Pills and Starships by Lydia Millet

Author:Lydia Millet
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: ebook, book
Publisher: Akashic Books
Published: 2014-04-18T04:00:00+00:00

When my parents and I got back to the suite Sam was still fast asleep. My parents just stuck their heads in his door quickly and then went out onto the balcony; I took a closer look myself, being worried, but his breathing seemed normal so I told myself he was okay. For the moment, at least.

We had a group cliffwalk scheduled next, which was supposed to end with a guided Goodbye Ceremony. I wasn’t sure what to do about Sam.

But as it turned out I didn’t get to decide.

Because who should show up while I was writing in my journal but Olaf and Rory. And behind them was Keahi. And one other young Hawaiian guy in a robe without a name tag.

At first I was alarmed, I thought Keahi had been found out, maybe. Then he smiled at me, and it warmed me up. It was that reassuring.

“We’ve brought two supervisors,” said Rory to Mom and Dad. “They have health training and they’re going to watch your little guy for you, until he’s ready to go back on-plan. You can rely on them absolutely, they’ve been thoroughly vetted and are 100 percent trustworthy. Sound good?”

He was all fake cheer and business as usual.

Mom and Dad nodded gratefully, like the corp was providing its usual top-notch service.

“What we suggest is you three go on your cliffwalk, and then, if he’s still not up to snuff, Sam may have to miss the Goodbye Ceremony. Of course, if he feels better by then, we’ll bring him down to join you. We think he’ll feel better. We think it’ll work out fine.”

“Wonderful,” said my mother.

“Perfect,” said my dad.

And then the man-mountains went out the door and it was just Keahi and his colleague.

I couldn’t ask Keahi anything or tell him what had happened because I had no idea if the other Hawaiian dude was loyal to the camp people or the corp. But I felt way safer with Keahi staying there than I would have with Olaf or Rory.

So we got out our parasols and water bottles and the small bag of items they’d told us to bring—some keepsakes and little tokens—and looked at our map to the Goodbye Ceremony, which was being held in a garden a ways along the cliffs. And I said goodbye to Keahi as though he was nothing special to me, casual and polite. And we left.

I felt a tug of regret that Sam couldn’t be with us for this part. And then a tug of resentment, because it was service’s fault, it was all their fault and if this turned out to be real, all of it—really my parents’ Final Week—then the corp would have ruined it for Sam. And he would have missed his only chance to say goodbye properly.

Sure it was partly his responsibility, and I got that, but they didn’t have to be so brutal with him.

Some of the other contracts were also out walking—we had the same destination after all—so it wasn’t the solitary, windblown experience it could be.

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