just behind the ears, enjoying a few quiet moments before extracting her from his lap. She had been happy when he released her from the carrier. She raced about the ship, yowling like she had been kidnapped. He set up her food and water dish, and a litter box, but that did not appease her. The only thing that stopped the yowling was letting her into the cabin to inspect Peaceable.
Three minutes later, she was bored with that and was all over Joseph for ear scritches.
“You think she’ll be hungry?” he asked Nettle. She yawned, flashing a mouthful of teeth. He never had a pet growing up, despite begging and pleading. His mother had been fortunate to find posts on ships that offered family accommodations. Space for an animal, even a fluffy murder ball like Nettle, would have been asking for too much.
“Yeah, we should start simple,” he said, answering his own question.
The ship was a courier-class vessel, meaning the cargo took up most of the ship. The usable space was minimal, a helm at the front, a general-purpose area that included basic food preparation, a cleansing room barely large enough for an adult, and his cabin at the back. It was all he needed. He worked alone. Anyone else on board and they’d get on each other’s nerves really fast.
Ten days with Peaceable…
He didn’t mind having her in his space. The last trip he took with his mother and sister had been a nightmare. Mari kept backseat flying, and Valerian kept rearranging his stuff to improve the energy flow. Never again. If his mother wanted to fly to the other side of the planet for a “spa day,” she could take a commercial flight or have Mari take her.
