13 Degrees of Separation (6 page)

“Is there anything I can do miss?” he asked roughly.

“Not a blessed thing right now. Except maybe get me a steak and a
beer later,” she said with a wan smile.

The medic chuckled. “Well, it's breakfast, but I'll see if Cookie
can oblige ma'am,” he said, patting her hand again. She smiled another wane
smile as he retreated. She let out a deep breath, glancing around to see her
hat and boots nearby. She stared at them, feeling her vision waver.

Annie teared up, and then remembered what her daddy had told her,
cowgirls didn't cry. Angrily she wiped at her eyes. Jane came in for a visit,
hastily she cleaned her face. From the look on her face, Annie guessed she knew
the news. She gave her hat and gear to Jane, putting the hat on the girl. She
told the girl roughly to take care of them for her.

Jane cried, throwing herself into Annie's arms. Annie stroked the
girl's hair, feeling her breath, feeling herself slipping away. Her fingers
combed the girl's locks. She wished she could see the girl grow up. She wished
she'd had kids of her own now. “Cowgirl's don't cry lass. It's life, it's a
wild ride. Sometimes you get bucked. I don't blame the steer, you shouldn't
either.”

Jane nodded, biting her lip. Her eyes shinned. Slowly she
straightened and then put the cowgirl hat on. “Looks good on you,” the woman
murmured, eyelids slowly closing. “Wear it in good health,” she said with a
smile. The girl nodded. The cowgirl's eyes fluttered and then closed. She
sighed, falling asleep.

Jane glanced at the hand on her shoulder. Doc was there. His face
grim. “Let her rest Jane, that's all we can do for her now.” Jane nodded and
walked away, forcing herself to not look back.

Annie slipped into a coma and died a few hours later. The ship
held a brief service for her over the intercom as her body was laid to rest in
the recycling plant. Jane stood there, listening to the service, holding her
hat in her hands. She felt the felt, watched the striped feather twitch and
fought the tears.

“Life goes on. We've got work to do,” a worker said. Someone
hissed at him and nudged him, pointing to Jane. Jane took the hat and placed it
on. She adjusted it just so. It would take some getting used to, but she'd wear
it. She saw her mom bite her lip and turned away.

“No, he's right. It's what Annie would have wanted. The work don't
stop just because you're in pain. And we've got work to do,” she said gruffly,
turning to the animal pens. “Mucking out and feeding. Time to get back to
work.”

Her mother watched her go, biting her lip. She looked at her
husband. Both realized what had happened was a rite of passage, the death of a
friend on top of George's death brought a new level of maturity out in their
daughter. But also foretold an end to her innocence of youth. Her mother leaned
into her husband's arms and cried softly. He patted her, hugging her for a long
moment. “Come on,” he said gruffly. “She may not need our help, but the more
hands, the faster it'll go.”

“All right,” she said softly as he steered her to the open hatch.

The End

The following takes place
from Fools Gold until just before Plague Planet.

Seti Alpha 4:

Io 11 made orbit of the planet Seti Alpha 4 after a short
but uneventful journey from Pyrax. Even though it was a rather boring journey
for the bridge crew, the engineering crew and some of the medical staff had
their hands full arranging their surprise and keeping the doctor in the dark
about it.

That was hard, Mindy was never good at secrets. Her mother
kept the girl as busy and as far away from the doctor as possible. Which meant
doing class work or babysitting in the crèche with Dorah Dita.

When they arrived they were greeted by a cold reception by
the planetary radio network. However they had planned for it.

The crew arranged for the doctor's family to meet him at
the space port without his knowledge. Despite all their careful planning and
arranging, in his zeal the doctor got past the group and rushed home, where he
found it empty. Dejected he returned to the port to find everyone there looking
for him.

He frowned in puzzlement, scratching his head until a
familiar scent caught his nose. He closed his eyes and turned. “Hi stranger,” a
soft voice said close by. He opened his eyes and was surprised by his beautiful
wife who grabbed him and kissed him soundly. “You're in so much trouble,” she
teased, scolding him.

He chuckled. “I'll take any punishment you'll dish out, as
long as it's you doing it,” he said, kissing her again.

“Deal,” she said, holding him close. She kissed him again,
long and lovingly. That amused the crew who stopped and Ahed in appreciation.

When she finally let him up for air with a smile he turned,
holding her hand. “Everyone, this is my wife Soline. Soline, the crew of the Io
11.”

“We've met,” Soline said with a chuckle. “While you slipped
off we had a bit of a talk,” she said as a friend handed her a squirming
toddler. She had to stop talking at the sound of turbines in the air. The baby
wailed and she turned to coo at her. A shuttle came in, flaring it's flaps and
dropping its landing gear. They shaded their eyes to watch it land.

A pair of forklifts sprang into action. Girls bustled
about, mixing with the natives. He smiled, but then blinked when he saw the
cargo hatch of the shuttle pop open and pallets of gear came out.

A forklift passed close by and he blinked at the medical
cross stenciled on the plastic wrapping.

Nurse Mindy came out with her mom, she waved to some, then
shyly ducked behind her mom when she noticed Soline and the doctor. For once
the teenage nurse was tentative, shy. She toed the ground and apologized for
taking the doctor.

“I'm going to take my time forgiving him for his part in
it. But he's no worse for wear,” Soline said, eying her husband.

“You can check me over more thoroughly when we get home,”
he teased.

She blushed. “Watch it, I plan on it,” she growled. He
laughed softly.

Mindy and her mother cooed at the baby. “Isn't her red
jumper so cute?” Mindy said, smiling and waving at the baby.

“What's going on? What's with all the gear?” The doctor
asked. “Specifically medical supplies?” he asked.

