“It’s a hell of a job, isn’t it? Being the good guys.” The engineer smiled sadly at the man in the bed before him, noting that less than twenty four hours previous he'd be clinically dead. Radiation poisoning. He had half a mind to rail at him; to tell him how stupid he was and yet he hadn't got the heart. Not now; not after was said and done. It all seemed kind of ... well, pointless now that the deed had been done.
“I think we figured it pretty well,” Jim muttered hoarsely. His head rolled on the pillow, breaths shallow. He squinted at Scotty, not quite focusing. He never seemed to get enough sleep lately, even if sleep was mostly what he’d been doing.
“You saved her and ev’yone on board, then I did. Good day’s work, prob’ly.” His words were sticky and slow; he couldn’t quite get his mouth to work at full capacity. A blessing, he was sure his doctor would say.
