Here, Hold My Soda

…

The Grand Sails was late.

For three months, Link could not wait to return to the galleon. It was the only sign of their punishment passing, but it was now two days out with no indication they would be returning for another four days. True to the old sailor tradition, Link had decided to drown his sorrows in a bar. Of course, Leeta of the Sail Tavern would not let them have any alcohol. So Link rested his arms and head on the bar, staring at the bubbles of a soda juice as they rose from the tablet that had been dropped at the bottom of the glass mug.

"Oh, cheer up, Link," Line said before taking a swig of his own drink. He clapped the mug back down and smacked Link's shoulder. "Hey, at least we have our regular pay back."

"Yeah, but it still feels like we're being punished," Link said. "We've done almost everything there is to do at the office. And we're still stuck here."

Line blew a short raspberry and picked up his mug again. "So what? We just find something to do, and nobody cares."

Link glared at him from the corner of his eye. "You barely did anything."

"Yeah I did," Line argued.

"No you didn't."

"I did so."

"You built a bicycle and rode it through the building."

"Ah—After I spent the morning shuttling paperwork back and forth for the finance office!"

"You hung bedsheets over the outer walls."

"Laundry day. I ran out of room on the clotheslines."

"You stole the pots and pans out of the kitchen and stashed them in the records office."

Line paused for a moment. "Okay, I wasn't really sure what I was doing. All I know is… well, it all started in the showers. And I was wet."

Link growled. "Line, just do me a favor and stop talking."

"Grump." Line was about to take another drink, but he saw someone enter the tavern. He lowered the mug and nudged Link with his elbow. "Hey. Look who just stepped in." Link tilted his head to look past his drink.

Lieutenant Greg stood in the doorway, looking much more casual in a white shirt and dark brown slacks. Greg spotted the boys, and Link decided to sit up as he approached them. "Hey, boys," he greeted them as he took the stool next to their end of the bar. "I was looking all over for you. The guys at the office said you were out for the evening."

"If you call this 'out'," Line said.

Greg frowned at them. "Are… you two all right being in here? I know you're airmen and all, but…"

Line hastened his drink so he could answer Greg. "No, we're fIIHHNE," he said, the last word punctuated with an unexpected belch. He shook his head. "Whew. That felt good."

"They don't let us drink anything with alcohol," Link said, finally picking his drink up. "It's all juice and milk for us."

"Then… why do you look like you've been drowning in it?" Greg asked.

"Ignore him," Line said. "He's just miserable that we're stuck here because the Grand Sails got held up."

"Yeah, I heard about it. That's why I was looking for you two. Did anyone happen to tell you what was going on?"

"Well," Link said, "they're held up on Sagacity Island. I guess they ran into a few engine troubles, and that was on top of needing to run an overdue shipment of books to Might Island. As soon as the engine is repaired, they'll be moving further south. Then… I think they're supposed to be making some arrangements for shipping toward the end of the year before coming back here. They'll be up in four days. Maybe."

Greg blinked a set of wide eyes. "Wow. That was more than I got out of the gal at the fleet management office. How'd you learn so much?"

"Captain Alfonzo sent us a letter with their last shipping report," Line said. He looked at Link. "I seriously think he was trying to apologize to us."

"Since when does an apology come with the word 'dumbasses'?" Link asked.

"Link!" Leeta, down at the opposite end of the bar, snapped. "Watch your mouth!"

"Don't mind him!" Line called down the bar to her. "He's just cranky!"

"Shut up, Line," Link told him in a quiet voice.

Greg pulled his eyes away from Leeta and commented to them, "Those are some good ears for being all the way down there."

"Yeah," Link replied. He paused to take a drink. "She always seems to know when one of us swears."

"If you think that's amazing, watch this," Line said.

"Line, don't you—" Link started just as Line took in a deep breath.

…

"Boys," Greg spoke up as they wandered the streets back toward the office. "My face hurts."

Link was hardly surprised, considering how viciously all three of them had been smacked after Line recited every word of profanity he could think of. He moaned, holding his sore left cheek, and said to him, "Yeah, you… probably shouldn't be around us anymore."

"Oh, come on, you two," Line spoke up, rubbing his own sore cheek. "Did you see how red her face got?"

"I was too busy looking at the bar floor," Greg groaned.

"I was busy watching you be an idiot," Link said. "I'm sleeping on the top bunk tonight; I think you're drooling stupidity on me at night."