White Space

5

 The late lunch, or rather, early dinner, took quite long. It was a feast, after all, and nobody felt like leaving precious food on the table. The chatting became increasingly friendly and even Yemon couldn't help but succumb to the impractical fraternization that seemed to wash over the group in a tsunami of friendliness.

 They were offered some of the Scotch in the end, which Yemon respectfully declined on account of them being on duty, but he allowed Jaleel to have some. He knew he would sneak out and get it later anyway, might as well take away the guilt now.

 The yawning started almost as soon as the booze was starting to dry up on them. When Yemon looked around the tired and drunken looking bunch, he found it amusing how the big, smooth machine that was the crew of the research station had over time synchronized their rhythm, even if they weren't aware of it. They were yawning together. All of them. Jaleel also joined the epidemic, he had a strange way of integrating himself into every group he'd come across pathologically fast. Even Yemon felt the yawns bubbling up. Everyone was the same. Except for Navin Narayanan. Yemon found this odd. He was supposed to have spent a long time in the crew's proximity, but he probably had a different bio rhythm, he thought.

 Once the group started dispersing, they were quick to decide to continue the interviews in the morning. There was neither need nor use in talking to with half dunk half full people, anyway. And the two of them hadn't slept for more than a day, getting the new assignment on short notice after finishing up their last mission. Yemon offered Jaleel's services in cleaning the table, however, which Accacia and the Doc took happily. As the three of them started working away, Yemon also stood up and grabbed a few plates and put some used cutlery on top and walked into the tiny kitchen right next to the recreation room.

 "This was a surprisingly generous welcome feast, to be honest." Yemon said as he dumped his load on the counter for the Doc to rinse and put it into a dishwasher, organized carefully by type and size.

 "Yeah, well, this is the least he can do." The Doc said, putting a glass on the top shelf.

 "What do you mean?"

 "Well, now he's turned the valve off, we have to leave. So the least he can do is get us some quality food and keep us happy for the last few days."

 "He turned off the valve?"

 "Yeah, his company was founding research here for about the last eight years now. And suddenly he decided that this was it." Doc said, packing the dishwasher absentmindedly.

 "Was that after the explosions at his resort?" Yemon stepped closer to the Doc. She put down the plate she was holding and looked at the wall, searching through her memories.

 "I honestly couldn't tell." She said. "Probably a few days before, maybe. I don't remember. You have to excuse me, I don't take alcohol too well." She then finished packing and silently slipped away, saying something about checking up on Colin before he went to sleep. Yemon understood. The kid looked terrible throughout the day.

 "Your partner already left." Accacia said as she entered the kitchen, her hands full of the remaining glasses of liquor and lemonade and other drinks. Seemingly the alcoholic beverages suffered the gravest losses during the earlier confrontation between the crew and the food.

 "He's not my partner." Yemon reached for a glass in the cupboard above the counter.

 "Oh, no, please don't help, I'm good, really." Accacia said, while struggling to land all the bottles on the other end of the counter safely.

 "But I am helping." he offered a glass to her. She took it with a smirk and lifted the scotch from the mess of bottles and glasses and shot a quizzical look at Yemon. This earned her a nod of approval. She poured some for him and herself. They clinked and took a sip.