Cheyenne dreamed that Lana was making love to her. They were on the deck of the Cambridge. As Cheyenne's arousal began to peek, the bright flash came and she heard Mackenzie's voice shout, "you said you'd come home."
Cheyenne's face broke the water and she woke, feeling aroused, disturbed and angry. She felt claustrophobic and she tore the mask from her face. Her head still burned when she was out of the gel for too long, but it was tolerable for a few seconds, a sign that she was slowly healing. And it was better to tread the gel, surface occasionally and breath than to be suffocated by the mask.
"Are you okay?" Janda asked. Cheyenne nodded. She looked around the room, relieved that Janda, not Lana was on duty, and disappointed as well.
"I'm ready to get up," she said.
"Lana is not on duty yet. Shall I call her? Or Javin is available?"
"Anyone is okay," Cheyenne said.
Javin, another healer, answered Janda's request and soon they had Cheyenne mostly covered in the patching. She was already starting to climb out of the tank when Lana arrived.
"You are up already?" Lana commented. She looked disappointed but she covered it quickly. "I am sorry, I should have woken earlier."
"It's okay, I woke and wanted up, that's all," Cheyenne said, her tone apologetic. Lana likes touching me as much as I crave her touch. But can't she understand that it's not so easy for me? I've never felt this way about another woman. That might not be a big deal to them, but it is to me.
She felt bad, even though she had only thought it. Of course Lana couldn't understand. Her culture simply didn't see the distinction between gay and straight as important. Cheyenne knew enough gay people, was liberal enough, to applaud that fact as a good thing. But it didn't make her own feelings any less conflicted.
She held out her hand in a gesture of peace. "Come, walk me over to the shower, please. And then I will try some breakfast if I must," she joked.
Lana took her hand and led to the far side where a small shower closet was. "You must, Miss Cheyenne. It will get your system functioning again."
When Cheyenne finished her shower, she found that Javin and Janda had both left, Javin back to his original duties and Janda to get them all breakfast. She let Lana towel her dry, enjoying the sensation of the woman's hands working on her. When she was dry and dressed, she leaned into the healer and gave her a small peck on the lips. "Thank you."
The door slid opened as Janda returned. Cheyenne walked herself to the couch and sat. Lana was still watching her, as though she knew she was being toyed with. She smiled and shook her head but came over as well to sit next to Cheyenne to eat.
#####
Dan arrived in the forward bay that evening to find a half dozen housekeepers setting up chairs and Kavi waiting for him. "It seems, Mr. Biggest of the Little Officers," Kavi joked, "that we are in much the same boat."
Dan arched an eyebrow.
"I am the junior most of the senior healers on board," she replied. "And as such drew the unlucky egg to be the other chaperone. Make sure no horrible fraternization is occurring between the crews. Though perhaps we can make the best of it."
Dan smiled in spite of himself. "I guess we shall."
"So what is the entertainment?" she asked.
"A movie. Do you have movies?"
"We have video recreation, yes," she replied. "Though the distinctions you make between TV shows and movies alludes us."
"It has to do with their length and with where they were initially shown," Dan explained. "Though taken out of context, I can see where it would be confusing. Well, movies are usually about an hour and half to two hours, about a watch by your standard. It makes a good length for this."
She nodded in agreement.
"And with the help of my bunkmates, we decided on something that in retrospect, ought to be kind of funny."
"A comedy?"
"No, but it's a story about how we thought first contact with an alien would go. We were pretty far off the mark, I think."
A young woman pushed a long cart in. She wore a loose flowing top that came to her knees, batiked in gold, with blue tights underneath. It was a common consortium style for both men and women. Part of the gender confusion that had plagued the two crews early on, American's inability to decipher the gender and sex of their Consortium hosts hinged on simple unfamiliarity with dress and customs. Four weeks ago Dan wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between this dress, that came to the knees and a man's tunic that came to mid thigh. Couple this with the fact that the Consortium insisted that blue was a girl's color, not a boy's color.
The woman came over. "I've been asked to provide snacks and drinks for tonight. Would you like to inspect?"
"I'm sure you've done a great job," Dan told her as she led him to the cart. She had, too. As a special treat, diplomacy had managed to send some popcorn to the ship, with directions on making it. She had plenty of Consortium style snack food as well, several selections of tea and even wine. Dan paused, should they drink? He shrugged it off. They were off duty. Most weren't of age back home, but when in Rome...
#####
"Well, we made it through with no fraternizing," Kavi said as they cleaned up after the movie.
Dan avoided her face as he bit back his reply. No fraternizing? Nobody had sex in the back row, maybe. Short of that...
Mandy had all but sat on Daksha's lap and had introduced her to the American teen custom of making out at the movies. Runningbear had taken up with some mousy girl from laundry and supply. He came in with her on his arm and made a big show of getting her drinks and snacks throughout the movie. Heck most of them had dates from the far side of the ship and most had not left separately either.
"Well, no fraternizing, yet," Kavi put in, running her hand up his arm. He looked into her smiling face. She saw his expression and blanched. "I'm sorry," she stuttered, turning away.
He grabbed her arm before she could. "Kavi," he said gently. "It's not you. I just..." he broke off. How to explain?
"I am just not what you are looking for, I think," Kavi said.
He pulled her close and hugged her. "You're not," he admitted. "I'm sorry."
"There is no need for you to be sorry. That is just the way of it. That's not even it," she broke out of the hug and put her hands in her face. "It's just, me. I am smart, I know, I am smart. So why am I so dumb sometimes?" Her voice was bitter.
He wrapped her in his arms again. She poked a finger at his chest. "I can see your heart. I can see it ticking away, spot any problem right away." She looked up. "But do you think I can look at your face and know if you are interested or not? I can't. It's always been this way with me. I'm a social idiot."
He laughed. "God, Kavi, you think it's any different with us? We faced a nuclear missile. You call that courage. But I'm still scared to admit who I like. So I guess I am a social coward."
"It's hard to admit you like someone. They might reject you," Kavi said.
"Like I just did?"
She hit him playfully on the arm. "Like you just did."
Their talk was interrupted by Bakala's entrance. Dan pulled away from the healer.
"Just stopped by to see how clean up was coming," he said. "I am sorry to miss the movie. Had a few shortages in the warehouse, too many people wanted to come and I owed them favors." He made a face. He winced and rolled his shoulder. "Gah, stiff," he said.
"Do you need treatment?" Kavi asked.
"Naw," Bakala said. "Though I was hoping someone with big strong hands could help work it out." He gave Dan a veiled look.
Kavi gave Dan a look, too, and then her face split into a wide grin. "Oh! I see." She giggled. "No fraternizing on my watch," she said, shaking a finger at the two of them and smiling wickedly. "Luckily, I'm off watch. Bakala, you can help him finish cleaning up." She turned and strode out of the bay.