Sci ran through the list of languages for which he had made a point of learning curses. None seemed quite appropriate. "You're sure it was he?"
The on-duty doctor nodded. "Major, with all due respect, how many people look like Garik 'Face' Loran?" She blushed slightly, but continued. "Especially ones who wear NRI day uniforms?"
Oh, the answers I could supply, Sci mused. All he said, though, was "And you're sure that the woman, Doctor Lorrdain, went with him? For a drink?" She nodded again. He sighed. "Thank you, Doctor. How is her brother?"
She checked her screen. "He's looking well. He should be ready for release by tomorrow morning at the latest, but with luck some time tonight."
Sci smiled. "Thank you." He turned and walked slowly towards the med bay door.
Once outside, of course, he broke into a sprint, cursing his own carelessness.
I waited too long. I should have checked up on them sooner, instead of... He sighed. He'd spent the morning in the suite of rooms they were borrowing from the Rogues, communicating with Bethany, hearing how her training had been going, with Emily, who had decided to have some fun while she was on Coruscant, and with all sorts of people, until he had commed the Wraith HQ to talk to Face. Then he had dropped everything and made for the med bay.
How exactly he knew where to go was more luck than knowledge. True, they would want somewhere that wasn't too noisy, and true, Face had a preference for a comfortable atmosphere, and true, most of the old guard preferred that place, and of course, Sylvana liked trees, but Sci had merely run towards the Breezes of Endor tapcafe.
And, sure enough, there they had been. Sci wasn't quite sure what had passed between the two of them, but at the moment, he didn't care. I screwed up enough by not telling Face--or, even better, Sylvana and Arrek--enough. Don't want to compound the problem.
"Agent Lorrdain, Captain Loran," he said, stepping forward. He placed a hand on Sylvana's shoulder. "I've been looking everywhere for you," he fibbed.
Sylvana looked up slowly and unsteadily. ""Well met, Chief Rumpellittle... Rumplebor... Rummystilts... Zed." She put her hand to her head in what might, on a more steady person, be construed as a salute.
Sci blinked. "You're drunk," he said, more to himself than to her. This may be a good thing. Then another thought hit him. Or a bad thing. Why would she want to get drunk? ...No. He couldn't have...
"Nah," she answered, "just a wee bit tipsy." She smiled, holding her fingers slightly apart to symbolize a "wee bit." Sci knew better.
"Sit tight a minute. Captain, a moment of your time?" Face gave him a venomous look, but complied. As he left, he said something to Sylvana, that Sci couldn't quite make out.
Sci looked back at Sylvana as he and Face strode to a corner booth. She was finishing the last of what must have been many drinks. The two men sat down.
Face, still looking daggers at Sci, spoke first. "You didn't tell her."
"And you did."
"Of course I did! You really expect her to be Terra Eleven and not know that her friend died with that number?"
Sci sighed, and signaled for a wait-droid. "I didn't want her to be kept in the dark forever, but I didn't want to tell her just yet. She had a hard enough time when she learned that Alison had died--how much harder do you want to make it for her?"
Face stopped glaring at Sci, which was a relief, and looked at his hands, resting on the table. His voice came down from the iron-hard tone that Sci knew he had cultivated for new recruits who were easily intimidated. "She was pretty broken up about learning who Eleven had been." He looked back at Sci. "But you didn't have to keep it a secret!"
Sci shook his head. "Look, let me show you something." He pulled out a comlink and a datapad from the bag by his side, keyed the com. "Nat, download the file marked 'Personnel Recommendation TG001 to my datapad here." A droid whistle and a "Yes, sir" came from the other end as the screen filled with data. Sci handed the pad to Face. "Water for me, and I think a cup of caf for my friend. I'm paying," he said to the droid.
The drinks arrived as Face was reading. When he was finished, he grabbed the tumbler, gave Sci a look that was partially grateful and partially still irritated, and downed the contents.
"I knew it, you know. All of it. I was just figuring it out when you arrived."
"Then I came at the right time. Look, she's barely slept in two days. And with the amount of Prime she's drunk, she'll be out for at least twelve hours. Maybe we can just..."
Face slammed his hand on the table. "No! We'll take her back to your rooms, but when she wakes up, you will tell her--and her brother--what you know! And don't try to pull that 'superior officer' crap on me," he said, forestalling Sci's next comment. "You and I both know all the reasons that went into your being a Major, and we also know that if you and I square off on any decision that involves superiority, I'll win."
Sci nodded at the last. "Fine." He looked back--sure enough, Syl was out cold. "Let's take her back to our rooms. And for what it's worth, Face, I was planning to tell her eventually, but I didn't know if I was going to be able to. Maybe it's better this way."
As the two headed to where Syl was sitting, Sci thought of something. "Oh, something else..."
The two men carried Sylvana into a cab while Sci talked of his observations, conclusions, and plans. They took her back to the rooms, tucked her into bed, past the confused questions of Bethany, who had gotten back from her day of training, and went back in the common room. Face would be sleeping in one of the unused rooms that night. Sci stayed up reading Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for a while before he, too, turned in. Tomorrow would be a very long day.