Cameron missed having Libba in the offices. She missed having people who actually knew what they were doing instead of having to check every single thing.
"Stop frowning, your face will freeze like that," Harper remarked. "What can I do?"
She managed to smile at him. Harper had insisted coming to work with her since he could do most of his work on his holo-rib. He was allowed to shuffle around a little with a cane, but he was liable to overdo it and land back into the medical bay.
"Nothing," she sighed. "This is just taking a little longer than expected. Dickenson is smart but it's just too much paperwork for him to do on his own. Willa needs time to get faster, but we don't have enough people to let her have that time. And I don't know if adding a third new person is going to make anything faster."
"Then talk to Vertov and Levi and get Matisse back to personnel," Harper suggested. "Levi can take someone new, it wouldn't kill us. It's not like we have any idea what we're doing from day to day."
"Levi doesn't have a plan?" Cameron questioned and repositioned herself to return to approving pay transfers.
"Oh he does. We're cleaning up the transcripts from Earth and constructing a timeline, extracting the data packets and getting the blueprints and whatever else we find to the correct department. But we're making up the rules as we go. We have no idea what Earth sent and this division was created a week ago. Adding another person changes nothing.
"Merci, I'll talk to them," Cameron sighed, swiping through the approvals. "Having Matisse would let us get home earlier."
"Babe, I don't mind," Harper replied. "I would just be sitting at home. At least here Levi doesn't have cross the whole base to find me."
Cameron had taken a couple chairs from the meeting hall and Harper was draped across three. He wasn't so pale anymore and he was gaining a little weight. She smiled nearly every time she looked his way, just happy that he was safe and alive. It kept her focused on getting her department back together, before her time off, she couldn't imagine wanting to take a break, but now, she wished she could go home earlier and they could cook dinner and relax together.
Someone knocked on the doorframe and Cameron looked up from her work to see Keller. He peeked in the room and then gestured for Tyson to enter.
"I have a couple questions," he told her. "But I can come back if you're busy."
"No, come in."
Harper waved from his position lounging on the chairs and Tyson pulled his holo-rib out of his pocket. He looked a little nervous.
"What can I do for you?" Cameron inquired.
"I want to make a short video for people getting out of cryo," Tyson said. "But I also am booked with appointments. I know that you are little short staffed, but I was hoping you could point me in the right direction for some help."
"I'd help," Keller offered.
Cameron turned toward the door, surprised that Keller was still there.
"It sounds interesting," he admitted. "And I was born on the base. You two weren't. Most of the people in archives and personnel were born in space."
"He has a point," Cameron agreed. "Do you have the time?"
Keller shrugged. "I can make time, so long as you're fine with it, Cameron. Our work isn't exactly time sensitive so long as it gets done. And I think it's a good idea. I know that a lot of people would be less confused if we had a way to catch them up quickly. That is, of course, you're pas mal with my help."
"Of course," Tyson bobbed his head. "I'll message you?"
Keller nodded and returned to the front counter. Tyson tapped on his holo-rib a little clumsily but then looked up at Cameron.
"Are you who to talk to about changing door codes?" he asked.
"Yes? Why?" she asked, puzzled.
"Some of the survivors of the recent shootings have expressed they would like to change the codes to their doors. I was hoping you could message them and let them know they can change their codes."
"I can," Cameron allowed. "I don't think that it makes anyone's berth safer though."
"It's not about being actually safer, it's about feeling safer." Tyson pointed out. "I can send you a list if you need."
Harper was turning his holo-rib over in his hands, not looking up from his lap. Cameron couldn't blame him. She was now going to message everyone who had lost someone because of her and Harper. Still, they had to start atoning for their actions and this was as good as a start as any.
"I will," Cameron promised. "Anything else?
Tyson shook his head. "I have a couple more stops before I head home. Thank you, Cameron."
"No problem Tyson. Let me know if you ever need anything."
He smiled and nodded. Cameron was impressed with how much Tyson had been able to accomplish in the short time he had been awake. Perhaps, not that he would want to hear it, he was just as political as his parents, but in his own way. He was not interested in what he perceived as being selfish, but Cameron made a mental note that she wanted to get to know him better; perhaps she could invite Tyson and Alcott over for dinner soon.
