Tomorrow and Tomorrow

Chapter 24: choices

Levi wasn't at work. Alcott wondered if he just had an appointment with Madison and hadn't said anything, but once Alcott had heard that Charles was dead, she left botany to check his berth. The door was locked of course, and no amount of pounding yielded any response. She pulled out her holo-rib to call Dylan. She didn't answer the first three times, but Alcott kept trying.

Finally, she heard Dylan's hesitant voice on the holo-rib. "Y...yes?"

"I need the code to your berth," Alcott said. "I can't find Levi."

"Oh."

Alcott punched in the numbers as Dylan said them. The door opened. Levi was asleep on the couch; Alcott could see him breathing.

"Will you... tell me if he's pas mal?" Dylan asked. "Please."

"He's find, he just overslept," Alcott said, though eyeing the bottle of wine on the counter. "Merci Dylan, for answering."

"I'm sorry I didn't answer before," Dylan replied, her voice sounding a little stronger. "I should go now."

Alcott disconnected the call and shook Levi. He grumbled a moment, but didn't open his eyes. Alcott turned all the lights on in the berth and procured a glass of water, dumping it over Levi's head. He sputtered awake, sitting up. He looked around wildly before squinting at Alcott.

"What time is it?" he inquired.

"Two hours after you were supposed to be at work," Alcott snapped. "How much did you drink last night?"

"What?"

"Corlevi Hark! How much!"

Levi flinched at the boom of her voice, but Alcott was not letting Levi out of answering her question. He glanced at the glass on the table and sighed.

"Only a couple glasses," he managed.

"From this empty bottle?" she scoffed. "Let me rephrase: how much do you remember drinking last night?"

Levi sat up straighter, pulling his fingers through his hair to get the dripping bits out of his face. "I didn't drink all of that last night," he told her. "And I couldn't have had more than three, maybe four glasses. I remember the fourth one and I left my crutches by the counter, see? There's no way I could have made it off the couch on my own." He grimaced, looking down at floor. "I'm sorry, Alcott."

"Don't apologize to me," she retorted. "The only one you are hurting here is yourself. What if you had passed out? What if you had choked to death? Is drinking solving anything? Do you feel better about your life?"

"Non," he said in a small voice.

"I didn't think so," she replied. "Now get up, go take a shower, compose the most beautifully written apology to Anatoly that this planet has even seen, and then we will go back to work. Got it?"

"Yes ma'am," Levi said meekly.

"Is this all the alcohol in the berth?" Alcott questioned, turned to his cabinet and pulling the bottle of scotch. She was glad to see that most of the bottle remained.

He nodded and swallowing a pained expression on his face when she removed the bottle.

"Good. I'm going to put it in my berth, and if I can trust you again, I'll bring it back."

Alcott brought Levi's crutches over to the couch and then stormed out the door. She should have known. She hated herself for not checking up on him sooner, and wondered if this was the reason Levi had been late or red-eyed in the morning in the last cycle. He could have died, and there was nothing Alcott could have done to prevent it. Now, she was going to have to keep an extra eye on Levi.

She had known that dinner last night had been difficult. Dylan hadn't said a word to him during the whole meal and had shied away when Levi had even reached out to touch her. Alcott had watched it happen, but had assumed incorrectly that Levi was handling the stress of it better than he had.

She got to her own berth, though pausing a moment at the keypad, wondering. She tried the digits that Dylan had given her and was a little dismayed when her door opened. Dylan had not given her own code for Levi's berth, she had given Alcott the code. Alcott shivered, but given the circumstances of the base, was a little glad to have it.

She set the bottle down on the counter and left the room. Anatoly messaged her with concern, hoping that Levi was all right. Alcott replied that they would both be in her office soon. Levi had done nothing illegal, but that in itself was rotated. There should be consequences for trying to throw one's life away.

She reentered Levi's berth. He had showered and changed in the time she had been gone and was now looking very contrite. Alcott wished she had pity or compassion to share for him, but she was still tidal that he had been so stupid.

"Let's go," she said.

They walked back to the botany bay in silence. Alcott paused as they got to the door, unwilling to spend the rest of the day furious at Levi.

"I'm not going to lie, I am angry with you," she told him. "Mostly because you have friends you can talk to and people you can count on, and you're not using them. I'm hurt that you couldn't message me last night, and I'm upset that I thought you had been killed since I last saw you and I had no way of knowing otherwise. Even if you don't talk to me, please talk to Lully or Walsh or Anatoly or someone."

Levi hung his head. "To all of those people, I'm the strong one." His voice was near a whisper. "I don't want them to see me like that. I didn't want you to see me like that."

"And I don't think any less of you," Alcott said, a little kindlier. "Levi, more has been asked of you since you woke up on this planet. You've risked everything and you've lost everything, and you haven't given up yet. That's incredible. But Dylan isn't the only one who has been shutting people out."

"I know," he sighed miserably.

Alcott wrapped him in a hug. Levi was awkwardly stiff, but then he returned the hug. They stood like that for a long moment. She patted him on the back and they entered the bay. Anatoly was waiting for them; worry plain on her face.

"We're fine," Alcott promised. "It won't happen again."

Levi nodded adamantly and then winced at the motion. He headed to his office as Alcott watched him go. Anatoly glanced once at Levi's retreating form and then moved to stand near Alcott.

"Do I want to know?" she asked.

Alcott shook her head. "Suffice it to say, it won't happen again. Levi can't keep fooling everyone into thinking that he's fine. I know better now. Are you off to another meeting? Has one been called yet?"

"Non," Anatoly said. "And it's a little concerning. Two deaths in as many days. I'm guessing that Dashiell has put it in Titus's hands, for better or for worse. I don't know if I hope we can catch the killer or if the killer doesn't have a point. I am glad that I'm not in charge of the whole affair."

"Did Charles have any kids?" Alcott inquired.

"One who's grown. His partner was killed in the crash." Anatoly sighed. "I can't imagine being in Madison's shoes right now. She has to assume her partner is next."

Alcott had hoped that Victoria would be the end of it, but clearly Harper had not managed to dissuade Cameron. She was going to have to do something to keep Cameron from killing again, though what terrified her.

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This was another chapter that I wrote and rewrote to get correct. I love Levi; he's one of my dearest characters, but I always worry about the strong ones. Alcott is not wrong, and unfortunately this is another issue that Earth has better measures in place. Of course, I imagine alcohol is new enough to the base that they haven't realized its full effects, but they will soon.

I would promise a happier chapter soon, but... I think you guys know me well enough to know that it's not true. I can promise however, that we are moving toward resolution, and after the resolution, we can have peace and happiness reign on the base. Thanks for reading!