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Five o'clock in the morning.
Nick had always hoped that he wouldn't have to keep military hours after he got out of the military, but sometimes there was no choice. He took a sip of his extra-strong coffee and sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. He'd barely slept but it didn't matter; he had to get out on the road.
Too bad about the Tandy car. He took another sip of coffee. If only they hadn't gotten in that chase last week. Tandy's young teenage daughter had parked her car at the mall, not knowing that it would be in the way of a particularly spectacular Cody driving maneuver two hours later, which set off a chain reaction resulting in a bulldozer squashing it. The poor girl had become hysterical when she came out to find her car totaled. Their insurance company, which had paid for several claims that year, had finally balked at that one and claimed it was negligence on their part, and Tandy had agreed.
Since Tandy also happened to be a local judge, when he demanded they come up with the money in one week, they'd hustled to obey. Because no detective work was forthcoming, Nick had taken on some quick and dirty cargo hauling jobs with Mimi, and Cody and Murray had tried a few things with no success and been forced to hire out as process servers instead.
Grimacing, Nick stretched out his left arm, trying to work out the stubborn knot that always formed in his shoulder blade whenever he flew too much.
All week, Cody and Murray had spent eight hours each day walking all over King Harbor, Redondo, and Hermosa Beach as process servers, as well as trying to collect from a few accounts that hadn't paid. Unknown to them, Nick had taken on an extra job or two in the late afternoon each day, which meant that they would be able to reach their goal--surpass it, actually--by the deadline of five o'clock that night. They'd be mad at him, of course, but it was worth it.
It wasn't a big deal; it just meant some very long days in the pilot's seat. As much as his shoulder was bugging him, he knew he could buckle down and make it. Today was Friday, and after they got past the meeting with Tandy, they could just rest and relax over the weekend. If he'd calculated correctly, there might even be enough left over for groceries.
He finished the coffee, then rinsed out the mug and headed out for Mimi, who was temporarily relocated to Point Mugu for the week. He listened to the weather report on the way there. Still and calm in the morning, with some winds in the afternoon. He rubbed the back of his neck. Hopefully his luck would hold and he'd be able to finish the afternoon assignment.
As he entered the airfield, he caught sight of Mimi, and grinned. No matter what, she always made him smile. He didn't care what people thought of her--she was his, and she never let him down.
Up in the air, he was happy to see that the morning weather was beautiful, just as predicted. His first flight was to transport a shipment of computer parts up the coastline, and he had to admit that even as tired and achy as he was, he was enjoying the perfect flying conditions.
If only the financial conditions were as perfect. He frowned. If they had at least been paid for the detective work they’d done, it might have been okay, but their client had ended up in jail for something unrelated, and now they were left holding the bag with just a deposit. Cody was not happy about it; they'd had a string of no-pay cases already this year, and their savings account was nearly tapped out.
After the computer parts were delivered, he radioed Del at Point Mugu, who told him that his next job was ready--a car dealership needed a part for a Jaguar ASAP. Apparently the recent construction snarls made it easier for them to get it delivered by chopper. Nick couldn't imagine paying that much for a part to be air-lifted to a dealership, but it was a pretty hoighty place, and if they wanted to pay for it, then he wasn't going to complain.
"Riptide calling the Mimi...Riptide calling the Mimi..." Cody's voice came through on the radio.
"Hey, Riptide," answered Nick.
"We're heading out now." Cody sounded less than cheerful. "See you at five. Enjoy your siesta."
"Sure thing." Nick had told Cody that he took a nap in the afternoons when he got back from flying, even though he in reality he was just...flying more. He felt a pang of guilt about lying to him. There was no way we could pay this off without a little time and a half, he reminded himself. "Stay safe. Watch out for Murray, okay?"
"Will do."
"Mimi out."
"Riptide out."
The jaguar dealership sent a guy in an immaculate suit to pick up the part. Nick had to thank the rich bastard who'd made the flight possible, as silly as it seemed to him; every dollar counted. He mentally recalculated the figures, trying to ignore the persistent pain in his shoulderblade and the feeling of tension building there.
After the Jaguar mission, there was a quick jaunt close by to pick up an air conditioning trailer and move it to the other side of a filming location. And then another quick cargo run. The wind picked up, making things more challenging. He was yawning and trying to ease the stiffness of his shoulder afterward when Del approached him for one last run, which turned out to be...picking up the air conditioning trailer and moving it back to where it had originally been. It was a tricky project without wind; with the strong ocean breeze, it took every ounce of concentration to keep Mimi properly oriented.
