"You should take a break." Shadow let go of his grip on her and looked into her eyes.
"I haven't even been working that long yet." Sandy protested while not even noticing her now improved mood.
"The work you have been doing is obviously stressful. And I'm sure my attempt at conversation didn't help."
Sandy nodded her head in agreement. Not long after the hatch shut, she started to freak out as she couldn't find the way to opening it in the archaic software controlling the livability of the bunker. To make matters worse it was more than obvious to her that Shadow was starting to get agitated. Sandy wasn't really sure how they had then ended up talking about her lack of male companionship, but Shadow was correct that it didn't make it any easier for her to concentrate on their escape. She really could use a moment to relax and take in what she had seen so far inside the system software.
"Let's lay down. I need to take my mind off smoking anyway." Shadow suggested.
Sandy gave him a questioning look. "The bed isn't very big."
"I can lay on the floor if you prefer." The male offered.
A long sigh escaped Sandy as she fell back in the bed on the side nearest to the wall. "Yer fine. Just try not ta squish me."
Shadow laid down on his back and positioned himself so he was right on the edge of the bed. Sandy turned on her side and faced him before they both closed their eyes and attempted to calm their minds. The female curled her long bushy tail in front of her and grabbed onto it in an effort to find comfort. She felt Shadow shift slightly as some of her fur, from her tail, brushed against' his arm.
"Sorry." She apologized without opening her eyes.
"I don't mind." Shadow responded before they both became silent again besides the shared rhythm of their breathing.
Sandy attempted to focus on the sound of their breath in hopes of being able to meditate on it, but found it easier said than done with the humming of the ventilation system. The real nuisance was the even louder buzzing of the florescent lights above them. She realized her client really wanted to hear the bunker was worth keeping. However, even her first impression, before walking into her now prison, was that the technology was far too out of date. Now that she'd actually spent a little time in here, she was more than aware that the shelter was on its last legs and shouldn't be utilized unless upgraded. Her eager client would be more than willing to have her look into the price tag for the upgrades, as well. She was well known as an expert in their sort of living situation to a point.
"It's getting warm." Shadow muttered as if he was half awake.
He was right. Sandy's mind was so busy racing about different aspects of the job, and their ordeal of being confided, that she had completely ignored the rise in temperature. "Shit!" She screamed to herself as she shot up in bed. Before she had time to jump to her feet, she was taken aback by Shadows sudden restraining grip on her arm.
"I'm sure it's nothing." He softly spoke while still laying down, eyes opened watching her, but holding on tight to prevent her escape.
"I need ta be sure." She argued in hopes he'd let go of her.
"Just a few more minutes?" He calmly suggested. Almost like he was hypnotized.
Doubt started to cloud Sandy's mind. "This captivity must really be getting ta him." She thought, but breathed out heavily in defeat. A few minutes likely wouldn't mean life or death for them, and having him stay calm was worth a little extra effort. "Alright." She agreed and then laid down next to him again.
A small smile crossed his lips before he closed his eyes again. She jerked slightly as he reached his hand out and laid it on top of her tail next to her hand. She peered at him uncertainty, but after a moment she realized he was asleep. His reaching out to her was likely unknown to him in his slumbering state.
After closing her eyes, she found her mind racing form one idea to the next yet again. She wouldn't really call this attempt at relaxing successful but she took a little ease in the fact that her faking it might calm her friend's mind a bit. It was no secret to anyone that knew her well that once she put her mind to something she couldn't stop until she reached her goal… despite the trouble it sometimes caused her and those close to her.
Given the unique nature of the current problem she, and Shadow, were now facing she figured taking a more cautious approach, as least if she was only making it appear that way, was the best plan of action. The last thing she needed was the two of them freaking out on one another in such an enclosed space. Especially given the fact she already found him acting a bit odd. She just hoped it was the lack, or fear there might be a lack, of nicotine that was getting to him.
Sandy got so lost in thought she wasn't sure how much time had passed before she started to notice Shadow lightly snore. She gently puller her tail away from his resting hand watching it softly land on the bedding they both laid on. The female squirrel then slowly attempted to crawl off the bed without waking him. Her shoulders fell down in frustration before her feet even hit the floor as she felt the bed move as he stretched and yawned.
She looked back at him annoyed, yet a little impressed. "I don't know how ya ever get any sleep with how easy it is ta wake ya."
Shadow stood up from the bed and then stretched again as he met her gaze. "Do you really want to know about my sleeping habits?" He questioned.
Sandy walked back to the computer control panel and waved his question off. "I think I've seen more than enough over the past few months ta get the general gist of yer continues sleep deficiency."
"My sleep deficiency?" Shadow questioned as he approached her and watched her typing over her shoulder again. "Did you get any sleep while we were laying down?"
"Hard ta sleep with all yer snoring." She looked over her shoulder at him and grinned. She then looked back to the work in front of her and continued to type. "Or is that what ya consider a lullaby?"
"You, of all people, have no right to judge anyone on their snoring." He chuckled under his breath.
