Frozen In Time - Rescue

Chapter XXII - Who Is Playing Who

Leaving the border area Melanie decided to check in on Hes in the forge, to see how things were going there. But to her surprise, upon coming down the stairs from the walkway that bordered the area, she found Hes laying in his hammock, reading a book.

Other then him, the forge was empty.

Walking over to him, Melanie noted the blacksmith giving her a brief glance out of one eye before turning back to his book.

"Well, this isn't what I expected." She stated.

"What expected then?" Hes replied in a bored tone. "Wild party with music, alcohol and pretty women? Go to pub car for that. And while there, tell apprentices is time to come home."

Melanie gave him a quiet sigh. "Did they abandon you again?" She asked in a mock pitying tone.

While her own bond with her engineering apprentices was a close, almost family like relationship, it didn't at times even come close to the relationship between Hes and his own apprentices. Hes was already well known on the train to quickly come to the defense of any of them in even the smallest of disagreements. Melanie often swore he likely did a head count every night to make each and every one of them were safely 'home' in the forge room before he went to bed himself.

Hes gave a slight wave of his hand. "Complained. Said 'Have been cooped up here too long! Need break.'."

"Cooped up too long?" Melanie asked in disbelief. "It was four hours!"

"Two." Hes corrected her. "Other engineer came down already, said everything was all right. That was when boy'os started to whine about solitary confinement."

"Solita...Hes, you really need to get a better grip on your apprentices."

The blacksmith shrugged. "Gives me quiet time." He quickly glanced at the small clock on the table by his hammock. "Go down to pub car soon and gather them up. Then herd bunch of slightly drunk apprentices back to forge. Have earlier morning planned."

"Herding cats sounds like it would be more fun."

"Nay. Cats be easier. Every ten feet one of the boy'os has to stop. Pretty girl in corridor. Wants to try his luck."

Melanie gave him a skeptical look. "And how does that usually go?"

"Good entertainment for others."

"Well, you might want to find them soon. Pamela down in the cafeteria car mentioned there's a steam pipe leaking from a five inch crack. She thinks the whole thing may burst soon."

Hes continued to read his book. "Steam pipe burst, hey? Good."

Melanie gave him a questioning look. "Why is that good?"

"Maybe then food would be hot for change."

With that final comment, Melanie simply shook her head and walked back over to the stairs. "Just try to get to your apprentices back before Audrey throws them out, please."

Over the next week, Hes kept his apprentices plenty busy with making parts that Wilford requested. While the standing rule was that Snowpiercer's needs for parts came first, Melanie let the rule slide more often than not to simply allow Eliah to come over to Snowpiercer as often as possible.

As soon as Eliah and Alex would switch places at the border, with Wilford always acting like he hadn't seen the child in weeks rather than often just a day or two, Melanie kept to the cool greeting she always gave the Second Engineer, with little else being said. Melanie had caught Wilford several times taking note of the exchange between the two, giving it a slightly raised eyebrow. Alex had even confirmed to her mother that Wilford had asked her why her mother didn't like Ms. Elson, to which the girl just shrugged by way of an answer.

But once out of sight and hearing, the two quickly fell into a rapid fire exchange of information. In her usual 'all business' mannerism she always showed in front of others, Eliah would answer any questions Melanie had within limits, and then begin telling the First Engineer what she was supposed to be doing that day on Snowpiercer, all the while making a quick paced beeline for the medical car.

Once there the woman's whole demeanor changed as she set sight on the man in the bed. A wide smile was followed by a long hug and then a quick assessment of his general health before the two fell into a conversation, usually in what Melanie had verified from her assistant was Russian, but with no explanation as to the reason other than he liked the language.

After the last visit, Melanie found herself trudging back to the cabin that night, exhausted after completing the work Wilford had given Eliah to do. Melanie had warned her that Wilford likely expected her to look just as exhausted to prove she was doing the work required, which the woman gave a brief acknowledgement to as they approached the border. Melanie noted as the exchange was made that Eliah had surreptitiously managed to loosen a few strands from her tightly swept up hair style and acted like she had indeed run all the way to the border from the engine room.

