Piece Simul ✔

Chapter 40- Forster - The Ol' Pretend Sleep

Forster hoped she didn't notice his eyes. They were prone to twitching when he was nervous.

It had been some time since the kiss. He felt like himself. He figured he had a chance, as long as he kept his non-infected eyes closed.

Forster tried to stabilize his breathing, too. A month of yoga helped, but keeping his heart steady proved difficult in presence of the Captain.

Guin hummed different tunes as she worked. Of course, he couldn't see what she was doing, but he could guess from all the buttons she was pressing. On occasion, perhaps to check if he was sleeping, she narrated her choices.

"A new course will be fun for everyone, including the two friends I'm waking up."

From the security video footage, machinery hissed and alarms blared.

"Shhhh," Guin said, no doubt quelling the noise with her override codes. "Ah, Samuel is in the main hall with Tiptree. And Russ," he pictured her squinting at the security station, "Russ is dead."

Forster drew in a sharp breath. He couldn't help it. The words shocked him.

It was no doubt the reaction Guin hoped for. In the next minute, her weight settled in his lap. As she perched on him, fingers pried at his lids.

Now that the jig was up, he did squeeze them shut.

Guin laughed, sounding pleased. "No, no, open up!"

A sharp blow to the side of his face almost unseated him. Still, he kept his eyes closed. Then, a hand fastened over his mouth, another pinching his nose.

"I said open."

But he was prepared for torture. It had been an abbreviated part of training, but it was enough. His lungs felt near to bursting, and his heart threatened to stop. When, on reflex, he gave in to breathe, the lack of new oxygen shocked his system. He struggled under Guin, who urged him to listen to reason.

"If you don't open, you're going to die, and I'll have to jettison the remaining crew," Guin said in an unnerving sing-song tone.

Forster's eyes flew open. He expected air in the same second, but Guin kept her hold on his mouth and nose as she inspected him.

Finally, she released him. Forster sputtered and flailed, dragging in sweet, sweet oxygen. In a sweeping gesture, he pushed Guin off. She stumbled to her feet, laughing.

Despite himself, he rubbed his eyes. As he gingerly forced them back open, he noticed the view from a nearby window.

"I'll help you along, no worries," Guin was saying.

Her voice sounded far away as Forster tried to understand what he was seeing. Maybe his eyes had been infected after all.

A whisper was all his throat would allow: "Kevrun 9?"

Outside, the red sphere swathed in white and emerald was undeniable. Though, the trip would have been impossible. The first time, it had taken months.

"We jumped. And no one even noticed," Guin said. Forster shook his head and she went on, "I know all the secret spots."

A voice behind them boomed, "Captain?"

~*~