“At this speed. About seven Earth days.”
“Can we go faster?” Sutton asks, holding his stomach again. “I’d really like to get off this ride as soon as possible.”
“Your bodies are not accustomed to space travel. Going too fast would only worsen the space sickness. The tincture can only do so much,” Zayd explains as he walks over to the replicator recessed into the hull of the ship. After he punches a set of Throkyn letters into the console, a shot glass of clear liquid materializes on the brightly lit surface. “I will show you the code to make it yourself. For now, drink,” Zayd says, handing Sutton the glass.
Sutton swigs it down and holds the glass to his forehead. “I fucking hate space travel.”
Chapter 32
Sutton
“Howareyoufeelingtoday?” Zayd asks when I join him and Layla in the galley after another restless night’s sleep.
This morning is no different than the last four mornings, if you can even call them that. There’s no rising or setting sun to tell us what time of day it is. All I know is that we sleep when the clock says sleep and wake when the alarm goes off. Well… Zayd and Layla get up with the alarm. I’ve yet to fully fall asleep and have taken to ignoring the alarm if I feel like I can steal a few more minutes before the nausea fully kicks back in.
Layla and Zayd sip their tea as I make a beeline for the replicator to punch in the code for the nausea tincture.
“Not any better?” Layla asks when I take the seat beside her.
“You know, it’s not as bad as yesterday. But that’s like saying, my headache’s not as bad since they stopped beating me over the head with a shovel.”
Layla smiles sympathetically as she rubs her hand gently up and down my arm. “I wish there was something more I could do to help.”
“I’m just glad you’re not having this problem. Put poor Zayd through hell, having to live with two miserable bastards with no escape.”
“I assure you, your illness has in no way been a burden. Compared to my cousin, Rys, your company has been quite pleasant,” Zayd says, lifting his tea cup to me before taking a drink.
“This is something even Throkyns struggle with?” Layla asks, before taking another sip of her tea.
As miserable as this trip has been for me and for everything that happened that first day, it warms me to the core of my being to see her just being her. If she is still worried about the bond, which I’m sure she is, she’s not letting it ruin every aspect of her life. She can still sit down and enjoy a cup of tea and a pleasant conversation. Knowing that eases my discomfort more than the tincture.
“Rys whined like a newborn pup for days on his first flight. Half the crew wanted to put him in the hold for the remainder of the trip. The other half had to be talked out of killing him. Fortunately, for him, his body eventually acclimatized, and he avoided either fate.”
“Well, it’s good to know I’m not at risk of being murdered,” I force a chuckle while Layla and Zayd have a good laugh. The sound soothes my soul.
“With any luck, you will find your space legs soon.” Layla stands and kisses me on the cheek before taking her empty cup to the matter collector. The wasted cup fuels the replicator and cycles to become something else.
“I think I might try getting a bit more sleep.” I groan as I stand. “You two have fun.” I give Zayd a firm pat on the shoulder and a cheeky wink.
I’m fully aware of what they’ve been up to while I’ve been out of commission. We’re over hiding things from each other. WhenLayla asked for total honesty, she meant it and has held all three of us to it. Whenever she’s intimate with Zayd, I hear about it.
There was a time it would have pissed me off. Even if I’d allowed it, I wouldn’t want to hear about it. But now, I’m glad to know she’s being taken care of. Her needs are met when I can’t meet them. Zayd promised she’d never be alone, and even though we haven’t been able to figure out how to complete the bond, he’s keeping that promise. A promise I, too, will keep if the circumstances are ever reversed.
“Sleep well, Sutton,” Zayd says, pinning my hand to his shoulder. “You will be missed.”
Damn, I wish I felt better. Or, at the very least, better rested. At this point, I think the lack of sleep is my biggest problem.
That is why I tear myself away from Zayd, regardless of the stiffy growing in my briefs, and head back to the sleeping quarters.
As much as it eases my mind to know they’re doing well, I’m sick of being left out of the fun. The only way to get there is through a full recovery.
#
Fucking, finally.
I don’t know how long I’ve been asleep, but I don’t care because I actually slept. And for the first time since before we took off in this Godforsaken tin can, I want to eat.
It must not be sleeping hours because the bunk beside me is empty. Layla and Zayd offered to sleep in separate beds while I was sick, but I wasn’t about to force Layla to sleep alone in a strange bed, floating through outer space. So, the two of them have been sleeping together in the other bottom bunk.
