Interstellar → Chris Beck

S O L 5 4

THE HERMES WAS fairly quiet; the only sounds to be heard were those coming from the various machines inside the ship, or, more specifically, the machines inside the ship's infirmary.

Maia lay still on one of the two beds in the room, the sound of machinery slowly lulling her awake. Her eyes began to flutter open and immediately she was met with a light, one that prompted her to shy away due to the sudden sensitivity her eyes now seemed to hold. Her head ached tremendously, but she worked through the pain to try and remember exactly how it had come about.

She could remember waiting on Beck to return with the ship's transponders when he had startled her, causing her to release the hold she had on the external railing of the ship; she could remember floating for several seconds before her body struck something hard. That was how the pain had began, but she couldn't remember much of anything after that, which frustrated her greatly.

Maia sat up, squinting her hazel eyes in order to further adjust them to the light. She became lightheaded and a wave of nausea then followed. She hopped down from the mattress she sat on as she realized what was about to happen and hurried over to the nearest trash can, wasting not a single second in dispelling the contents of her stomach. It had done nothing to make her feel better, though, and she struggled to remain upright. There was something wrong with her, that much she knew, but she just couldn't seem to put her finger on it.

Before Maia could hit the ground, however, a warm pair of arms caught her and scooped her up without much warning at all.

"It's okay, Maia," Beck's soft voice could be heard in Maia's ear. "I've got you."

Maia blinked up at him, trying to determine whether or not her mind was playing some sort of joke on her. "Chris?"

"The one and only," he chuckled, sitting her back down onto the mattress she had just jumped from moments ago.

"What happened? Why do I feel so bad?" Maia questioned him. She reached a hand up to rub the exhaustion from her eyes, though it didn't do much to help. She was exhausted for whatever reason and predicted she would be asleep within the next five minutes, if not three.

"I may have over-drugged you in my state of panic," he answered with a sigh. "Your mild concussion may also be another contributing factor as to why you feel bad."

Maia was confused, though it was mostly because her mind was too muddled to try and comprehend his words. "I don't—I don't understand."

Beck chuckled again. "The impact to your head not only resulted in you acquiring a two inch laceration, which, by the way, required stitches, but it also left you with a very mild concussion. Your symptoms should subside in about a week or two if you can take proper care of yourself."

Maia groaned, a peculiar feeling flowing into her tired body. "Big doctor words. . .shhhhh."

"Yeah, I definitely over-drugged you," he sighed. "You poor thing. I'm so sorry."

"S'okay," she assured him as she reached up to scratch at whatever she could feel irritating the side of her head. Beck reached out and pulled her hand away, though, leaving a frown to fall upon the petite girl's face.

"I'd rather you not."

"But my head. . .there's something funky on it," she whined.

Beck shook his head at her in a chastising manner. "Stitches, Maia—I had to give you stitches. That's what's funky."

Maia's mouth pulled into an 'O' shape and she met Beck's eyes. "Can you take them out, please?"