Noris&Nathan: Waiting for you only

Chapter 8

After Noris left the ship, Nathan continued to work as usual, with one difference: no one came to have lunch with him as before. Sometimes Luca or Dr. Mason joined him, but most of the time Nathan ate alone.

At first they still stared at him, but after a few weeks no one showed any more interest. Nathan no longer felt uncomfortable being observed. The only thing that remained was A.J.'s taunts, which did not bother him as much. He let him talk all he wanted. The secretary didn't care.

When he finished his work, he headed straight to his quarters. Sometimes he took food from the canteen to eat alone in his room. Nathan accepted this state of affairs. Yes, he was lonely and Noris was not around. 

He tried to analyze his feelings for Roman, admitting that he still felt anguish, remembering how he had witnessed the development of Tiger's relationship with Keith. 

Nevertheless, the image of Noris always interrupted the flow of his thoughts.

The bodyguard occasionally called him via video link, mostly asking about work and how he was eating. Nathan usually wrote his answers in a notebook and put  it in front of the camera. The days slowly dragged by and he tried to adjust to life on the ship as best he could.

One time, however, Noris did not contact him for a week and Nathan became discouraged. He hesitated to take the initiative to make a call himself, not knowing how busy the bodyguard was. Therefore, during this period Nathan was more stressed than ever, which led to him making several mistakes at work.

- What are you doing? All these numbers are wrong! - A.J.'s irritated voice echoed through the office.

He walked over to the guy's desk and angrily poked at the screen of his iPad.

Nathan looked at the screen and became nervous.

- You can't do anything right! I don't know how you ever worked for the boss! - AJ continued to press on.

[I'll fix it] - the guy hastily wrote. 

AJ grimaced with disdain. 
- Yeah, who needs it! You have to do the right thing right away! Are you even gonna be any good? You worked for the boss himself, and in the end you betrayed him and were sent here as punishment. I don't want to waste any more time with you!

Nathan could not bear the pressure and tears came to his eyes.

- A.J., you're overreacting. You talk too much, Luca tried to stand up for him, but he could not say more.
There were other employees in the office, but no one stood up for Nathan. 

- Am I making this up? The boss should have killed him! I don't know why he spared him. What a burden!

- What's going on here? - The voice of Henry echoed through the room. 

- Well, this one made a mistake. All the numbers are wrong, – AJ complained, handing the department head an iPad.

[I'm sorry. I'll fix this quickly]," Nathan scribbled frantically, and Henry nodded.

- Be more careful, please. This is very important documentation. AJ, get back to work.

The mabln left, looking very unhappy.

- You can fix it tomorrow," Luka suggested.

[Tomorrow is my day off. I'll take care of it today]

- Well, then take a break every now and then. And don't forget to turn off the lights when you leave.

Nathan nodded and everyone left. He continued to work in silence. All alone. 
The error correction lasted until ten o'clock in the evening. When he was satisfied that the documents were in order, he gathered his things, turned off the light in his office and returned to his room. He skipped dinner, he had no appetite. 

Nathan sat down on the floor by his bed, resting his face on his knees. He felt truly useless and worthless. After sitting like that for a while, he got up and left the room.

Nathan went up to the upper deck of the ship. Several people passed by, but no one approached him to ask him what he was doing here.

Gusts of wind whipped him in the face. He made it all the way to the stern. The “ball of fire” had no intention of going below the horizon, even though it was nearing midnight. 

T/N: A polar day at the North Pole lasts about 190 days. During this period the sun does not go below the horizon.

Nathan looked into the distance, where the white ice merged with the blue of the ocean water. He thought about his mistakes.

"Am I making this up? The boss should have killed him! I don't know why I spared him. Just a burden!"

AJ's words echoed in his head, making him cringe with contempt for himself. He had betrayed his boss and everyone he worked with. 

Nathan looked down at the icy water and then climbed over the railing and sat down on it.

He thought about Noris. Only thinking about him made his stay in this place bearable. However, with him gone for a week, the boy felt completely lost. 
Tears filled his eyes, and he let go of the railing.

But before he could fall down, he was grabbed by someone's hand.
- Hey, what are you doing?! - came Carlos's voice.

Pulling the guy over the railing with one hand, he used the other to radio Dr. Mason. 
- I found him. He was going to commit suicide, – reported Carlos, whom the scientist had asked to help with the search.

A little earlier, Dr. Mason had gone to Nathan's room, but had not found him in his room or in the dining room. He had heard from Luca that A.J. had yelled at the boy in public. The scientist decided to check on Nathan, but when he couldn't find him, he immediately contacted Carlos and the others and asked for help. He was on the upper deck when he saw the lone figure in the distance, so he arrived in time.

Nathan wrapped his arms around his rescuer's neck and cried bitterly.

Shocked, Dr. Mason radioed Carlos to carry Nathan back to his room. He seemed unable to walk on his own, resembling a rag doll. He continued to sob as he carried him to the cabin, where the scientist and Dr. Toru were waiting for him. 

Carlos laid him on the bed. Nathan did not stop crying. 

- What were you trying to do?! If Norris finds out, he will kill me for not taking care of you properly! - Dr. Mason said in a not-so-serious attempt to calm the boy down, but he continued to sob uncontrollably. 

Dr. Toru brought a blanket to cover him, because Nathan's body was very cold. 

- Thank you, Carlos. You can go back to work," Dr. Mason thanked him, and he nodded before leaving. 

Dr. Toru examined the boy.

- Don't worry, Nathan. We are here to help you, –  the scientist said, trying to comfort the secretary, who was still in shock.

- He is fine. Just a few scratches. It probably happened when Carlos grabbed him. Nevertheless, further observation is necessary.

Mason nodded, keeping his eyes fixed on Nathan.
When the doctor left, it was just the two of them. 

- Nathan, why did you do it? What made you do it? You can talk to me, the doctor said in a soft voice, realizing that he was talking to a mentally unstable person.

Remembering Luca's recounting of what AJ had said to the boy, the scientist was filled with anger.

[My presence here is useless] - Nathan scribbled. 

- Who said it was useless? If it were, why would you have been sent here? Yes, you have made a mistake. But you are here to help in your work, just as we all are.

Nathan continued to cry. 

- I know you feel guilty, but before you ask others to forgive you, you should do it first and try to make things right, shouldn't you? - Dr. Mason sat down next to Nathan and stroked his back soothingly.

- I will sleep here tonight. As a friend!

[It's okay. You don't have to.]

- It's for my peace of mind.

The boy was silent for a moment before finally agreeing.

The scientist continued to comfort Nathan, letting him cry until he had no more strength left. Then he took a shower and went to bed.

When Nathan fell asleep, Dr. Mason sent a message to Norris to tell him what had happened.