 “They're for you young man,” a familiar gravelly voice
said. The group turned to see the Captain come out of the building beside them.
“For you for all your efforts on our behalf.”

“For me?” he asked bewildered, looking at the piles of
equipment coming out of the shuttles and moving into a nearby wooden warehouse.
There was quite a bit there, including an MRI scanner and some things that
looked tantalizingly familiar. Not that he had any intention of looking at them
now, with Soline and little Selina so close.

 The Captain grunted softly, leaning on the cane in front
of her with both hands. “It's our way of thanking you for what you did, and an
apology. We can never make up for the time you've lost, but maybe this will
help you and your people have a better future.”

“Thank you Captain.”

“You've more than earned it lad. Put it to good use for
your family and your people,” the Captain said, tugging on her trademark shawl
in discomfort. Giving away such material was a new experience for her.

“We've got so much for you! I've been ready to explode for
weeks about the full hospital! A full planetary class hospital! Mister Admiral
showed us how to do it and Mom helped!” The teenage nurse gushed excitedly.

The doctor raised an eyebrow. He knew they had been up to
something, but this was the first he had heard of their plans. Obviously he had
been distracted to have missed it.

The doctor's wife leaned closer to him as the girl squealed
and capered about with teenage abandon. “You were with her all day every day?”
she asked softly.

“Yes,” he sighed in exasperation.

“Oh honey, I'm so sorry,” she murmured, giggling in
sympathetic dismay for his benefit. “You must have been ready to climb the
walls,” she said in sympathy, shaking her head.

“It's good practice for when our little one gets older I
suppose,” the doctor said and caught her chin. He stroked it with the tip of
his thumb and then kissed her soundly.

She smiled. “Good answer,” she said, nuzzling into his
arms.

<===^===>

Not only did the crew manufacture supplies and equipment
for the hospital, they had even fabricated a full prefabricated building. Once
it was all down they worked with the locals for the ideal site in the city. It
was leveled and then the pieces were put together. It took a few days to get
used to the project, but once they borrowed a crane it went together smoothly.

The building was four stories tall and shaped like an H
laying on its back. Each of the wings would serve a different purpose.
Utilities were run to the hospital, but Faith had provided solar panels and a
backup generator for it just in case.

The site had been carefully selected on high ground to keep
the foundation away from any potential flooding or other natural disasters.
Local construction crews were hired to help with construction and to pave
around the building.

While the project hit its stride other crews worked on
other projects. Io 11 engineers worked with the local mayor to improve the
space port and local industry before they left. They also provided Soline with
the latest teaching materials, solar panels, tablets, a central computer net,
and petabytes of books for her school. The woman was floored by the gift, it
was a treasure beyond measure to a teacher.

When asked how all this was possible, they told stories of
the admiral. The stories amused and intrigued some of the natives. They became
even more interested when the crew showed them how far they had come with the
ship's restoration. That got other people on the planet excited.

“Look the admiral up in Pyrax. He's there now, just on the
other side of your jump point North. If you write to him he might send you some
packages to help things along like he did us.”

The Captain allowed the crew shore leave once she was
certain it was safe. To her amusement and annoyance they brought in two waifs.
“More trouble,” she grumbled, looking from the two small children to her
granddaughter and the doctor.

“Gram, they needed help,” her granddaughter said.

“And on their own homeworld they can get it,” the old woman
said, eying the pair. “Related?”

“Twins,” Emily, the XO and chief of ship's security said,
kneeling next to them. “One boy, one girl,” she said, looking over her
shoulder. Both were filthy, heads down, covered in rags. They held hands
however.

“Age?” the Captain asked, trying hard not to sigh.

“Eight?” Emily said, frowning.

“We're twelve,” the girl said softly.”

“Twelve?” Emily asked in disbelief, appalled. The kids were
barely a meter tall and were incredibly thin despite the drooping rags. Rage
filled her, rage that anyone would allow that to happen.

“Incan if I'm right about the phenotype,” the doctor said.
She frowned and then knelt. “They won't get much bigger without a proper diet.
They won't get much older either,” she said to the Captain. She turned to the
kids. “Hi. I'm a doctor. Can you two tell me if you are in any pain?”

“Just hungry,” the girl whispered. Her stomach growled.

“Do you have parents?”

“No. They died.”

“And what? You've been living on the streets?” the Captain
asked. Both nodded. “Do you want to go to space?”

“Please we're hungry. We'll do whatever you want,” the girl
said.

“Local authorities?” the Captain asked in concern. The kids
cowered, suddenly terrified.

“A pair of waifs usually fear people in authority Captain.
They may have been chased off or mistreated,” the doctor said, looking over her
shoulder to the Captain. “If they're telling the truth I'm willing to take them
on.”

“Adopt them? Don't you have enough trouble?” Emily asked.

“Well, I suppose you can help,” the doctor said, smiling at
Emily.

The XO snorted then her eyes widened when she saw the
challenge in the doctor's smile. “Wait, you were serious?” she demanded.

The Captain chuckled, making her look back over her
shoulder to her. “She's right. You want them, then they're equally your
responsibility. But I think this time we'll check with the local authorities
just in case.”

“Great,” Emily said, rolling her eyes. Her grandmother
handed each child a piece of candy she kept in her pocket. The kids unwrapped
each and devoured them. The Captain chuckled. “Already spoiling their appetite
eh gram?” She demanded.

“Just doing what comes naturally to a grandmother,” the
Captain cackled, moving off. “I suggest food and a bath. Not necessarily in
that order,” she said. “And they are
NOT
coming up on my shuttle until
they get the latter,” she said firmly.