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"You can't help anyone if you're dead," I pointed out.
"She's right, you know," Brinley said. "Also, I think the Gamma is following us. They've dropped back to make it look like they aren't, but they are."
As long as they didn't fire anymore warning shots, it would be nice to know they lurked back there. We might need them before we got to Iri space, especially if J'avet argued with me about resting. As important as this mission was, I wouldn't hesitate to call them and make him—okay, try to make him—go to their infirmary and rest.
"So, Vaw knew about this the entire time," I said conversationally. "That explains a lot. Like, why no one seemed to mind us taking so many cans. And why this seemed so much easier than it should have been."
"And why no one stopped me from taking a drum or two of fuel," Brinley said. "More than we would need to rendezvous with the Vulcan."
"We could have avoided a lot of sneaking around," I said with a sigh.
"The sneaking around was kind of fun," Brinley said. She smiled at E'rel before returning her attention to the ship's controls.
E'rel's face turned darker, which I interpreted as a blush.
"Yeah, well no sneaking now," I said. "We'll have to do our best to keep out of each other's way." In a ship smaller than an inner city apartment in most cities on Earth. Yeah, right. We'd be lucky if we didn't throttle each other halfway there.
"Two take the day shift, two take the night," J'avet said simply.
"That works," I said. As long as I wasn't on the same shift as E'rel. One cranky Parvoran was enough. J'avet I could handle, more or less. E'rel, well, I'd leave him to Brinley.
"I should get to work," E'rel said. "These devices that Freytaurian gave you are crude at best."
"I hope you're not referring to Slek as 'that Freytaurian', are you?" I asked, my hackles immediately up.
E'rel rose, gave me a glance and moved to the back of the pod.
"Well, he's charming," I muttered sarcastically.
"Don't mind him," Brinley said. "He's better with machines than people. It takes him a while to get comfortable with someone."
"Sounds familiar." I looked pointedly at J'avet. "Speaking of you, it's time you rested. And don't even try to argue, or the three of us will drag you onto a bunk and tie you down."
Slek would have asked, "Do you promise?" but J'avet just looked resigned. He touched his head lightly and winced.
"I could use something for this," he admitted. At least he was man enough to know when he'd reached his limit. I wasn't sure the other three did. Not to mention every other guy in the history of guys. Okay, I'm exaggerating, but I'm a nurse. I've seen it over and over again for years. People hate to admit they're hurt, no matter what species they are. The fact J'avet could admit it made me respect him more.
Although, the fact he said anything might also mean he was in a lot more pain than he let on.
"Come on then." I jerked my head toward the bunk room. "I'll tuck you in."
"Is that what they're calling that now?" Brinley asked teasingly.
I stuck my tongue out at her and stepped back to let J'avet out of the cockpit.
"I'm starting to think you should have been lying down since before we left the station." I clicked my tongue at him.
"Someone needed to deal with Captain Marshall," he said.
"Was that her name? Oh, is that Jenny Marshall? I've heard people complaining about her. She takes no shit from anyone."
He gave me a lopsided half smile, half grimace. "Like you."
"Exactly." I followed him into the bunk room and helped him pull his shirt carefully off over his head.
From the look on his face, even that much effort took a lot out of him.
"I really should have left you back at the station." He sat while I got out some pain relief.
