Suns (LGBT - Sci-fi - Romance)

Chapter 13

Chapter 13 

He came into the room holding the carer's hand, pressed against her side, his wide eyes looking around defiantly, wondering what was going to happen to him next. He was wearing his favourite red shorts and blue teeshirt with a spaceship hologram on it. 

He knew someone was looking at him from the other side of the wall of glass but he couldn't see who it was. He had been told a big man, an important man, was coming to see him, to decide his future. If the man liked the look of him, he might go with him, he might go and live on a space station. Part of him was excited at the idea of living on a real space station, but mostly he was afraid, after all he didn't know the man at all. Would he know how to make his breakfast porridge the right way? That he couldn't eat eggs, he really couldn't, no matter how good they were supposed to be for him? They made him sick. And what if went with him, and then found out the man didn't like him? What if he didn't like the man? 

He missed his mother. He wanted to go home. But he knew that neither his mother nor his home were there any more. He stared defiantly at the glass wall. 

XXX 

Stefan Rice opened his eyes at the sound of a light knock on his door. For a second he didn't know where he was. 

"Sir? It's Connell. Can I come in?" 

Rice cleared his throat. "Of course, come in Lieutenant." He pulled himself upright in the narrow bed, he didn't want to be flat on his back when Connell came in. 

"How are you sir?" Connell asked politely as he entered, busying himself with pulling a chair forward so he didn't have to meet Stefan's eyes immediately. 

"Fine," Rice tugged irritably at the white blanket, pulling it up firmly around his body. It was hard to be dignified while wearing a flimsy hospital gown, but his uniform had been beyond saving. 

The Captain looked tired and cranky. Connell stared at the evil looking bruise on his forehead and winced in sympathy. "That must have hurt like the devil!" 

"Yes, well ... How is Kim? I gather you've been to see him?" He guessed he'd been in to see Kim first. Rice didn't know why that thought depressed him.  

Connell poured a glass of water from the jug on the small table next to him and handed it to the Captain. He waited while he drank it. 

"Coming along as well as can be expected. Medic Rahmin says it's imperative he rests that leg, doesn't try to come back to work too soon." 

Rice hadn't realised how thirsty he had been. He put the glass back down on the table and nodded. "I'll see to it, I won't let him back until Rahmin gives me the all clear. Better to have an extra day or two now than have a permanent weakness later." 

Connell smiled, "Thank you sir. And the same goes for you too," he ventured. "Medic Rahmin told me you have concussion, you need to take it easy for a while, no rushing back to duty." 

Rice frowned, then gave a reluctant smile. "Fair enough!" 

He fiddled with the blanket for a moment, frowning again. "I need to talk to you about something. I was going to wait until we were back at the station, but that might be too late." 

Connell was pretty sure he didn't want to hear whatever Rice was going to tell him. Given how rude he had been to him earlier, had he decided he couldn't work with him anymore? Was he going to get rid of him, get him transferred somewhere else? 

Reluctantly he asked, "What do you mean 'too late'? Too late for what?" 

"I think Ser Flannery recognised me, the gossip will be all over the station by tomorrow, if it isn't already," Rice announced tensely. "There's likely to be a lot of attention, publicity even, if the local TriVids get hold of the story." 

Connell stared at him blankly, he had absolutely no idea what the other man was talking about. He stood up and quickly shut the door of the cubicle, making sure the busy sign was showing on the outside. "I think you better tell me the rest of it now. 'Recognised' you?" 

Rice gazed intently at his Lieutenant. Was he playing a game? Or did he truly not know? He had been sure Connell would have guessed the truth before anyone else.  

"I've been told I look a lot like my father." 

"Yes?" Connell was puzzled. He wouldn't have thought so, but he was prepared to believe Colonel Rice had looked more like Stefan when he was about forty years younger.  

Rice could see he still wasn't getting it. 

"Colonel Rice is not my birth father. I'm adopted." 

Connell stopped breathing. "Who was-?" 

"Nicholas Mars."