When Dylan entered the kitchen in the morning, he smelled pancakes. He
didn't think he'd ever smell something like this ever again. Nobody ever
bothered to cook something like this for breakfast anymore.
Beka, Tyr, Trance and Harper were sitting around one of the crew tables
and were chatting.
"Good morning," Dylan offered. They greeted him with absentminded smiles
and nods and went right back to their conversation.
Dylan sighed. "Okay, why do we have pancakes?" he asked louder in his
captain-voice, so the others had to react to him. Trance looked up.
"Chloe made them. They're really good." She said and shoved another full
fork into her mouth.
Dylan made beeline for the table. "Why does your guest have to cook for the
entire crew, Mr. Harper?"
Harper gulped down the rest of his pancakes before answering. "First of
all, it's not the entire crew. Rev's in his quarters, doing some Divine
stuff. Secondly, we're just 5 people. It's not like she has to cook for the
hundreds that could be on this ship, and last, but not least, she likes
it."
"She shouldn't have to serve you," Dylan pointed out. Harper wanted to
protest, but Tyr was faster.
"Let her cook if she wants to," he growled in his deep voice, which even
Dylan didn't dare to contradict.
"Hey boss-man, want some pancakes?" Chloe called from the kitchen. Dylan
looked at the people he considered his crew who were looking back at him
expectantly.
He gave in. "Yeah, sure."
Chloe gave him a plate and sat down next to Harper. "It's almost like the
first time I cooked these, isn't it?" She said. Harper gave a short laugh.
"The first time, you almost killed me with these."
"You know, it would be a lot nicer of you if you were a little more
grateful for having someone around with medical experience." She said and
then laughed at Dylan who was looking at his pancakes uncertainly.
"I improved." She reassured him. "But you could also wait and see if Harper
gets these nasty little pimps on his..."
"Chloe," Harper warned her, trying to sound threatening. Beka was the first
to laugh at the two of them.
After breakfast Harper went to Rev's quarters. Rev was sitting on the floor, meditating. "Sorry, Rev, didn't want to disturb you," Harper mumbled, and was about to step back out of the room. Rev opened his eyes and faced him. "It's no problem, Harper. Can I help you?" "I just wanted to bring you some of the pancakes." Harper said and gave Rev the plate he was carrying. Rev smiled. "Thank you. She still cooks." "Yeah," Harper grinned. "I think cooking is like paradise to her." Rev nodded. Harper knew he would understand. Rev understood hunger. He understood what it meant to the mudfoot to be able to cook. Harper still stood in his room, watching him. Rev knew what was on his mind. "Harper, you don't have to worry about me. Her fear is understandable." He said. "But it's not right", Harper argued. The first time she had left there hadn't been a choice for him to make between his two close friends, but now things were different and he didn't want to have to choose between her and Rev. "I mean, I see how different you are. You're always in control. You eat rats and fish. You'd never attack one of us. I see this, so why can't she?"
Rev remained silent for a few minutes, shaping his next words carefully. "Thank you for the trust you put in me, Harper," He said. "But not everybody is as intelligent and strong as you are. You can live the dream of the Commonwealth, because you overcame your fear. Fear is a strong feeling, Harper, so don't force anything on her that she doesn't want." "Yeah," Harper mumbled, knowing that this was all Rev had to offer. But Harper wanted so much more. He wanted a life free of fear for Chloe and himself. Suddenly, he heard Trance's voice coming from the intercom. "Trance to Harper." "Yeah?" he answered. "Maybe you should come to sick bay. Chloe collapsed." A shudder of fear ran down Harper's back and he immediately turned towards the door, already worried sick over Chloe. When anybody else collapsed, chances were that they would be walking again in no time. When a mudfoot collapsed, chances were that they would never get up again. "I'll pray for her," Rev, who heard Trance's message, said, trying to sooth Harper's fear. Harper nodded thankfully, before heading towards sick bay. Just before he reached the door, he stopped and half turned back to face Rev. "You're just as intelligent and strong as I am, Rev." He told him quietly. Rev smiled and bowed, accepting the compliment without a word.
After breakfast Harper went to Rev's quarters. Rev was sitting on the floor, meditating. "Sorry, Rev, didn't want to disturb you," Harper mumbled, and was about to step back out of the room. Rev opened his eyes and faced him. "It's no problem, Harper. Can I help you?" "I just wanted to bring you some of the pancakes." Harper said and gave Rev the plate he was carrying. Rev smiled. "Thank you. She still cooks." "Yeah," Harper grinned. "I think cooking is like paradise to her." Rev nodded. Harper knew he would understand. Rev understood hunger. He understood what it meant to the mudfoot to be able to cook. Harper still stood in his room, watching him. Rev knew what was on his mind. "Harper, you don't have to worry about me. Her fear is understandable." He said. "But it's not right", Harper argued. The first time she had left there hadn't been a choice for him to make between his two close friends, but now things were different and he didn't want to have to choose between her and Rev. "I mean, I see how different you are. You're always in control. You eat rats and fish. You'd never attack one of us. I see this, so why can't she?"
Rev remained silent for a few minutes, shaping his next words carefully. "Thank you for the trust you put in me, Harper," He said. "But not everybody is as intelligent and strong as you are. You can live the dream of the Commonwealth, because you overcame your fear. Fear is a strong feeling, Harper, so don't force anything on her that she doesn't want." "Yeah," Harper mumbled, knowing that this was all Rev had to offer. But Harper wanted so much more. He wanted a life free of fear for Chloe and himself. Suddenly, he heard Trance's voice coming from the intercom. "Trance to Harper." "Yeah?" he answered. "Maybe you should come to sick bay. Chloe collapsed." A shudder of fear ran down Harper's back and he immediately turned towards the door, already worried sick over Chloe. When anybody else collapsed, chances were that they would be walking again in no time. When a mudfoot collapsed, chances were that they would never get up again. "I'll pray for her," Rev, who heard Trance's message, said, trying to sooth Harper's fear. Harper nodded thankfully, before heading towards sick bay. Just before he reached the door, he stopped and half turned back to face Rev. "You're just as intelligent and strong as I am, Rev." He told him quietly. Rev smiled and bowed, accepting the compliment without a word.