By the time he touched down again at Mugu, his shoulder was burning like hellfire, he had a headache, he was exhausted, and he knew he'd be lucky to get back in the pilot seat on Monday--hell, he'd be lucky to fly again in a week; the familiar knot had turned into a monster and he needed to lay off. He waited as Del wrote out a check for him. Absently, he flexed his arm a little, and immediately regretted it, clenching his teeth and waiting for the flare of heat to die down.
"Here you go, Nicky," said Del, sitting back in the chair.
"Thanks." The amount was about fifty dollars more than expected, which was even more gratifying. "I really appreciate it. I know it's not--"
"Yeah, yeah." Del waved him off. "Listen, though, I'm not hiring you next week."
"Wasn't planning on flying next week." He tucked the check into his back pocket. "Uh, but listen, about Mimi--"
"I've got an empty hangar, don't worry about it. Pick her up when you can." The phone rang and he picked it up. "Better get to the bank before it closes," he added knowingly before putting the phone up to his ear.
Nick waved and walked back out into the parking lot. The sunshine had faded behind the clouds, and a strong breeze swept across the pavement of the lot, scattering debris. He got into the 'Vette and headed toward the branch of the Bank of King Harbor that was nearest their pier.
It was Friday, and the bank was packed. Nick stood in line behind a guy in dusty cargo pants. His shirt was spattered with dirt and there was a rip in his sleeve.
The line moved slowly. The guy kept looking at his check and folding and unfolding it. Nearly all of the teller windows were open, but it still seemed to take forever. Nick tried to shrug out some of the muscle tension but it didn't work; his left shoulder hurt like hell and he wished he had taken some painkillers. His muscles were pulled tight in a knot and he knew from experience that it would take a few days for it to unwind.
After a half hour, there were only three people left in front of him. His shoulder throbbed, increasingly painful.
There was a commotion at the entrance to the bank, and he recognized Murray's voice. "Look, Cody, there he is, at the front! That's boss!" Nick turned and smiled at his partners. Even from a distance, Nick could tell that Cody looked antsy, every muscle in his body seemingly wound up with worry.
Murray dashed toward him, clutching a check in his hand. "We're near the deadline," he said rapidly. "Can you deposit this as well? It's payment from Hoff for the process serving we did. Boy, am I glad that's over! And we need a cashier's check--"
"I know," said Nick, taking the check from him. "I have the amount written down right here." He patted his pocket.
"Great!" Murray beamed, but then his expression turned to worry. "Cody's not sure we'll have enough--he's going back out to the truck to call a few people to see if they'll loan us extra money to bridge the gap. And he's calling Judge Tandy to see if he'll extend the deadline."
Tandy'll extend the deadline when pigs fly. "Tell him he doesn't need to, I think we'll have enough."
"Oh." Murray looked confused. "I did some calculations, and we came up short--"
"I'm pretty sure we'll have enough."
"Roboz double-checked the calculations--"
"Well, we'll know in a second," said Nick. The only person left in front of him was the dusty guy, who was rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet while he waited.
"That's true. I'll just go--ah--go tell Cody."
"See you outside." Nick turned back to the tellers to see one waving him down.
After depositing the two checks, and adding that to the tiny balance that was still in the account, he was relieved to see that they had just over $200 past what was needed for Tandy. The teller issued the cashier's check and gave him $200 in cash from the account.
Outside, the wind was still blowing an empty plastic bag around the parking lot. Cody and Murray sat in the Jimmy, Cody on the phone. Nick could hear him talking to someone and using his best wheedling tone. He grinned, approaching Murray's side and waving the cashier's check in the open window, and Cody hung up, a huge wave of relief crossing his face.
"There was enough? That's terrific!" said Murray enthusiastically, taking the check from Nick.
Cody pointed to the time on the dashboard. "We have fifteen minutes--just enough time--we gotta go. Nick--see you at home!"
"Bye." Nick stood back and watched as Cody floored it and squealed out of the parking lot.
Back at the pier, Nick parked the 'Vette and then secured the tarp over it, which proved to be a challenge when working mostly with one arm. He frowned as the wind caught the tarp and nearly pulled it off again. Swearing, he got it back in place, and then pulled the ties. He stopped to rub his shoulder for a second, trying to loosen the tight muscles, but it didn't help much. After some fumbling he managed to get it knotted. He straightened up and rubbed his shoulder again.
The padlock on their gate was easier. He spun the combination one-handed and worked it free, leaving it unlocked behind him. The wind was still strong, rocking the Riptide at her berth, and as he got aboard, he looked for anything loose that needed to come in. There was plenty--plates and whale mugs on the fantail, one of Murray's blazers, Cody's hoodie, empty bottles. He gathered it up and brought it into the salon. After he put it all away, he pulled the $200 out of his pocket and put it in the cigar box.
