What Dreams May Come

Chapter 26: useless

Levi was tempted to play the video again, but didn't feel that watching a second time would lead to any more understanding. Dylan watched him carefully and then reached over to shut the small display.

"I guess a future captain decided to cease all communications anyway," she said. "And we messed all of that up."

"That would explain why the Canary crew we saw were in uniforms," Levi mused.

"Why?"

"They're more formal than we are, being senators and who knows who else."

"Senators?" Dylan inquired.

"Politicians. Earth's governments were run by people whose sole job was to vote and decide laws."

"That's stupid," she complained. "I can vote and work like everyone else."

"Regardless," Levi continued. "We can't leave them in the sky to die. It doesn't sound like they're capable of starting a colony by themselves. We'll just have to negotiate."

"This base needs everyone to pull their weight," she argued. "My papa is not the only one who thinks you're useless, just imagine a whole shipful of people without any apparent skill. We can't afford that here."

Levi frowned at her. "You don't think I'm useless."

He tried not to ask it like a question, but it had come out sounding anxious. Dylan shook her head.

"You have a much different skill set than I do," she admitted. "But you're not useless, Levi. You'd do well wherever you go."

He gave her a smile. Dylan was quite sparing in any sort of compliments, so getting one from her was nice. She rested her curls on his shoulder and put her free hand on his. It was the first time that Levi felt that their partnership might work. Dylan and he were different, very different, but perhaps they complimented each other well enough to get along.

"We still don't have oxygen for more people," she said. "And we still have to figure out how to get the scrubbers back online. I still don't know what happened to the primary set."

"I promised your madre we would stay out of trouble," Levi countered. "We're not going anywhere. We don't even know what time it is."

Dylan grabbed one of the holo-ribs off the small table and grimaced.

"It's late," she admitted. "We slept through most of the evening."

"So you shouldn't have woke us up in the first place," Levi teased.

"I'm not tired now," she shrugged. "Could we go see the primary life support? I just want to know what happened."

"I don't know if either of us should be..."

"Levi, we're just walking up a corridor and down two hallways."

"Tomorrow, ma belle," he promised. "We can wake early and walk down there. Okay?"

Dylan sighed, but didn't protest. He helped her to her feet and pulled her back toward the bedroom. Dishes were sitting on the counter; he'd have to wash them later.

"I can't decide if you've made my life complicated or if it was always this way," Dylan said.

"Always this way," Levi replied promptly. "I just offer perspective."

Dylan sat against the bed, wincing as she did so. Levi turned down the covers, though hovered a moment with a frown on his face.

"Let me see your stitches," he said.

"I'm fine," she told him.

Levi waited patiently for her to grumble and roll up her shirt. The bandage was pretty clean, and so Levi tried to stop worrying about her. She smoothed her shirt.

"Do we have any ibuprofen?" he asked. "Do you need any?"

"I don't know what that is," she answered. "I'm fine, Levi. We can go by the medical bay, and Shelley can take a look. Would that appease you?"

He nodded and turned to leave the room.

"Where are you going?" she called.

Levi paused, turning back to look at Dylan. Her hair was curling in every direction as she propped herself up in the bed.

"To bed?" he replied.

She snorted and patted the bed. When he didn't move, she sat up fully.

"You're my partner," she told him. "Levi, I know we got off to a rough start. And now we're running out of air and there's a ship of politicians headed our way and we were probably better off not getting out of bed this morning."

"You know how to put a guy at ease, Dylan."

"Let me finish," she laughed. "What I'm saying is that you're still my only partner. And if we can figure out how to get along with all of that going on, we'll be pas mal, right?"

He crossed back to the bed, standing even with Dylan. She grinned at him and patted the bed once more.

Once he sat down next to her, Dylan leaned over and kissed his cheek. It was nothing more than a light peck, but by the time he whirled to face her, she was snuggled up in the quilt, closing her eyes.

"You're a tease, ma belle," he complained.

"Good night, Mr. Moonshy," she yawned. 

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A short chapter; but they have had a long day. To think, they were fighting quite fiercely a day ago! Thanks for voting!