It felt to Paean as though she had only just got back to sleep. Ronan was shaking her awake again. She groaned.
“Sorry, sis. Dr Judith needs your help.”
“Tellem to carry on without me,” she mumbled. “They’re nice an big now…” She lapsed back into dreams. Shawn was really old enough to organize his own kiddies’ party now!
“Pae, Doc Judith is calling for you!”
The relative actuality of the ship listed into Paean’s mind. “Wha’?”
“Doc Judith wants you in the infirmary, sis!”
Oh, the Doc. Medical studies. Yes, it was probably time she got up…
“I’m there,” said Paean drowsily, turned over and slept on.
A few minutes later Ronan was shaking her again.
“Are you up, sis? Dr Judith is waiting.”
“Hmm?” muttered Paean. “Why’s it so dark?” She was exhausted and certainly not awake.
“Och, Paean! I know it’s tough, but you’ve got to get up. Doc needs you. Federi and Marsden are back!”
The ship rocked. Paean rolled out of her bunk and landed with a thump on the floor.
“Ouch,” she declared. “I think I’m awake now.”
It was a waste. Half a minute later, stumbling into the infirmary, she passed right out again. Too much blood.
Doc Judith treated her with a glass of cold water in her face. There was no time for this kind of thing now.
“Is Mr Marsden – alive?” she muttered as her senses returned to her.
“Barely,” said the Doc.
“Sorry, Doc. For blacking out.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll need to do a transfusion. I’ve sent Shawn to get a type printout of everyone aboard, and it seems Ronan’s the closest match.”
Ronan had settled himself on the only chair in the small cabin. “Tap away,” he grinned. He presented his arm for the doctor to insert the IV needle; it would be a direct, person to person transfer this time, as there was no time to lose. Another IV drip with saline was already installed in Marsden’s other arm.
Federi sat at the end of Marsden’s bunk, looking grey with exhaustion. Paean shot him a tentative look from under hooded eyelids. He lifted a tired eyebrow.
“How are you doing?” she asked shyly.
“I hate those tropical squalls,” muttered Federi, giving her a lopsided grin. “But I managed to find Ronan’s tin whistle again. Took some doing.”
“Hang onto it a bit longer, Federi,” said Ronan generously. “You’ve only just started learning.”
“Thanks, shipmate,” replied the gypsy cook. He looked like a wizened old leprechaun to Paean, all of a sudden. Not old, but tired, so tired…
Wolf surfaced.
“Got to get up and check – Hey,” he said, looking around in bewildered amazement. “A party!”
“Aargh,” groaned Federi, getting up. “A party!” He escaped.
“Here I am, Captain.”
“Federi!” Lascek clapped his hand on the Romany’s shoulder. “Man, am I glad to see you!”
“You already said that, Captain,” grinned Federi.
“Well, I still mean it!” Lascek shook his head. “That could have gone wrong! Next time, tell me! It might have been the wiser idea to gather everyone and set sail as fast as we could!”
“What’s in the capsule?” asked Federi, glancing at the console. “Was it worth it?”
“Never,” said the Captain. “Unicate strategies until the next century won’t be worth your and Jon’s lives!”
“A man was murdered back in that cave,” said Federi. “Wonder who, and which side he belonged to, and why he had that capsule.” He hesitated.
Radomir Lascek was overtired too. He would not have missed it under usual circumstances.
“Well, you’ve avenged him, right?” he asked. Federi rolled his eyes. “Go catch some sleep,” ordered the Captain.
“Ghosts,” muttered Federi. He took himself off to the galley. Coffee first. He wanted to stay awake enough tonight to have a say in his own dreams. In fact, if he had a choice, he’d rather not fall asleep at all.