He didn't need to check the fridge to know it was bare; they'd eaten the last of the Chinese takeout leftovers last night, and that'd been the only thing left in it.
"And now that it's settled, I can go back to the Voice Stress Analyzer project!" enthused Murray as he walked down the steps into the salon, trailing Cody.
"That'll be great," said Cody, smiling. He looked a million times happier now that the stress of the Tandy payment was gone; his smile was as brilliant as the sun.
"If you thought Beat the Box was boss, wait till you see version 2.0!" Murray turned toward Nick. "Isn't this exciting?"
"Sure, Murray, it's great." Nick smiled. "So how was Tandy? As charming as ever?" There was a reason that Nick hadn't gone with them to present the check.
"You know, I think he was actually mad that we came up with the money," said Cody, grinning even wider. "You should have seen the look on his face when we handed over the check. Pure disappointment. I think he really wanted to throw us in jail."
"No doubt in my mind, pal."
"I'm going to get started on the VSA right away," said Murray, dashing toward his cabin.
"Murray, wait, we need to figure out what we're going to do for dinner first." Cody walked across to the bench seat and picked up the cigar box. "I think there was still a five dollar bill in here. Something cheap, like mac and cheese--"
"Sure, sounds great!" said Murray enthusiastically as he disappeared from view.
"How did this..." Cody looked down at the stack of twenty dollar bills inside the box. The look on his face changed to suspicion. "Nick, how did this get in here?"
"Got a bonus." Nick tried to sound casual, nonchalant, but he knew that Cody could read him like a book.
And Cody did. His eyes narrowed. "We shouldn't have had enough for the check, much less..." He moved the bills around with his finger. "...two hundred dollars left over." Sudden realization lit his face. "You weren't taking naps in the afternoon. You took extra flights, didn't you?"
It had to come out sooner or later. Nick braced himself mentally. "Yeah."
Cody looked crestfallen. "Nick, that was...wait, are you telling me you flew double shifts every day this week?"
"Not really double," said Nick. "Just...a shift and a half. Maybe a shift and a third, some days." He knew that his tone sounded a little desperate. "Look, I just added a couple extra flights each day, if they were available. It was no big deal." He spread his hands and then bit back a noise at the flare of pain in his shoulder.
"You screwed up your shoulder." Cody looked worried and put the bills back in the cigar box. "That was a lot of flying, and you always have problems with your shoulder if you fly too much--"
"I'll be fine. Some ice, a couple beers. I'll take the weekend off."
Cody turned back to look at him and the full force of his worry hit him like a brick. "Nick, it was a bad idea. You should have talked to us--"
"What's a bad idea?" asked Murray, coming up from his stateroom with a handful of empty Mountain Dew cans.
"Nick took on extra flights," said Cody. "All week when he told us he was taking a nap, he was actually out flying."
Murray blinked. "Extra flights? Ah. So that's how we were able to afford the check to Judge Tandy."
"See, Murray understands," said Nick.
"Oh, no, Nick, I think that was a very bad idea," said Murray. "You were taking a large risk. Flying while sleep-deprived is--"
"Okay, okay," said Nick impatiently. His shoulder was tight and achy and he rubbed it with his other hand. "Look, I'm sorry, I just wanted to get Judge Tandy paid off fast. And I didn't want us to starve."
"We've gone through worse," said Cody. "You should have at least asked us."
"Yes, Nick, we're a team," said Murray.
"Fine," said Nick, feeling defeated. "Fine. Next time, I'll let us starve."
Murray and Cody exchanged glances, and then Cody stepped forward into Nick's space. "We can talk about it later," he said, giving him a meaningful look. "Right now, though, I think it's time for you to lie down."
"I'm fine--" protested Nick.
"Yeah, right." Cody clearly wasn't buying it at all. He turned toward Murray. "Don't worry, I'll take care of this."
"If you need any help, just let me know," said Murray, heading for the galley.
Cody looked him square in the eye. "C'mon, pal, you've got a date with some frozen peas."
Nick's first reaction was to argue, but he tamped down on it. Cody and Murray were right; he'd been irresponsible, even for a good cause, though privately he still thought he'd handled it well and done what was necessary. Sighing, he turned and made his way down to their stateroom.
Cody came in right away, but he didn't have frozen peas, just a pill bottle and a glass of water. "Here, take a muscle relaxant."
