When Buck got back to his unit the delivery portal was flashing, and sure enough there was a load of food disks waiting for him. He had to resist the urge to rush to Wilma's unit with them. He had other things to think about before he saw her again. So, there was a lot more pacing in his unit.
The next day Wilma was just getting ready to settle down in her chair when Buck was announced as her visitor. After a brief hesitation she said "Enter." At least Buck's company would fill her time, which had been dragging on her.
"Good morning." Buck said as he entered. He moved over to Wilma to help her reach her chair, but she gently shook off his arm.
"No need" she said. "I have lived here so long I know where everything is, and a friend was kind enough to arrange most everything I need where I can find it easily." She added with a smile.
"Well then you should add this to the things you need" he told her as he place the container of disks in her lap,
"What is this?"
"Oh, just some extra food disks I have, I was off planet for a couple of weeks and was able to get the disks I didn't eat. They are mine, but I think you won't have any trouble with them."
Wilma was quiet, her head bowed for a long minute. Finally, she said "Buck while this is a lovely gesture, it just delays the inevitable. It just prolongs the waiting for me."
"No, it's not inevitable, and this is just the beginning. I have come up with a ton of different ways to get disks."
"Such as?"
"For starters I can always go hunting in Anarchia. I was a pretty good shot in my day, and I am sure I can remember how to dress the meat, that way you get my disks"?
"Buck that's too dangerous, the animals out there are exposed to all sorts of things"
"No, I have already checked with some researchers, and the consensus is that as long as it's not my only source of food, no problem."
"I do not know Buck." Wilma rose from her seat and moved over to the kitchen area of her unit, she opened a container sitting on the counter and placed the food disks inside. Buck was behind her watching where she was keeping the valuable items.
"I have other ideas, too but you don't have to worry about them, and right now you have an appointment in the Medical Unit for treatment and I am here to escort you there." He told her as she carefully returned to her seat.
"What good does treatment do me? I "Wilma started to say but Buck cut her off. "It won't hurt to go to treatment if you're right; and if I am, you need to get the treatment completed as soon as possible. So up you go, do you need to get ready or anything?"
Wilma hesitated but eventually said, "No I am ready to go now."
Buck gave her is arm and the two left the unit. On the way to the medical unit, Buck regaled Wilma with a story about a camping trip with his father, uncle and cousins that included snipe hunting. It didn't take long for Wilma to catch on and when they arrived at the medical unit, they were both laughing.
Wilma was greeted at the unit by a droid tech and taken back to have the treatment performed. "I'll be waiting right here to take you back again" Buck told her. After the treatment they were on their way back to Wilma's unit.
"You're quiet" he remarked after a few minutes, "did the treatment hurt?"
"No treatment does not hurt; I actually do not feel much of anything during treatment." After a pause she added "No I am trying to find the right words to say to you, to let you know that while a appreciate all that you are trying to do for me, I'
"Stop right there, don't say anything more. I confess that I do not understand the 25th century at all I don't understand how someone like you, who has devoted so much of your life to the people of New Chicago can be tossed aside like this. But I am not giving up and neither should you. You need to trust me" he said.
Wilma sighed and just shook her head. They had reached her unit and Buck helped her get settled in her chair. "I won't be here tomorrow, Huer is sending me to Finstar to bring back a part for the experimental new thing that they want to use to keep track of the pirates out at the edge of the galaxy. But I will be here the day after. Make sure you eat!" he added.
Buck paused before he went out the door, gazing down on Wilma, he leaned over and kissed and left the unit.
Buck hoped out of the ship he had piloted to Finstar. It wasn't a starfighter but then again it wasn't a huge cargo ship, still he wasn't thrilled with it. He was greeted by Dr Hoth and his assistant who were waiting on the flight deck.
"Hello Captain Rogers, we have been waiting for your arrival. You are a later than we had thought."
"Sorry about that I had a slight detour before I came" Buck had indeed detoured on his way to Finstar. He had stopped at Sinola first. He walked through the casino, stopping twice to play 10 & 11. Once he had collected his winning, he went immediately to the marketplace.
"Is this the thing that Huer all excited about?" he asked, pointing to a box sitting on a cart. It was bigger than a bread box with several spikes sticking out.
"Yes, yes this is it!" exclaimed Hoth. "This will make finding the pulse drives of the pirate ships much more precise. We will be able to identify ships as soon as they are through the nearest stargate."
"If It works," said Buck.
"Well, yes, if it works as I think it will. We shall see I guess" Hoth replied. "Let us get this loaded shall we."
Once the box was loaded into the hold area of Buck's ship he took off for New Chicago. As soon as he was through the stargate he contacted control and shortly he had arrived on the landing deck of the research facility. The research technicians were waiting for him to unload the part. While that was happening he went through medical review and his bag was searched since this was not a Defense Directorate site.
"Just a matter of routine Captain" the young officer said. "Your flight plan shows that you stopped in Sinola."
"Yea, what can I say I like playing 10 & 11" Buck told him. "Oh, and you will find a couple of food disks in there." He added.
"Food disks?'
"What can I say, I'm a growing boy! No really, I get hungry sometimes on long flights, so I like to keep a couple handy since there's no junk food anymore."
The officer opened the bag and was going through the contents when he pulled out a bag with about 4 or 5 disks. "So, I see" he said with a smile. "Well, a few disks isn't a problem, Captain. "He added as he put everything including the bag of disks back in the bag and handed it to Buck.
"Thanks" said Buck as he took the bag and walked away.
Once back in his own unit Buck unpacked the bag. He pulled the small bag of food disks out and then a couple of pieces of clothing. Buried below the clothes was another bag with substantially more disks. "Just goes to prove when you find something, you stop looking" he said with a smile. "Now for a seeing eye dog."