Lynn lifted her faceplate and rubbed her eyes with her fingertips, aware of how clearly their dark rings showed against her skin. “Yeah, wed, we didn't get to bed last night. There was a crisis between the Chosa ty Porath and the t'Theria. We spent six hours orchestrating a conference between the Queens-of-All and the Byarikane, the First Speakers.”
She lowered her faceplate. The word WIPE flashed in front of her eye. She reached for the box of sterilization tissues, plucked one out, and wiped her hands on it.
She looked up again and saw the sympathy plain on David's face.
“You don't want to talk about this, do you?”
She shook her head, pitching the tissue into the one-way garbage can next to the comm station. It sucked the tissue down with a brief whirring-hum. “Not really. Not right now anyway.” She felt her face fall as the memories of the previous night swarmed up. She'd seen the pictures, she'd heard the thinly veiled threats, and she'd felt like going after both sets of leaders with a blunt instrument. “I can only think about reparations for six blown-up bodies for so long.”
David winced. “Lynn, I'm sorry.”
“Yeah,” she sighed, “so am I.” She smiled softly. “What I'm really sorry about is that you're not here to hang on to.”
“Want to go back to Florida?”
“What, and leave the job not even half-done?” The utter horror in her voice brought out David's real, warm smile. “Not a chance.”
“I didn't think so.” He paused and shifted a little. “Look, love, I have to go. I've got an inventory to finish before the evac… sorry, relocation, starts.”
“And I've got Arron coming in any minute now.”
David's brows shot up. “I've untied his knot. Are you going to let him out of there alive?”
Lynn schooled her face into perfectly serious lines. “I'll consider it.” Then she laughed. “No, really. Arron's always done stuff like this. Brador's overreacting.”
“I don't know,” said David. “I heard we've got three more contractors in danger of losing their subs because of the debate.”
“I heard that, too. It's funny how no one can tell you which ones are in trouble though.”
David nodded. “That it is.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Okay, love, I've got to go.”
Seriousness dissolved into tenderness. “I love you. Have a good trip up.” David and some of the other groundside doctors were heading up with the t'Therian prep wave to join the hospital teams as advisors and researchers for the pre-evacuation setup since they'd gotten a look at the extent of the situation.
“I love you, too. I'll call tomorrow.” They exchanged a final smile, and David cut the connection.
Lynn stared out her window at the rolling surf and granite cliffs. Raindrops pattered against the windowpane.
David, I miss you. She sighed. Well, this was temporary. As soon as the relocation was completed, they'd be down in the southern hemisphere together, working more closely than they had on Earth.
“Lynn?” Trace's voice from the intercom cut over the sounds of the rain and ocean. “We've got Arron Hagopian out here.” She lit up Lynn's desk screen. It showed a man standing out in the waiting area, shifting his weight from one foot to the other and glancing around at the walls as if he expected to see who was spying on him. Lynn pressed her lips together to hold back a laugh. It was Arron ad right.
She strode out through Trace and R.J.’s workspace to stand in the doorway of the waiting room.
“It's okay, Arron. Nobody's going to shanghai you.”
He whirled around. He was clean-suited under a thick linen shirt and canvas trousers. He was darker than she remembered, and as bald as she was, but his eyes were the same sparkling green behind the protective helmet, even if there were lines around them that hadn't been there when they graduated.
“Lynn!” Arron threw his arms around her.
She returned his embrace enthusiastically. When they pulled apart, she saw the shock on Trace and R.J.’s faces.
Lynn laughed. “Come on inside. We're scandalizing my staff.”
“Your staff.” Arron drawled the word out as she dragged him into her office. “My, my, how we do move up in the world.”
“Shut up and sit down.” She pulled a guest chair into the center of the room, then pulled her personal chair out from behind the comm station. Arron sat and so did Lynn.
“You're pale,” he said, looking her up and down.
“You're tan.” She grabbed his hand and squeezed. “Strong, too. You've really been doing fieldwork in the field, haven't you?”
“Well, it's easier to get people to talk to you if you're helping haul nets.” He squeezed her hand back. “It is really good to see you.”