Chapter 13

I smiled at the kid as I sat in the chair next to the bed. “Hi, I’m Henry Sullivan. I’m the Captain of this ship. What’s your name?”

The kid stared at me, a sullen look on his face. “Nunya” was his answer.

I knew what was going to come next, so before he could continue, I interrupted. “Nice to meet you Mr. Business. It seems that we need to decide what we are going to do with you. Do you have any ideas?”

The kid didn’t say anything, just sat and glared at me.

“How about some lunch? Are you hungry?” silence.

I stood and opened the door. “Could we get some lunch here? Say cheeseburgers and fries. A couple of large glasses of milk also, please.”

The population of the sickbay seemed to have tripled. Besides the normal medical crew, April, and David. There was a large group standing around. Some of them were security guards, but most were just curious. “David, I think we can let all these people get back to work. I’m sure Doc Holland and his people would prefer it.”

David got an embarrassed look and started ordering his people to clear the sickbay. “I also don’t think we need the guards either.”

I turned back into the room. You had to give the kid his due. Tied down and doped up like he was, he was still trying to slip his restraints. When I cleared my throat, he jumped and stared up at me.

“You trying to leave already? You haven’t even eaten yet. I have to recommend our cooks here. They do a pretty good job. Especially their cheeseburgers. The fries leave a bit to be desired, but they’ll do if you use enough catsup. If you know what I mean.”

While I was talking, I sat back down. “So Mr. Business, while we’re waiting for lunch, let’s get to know each other. As I said, I’m the Captain of this ship. That’s a pretty fancy way of saying I’m the biggest bloke on board. I can be a pretty nice guy when I have reason to be. But I can be a mean SOB when crossed. Now I know you and your mates were stealing our ice. To tell you the truth, I’m not too concerned with that. I had planned on donating a good portion of it to the charity groups on the station. But I also need to sell some of it. That is so I can justify giving some away. Got to make a profit, you know. What I would like to know are you part of a gang or organization, or are you acting for yourself? Don’t worry either way you’ll be alright. We’ll put you back on the station, or even dirtside. Your choice.”

As I was talking, one of the orderly’s wheeled in a dinner cart. I started undoing the kid’s restraints. “Um sir, I wouldn’t recommend that. He’s a slippery one.”

“I know corpsman, I was the one that grabbed him. But how’s he going to eat without hands?”

“I don’t know sir. I think maybe I should talk to the doctor first.”

“You go right ahead. Meanwhile, my friend and I are going to have lunch.”

As the orderly was deciding what to do, I finished releasing the kid’s hands. I wasn’t too worried. His feet were still secured. I lifted the cover off my plate. The smell of hamburgers and fries filled the room. I could see the kid’s eyes grow big. I could also see the hunger in his eyes. This kid had missed way too many meals. I pulled the cover off his plate also.

I picked up my burger and took a bite. “Ahhh, just the way I like it medium-well done.” I looked over. He was looking at his meal and then up at me. The suspicion was obvious. I picked up a fry from his plate and ate it. “Don’t worry friend. It isn’t poisoned.”

He awkwardly picked up the burger, copying what I was doing. He took a nibble from the edge. The suspicion on his face turned to wonder. He took a larger bite, followed quickly by another. “Whoa buddy, slow down. You’ll get sick. Don’t worry, nobody around here will take it away from you.”

He had stopped chewing. He was staring at me, his cheeks bulging. For a moment, he just stared, but when I continued eating, he slowly started chewing. When I saw that he had finished that mouthful, I picked up the catsup bottle and poured some on the plate next to the fries. I raised the bottle and my eyebrows. An unspoken question. He gulped and nodded his head. I poured some next to his fries.

I then picked up a couple of fries and pulled them through the catsup. Then popped them in my mouth. “As I said adequate, the catsup does improve them.” the kid followed my example and sampled a couple of fries. He seemed to like them.