13 Degrees of Separation (5 page)

“I wonder what she meant by that?” Jane asked, looking at her dad.
Her father shrugged.

...*...*...*...*...

Jane tried to get a felt cowgirl hat like Annie's but was
rebuffed. Her father took one look at the price and shook his head no, putting
the item back. The ship didn't have the credits to burn on frills and fashion,
not when they needed the credits to pay for fuel, food, and parts. Her face
fell, but she stoically went on, helping buy provisions for the ship.

...*...*...*...*...

They returned to the ship two animals light, a last minute buyer
had bought the remaining animals as well as two more that had been hastily
shipped down to fill the order. They broke orbit fully stocked with the forty
eight remaining animals and a lot more room for them to grow and roam around
in.

“Too bad virtual reality doesn't work for them,” Jane joked.

Annie snorted, resting her arms on the railing. “I can just
imagine it, them all wandering around bumping into things with VR goggles on
their heads. Where'd you find some their size though?”

Jane chortled at the imagery. Annie smiled at the girl's antics.

“Are you going to miss it? I mean, this?” Jane asked, waving to
the ship.

“I'll miss seeing you grow up, sure,” the older woman said,
turning to rest against the rail as she faced her interrogator. “The ship?
Ships come and go, people though, they stay in your heart. The good ones I
mean,” she said smiling ever so slightly. Jane nodded.

“Though I wouldn't mind a nice ranch. I'd have to rope me a man,
one of those big ones, none too bright, but hard working. Hog tie him good and
proper then drag him back to the ranch.” The girl snickered. “I'd want me a
good looking one too, one with a nice tight rear end...” she mused, watching
her conspirator break out into a fit of giggles. Annie's eyes twinkled merrily.
Jane had gotten over her attempt at keeping her uncle and Annie together, Annie
just wasn't a spacer brat and Michael had gone in knowing that. They'd had
their roll in the hay and had split amicably before things got too permanent.
“I might be past my prime in having a passel of kids, but it'd sure be fun
trying to get em anyway,” Annie drawled, tipping her hat back as Jane bent
double laughing, hand over her mouth. She whooped as she lost her balance and
nearly fell off the railing. “What'd I say?” Annie asked, eyes twinkling.

...*...*...*...*...

Half way through their journey, Annie looked up from her chores to
see the girl come in. The girl seemed grief stricken. “What's up cowgirl? Why
the long face?” Annie drawled, bending over to brush her boots off. She kept
looking at the girl expectantly. She could read something was wrong.

Jane's face crumpled and she rushed to Annie. She'd come in to
find a quiet place, but now, faced with someone else asking her... she wrapped
her arms around the older woman and cried. Annie hugged her in surprise,
catching her balance before she fell. Slowly she sat on the nearby hay bale and
let the girl cry her heart out.

After the water works seemed to slow, she pulled out a perfumed
handkerchief and used it to mop the girl's face and eyes. “Now that's over and
done with, what's going on?” she asked, trying to keep her voice light.

“It's grandpa. He... he... he died.”

“Grandpa?”

“Yes. They said it was a heart attack. He didn't make it to the
infirmary.”

“Oh I'm sorry sweety,” Annie said, at a loss for words. She'd been
away when her family had passed. She'd taken the news as a cowgirl, she'd
nodded, distance and time had made grieving seem silly. Her dad had taught her,
cowgirls cry when there's time, when the animals need you, their ain't no time.

She stroked the girl's hair, finger coming it. Jane smiled a wan
smile. “Mom and Dad are with Michael. Everyone's so proud of me for being
brave. I just couldn't take it, hear them saying that, over and over and
over...”

“It's okay to grieve. Death is a part of life. Your grandpa would
have wanted you to be human. I never got the chance,” Annie murmured, voice
catching a bit.

“I'm sorry to bother you...”

“No, it's okay youngin, it's fine. Fine and dandy,” Annie said,
letting the girl up. “I don't mean to sound so gruff.”

“I know. It just hit me.”

“Sometimes things do.”

