Lessons

(Many thanks to Andy for doing this with me. Thanks, Andy!--Maer)

Thursday, 12 Sep 2520
Kuiper II Class, Summer’s Gift
Somewhere in the Black
13:15hrs, ships time

Joshua was just about finished with gathering the last of the lunch dishes. Unlike dinner, it seemed that lunch was a meal served everywhere and plates needed to be retrieved. He didn't know if it was normal, but he liked cleaning dishes. Just as preparation was the formal start for cooking, cleaning was the formal ending and they put nice bookends on one of his favorite activities.

Rina's dish was the last to get, and as he entered her workspace, he saw that her dish, was in fact, just as full as it had started. Rina had taken one bite, at most, Joshua judged, and that was being optimistic. She needed to eat, he thought.

Joshua cleared his throat. "Uh-hum." And he stared at the plate.

 ***

        One of the advantages of the long stretches between ports was it allowed me to work on projects portside duties precluded. It was also a disadvantage—when the daily maintenance chores were done, I had the entire rotation of the clock before addressing them again and I often lost my sense of time. It took a backseat in my consciousness and in the case of the current project in front of me, it flat out disappeared.
        So I was in the middle of recalculating a materials list when Joshua cleared his throat and brought me back to my surroundings. I blinked and saw him standing there, looking pointedly at a bowl of something that used to be hot and edible.
        Food? Damn. When did that happen?
        I sighed and leaned back in my task chair and rubbed my eyes.
        "What time is it?" I knew exactly what time it was from the data ticker at the bottom of the CAD page—13:15 hrs—but I asked anyway.

 ***

"Past lunchtime. You haven't eaten, Rina. I don't want to play the 'I slaved over a hot oven’ card, but you need to eat." He paused and looked around the workspace. "In fact, have you left this space since you got up this morning? It might be good to get up and walk around." He wondered if Christian had to play mother hen to the crew to get them to eat, rest, and the other basics of human existence.

 ***

        Stung, I pushed up my sleeves and hit 'save'. I'd get back to it later. A similar conversation came to me unbidden:
                You're not eating. There something wrong with your food?
                I'm not hungry.
                You're lyin'.
        Aloud, I dodged the question and said, "Sorry. Got sucked in."
        I peered into the bowl, gave the spoon an experimental stir.         "Would it hurt your feelings if I asked what it was supposed to be when you served it?" I looked up at him through my lashes and bit my lip. I'd meant it when I said I wanted to spare his feelings but with all the TSE-contaminated crap floating around, I couldn't resist asking.