on the outside of the medication boxes. She relented with a dramatic sigh and settled onto the couch. He carefully peeled away the clear sticker covering the port and swiped it with a sterilizing swab before connecting it to the new IV bag. After he hung the bag from a coat hook near the door, he returned to the supplies and drew up the next dose of antibiotics. Maise rolled her eyes but didn’t argue as he prepared a site on her upper arm for the injection.
“Hungry?” he asked after giving the injection. He gestured toward the stack of MREs on the table.
She made a sweeping motion with her fingers along her chest to her belly and then pointed at him. Realizing she was teaching him how to ask, he repeated the motions until she nodded.
“Are you hungry?” he asked again, this time using the accompanying sign.
She nodded and flicked her fist up and down. He grabbed two of the slim packets and carried them to the small sink in the kitchenette. He let the water run for a few seconds before scooping up a handful and tasting it. It had a slightly tinny flavor, probably from sitting in the pipes so long, but it was clear and cold. There was always a risk to an unknown water source, but he figured this one was acceptable.
He ripped open the meal packets and held them under the faucet, filling them to the correct line. He shut off the water and crimped the tops closed. Already, he could feel the heat bubbling through the thick plastic material of the packet. He found a couple of spoons in a drawer and a pair of disposable cups that he filled with the cold water. Maisie accepted the hastily arranged meal with a grateful smile. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He spoke the words and signed, showing her that he had been paying attention. He grabbed her tablet and handed it to her. There were things he wanted to talk about, and he thought it would be easier and faster for her to use the device for communication. Thinking about how difficult her life must have been living in a hearing world, he asked, “Do you ever think about having your ears fixed?”
She shot him a perturbed look and tapped away at the tablet. “Do you ever think about having your eye fixed?”
“Point taken.” He gestured to his ruined eye with his spoon. “I waited too long to seek medical attention. The nerves went to shit, and the eye surgeon didn’t think a bionic prosthetic would ever work. I do have a lens on this one.” He pointed to his good eye. “It allows this side to take in a wider view. Helps with depth perception.”
“I was born without the nerve pathways required for hearing,” she explained via the tablet. “My mom and dad took me to a specialist right after I was born. He told them there was no point in doing the surgery.” She stabbed her spoon into the steaming packet and stirred the contents. After taking a bite, she used the tablet again. “This isn’t that bad.”
He didn’t have the same luck with his. He swallowed the offensive mouthful of fake beef and noodles. “I hate mushrooms and beef.”
She snatched his packet and traded them. She made a little beak with her fingers and pecked them against her palm.
“Chicken?” he guessed.
She nodded and tucked into her meal. She didn’t seem to mind the flavor as she wolfed down the bites, as if uncertain when she would get her next meal. How many times had that been her reality? How often had she been denied food as a punishment? Irritated by the thought of her suffering, he vowed that as long as she was under his care, he would make sure she had proper nutrition.
When they were done eating, she picked up her tablet and seemed to be typing quite a few questions. Eventually, she finished and watched him expectantly as the device recited what she had written. “How long will we be on this ship? Where are we going? Do we have a plan?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know. Not really,” he admitted. Taking his smaller handheld tablet from its resting place on the couch’s arm, he opened the ship’s navigational charts and shifted the tablet so she could see the screen. Maisie moved closer, sidling right up next to him and draping her arm over his shoulder for a better look. He swallowed