He left the room with a wave. Harper finally looked up at Cameron and let out a sigh.
"We'll go home as soon as I finish this," she told him.
"That's not what I'm thinking about," he replied needlessly. "But it can wait until we're home."
They worked in silence for the final half hour. Cameron sent a message to Madison, Blair and Joan not without a little guilt, though she was glad she could do something for them. She wondered who all was talking to Tyson, but supposed that part of the arrangement was privacy, a rare commodity on the base. Once she was done and then Cameron helped Harper up and down the hall.
"I don't feel so wobbly today," Harper mentioned. "I'm glad Blair didn't go on the expedition; I would have had to wait to do my therapy."
"I didn't know that he wasn't going," Cameron remarked.
"Yeah, he messaged me at lunch. Esperanza went in his stead. We rescheduled my appointment for tomorrow afternoon. So I went ahead and scheduled your meeting with Madison for the same time. You're welcome."
Cameron held her groan, knowing that Harper was trying to look out for her. In space, it made sense to have weekly meetings with the medical team, but on the ground, it was much safer and her diet was much better. She didn't want to waste time being told that she and the baby were fine though she should eat more.
Harper punched the code and the door slid open. He collapsed on the couch with a sigh, only moving to pull Cameron into his lap. She laughed and kissed him, nestling his arms.
"Did you already message...?" Harper trailed off with a sigh.
Cameron knew what he was asking. They would occasionally try to talk about the circumstances leading to Harper's injuries, but it was probably better to leave it in the past. She was glad the people woo had been affected by them had Tyson.
"Yes," she replied. "We should eat dinner, you know."
"Eh, it'll have vegetables in it."
"I don't know how you can continue to hate vegetables. You are so good about your therapy and not overtaxing yourself. You should want to eat healthy too."
Harper grumbled and pulled Cameron closer, kissing the top of her head.
"I wonder if I would have gone out with the expedition if I had still been in builds," Harper mused. "Not being shot of course. I would have missed you."
"You would have been fine," she scoffed. "You have friends in builds."
"If they still remember me," he replied. "I haven't seen anyone in ages it seems".
"Oh, that reminds me, I want to have dinner with Tyson and Alcott," Cameron said. "What do you think about tomorrow evening?"
"If Alcott wants to have dinner with us, sure," he replied. "Because she hasn't really spoken to us in two weeks."
Cameron sat up on the couch and frowned down at Harper.
"Really?"
"Really. She came by with Tyson that one time and that's the only time we've interacted. She said hello while I was still in the medical bay, but that was because Tyson was talking to Madison. She did shoot someone for us."
"True," Cameron sighed. "I can still invite them. They can say no if they'd like. We should try to patch things with Alcott."
Harper sat up and grabbed his cane to shuffle to the kitchen. Cameron joined him, pulling things out for dinner.
"Babe, can I ask you something?"
"Yes?"
"Did you vote to keep Levi in the archives?"
Cameron stopped chopping carrots and stared at him for a long moment. She had tried to cast that particular congress meeting from her mind, not liking that she had had to choose sides in an impossible situation. She hadn't talked to Harper about it afterward; she hadn't thought he would want to get involved.
"Why?" she asked finally.
"Because if you did, then I'm not sure we can patch things with Alcott," he pointed out.
"I did vote to leave Levi in botany," Cameron said reluctantly. "I don't want anyone to know that. Nearly everyone is wondering who the fourth vote was and since it was anonymous, I didn't think it would ever come up. I don't want to tell them, Harper."
"Even if it means that we're not longer friends with Alcott?" Harper questioned. "Cameron, come on. We can't be neutral forever."
"I don't want to get cut out of Dashiell's plans," she countered. "I worry he's going to blindside this base with this new constitution."
"So you're not on his side anymore?" he questioned.
Cameron sighed. The truth was far more complicated. She wanted the change that Dashiell promised, but not the pace or ruthlessness that he seemed to use. She hoped to dissuade him from attacking Dylan and congress and instead work to build a better home.
"I agree with Dashiell's sentiments, not his actions," she said finally. "I believe that Levi will be great as the archive department head, but I think he should have been asked not ordered. We live in a complicated world."
"I think you make it complicated," Harper grumbled.
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