No rest for the stubborn
She would not fall asleep.
Slanting a glance to Nathan from beneath her lashes, Audrey noted with grim satisfaction that he wasn't faring much better. There were lines of exhaustion marking his skin and a glazed quality to his eyes. He looked ready to topple over, a fact that he must have been aware of.
"Serves you right," she muttered, facing forward again. It was after all his fault.
"I heard that."
Her head snapped back around at his voice and she caught him glaring at her. "Well it does. I could be asleep in my bed now. Secure in the knowledge that for once I stood the chance at eight hours of sweet uninterrupted sleep. Eight hours Nathan." She repeated for emphases. "Four hundred and eighty minutes, Twenty eight thousand…."
He held up a hand to stop her. "I get it. Trust me." He sighed. "What I don't get is why you're blaming me for this?"
Her gaze narrowed as she jabbed a finger in his direction. "Because it's your fault!"
His eyebrow's rose, "Why?"
That was a good question and she blinked at him when the answers didn't become immediately apparent to her. Why was it his fault again she wondered. Her fingers tapping her desk chair. She was reasonable. Sure she had, had a reason. But she couldn't for the life of her remember it now. Not that she needed one. "It simply is." Audrey finally said. "I'll think of a reason later." Much later like after she died of old age. Her synapses perked at the thought of death and she stamped down the urge to reach for her weapon. If she died of old age.
"That's it." Nathan interrupted her train of thought. "You can't even make up a reason. We're leaving now."
Her hands shot out to the arms of her chair and her voice chilled, "Over my dead body." Oh great, there she went again with the death wish. Maybe he had a point.
With some work he ignored her and pried her fingers open before pulling her from her seat. That her body wasn't as resistant to his actions as her mind wanted to be was annoying. Doubly so when she noticed they'd traveled half the station before she noticed.
Together they staggered out into the early morning light. "How the hell am I going to make it home?" Questioned Audrey.
He put an arm around her. Though she had a suspicion all he wanted was a shoulder to lean on. "Not yours, mine."
With an effort she raised her eyebrows, "Yours?"
"It's closer." He said simply.
In her state she couldn't argue with that. She just wished she could remember what on God's green earth had inticed them into staying up all night. Bet hey, what she didn't know wouldn't kill her.
God she needed sleep.
FIN