Sjin's eyes stung as he flipped on the red-stone lamp near his bedside. He cast off his blanket and pushed his feet to the ground, readying to stand. Instead, his shoulders sagged and he buried his bearded face in his recently calloused palms. Every muscle in his body ached and he was too tired to sleep.

"You keep pulling all-nighters and you'll go more insane." Sips spoke wisely from his bed. His bed was the partner of Sjin's single bed and the two men had always pushed them together – as a joke at first, but out of habit later.

Sjin lifted his face and grunted a discordant half laugh. "Sorry to wake you."

"I can't sleep if you don't. That's sorta how things work in this world."

"I'm…busy", Sjin stood, grabbing for the dirty coveralls spread over a nearby chest.

"You're obsessed."

"Maybe." Sjin was quickly becoming impatient with Sips's concern. "It's no business of yours now." He slid the coveralls over his t-shirt and shorts and fumbled inside of his chest for a few tools for his day.

"You're being such a big dumb babby over this."

"I suppose I am." Sjin pretended to count the diamonds stuffed near the bottom of the chest. "I always am. I'm Sjin, Sips's big dumb tag along, party to any of his big dumb schemes, ready to be the butt of his big dumb jokes."

"Hey, my schemes are awesome. And profitable."

Sjin sank to the ground beside his chest and pushed himself until his back was against the rails of his bed. "More profitable without me, I guess."

"That's just the nature of the business. If you were an executive, you'd understand."

"I'm not an executive though. I'm just a big dumb babby. Who would do anything for you." Sjin stretched an arm behind his head and pushed his fingers along his crumpled bed sheets, as close to Sip's bed as he could reach.

Sips didn't answer nor did he give Sjin's hand the understanding squeeze Sjin was hoping for. The sheets were cold. Sjin withdrew his hand. His eyes began to burn again as he stared into the imagined flicker of the red stone lamp. All at once Sjin was depressed, furious, terrified, and profoundly lonely. His mind burned along with his eyes and Sjin couldn't move. This paralysis was why he hadn't slept in far longer than Sips knew.

"I'd do anything for you", Sjin repeated. "I'd even tell you that whatever we were working on was less important than your happiness. Worst of all…I'd mean it."

Sjin pushed to his knees and turned to face Sips just one more time. Sjin's shadow cast over Sip's perfectly made bed. His burning eyes surveyed the dark, empty room. "And you would still leave anyway."

Sjin turned back to his chest, grabbed his pick axe and his sword, and headed for the door. Any second spent working was a second not spent thinking.