Page 70 of Leveling

Rebecca asked, “What if I tied a fork to your bandage right here?” She tore off a piece of gauze, tied it firmly around his hand and attached a fork’s handle. “There!”

Beckett laughed and waved his hand around with the fork jiggling and swinging awkwardly, then it slipped out and down. “I don’t think it’s working.”

So Rebecca fed him, spooning big scoops of mashed potatoes into his mouth.

Beckett said, “Wank-oo,” while chewing. He swallowed and asked, “So the ocean needs movement.”

“Oh, that’s right, yes, the ocean needs movement to be healthy, and of all the things that move the ocean: wind, currents, waves—the whales move the most water, up and down and around. Whales.”

Sarah said, “From the surface to the deep.”

Beckett said, “That’s really interesting.”

Rebecca spooned more food into his mouth and wiped his lips with a paper towel.

He nodded thankfully and swallowed. “If you think about it, Nomads are kind of the same. If what this world needs is more flow, action, movement, then Waterfolk moving between water and air, mixing surface and space might be important too.”

Dan said, “I never thought about it that way.”

Rebecca half-stood in the booth and raised her glass, “To Whales and Waterfolk.”

Everyone toasted except Beckett, who leaned down and put his lips on the edge of his glass. Rebecca laughed and raised his glass for him to have a sip.

“So after we eat, what then?”

Dan said, “We were thinking about going up to deck and watching the stars fly by because Lenny drives like a maniac.”

“I’ll come up on deck too.”

Dan and Sarah looked surprised.

“I get it, I’ve been in the bunks a lot, but I think I’m finally getting the hang of this.” He held up his bandages, “Giant wounds not withstanding.”

* * *

After dinner Beckett followed them up the steps, through the hatch, and out to the decks. Dr. Mags and Jeffrey started off on their nightly deck-walk for exercise. Dan said, “Sarah and I will check in with the Bridge.”

Rebecca and Beckett leaned on a railing. He looked up at the starry sky. “On the Outpost I was under a sky like this every night, but it still blows my mind.”

Rebecca looked at the side of this face. “What’s going on with you? Why are you alone?”

Beckett paused, then said with a smile. “I’m not alone, you’re sitting right there.”

“You know what I mean.”

“I lost someone.”

Rebecca said, “I’m sorry, and man it sucks, and how much loss are we supposed to take?” She clutched the railing. “You hear that stupid ocean, how much are we supposed to take? You’re just going to rise and rise, taking all of it? All the land, all the people? Can’t you leave something?”

Beckett said, “I’m sorry.”

“God, we all are, so sorry. I just feel so lost. I think that’s why I obsess about the whales, I think if I could fix one thing, you know?”

“I do know, and we’re all lost.” Beckett turned his back to the railing. “It’s good what you’re doing. We just have to fix one thing. If everyone fixed one thing, maybe we could survive this.” He turned around to the water. “Have you heard about the leveling theory, Rebecca, that we just have one more rise and then that’s it?”

“It’s all that gets me through the days.”

“Me too.” He smiled.

She said, “Me and you, we’re adapters, fixers. We just have to fix our one thing and then hold on. That’s all we have to do.”

Beckett held up his hands. “Hold on? Hmm. Not sure I can.”

Rebecca said, “You are in sad shape.”

“And I think I need to get some sleep.”

Dr. Mags’s voice emerged from the darkness down the railing, “I was just going to ask why you’re still up, you’ve had stitches and anesthesia and a near drowning today, go to bed, doctor’s orders.”

Beckett snapped his heels together and saluted with his giant, gauzed hand. “Yes, sir.” He winked at Rebecca and left for his bunk.

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