Thrive in Catastrophe by 焦糖冬瓜

Chapter 30 Learn To Heal Yourself

"Hey did you finish your cracker?" Mark squatted by Xiao Yan's bunk and remarked, "you nibble on it like a girl."

"These biscuits really have no taste." Xiao Yan smiled, a hint of revulsion tinted his expression.

"Well I'll let you in on a secret.  All the officers with rank usually have some luxury food items hidden away."

Mark winked at him and stood up shooting a look somewhere in the distance.

"Hey Boss, our rookie here doesn't seem to have an appetite. He barely choked down his biscuit this evening."

Xiao Yan froze in horror.

Mark! You idiot are you trying to get me killed?!

Who dares ask Colonel Burton for his food?!

Heine didn't reply. He just opened his sleeping pod and climbed inside.

Everyone else started to settle in for the night.

Mark glanced at Xiao with a helpless look of pity, "I thought the Boss was good to you. He has saved you so many times. Looks like the Boss is better to us than you."

Despite his sympathetic expression, a bit of gloating tinged his words.

Xiao Yan sighed, "Well you are his subordinates, I'm just a reserve. Why should he be good to me?"

Xiao Yan laid down in his pod and ignored Mark.

The sleeping compartments were designed to maximize space, the pods were so narrow it was difficult to turn over with any kind of ease. However it was structured to conform to the body, as long as Xiao lay flat he felt quite comfortable.

The lights in the sleeping area began to dim and then darkened completely. Exhaustion finally overcame Xiao and he fell into a deep sleep.

After awhile Xiao awoke with his stomach protesting its emptiness. He didn't know how long he was asleep, but the biscuit he had eaten earlier had clearly digested and now his stomach churned uncomfortably with acid. There was no way he was going to be able to go back to sleep. Looking at the com device on his wrist he saw that it was 3am.

He opened his sleeping berth, the light from his pod diffusing into the lounge area. All the other sleeping bunks were closed. Xiao Yan felt along the wall where he had placed his biscuits and water and sat down on the bedding with his legs crossed. He knows that Heine adheres to a very strict schedule, if he discovers Xiao eating in the middle of the night he didn't know how he would react.

Xiao sighed to himself, doesn't matter anyway, that guy is still asleep so he won't find out.

He took the cracker out of its packaging, inwardly wishing he could be like the other officers and just ingest the whole thing with one bite. Breaking off small pieces he placed it into his mouth and as the dryness bit at his tongue he grabbed the water to wash it down.

If he ever has the opportunity to head his own research project Xiao vows in this moment, with a mouth full of dry biscuit, that he will improve the quality of military rations.

The taste was just too awful.

As Xiao Yan sat, depressed over his meal, one of the sleeping pods opened. A figure sat up and long lean legs crossed over one another to stand upright. Xiao Yan felt an extreme anxiety pull apart the fibers of his nerves and the cookie lodged tightly in his throat. He felt his sanity instantly slip and he was near sobbing.

"Urgh." Xiao Yan throat slammed shut and his heart stopped beating.

"What are you doing?"

That cold voice fell like a lead weight on Xiao Yan's head, and he struggled to lift his gaze. He had arrogantly thought that there was no way that Heine would wake and catch him snacking.

He had clearly miscalculated.

It is three in the morning! Do you not sleep?

"Ughem...I'm eating, Colonel." He can't not answer Heine Burton.