Chapter 27

After we docked at the station, Amin told us to get some rest. I assumed we must have looked tired, since not even Nhi suggested that we should celebrate our return.

Eva and I walked to our cabin in silence, and I sat on my bed as she went for a shower. My systems reminded me yet again of the need for a reboot, so I turned off some of my cognitive systems and waited for Eva to finish before going fully offline. Considering how tired she was, there was only a 17% chance she would want to debrief our mission now, but there was no risk in waiting a bit longer. Maybe she wanted to do it now, when her memories were still fresh.

She came out and sat on her bed, looking at me before turning her gaze and saying,

“Let’s get some rest.”

When I came back online, Eva was still sleeping, and I left quietly and walked to the command centre. As I entered, Nhi jumped from her seat and ran to me, hugging me.

“You came back safely. We should celebrate it!”, she said excitedly.

Sven walked over to us and put his hand on Nhi’s shoulder.

“Let’s wait until Abedi has recovered enough to celebrate with us.”

“Right…”, Nhi said quietly and looked down.

“How is he?”, I asked.

“Better. The auto doc did what it could, but he will need a real doctor before he can walk again.”

I nodded, feeling relieved.

“And Tanvi?”

“She’s been so worried...”, Nhi said. “She has stayed with him in the med bay the whole time.”

Sven looked at me and said softly,

“You should go and check on her.”

I nodded. I was the one who had rescued her, so she may be more comfortable with me being around than anyone else.

“You could get her some food. She hasn’t eaten much since you arrived,” Nhi added.

I smiled and walked to the canteen, where I took a pack of the yellow stuff from the shelf and heated it. I covered the dish with chilli sauce, which, according to Nhi, made it almost edible, but according to my database, it didn't change the nutritional value of the meal in any significant way.

Tanvi sat on a chair next to Abedi’s bed when I stepped in. She turned to the door and smiled as she saw me.

“Rea.”

I smiled back.

“I got you some food.”

“Thank you.”

She took the tray and put it on the shelf next to her.

“You should eat something”, I said softly.

“I am not hungry”, she sighed.

I put my hand on her shoulder.

“He will be fine.”

“Thank you.”

She took the plate and poked at the yellow stuff with a fork before she began to eat.

“Uh, it’s spicy.”

“Apparently, it makes it more edible.”

She chuckled.

“I guess… Not that the food on the ship was much better.”

“If you want, I can show you around”, I offered.

She looked at Abedi, and I followed her gaze. My system told me with 88% accuracy that she didn’t want to leave him alone.

“It’s okay”, I said softly. “At least go and have a shower. I will stay with him in the meantime, and then we will find a way to make you more comfortable here. You cannot sit in a chair for hours.”

She looked at me and smiled.

“You are so kind, Rea. Thank you.”

I waited for Tanvi to return and then helped her create a makeshift bed in the med bay, where she could lie down and rest. I stayed with her until she had fallen asleep, keeping her company. The auto doc indicated that Abedi was slowly recovering and would wake up in a few hours. I smiled and left for the canteen to prepare my report for Amin.