Simply slapping her hand on the mechanism to open the cabin door, Melanie dragged herself through the doorway and finally collapsed on the couch next to Layton.

"So," her roommate asked, "how hard did Eliah work today?"

"If I had the strength I would hit you." Came the surly reply. "She managed somehow to trip up the door again from Big Alice's side and Wilford was furious over his 'lack of security'."

"I know. I believe I could hear him all the way to the cabin this morning."

"Well, I had to get up in the vents to fix the problem. But I couldn't access directly at the border in case someone saw me. So I started two cars down and had to pull myself through the vents until I got to the door circuits."

"And that would explain the smell." Layton added with one raised finger.

This time Melanie managed a slight hit to the arm.

Layton jumped back. "Hey! If you're going to crawl through vents moving hot air, you have to expect to sweat a little."

Melanie gave a sigh as she pulled out her laptop. "Well, I still need to enter some data before I can get a shower. And Eliah has managed to get Wilford to believe the problem is ongoing and will take several trips over to Snowpiercer to fix properly. So she and Frank have at ;east a little more guaranteed time to spend together."

"So, how is Frank doing these days?" Layton inquired innocently. "Dr. Pelton still have him on the short leash?"

Melanie smiled slightly. "Not so much any more. But I appreciate the extra time she's giving to keeping tabs on him. The wound was fairly deep, and Frank seems to be your typical male when it comes to injuries. He regards the whole thing as 'a mere scratch' for the most part."

"I contest the 'typical male part."

"How so?"

"If it was me I would happily stay in bed for months nursing that injury."

Melanie gave him a soft chuckle. "Wouldn't stop people from coming to you to complain."

"One can dream."

As Melanie went back to her laptop, Layton watched her for a few moments, then returned to his own work.

"What was that look about?" Melanie asked without looking up.

"What look?"

"I know you. When you have something on your mind, but you're not sure if you want to bring it up with me, you give me 'the look' while you think about it. This time you made the decision you weren't going to talk to me about it yet."

"Then maybe someone should respect that decision."

Melanie shook her head as she snapped her laptop shut and turned to him. "You got my curiosity up now. Spill it."

Layton paused for a moment before answering her. "I was just thinking about Ruth."

Melanie frowned. "Why? Lobotomies were off the schedule for tonight?"

Layton turned to her with a slight frown. "No. I was thinking about her and Frank."

Melanie pulled back slightly. "I thought we had an agreement about that particular thought pattern."

Layton quickly turned back to his own work. "Exactly. Which is why I decided not to get into it with you again."

Melanie gave a slight nod before opening her laptop again. "I think that's wise."

For several minutes the two worked on their respective notes, until Melanie suddenly turned back to him.

"What about Ruth and Frank?"

"I thought we weren't going to talk about it."

"You brought it up."

Layton gave a deep sigh. "All right. Here's the thing. While I have still not signed up as a charter member of the Ruth Wardell Fan Club, she has been a big help to us lately. And I...I just wouldn't want to think your assistant is...playing her."

"Playing her?"

"Ruth and Frank have been the hottest thing on this train next to the engine for months. Now, suddenly Eliah enters the picture, and Frank is spending the majority of his time with her."

"Layton, first of all, Eliah did not just 'enter the picture'. Frank had been communicating with her since the trains connected. Even before that, every time the trains got close enough, for seven years."

"Exactly. They have a relationship. And obviously a close one."

"And you still think Frank is two timing Ruth with Eliah?"

Layton stared back at her.

"Layton, I could never see my overly proper British assistant stooping so low as to conduct a sordid affair."

"I just wouldn't want to see Ruth get hurt by something like this."

Melanie stared back at him for a moment before turning back to her laptop. "For someone who isn't a member of her fan club, you sure sound like you just got elected it's president, mister."