Caverns of Mercury

Chapter 3 – Friends And Regrets

Chapter 3 – Friends And Regrets

When Dale felt like he had made a dent in his work, he decided to call it a day. He left the office and headed for his motorcycle. He mounted it, started the electric motor, and rode down the avenue towards the hospital.

The sun hadn't quite “set” yet, and everything was bathed in an orange glow. It was simulated, of course; Hesperus's flight path kept it on the day side of the planet, so the sun could never truly set. The city's skylights were on timers, and they filtered the light to simulate night and day on Earth. But it was still pretty.

Dale pulled the bike into the hospital's parking lot and dismounted. On his way in, he passed an elderly couple. They smiled at him.

“Hello, Mr. Kinmont,” the woman said.

“Oh,” Dale said, stopping suddenly. “Uh, hello.”

The man, probably her husband, couldn't get the words out. He stammered something or other, grinning like a little boy. He grabbed Dale's hand and shook it vigorously.

“Come on, Ed,” the woman said. “I'm sure Mr. Kinmont is a busy man.” She shooed the man away and they continued down the hall, talking to one another in excited tones.

Dale felt his cheeks warm. They weren't the first strangers to greet him like that, but it still made him feel self-conscious. He had never even met most Hesperans, but they all knew about him. Dale Kinmont, the Hero of Hesperus, the man who saved the underworld from Mad Mayor Gantry, the avenger of Raynor Kinmont's murder... His life was turning into a comic book. It was a bit unsettling.

He made his way to Iris's room. Her recovery from her gunshot wound had been slow, and she still had a ways to go, but things were looking up. She was in a normal room now, not intensive care. Dale knocked softly on the door.

“Come in,” said a feminine voice.

Dale opened the door and entered.

Iris Leland lay in the bed, as usual. She had lost some weight as a result of her ordeal, but the color in her cheeks had returned. Annora was there, too, sitting on the edge of the mattress next to her.

Dale gave each of them a nod and a smile.

“Hi, Dale,” Iris said weakly.

“Hey.” He sat down on the edge of the bed opposite from Annora, and then leaned over to give Iris a gentle hug. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine.” Iris leaned back and allowed her eyes to half-close. “I still get tired a lot, but I'm getting stronger every day. The doctor said I can start physical therapy soon.”

“That's great. So all the complications are ancient history?”

She gave him a weary smile. “That's what they say.”

“Well,” Annora said with a toss of her hair, “I always knew you'd pull through, kiddo.” She grinned and patted Iris's forearm.

Iris sighed. “Thank you. You've both been very kind. I'm lucky to have you as friends. Especially considering my—” She clamped her lips shut. “Never mind.”

“It's okay,” Dale said. She had been about to say “my father” or “my brother” or something else along those lines. He couldn't imagine how conflicted she must be. He looked her in the eye. “None of what happened was your fault. We don't blame you for anything.”

Annora chuckled. “Yeah, you can't get rid of us that easily.”

“Cole would say the same thing if he was here,” Dale added. Annora gave him a stern look, but he ignored her and focused on Iris. “He was really torn up about you getting shot. He did some bad things, but he never wanted you to get hurt. I think if he was here, he'd want to spend every waking moment in this room with you.”

Iris nodded, looking thoughtful. “I wish he had come to me for help. I wish he hadn't helped—” She choked up for a moment before continuing. “I wish he hadn't helped Brice.” She wiped her eyes and sniffed. “Sorry. I shouldn't get upset like that.” She gave him a sad look. “My brother deserved what happened to him. But he wasn't always bad, you know. He was a good kid once. But when the teen years hit, he just... grew up twisted, I guess. In spite of everything, I still miss him.”

“I didn't mean to upset you,” Dale said. “I shouldn't have brought up Cole. I just thought—oh, forget it. Let's talk about something else.” He looked at Annora. “How about you? Any news on your front?”

Annora shrugged. “I'm still in limbo. IFT hasn't restored my license yet, so I'm stuck here. I can fly the shuttle up to Phosphorus Station and back, but that's it.” She gritted her teeth. “And it's driving me crazy. I need to get back to my job. I need real space travel, not this quick-trip up-and-down stuff. I know everyone here thinks the revolution was the best thing since Chandrapoxy, but it's completely messed up my life.”

“Why do you think they're taking so long to reinstate you?” Dale asked.

“Because of you, you dummy,” Annora snapped. “You're an enemy of Earth, remember? And I'm the one who saved you from Mercury and sent you here. I'm a co-conspirator. I may never get my old job back, and it's your fault.”

Dale stared at his feet. “Sorry. That wasn't my intent.”

“I know.” She folded her arms across her chest. “I know you didn't mean for this all to affect me. I guess I'm just cranky.” She looked at Iris, who had fallen asleep. She turned back to Dale and jerked her head towards the door. “Come on,” she whispered. “Let's let her get some sleep.” She stood and walked out.

Dale followed her and carefully closed the door behind him. He turned to Annora to ask her if she wanted to get a bite to eat, but she was already halfway down the hall. He turned and walked the other way.

* * *

The following day, Zack was scheduled to leave for Mercury.

“I'm begging you, Zack,” Dale said. “Don't go.”

“Don't grovel. It's unbecoming.” Zack looked over his gear one last time, and then gave a thumbs-up.

The wrangler acknowledged it and began pushing the cart up the shuttle's gangway.

Zack watched for a moment, and then turned back to Dale. “Everything will be fine. You're the convict here, not me. There are no warrants out for me, and as long as that's the case, the feds wouldn't dare touch me. And if there's one person I know, it's Nat Leland. He's a man of subtleties, not overt action. Everything he does is behind the scenes, and this will be no different. Everyone in the solar system knows I'm going, and that means I'll be perfectly safe. My bet is that if he tries anything, it will be when I'm coming or going from Solar Terminal. Sabotage, probably. Something that allows him plausible deniability. But I've got connections on the station, and Carol will warn me in advance of anything like that. And I wish you would change your mind about coming. I could use the Hero of Hesperus at my side.”

“You know I can't. Because—”

“—of your sentence,” Zack said. “And the nightmares. Yes, I know. So there we are.” He held out his hand. “Goodbye. Hold the fort down, as they say.”

“I will.” Dale took his hand. They shook, and then Zack turned and strode up the gangway. Dale watched with a sense of finality, as if he might never see him again. When the hatch closed, he turned and walked towards the landing well's airlock. He didn't look back.