He banished the thought. “Will you have time for tea again? Before we get to Prime?”
April gave him another of their quiet smiles. “Probably. Day before we arrive? You can check my injury again if you like. But you should bring a cat too. I’d enjoy seeing one outside of a picture.”
He thought of the animals swimming around in microgravity and couldn’t suppress a chuckle. “It’s a deal.”
6
Most people, Meja supposed, found intersystem transit to be terminally dull. Certainly, the Sentinel’s crew held that opinion, treating the entire adventure as a kind of tedium to be endured rather than enjoyed. She’d met most of them at the mealtimes that called the ship together. Only the engineer avoided coming to the mess, something that seemed to provoke little surprise among the others. Beyond that, either the pilot—Hicks--, Sanderson, or the captain stayed on the bridge at mealtimes. The rest ate together, in something like a mob.
In the four days since the Sentinel of Gems had begun its transit, everyone else seemed to have settled into a routine: eating meals, exercising in the small gymnasium, and largely keeping to themselves. She tried to ignore the fact that she felt alone as a result. Even Layth had given her quarters an apparent wide berth.
One of the kittens bit her on the foot, demanding attention, and Meja yelped. “You have your siblings for wrestling with, dammit! Ow!”
She jerked her foot away from the mischievous feline and reminded herself they were adorable, sharp teeth and all. Not that she needed much to convince her; they were beautiful and affectionate when they weren’t treating her like a larger cat with whom they could also pick fights. She scooped the offending kitten—B apparently—into her arms and began petting her. Immediately the other two set up a chorus of cries about their sister being lavished with all the affection.
Meja was about to trade out animals when her door chime sounded. No doubt it would be Hicks again. The pilot was absolutely enamored with the cats and came by regularly to shower them with affection. It only made Layth’s refusal to come by more frustrating. She made sure all three cats were accounted for then opened the door partway. “Playtime again?”
“Um, possibly? I’m not sure how to take that.” Layth’s voice was caught somewhere between amused and confused. He checked over her shoulder for the three kittens before stepping into the room and shutting the door behind him.
Heat blazed in her cheeks. The room was too small, and her embarrassment easily filled the space. Even the cats had decided it was better to busy themselves doing other things than paying attention to her. Except for A, of course; the kitten licked her paw deliberately, as though interested in hearing how she’d extricate herself from the mess.
Meja let the burn roll over into annoyance. “Hicks comes by to play with them when her shift is over. Every day.” She let her tone remind him that since the first day, he’d not been back to check on her.
He had the good sense to notice and look uncomfortable. One hand combed through the hair on the back of his head as he shifted his weight. “How are they adapting?’
“They don’t love the lower gravity, and they’re more than a little bored. C started overgrooming his sisters, and B’s begun shedding heavily for some reason. A sleeps when she isn’t eating.” Except for now, of course, where the cat was focused on the presence of a second person, which meant a potential for treats of some kind.
“Can you, um, help me swaddle them? It’s been a few days, and the captain wants to make sure the transit is agreeing with them. Apart from the obvious.” He shifted again. “It’s just a few scans, but still. I’d appreciate it.”
“No tissue samples.” Something wasn’t right, but she couldn’t put a finger on it. It felt like Layth was nervous or embarrassed, but that didn’t jibe with what she’d observed of the man so far. The last thing she needed was a group of smugglers trying to start up their own cloned cat-breeding setup.
“Of course not. No other tests. I promise.”
She nodded and helped Layth swaddle all three kittens into shirts for the trip to medical. As they headed out the door, curiosity final barreled past her common sense. “Why haven’t you come by to check on me?”
“You’ve been in the mess every meal,” he said as he led the way, A and C tucked in his arms. “I said hello at every one of them. I assumed if you wanted to see me, you’d say something. And I’ve been busy.”
Meja scoffed. “Lots of injuries that needed tending to? An unusually violent transit, was it?”
“It’s not like that. Just…busy. I had a lot to manage.”
As she followed him into the medical bay, she noticed that his desk and omnidevice interface were in the open atrium now instead of the surgical suite he’d been using. She turned to check it and realized what he’d been busy with.
Empty containers had been stacked and connected. Holes and ramps created an assortment of perches, hiding places, and enrichment activities. With the glass door closed, it was a literal cat wonderland. And he’d done it in his former office.
He noticed her attention and smiled, hand rubbing at the back of his neck. “Exercise in low-gravity helps stave off muscle loss and osteoporosis. Same for them as for us.” He opened the door to his office and carefully released the two cats he was carrying. They immediately rocketed up ramps and into the crannies he’d created. “I hid some cups of the tuna paste we printed around the area, so they have to figure out how to reach them.”
She released B into the room, and the cat took off after her siblings. Once Meja had the door closed, she turned and threw her arms around the doctor in a hug. Layth stiffened, unsure of her reaction, so she squeezed him tighter. He smelled like grease and cleaner and the gods-awful tuna paste from the fabricator, and underneath all that the slightly musky smell of exertion and hard work. It was comforting and warm for reasons she couldn’t quite put a finger on.
His hands lingered on her hips, and for a minute she thought he would pull her closer. Wanted him to. Instead, he gently straightened his arms to push away from her. She felt the absence of his warmth in her chest, a chilly emptiness deeper than simple body heat. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I don’t…”
For the second time in a half hour, her cheeks blazed. “No, I should be sorry! I should have asked first. I got carried away.” Her arm waved to encompass the play area, where two of the cats were engaged in what looked like a multilevel game of tag. “This was such a kindness. I was overwhelmed. I didn’t think.”
He nodded, moving to watch the cats play through the window. “I’m glad you like it. It seems they do too.”
She stood next to him, careful to keep space between her arm and Layth’s. “They certainly do. So much for them being bored.”
“You can bring them whenever you like. No need to check with me first.” He paused. “Just, you know, don’t leave them in there unsupervised.”
It was her turn to grin. “Don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to your paycheck.”
“It’s the captain’s, not mine.” His hands flexed, as though looking for something to distract themselves. “If you let me know the next time Hicks is coming to visit, April would love to see one of the cats and meet you. They’re the engineer, and without Baker around to help, they don’t take time to come up to this part of the ship. They’re a friend.”