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“Nothing.” Her eyes flitted around the room.

“You sure?”

Dan looked up from a box he was filling with pots. “She’s hungry again, right Luna? Back for some dinner—” He looked at his wrist. “Damn, I’ve got to cook.” He spun around looking for his apron, lost in thought.

Beckett asked quietly, “What’s up?”

“Nothing . . .” She focused on the light switch on the wall beside him. “Did you see the big bank of clouds headed this way? It’s um — no big deal. I was wondering if you needed help down here?”

Beckett searched her eyes. “Yeah, I was coming to get you. Can you help me with packing the utensils?”

Relief washed over her face. “Sounds perfect.”

Dan said, “Again, not a fun job.”

Luna stuck out her tongue.

Thirty minutes later everyone else traipsed down to the galley, showing up at once, loud, boisterous, Jeffrey was last, wet. “The rain has arrived.”

They slid into all the booths and looked expectantly, half-jokingly at the kitchen door. Dan looked around the door jamb. “Jeez you guys need to eat again? It’s going to be awhile before it’s ready, so I don’t know, play cards or something.” An hour later he fed them a big meal he had conjured up of all the rest of the perishables.

Dr Mags said, “I’ve been dying for veggies and suddenly you have them? You saved them?”

“In case we needed them, now we do.”

“As your doctor I would like to go on the record as saying you need your veggies every day. It’s a fact, there’s no arguing.”

“When did you become my doctor, aren’t you an animal Doctor? Maybe you’re confusing me with a cow.” He placed a heaping plate in front of her and kissed her on the cheek playfully. “I kid, you’re not just an animal Doctor you’re also Beckett’s Doctor.”

Everyone ate in silence and Rebecca groaned again. “So how did everyone do on their lists? I’m not close to done, but it’s raining now, dark, I don’t want to do anything. Can we call it a day? I’m wiped.”

Sarah said, “You tell me. I can’t think, I need sleep.”

“I say we call it. We can finish tomorrow morning and then we have the unloading and moving and unpacking. Poop, let’s just go to bed.”

Dan said, “Wait! He rushed to the kitchen and returned with a heaping plate of cookies, turnovers, and pastries. “Eat! Finish these and then you can sleep. And Jeffrey, I’ll need your help after for cleanup again.” He pointed at Beckett with a questioning look.

Beckett shook his head.

“Okay, I only need Jeffrey.”

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