“What were you doing? Do you need a hand?”

“As it happens, I could use a hand, if you are up to it. I've got
to get some more hay bales for the bottomless pits.”

“I'll help,” Jane said, smiling.

“You sure?”

“Like grandpa said, keep your mind on the job. Keeping busy will
make me feel a little better.”

“My dad said something similar. Come on then, let's get it done,”
Annie said, slapping her thighs as they got up.

...*...*...*...*...

The funeral for George Darling was brief, his body was sent to the
reclamation and recycling plant in the bowls of the ship as tradition and
practicality of being a spacer dictated. After the short ceremony his friends
and family gathered for a brief memorial service in the multipurpose room.
Annie put in an appearance at Jane's request, but quickly made her departure
when she got the odd semi-hostile glance from some of the crew. As she was
leaving Jane detached herself from her father's side to go over and thank the
cowgirl.

“It's okay,” Annie replied, hugging the girl back. “You're okay?”
she asked, ruffling the girl's hair.

“I've been better,” Jane said. She didn't look like she'd been
crying when she looked up to Annie's face. There was acceptance there, that and
a bit more maturity. Annie nodded.

“See what a good day's work will do for you? Make you so tired
you'll sleep no matter what,” Annie said.

“There is that,” Jane chuckled. She like everyone else had put on
their 'Sunday best'. She liked Annie's vest and thin necktie with its silver
buckle. Jane nodded to Michael and his new girlfriend as they came over.

“What are you doing here?” the girlfriend asked with a frosty
tone. Annie gave her a long look. She was one of the spacers, an assistant
gardner who had apparently had her eyes on Michael for some time.

“Just leaving actually,” Annie said, keeping her voice level as
she felt the girl at her side stiffen in outrage.

“
She's
here at my invitation. Unlike
some
people,”
Jane said, eyes flashing.

“Easy kiddo,” Michael said. “Let's not fight,” he said, looking
over to Wendy. Wendy frowned, but couldn't disengage herself from the people
she was with.

“As I said, I'll be going, I've got feeding to do,” Annie said
with a nod to Jane. She ruffled the girl's curly locks. “I'll be seeing you
kiddo,” she said.

“Thanks for coming by,” Jane said.

“Yes, thanks,” Michael said gruffly, nodding to Annie. The woman
at his side sniffed and turned away. Annie shook her head and showed herself
out.

...*...*...*...*...

 While mucking out the herd one afternoon two weeks after George
Darling's funeral, Annie was kicked by a calf and suffered internal injuries.
She was doubled over, wary of falling for some time, just trying to work
through the pain. If she fell she knew she'd be trampled so she tried to
breathe through the pain. She made it to the outer edge of the compartment,
then leaned against it until she got to the gate. She sat down, taking a
tearing breath as she fought back sobs and got her breath and equilibrium back.

It hurt like hell, she felt her side. The kick had hit her low, between
her hip and rib cage. She was glad she didn't have any broken bones, had that
been a bit lower it would have shattered her hip. A bit higher and she would
have broken ribs that would have speared her lungs. Carefully, her quizzical
fingers felt the tender edges of the massive bruise. She sucked in a breath at
the pain though, and the livid bruise already forming into an ominous black
mark the size of a dinner plate. She waved off Jane's concern and got to her
feet.

“Are you sure you are okay? Annie, go to sickbay!” Jane urged as
the cowgirl brushed her shirt back down.

“No,” Annie ground out between gritted teeth. She sat down again,
almost fell, and took out her canteen. She fumbled the lid off and took a pull.
Whiskey burned the back of her throat, but some of the pain ebbed. She took
another swig then capped the canteen and set it aside. She needed to stay sober
to keep a keen head.

She worked through the pain, favoring her side, ignoring the look
of concern from her young helper. “Kid, the work don't stop just because you're
hurting. These need tending to. They need food and water, same as we do.” She
hid a gasp of pain as she turned the wrong way. She looked again, she had a
massive bruise on the right side of her abdomen that just seemed to be getting
bigger. “Well hell, don't that beat all,” she grimaced, dropping the shirt back
down once more.