"What--Cody, I--"
"Take it." Cody's tone was final and Nick knew he couldn't argue past that. He swallowed the chalky pill and drank a little water. Cody took the glass from him and left, returning with a towel and a few bags of frozen peas.
Nick took the hint and kicked off his shoes. He went to pull his shirt off, but his shoulder had other ideas, and he gasped. Cody's hands were immediately on him, helping him pull the shirt off his good arm and over his head before carefully pulling his left arm through. Nick stripped off his pants and socks and lay down on his bunk. It took some effort to find the position that hurt least.
Cody's hands were warm and careful on his shoulder, probing the knot of muscle and the tension that surrounded it. "Wow, Nick, this is pretty bad."
"It'll be fine," said Nick into the pillow.
"You're not flying next week."
"I know."
"Probably not the week after that, either."
"Hey--"
"Shh." Cody started to carefully rub at the muscles, just a bit of light pressure with his fingertips, but even that was painful and Nick sucked in a breath. Cody's fingers left, to be replaced by the rough texture of a towel, and then the cold weight of the peas was pressing down on him.
"Thanks," he said, sighing.
"Sure." There was a long pause. "Nick, you really should have--"
"Thought we were talking later."
Pause. "Just think about this. If we need you to fly Mimi at all next week, you can't. In fact, even if we get a case this weekend, we're down a person--"
"I can--"
"No, you can't. Your shoulder is pretty messed up. I honestly can't believe you took Mimi up today. The longer you let this build, the longer it takes for your muscles to recover. We've had this discussion before."
"I--"
Cody sighed. "Nick, I'm sorry. I'll stop arguing. You need to rest right now. But believe me, we're going to talk about this later." Nick felt the bunk shift and Cody's solid weight next to him as he sat down. "You're grounded, though, don't forget it."
"How can I, you won't let me," mumbled Nick.
Cody's hand was warm on his lower back. "Just take it easy this weekend."
"Wasn't planning on a high wire act."
"I know." Cody's hand was rubbing gentle, soothing circles on his lower back. It felt heavenly. "I think you need to sleep right now."
"Mmm." Nick closed his eyes and tried to relax.
Cody's touch turned gentler and gentler, and Nick's exhaustion got the better of him, dropping him down into the black clouds of sleep.
Nick came awake abruptly, his head spinning from a rough dream about ‘Nam. He blinked, trying to shake off the disorientation. The stateroom was dark and he could hear Cody’s peaceful breathing in the next bunk.
He sat up and his shoulder flared with an intense spike of pain. He bit back a curse, holding his left arm close, trying to relax. His head still spun, most likely from the muscle relaxant, and he felt off-balance. He took a few controlled breaths, closing his eyes and concentrating on relaxing, but it didn’t seem to help. As soon as he tried to move again, the muscles in his shoulder blade protested strongly enough that he couldn’t hold back a moan. His shoulder was on fire.
Cody’s hands were on him unexpectedly, and he opened his eyes and realized that he was right in front of him, looking alarmed. “Nick? Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” said Nick, panting. “Fine.”
“Right.” Cody did not sound convinced at all. “Just lie back down. I’m going to get the painkillers.”
“But--”
“I’m not listening,” declared Cody as he left the room.
Nick lay back down, his shoulder muscles throbbing in agony. Cody came back in and gave him two pills. He opened his mouth to protest but even in the dim light he could see Cody’s fierce look in reply, and he simply took the pills, washing them down with water.
Two painkillers meant that he’d be useless for about twelve hours. They’d mess with his stomach and give him uneasy dreams. He hated taking them, but the way his shoulder felt at the moment, he grudgingly had to admit that Cody had the right idea.
Cody put a fresh pack of frozen peas on his shoulder, and tucked the blankets around him. “Thanks,” mumbled Nick.
“Try to sleep,” said Cody softly.
“Mmm.” Nick tried to settle into his bunk, but it was difficult. Every single position hurt. He finally gave up and just tried to hang in there and wait for the painkillers to kick in. The frozen peas helped, but then he shifted and a fresh flash of pain made him whimper.
Cody’s hand was in his hair, the touch gentle and light. Even though this would be the perfect moment to say I told you so Cody was quiet, just letting his fingers card through the hair on the back of his neck. Nick sighed and let the comforting rhythm relax him. The cold of the peas against his shoulder began to penetrate.
After what seemed like an eternity, he could finally feel the painkillers doing their job. Everything slowly melted away into nothingness.
Nick woke to voices. His stomach clenched unpleasantly, and he blinked, trying to clear away the fuzzy cobwebs. He could make out Cody’s voice and someone else’s. His head felt murky and it was hard to concentrate.
