Chapter 37: 37 Missing Stair, Part Two

The sheets were cool on Jin's skin when he woke up. He'd lost his time sense. Didn't remember getting in a hospital bed. When he dragged himself in an upward angle, body aching, he noticed Colonel Huppert sitting on a stool at the end of the bed.

"I see you're awake," the Colonel said. "Most fortunate."

"So, what's the verdict? Flesh eating bacteria? The plague?"

"A minor virus, or so I hear."

Jin felt the way his groan pressed against his throat as he tried to force himself into a seated position. "I'm not supposed to get sick."

The colonel smiled. He was so smarmy. "Yes, Irene and I discussed your country's experiments with genetics. She did not have complimentary opinions about any of it. Nonetheless, you require rest. I also advise dressing for the weather."

"Because you're old."

"I'm glad you think so. Well." The colonel slapped his own knee. "We should discuss your attempts at investigating the camp. I understand you discovered a vessel moved under the circle of this barrier."

"How did you find out?"

"Your Miss Silver informed the doctor of it. Which is wise, as it's a potential public health risk. You needn't worry; it's being dealt with."

"Why would she—?" He shook his head. He was heavy with exhaustion and the conversation was already annoying.

"Neither she nor I can tell if Darren came from there or from a pocket in space. I imagine that will be helpful to you, when you speak to her next. After you've rested a little more," the Colonel said.

Jin felt too tired to argue. He flopped back down in the hospital bed and dragged the covers over his face.

*

When he finally struggled back into the world it seemed like nobody had noticed his absence. The doctor wouldn't let him leave until he put on a sweater. Jin didn't get why she had a supply of them waiting to be handed out. What was that about?

But he suffered the indignity of wearing someone's grey marle high school hoodie and hobbled out of the hospital.

Tabitha and Angharad stood at the door of the cafeteria when he made his way there. When he leaned in to speak to Angharad he found it difficult not to learn forward so far he'd topple over.

"Didn't—" He coughed and cleared his throat. "Didn't you say the doctor had a look at that guy when she caught him in her hospital?"

"Okay, interrupt our conversation, you boor," Tabitha said.

Angharad rolled her eyes and patted him on the hair. That was nice. He could stand to have someone patting him, maybe even feeding him soup. He was willing to let himself be pitiful if someone was willing to baby him.

"She did?" Angharad said, like it was a question and not something she stated like absolute fact days before.

"Did she say if he has secret brain damage or something?" Jin asked.

Angharad sighed. "There's probably a lot of people here who got brain injuries in the crash but, like, she deeply does not have any of the equipment required to do scans and stuff. Anyway, so what if he does? It could mean that, I don't know, maybe he really was stuck in the middle."

"For four months?" he asked.

"There could have been a bubble of air! I don't know. Whoever or whatever is in charge can make barriers anywhere they like, any size they like, and they're obviously deciding who gets to breathe real air and who doesn't," Angharad said. And then after a pause, "Then why would him having brain damage make any difference? If they can do that, they can make sure that person hypothetically lived in a place they could breathe until now. Or they'd be dead. That's, like, basic facts," Angharad said.

"That person, huh?" Tabitha asked.

"Not your business," he said.

Tabitha snorted. "You're not as sneaky as you think you are."

"I'm going inside," he snapped and did just that.

Tabitha didn't follow, but after a minute or so Angharad did, arriving at the table where he'd set himself up next to Josephine, who was a warm, nice friend who probably had extra blankets and maybe even soup. The only thing he could manage to scheme about was how to get people to take care of him. He didn't feel in good enough shape to investigate anything.

"One of the robots is still wearing his party hat," Sophie said.

"I totally get it," Angharad said. "I wear things I love until they fall apart all the time."

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"I'm ready to replace all my parts with robot parts," Jin said, and deflated onto the table.

"What for?" Angharad said. "All your parts would wear out even faster and you'd have to replace them, like, constantly. Seriously."

"Ah, are you suggesting that the robot uprising won't be successful?" Josephine asked.

"I mean, it hypothetically could, but the robots are not going to be immortal and unbeatable. Metals rust, so the uprising robots are going to have to replace all their bits on a regular basis. A robot body is going to have bad joints from constant use, too."

"Then I shall make my robot overlords in plastic!" Josephine declared.

"Okay, I know that plastic doesn't biodegrade but it still degrades. Really fast, even," Angharad said.

"I am a little disappointed," Sophie said.

"Humans don't really need someone else to destroy us, okay? We destroy ourselves just fine," Angharad said.

"A robot overlord would know I need hugs and sympathy," Jin said.

"I am a master at hugging!" Josephine declared.

He flopped onto her shoulder and let her prove it. The conversation washed over him, strange and endless.

Was Darren in the doorway watching them?

*

He didn't sleep but he felt a little dazed, a little bit like he wasn't completely anchored to the same dimension as everyone else. Leaning on Josephine's shoulder like a pathetic puppy made him think of the way he'd clung to Ben at nights, during the war, before Ben got his brains blown out.

Conversation drifted in and out. People's voices blew through the air around him and he only sometimes admitted them to his notice. The cheerful chirp of Sophie's voice, the aggressively high energy of Josephine's, the way Angharad's tone went up and down as she measured out her words.

He let it drift over him, and closed his eyes. Breathed out too warm air.

Okay, maybe he did doze a little, because the next time he opened his eyes and lifted his heavy head to look around, Angharad was across the room, trying to explain a logic problem to Mac, their voices fuzzy like the edge of a radio signal.

"...and you have to get them to the other side," Angharad said.

"Isn't it kind of sexist to call it the jealous husbands problem? Why can't you dump the jealous husbands in the river?" Mac asked.

"The other name for it is way worse. But, okay, um, imagine like vampires and vampire hunters going to a peace conference instead? And there's only one boat that fits two people..."

He turned back to Sophie's amused face and tried to blink the last of the sleep from his eyes.

"I think Jin needs to go back to bed for more rest," Sophie said, her voice soft and calmer than usual.

"I could carry you!" Josephine offered, voice as over-exuberant as ever.

"Yes! Princess carry Jin! I'd love to see that," Sophie said.

"No thanks," he said. "I can walk."

He pushed himself up with the table to steady him.

"But what's that got to do with machine learning?" Mac's voice drifted to his ears from the far end of the room.

His attention snapped back to his own body as Sophie's steady hand pressed against his arm.

"I think we'll walk with you," Sophie said.

It wasn't like he could stop them.

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