She worked through feeding, doing her best to put the pain out of
her mind. “Are you mad at them?” her helper asked carefully when she noted the
usual affable Annie was a bit short tempered.

Annie shook her head. “Hell, no, I'm not. Not their fault. He just
lashed out and I was near. He's scared.” She coughed, hid a grimace and wiped
blood on her handkerchief. She wiped her mouth and then mumbled something about
must of bit her lip.

She finished up, sweating and tired nearly an hour later. “I
reckon I'm for bed, I'm plumb tuckered out. Be seeing you around feeding time
tomorrow morning kid,” she told her helper and waved. She walked stiffly off.
She brushed the corridor wall with elbow, being careful to hug the wall to
dodge running kids. She winced at the pain in side. She wiped the sweat off her
brow, breathing shallow. She might have bruised her gut, her abdominal muscles,
that might be why it was so painful. She entered her quarters and sat on her
bunk. She hissed as she bent to pull her boots off, then kicked them off. Woozy
she laid down and was immediately out.

...*...*...*...*...

Her helper was worried the next morning when she didn't show for
the morning feeding. Worried Jane called, but Annie didn't answer. Now really
worried, Jane put in a call to the XO.

“Are you sure?” the high elf asked. She had to remind herself Jane
Darling was a good kid, she didn't cry wolf.

Jane shook her head. “I'm not sure about anything, but it's not
like her to miss out on the job. She's
never
missed a day. Can you look
into it? I'm covering for her, but I don't know, I feel... wrong about all
this. She might have been hurt more than she let on.”

“Hurt?”

“Yeah, she was kicked yesterday. She refused to go to the
infirmary though.”

“All right,” the high elf said. “I'm near her quarters, I'll take
a look.”

The high elf found the woman in her quarters. She brushed her hand
over the woman's sweaty temple. She was running a high fever, clutching at her
right side. She looked, slowly pulling the shirt up to see the massive black
bruise. She turned and called the medic.

Annie was out as they carried her litter to the infirmary. Once
she was there she was immediately scanned and the news was grim. Her internal
organs were ruptured, spleen, pancreas... there was internal bleeding as well.
The medic did what he could, but he knew the damage was too extensive, and it
had been hours old. “Damn it! If she'd come to me sooner! When it had happened!
I could have done something maybe! Caught it in time!” he wailed. The XO patted
him on the shoulder.

Annie woke slowly, sleepily aware she should be feeling something
wrong but wasn't able to pinpoint quite what. Her eyes fluttered, finally she came
too in the sickbay. She looked up blearily, then gasped as she tried to move. A
helping hand pushed her back down. “Lay back, rest,” the voice of the nurse
said. She laid in bed, confounded. After a moment the doctor came in.

“Annie, I'm sorry. You've taken a hard hit. A very hard hit.” His
face told her it was bad. The doctor gravely told her the news, the damage was
terminal. Unfortunately they didn't have an available stasis pod for her
either.

“Nonsense doc, I've been kicked by worse.”

“You aren't feeling pain because we gave you pain killers,” the
medic explained. The medic showed her images of her torn up insides. “Quick
heal can't do anything about this. I've tried. I tried patching you up, but
there are bleeds all over the place. I pulled your spleen. Your liver ruptured
too. I did what I could, but I don't have the replacement organs. We've got
some donor plasma and blood in you, but...” he shrugged helplessly.

“How long doc?” Annie said, sounding delirious. It was hard to
think, to concentrate. She should feel something, upset about it, but for some
reason it didn't bother her. She wasn't sure if it was the drugs or not.

“I don't know. A day at most. I'm sorry,” he said. “If you hadn't
been so hard headed,” he said shaking his head.

“I know doc. It's the New Texas way,” she said roughly as he
squeezed her hand. She tried to squeeze back and was dismayed that she
couldn't. Her arms and legs were already feeling numb, the blood in her body
was pooling in her abdomen away from her extremities.