Joe was awake. He tried to open his eyes.
The lids were full of something sticky. Made thing blurry. He couldn’t move his right hand. So he moved his left. Felt round his eyes to wipe away the crud. He must have been asleep for ages to have that much muck in his eye. He had some sort of hat on as well.
He could see a white ceiling. It seemed to be white.
Joe could hear something as well.
“Joe? Can you hear me?”
Joe tried to open his mouth. He felt his tongue against his teeth. He tried to speak. “Uh…” his mouth felt like the insides of a crocodile’s jock strap. A gorilla’s armpit. Drier than a dead dingo’s donger in a drought. Hotter than a….something.
Like lots of things he couldn’t remember.
Or who had said them.
Had Joe said them? Had others said….Said what? What was it he was trying to remember?
“Joe. It’s me Tremonisha.”
“Uh Tremie?” No this was a dream or something.
“Wake up Joe. Joe come on. Its time to wake up. Open your eyes. Don’t try to move your arms or anything. Just open your eyes.”
“Oh. Uh. Where…?”
“Your on a hospital ship. You had an accident to your arm.”
“My eyes….”
“I’ll dim the lights. Is that easier?”
“I think so.”
“There was an explosion. It hurt your arm. At Snitter on Al Banduq.”
“Snitter. Bibi.”
“You have had a message from someone called Bibi. You can see it soon.”
“You? Tremonisha?”
“Yes it me”
“How did you….?”
“I’m a doctor here on the ship. I saw it was you and asked to be here when you woke up.”
Joe looked around. It was a cheap plastic cabin. The cheap deck on a liner. Probably very hygienic without much in the way of plush fittings.
“But I was on Mars. Our son said you were on a cruise liner….”
“Yes I was. This cruise liner. The Mbuzikazi Cele. They commandeered it and now it’s a hospital ship.”
“He’s had a sex change you know, our son. I don’t think he should have.”
“Joe this is not the time or place to arg….To discuss it.”
“Oh….You said my arm?”
“Yes. I’m afraid this is a new arm. Your old one was blown off.”
“Its not titanium is it? Titanium bone? Have they…?”
“Stop worrying. Its just ordinary bone. Why would anyone use titanium?”
“Oh….Nothing.”
“It’s just the same as your old arm except its newly grown so it could take a while to learn how to use it.”
“Right. New nerves and things. You’re gorgeous.”
“Thank you.. But so is everyone these days. If you have the money.”
“I mean. Your eyes. You’re a good person. You’re gorgeous. I know you’ll get me through.”
“And you Joe. Can you remember what happened to your arm?”
“My arm? I was in the dome. Prisoners. Prisoners were…Were fighting. Mirconian prisoners being questioned. They started fighting. I’m not sure after that.”
“Do you remember Snitter?”
“Yes.”
“Remember what it looked like? How you got there?”
“Yes.”
“We
have also fixed all your cancers. You were riddled with them. What
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