The Miles Between Cities by Damian Theberge

Author:Damian Theberge [Theberge, Damian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-09-30T22:00:00+00:00

11

I found Sid sitting alone during mid-day meal. I sat down beside him as gently as my stiff legs could manage, sipping at my warm veg stew. A few soldiers gawked and stared as I did but not Sid, he didn't even look up from his own meal. For a few dreadful seconds, I thought he wasn't going to speak to me at all.

“How’s that nap just to spite me going?” He eventually said.

“I couldn’t kill a green if I was doing it just to spite you. He’d probably have a dozen shields on and armored undies to boot.” That or I would finally grow a conscience and wouldn’t be able to pull the trigger.

“I was serious before. Patchwork even gave me some hypos. If you can’t get some sleep by tomorrow, I will tranq you.”

“I know.” I resignedly said.

“I’m just trying to look out for you. One of us has to.”

“I know.”

We nibbled at our meals, watching others do much the same. Some soldiers couldn’t break the habit of scarfing down their food as quickly as possible, but most were content to enjoy the warm food while they could, knowing that all too soon they'd be returned to the front and all that entailed. I tried to focus on everything and nothing while I ate, just sitting with Sid and my fellow soldiers should have been enough for me but it wasn't. Why did nothing else satiate me the way she did? Memories resurfaced, and I did my best to ignore them by tuning into everything around me.

A soldier was holding his spork with his thumb and last remaining finger. The missing steam that should have been billowing off a freshly filled bowl. The sound of someone’s teeth on metal every time they shoveled food in their mouth. The salty taste of watery broth on my own tongue and the feel of soft boiled carrots between my teeth. Sid’s uneven, stuffy breathing as he ate. Where had I heard that sound before?

“Are you getting sick?” I asked between mouthfuls.

“If one of us is sick, it’s you.” I could hear the faint kettle hiss with every word he said now that I was listening for it. I knew I'd heard the sound somewhere before, but my muddled mind couldn't place when. I was tempted to snap back at him, but it wasn’t worth it. I was too tired to be petty.

“What have you been up to today?” I asked.

“I was playing cards with some of the company lads earlier, there’s a movie planned for tonight too.”

“Is it The Man of Twinned Souls again?”

“Probably.”

“When are we going to get a new movie? The entire division must have seen it at least a dozen times by now.”

“It’s the best we got, and it doesn’t set anyone off. Besides, it’s decent—in a bleeding hearts kind of way—even if it is a sappy romance. You wanna come? Who knows, it might help you sleep.”

“Sure, why not? I’m gonna swing by the mercs camp first, see if my ammo landed yet.

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