Sandy laughed in response. "Yer likely right!" She was happy he had woken up in a pleasant state of mind. Now she just hoped she'd be able to set them free before either of them started to feel uneasy again. She was thankful that he suggested them take a break. Despite the fact she didn't get any sleep, and continued to over think things, she did find closing her eyes and sinking her breathing with his did help clear her mind a bit, and thus taking away a lot of her knee jerk worry from earlier.
"Is there something I can do?" He asked and failed at his attempt not to seem too desperate.
"Yeah." She answered quickly. "Can ya find us something edible from them shelves over there?"
Shadow looked at the shelving stacked tightly next to one another and stayed silent a moment. "Not likely, but I'll try."
"That's the spirt!" Sandy giggled as she started restarting different programs in the hopes they'd give her more options on their reboot. So far it wasn't working, but this was just her first faze… laying down for a bit had helped her come up with at least five other ideas with just how she should attack just the basic software of the system. She knew she best start out light, as once she started to dive too deep into it she might likely screw up the systems and lose the bunkers livability… and risk their lives.
She'd also came up with more than a few ways to keep Shadow busy. Finding food was an easy go to, and after that she'd have him do some basic, not so needed, tests on the water and air quality. The computer was already telling her what it was and it seemed to check out as they weren't dead yet, but back up information would be useful to the client but more useful in keeping his mind occupied.
"I found these MRE's and they still smell good. They likely needed heated though." Shadow walked back over to Sandy and hander to the military ready to eat meal.
She looked it over and smelled it, as well, before turning her attention to the out dated microwave in the bunker. "Isn't one of the points of MRE's that you don't need to heat 'em? Besides, I'm not sure if we should risk using that old thing due ta the radiation and excessive voltage."
"Excessive voltage?" Shadow asked unamused. "It's plugged into a typical outlet."
"No it ain't." Sandy corrected. "Here in da States a normal outlet is 115 volts, and this puppy here is 220 volts." She then pointed to the factory ID plaque on the side of it. "Let's not ferget that there is a step-up transformer that then feeds that voltage to a step-up capacitor resulting in anywhere from 2000 volts to 8000 depending on the amount of transformer, capacitors, and magnetos."
"I get the radiation risk, but why care about the voltage?" He pushed a bit annoyed she was once again showing off her knowledge about basic items he knew nothing about.
"If it starts ta short out that could be a BIG problem. Sure there are built in protections with the ground wire going to the outlet, but I don't wanna risk it. Let's just eat it cold." She sighed knowing full well this isn't the news he wanted to hear.
"Can't we just try if for a minute?" He asked.
"No!" She protested while giving out a heavy sight. "The gaskets on its door is far too old, and it if starts ta short and we are too close it could use us for a ground and stop our heart. It isn't worth the risk Shadow!" She frowned at him hoping he'd understand her worry at least.
Shadow gave her an unopened MRE as he started to eat the cold one they had just argued about. "With how you talk about basic household appliances I'm surprised you don't live off the grid in the middle of the woods."
"Sounds nice." She teased as she opened her meal and started to eat it.
"I find it funny that you talk up living alone, and being one with your work, but you're unable to let me have a thought to myself without you butting in." Shadow let out a lone laugh before finishing off his cold, yet not completely bland, meal.
"Some people are more interesting than others." She slightly grinned as she finished off the last of her ration.
Shadow took the empty plastic of her meal away from her and set it away on top of some other boxes on the shelf as he looked her down. "You think I'm interesting?"
Sandy walked back over to the bedside and took a seat to digest as he followed her still looking at her as if he was interrogating her. " 'Course I do! I also think ya can be sweet, caring, and ya even clean up pretty nice." She grinned at him as his face took on a bit of embarrassment. "Even if ya don't like ta let that be known!" She stuck her tongue out at him and then grinned again before looking down at her legs. Was it starting to get late or was she lost without seeing the sun? "Shadow…" She breathed heavily while begging for forgiveness. "I'm so tired all of the sudden. I'm so sorry!" She stated sickly as she wiped some sweat away from her brow.
"Sandy?" Shadow question with worry.
"I'm sorry." She whispered as she fell onto the bed and continued to sweat heavily.
Shadow looked down on Sandy as she started to breath heavily and hug herself in an attempt to feel better. He knew full well the food he had offered to her had gotten her sick. It took all of his self-control not to try to break through the hatch door as he watched her become more ill.
"Sandy?" He questioned pleading again.
"Shadow!" She gasped happily as a slight smile overtook her face. "I'm sorry." She muttered again as she culled up tightly as her gut growled loud enough for him to even hear it.
"This is my fault." He grunted while feeling hatred for himself and he laid down behind her and embraced her softly. He then started to run one of his hands through the longer fur on the top of her head as she continued to breathe deeply and try to push off the sickness that had recently taken over her. "I'm so sorry." He whispered again as he pushed his body closer to hers almost as if the more he touched her the more likely he could take on her sickness into his own body so she could again feel relief.
"Did ya poison me just ta get me in bed again? Ya know you don't have to have me next ta ya ta get some sleep." She faked a laugh again as curled up a bit more. " 'Sides… I'm the one that brought up eating that junk."