“Sure, when you’re conscious. Yeah, your partner told me about your condition. Cargo ships don’t have a reputation for personal safety, and your brother can’t help if you’re knocked out. I want you to take Ammanuel with you to Chennai. They already agreed, and I can put them on a temporary leave of absence from Platinum.”

Welga opened her mouth to argue, but the boss held up his hand.

“Okay,” she said. She had to admit that his reasoning made sense. Luis couldn’t fight to save his life, much less hers.

“We have Chinese food,” Ammanuel said. They moved to reveal a stack of white containers on the kitchen counter. “Troit said it’s tradition.”

“Yeah,” she said. “Though we haven’t done that in a long time.”

Every kitchen in every hotel had the ability to cook American Chinese food. Like pizza and burgers, it had become a global cuisine. She and Connor would always have it on their last night together before she left for a field operation. This time, they shared the meal with Hassan, Ammanuel, and Luis. Connor managed to sit at the table long enough to finish eating, but his hands shook and his shoulders slumped. The injuries and infections had knocked out his strength.

Welga helped him back to bed, then emerged to find the others cleaning up.

“Thank you,” she said quietly to Hassan.

“Don’t worry about Troit,” he said. “He’ll pull through. I’ll check in on him whenever I can.”

“I’m going to miss you, boss.”

“Likewise. And you’re welcome.”

Hassan and Ammanuel said their good-byes, with Ammanuel promising to meet them dockside the next day. Luis sat on the sofa gazing around like a lost child.

“I don’t know what to do with no stellas,” he said. “Normally I’d be working gigs, but…” He shrugged.

Welga waved at the shelf of heirloom cookbooks she’d collected. “You can read these.”

Her brother grimaced. “I think I’ll try to sleep.”

“Your loss.”

She closed the bedroom door behind her and found Connor already asleep. She stepped into the bathroom and filled the tub. Hot water had returned, though it meant that water rationing had also resumed. She spent most of her monthly allowance. She wouldn’t return for at least that long.

Welga took a duo-zip and slipped into the tub. She had to ration her remaining pills to last until she reached Chennai. Two weeks of travel… a lot could happen in that time. Would India and China take America’s side against Eko-Yi? Would they actively defend their right to launch supplies to the station? Their loyalty to their former colony had kept them from agreeing to a full embargo, but if the US shared their intel, the two countries might be convinced.