Sy, Friday 21:43
Thank you. I'll see you at breakfast. I hope PT is easier on us this week than last!
Jim stared at the old message on his tablet. The rest of PT had been tense and awkward. After the group had disbanded for showers, Sy hadn't rejoined them at dinner. He hadn't shown up to finish off the cookies in Jim's room after either. Jim had made the other guys leave two in case he came in late, but the younger recruit hadn't shown.
Surely he wasn't that angry about Braxton listening in to the radio waves, was he?
Jim set his tablet aside and rolled over. He pulled the blankets over his shoulders and stared at the wall.
Jim rolled back over and grabbed his tablet again. Sy wouldn't mind if he messaged him to check in. Just to make sure everything was alright.
Jim set it down and grabbed his pillow. He pulled it over his head and groaned. Sy had been exhausted. He probably just fell asleep early.
Jim sat up and set his pillow aside. He grabbed his tablet and started typing before he could make himself stop.
Jim 23:59
You still awake?
He buried his face in his hands. He could not have sent a more stupid message if he had tried. It was just now midnight. Of course Sy wasn't awake.
His tablet dinged with a message.
Jim snatched it up and opened it.
Reminder
Service duty, 7, magic animals
Jim glared at the alert he had set for himself. It was right, though. He needed to be reporting for service in seven hours. He set his tablet face down on the bed and flopped into his pillow again.
His tablet dinged again.
Jim flipped it over to dismiss whatever alert it was this time. The screen opened to a new message. Jim sat straight up as his eyes scanned the three simple words.
Sy 00:00
Yeah, I'm awake.
Jim stared at his tablet. Now what did he do? What did he say? He didn't want Sy to be upset with him. How was he going to fix this? A new message popped up below the first.
Sy 00:00
Yeah, I'm awake.
Is something wrong? Did you need to talk?
Jim felt tears threaten. Of course Sy would be concerned about him. They'd gotten in contact specifically to reach out if they needed someone. Jim laid down across his pillow and set the tablet on the bed in front of him.
Jim 00:00
I was worried about you. You didn't show up to dinner.
Sy 00:01
I was eating with my family. We always have dinner on Saturday and Sunday.
Jim 00:01
So you're not still upset with us?
Sy 00:01
I'm not happy with what Braxton is doing, but I'm not going to avoid you guys over it. I think it's wrong. I don't want to be involved. But you're still my friends.
Jim 00:01
How come you're awake?
Sy 00:01
My hands hurt. I'm trying to wean off the painkillers. I've been saving them for during physical classes so I can at least try to participate. I was going to try and not use the pills at all tomorrow.
Jim 00:02
You should take them if you need them, Sy. Is this another family thing?
Sy 00:02
No. I don't like some of the side effects. I want to see if I can handle this on lower grade medication.
Jim 00:02
I'll talk to Braxton about not using his radio around you.
Sy 00:02
Thank you. I'll see you at breakfast.
Jim 00:02
Not unless you're up at 6. I have service tomorrow. It'll just be me and Braxton. But you can still sit with Matt and 628.
Sy 00:03
Will you be free for lunch, or just dinner?
Jim 00:03
Dinner. They give us lunch at service.
Remind me I saved the last two cookies for you. I'll give them to you after dinner.
Sy 00:03
Thank you.
Jim 00:03
Night
Sy 00:03
Sleep well.
