A Spaceman

Chapter 14--The things you say

"I need a high protein milk broth," the Russian's doctor limps into the kitchen. Poor Sophie is left to basically sit on top of a severed head while I dive in front of incriminating body parts on the table. we're not used to people coming down here and talking to us.

"What for?" I ask, in English because back to the slavery, why should I be respectful, thing.

"Commander Solokov is being given an IG tube," he says, a bit heavily.

"The anorexic boy? There's extensive medical research to show that force feeding has a negative affect on anorexic patients----I'm sorry, I was a pediatrician and treated many cases. They have a much better prognosis with talk-therapy and family support," I say.

"I agree with you, but it's Space Command's orders. He's dying," the doctor says, in his broken English, "And since you've done IG tubes you can put it in him. I've never inserted one before. I'm a general practitioner."

"He'll die with or without the IG till someone helps him get his head on straight," I say.

"You know you guys could have this conversation somewhere else," Sophie growls. She is basically laying on top of a severed head.

"He is expensive, Space command wants him alive," the doctor says, shrugging and turning to go, "Orders are orders."

"I'll prepare the drip," I say, with a sigh.

"I'll have tubing ready, bring it up to my office," he says, leaving.

"What was that about?" Sophie asks, sliding to the floor with relief, "What's an IG tube?"

"A tube is inserted through the nose, down to the stomach, to force feed him since he won't eat on his own," I explain.

"That's super gross. I didn't know the nose, like, connected, to the stomach," she says, wincing.

"Well, now you do," I say, with a sigh, going back to disposing of the body, "Let's get this done then I'll make the drip."

"What's in it?' she asks.

"Considering I'm not in a medical facility? Full fat milk with protein powder. It can't be too heavy or his body will have an adverse reaction, it's so used to not eating," I explain.

"That sucks," Sophie says, wiping her bloody hands on a towel, "He's not going to like that."

"I highly doubt he will," I say.

**

"I feel like we should talk about the fact that we're both functioning alcoholics," Thorn always was a nice guy. And I even thought that before he helped me break out of prison.

"Well you live with Titus, solved that one," I say, as we walk through the woods. Lizzie is clearing the path. She and I and Thorn went one way because Thorn knows she' a mutant so she can clear the way with her brain. And she doesn't trust either of our dexterity with weapons right now.

"Okay----I really try not to think about it like that-----but---that's true," Thorn says, disjointedly, "Are you ----um—"

"No I'm not okay but I'm closer to okay than I was before, or would be without the alcohol," I say, taking a drink from my spiked hydration system. Knowledge from OTS, still useful. And they say the military doesn't prepare you for everyday life.

"What, may I ask----happened?" Thorn asks.

"The police were coming after Lizzie, and they shot her mom, and killed her and our baby, and they took Liz and were gonna lock her up and kill her, so I went and got her out, and then, once she was someplace safe, I went back to the hospital where my wife and child were dead, they arrested me after I got to say goodbye to them---and they put me in prison---and then you came," I say, shrugging, "You know what happened after that."