“...still have the painkillers from last time,” said Cody.
“Good. I’ll set you up with a refill script if necessary...”
Nick blinked again, and realized it was Doc Harris talking. “Hey,” he said.
“Sleeping Beauty awakes,” said Doc drily. “How’s it going?”
“Great.” Nick sat up slowly and rubbed his eyes. “Look, I’m sorry Cody called you--”
“I’ll be the judge of that.” Doc Harris looked at him skeptically. “I think he was right. You look like hell.”
Nick could only grin wanly at that. Doc did a quick exam, checking his vitals, prodding at the knot in his shoulder muscles, and having him stretch out his arm.
“Same as last time,” he announced, putting his medical instruments back in his doctor’s bag. “Bit worse, even.” He pulled out a pad of paper and wrote down some notes. “Ice according to this schedule, and then start with heat tomorrow. Painkillers when needed, muscle relaxant at night. Bland food for a few days while he’s taking the painkillers. He should start stretching exercises on day four.”
“Right,” said Cody, watching Doc write it all down.
“He should be back to his sweetheart self within a week.” Doc handed Cody the notes, picked up his doctor’s bag, and headed for the door. “Oh, and no flying for two weeks.”
“Two weeks?” said Nick. “Two?”
“Yes, two,” Doc called out as he went abovedeck.
“Definitely two,” said Cody, glaring at him with his arms crossed. “You’re not getting out of bed today. Probably not tomorrow either.”
“Hey, wait a minute! Look, this isn’t that serious. It’s just a sprain--”
“It is serious. You’re out of commission for a week. You can’t fly for two weeks. I’d say this is pretty serious. Do you get it now? You need to talk to us before you do something like that again.” His expression softened. “I know that you wanted to help. I know you had good intentions. But it’s not worth it to risk your health like that.”
I’d do it again in a heartbeat if it means helping us out. “Cody, it’s not that big a deal--”
“What did Doctor Harris say?” said Murray, coming into the room.
“No big deal--” said Nick.
“He’s grounded for two weeks,” said Cody, turning to face Murray. “He sprained a muscle in his shoulder pretty badly. Worse than last time, in fact. He’s not going anywhere for a few days.”
“Oh dear.” Murray adjusted his glasses. “That’s not good. That’s not good at all. Nick, you really should be more careful.”
“I was being careful--” Nick bit off the rest of his reply and exhaled. “Look, I’m sorry. Next time I’ll talk to you first.”
“You’ll talk to us, and take our advice,” said Cody. “I’m serious, Nick. We’re a team.”
“Yeah. Okay.” Nick nodded, but inside he knew he’d do the same thing next time. Hell, a hundred times, if it means we don’t go hungry. His stomach roiled again and he put his hand on it, grimacing.
“Nick?” Cody sounded concerned.
“I’m fine.” Nick rubbed his stomach.
“I think you need to eat something. How about I go make some soup? Maybe some mashed potatoes?”
“I can peel potatoes,” announced Murray cheerfully, turning and heading toward the galley.
“Nick, just take it easy,” said Cody. “You should lie down again.”
The bed was not as inviting as it had been. It was really hard to get comfortable, and he struggled to find a less painful position.
“Here, I have another bag of frozen peas.” Cody helped him get under the covers and then put the cold pack in place. “I’ll come back in an hour or so when the soup’s ready.”
“Mmm.” Nick closed his eyes and tried to relax. His shoulder still felt like it was tied up in knots.
He wasn’t truly sleepy, just kind of loopy, so he lay still in bed, his mind wandering. He heard noises from the galley, Murray and Cody’s voices murmuring. The Riptide rocked very gently in the water.
Two weeks. Two weeks of no flying. He frowned. What if they had a case that required Mimi? He could fly if he had to.
Then he thought of Cody and Murray and how disappointed they’d be, and his stomach turned. Only if it’s an emergency, then.
His shoulder hurt. He got up and hit the head, trying to roll out some of the stiffness in his arm and shoulder, but it was too soon for that; all he ended up doing was causing more pain. He shrugged on his bathrobe and went out into the galley.
“Nick?” Murray looked at him, dismayed.
“Wanted to get up.” Nick slid into the galley seat carefully. “Is that soup? Smells good.”
Cody came into the galley with dirty plates and cups and set them down in the sink, giving him a look.
“Look, I just wanted to get out of bed for a little while,” said Nick.
Cody stirred the soup. “After lunch, you have a date with some frozen peas and your bunk.”
“Fine.” He exhaled, rubbing his stomach.
Ladling the soup into three bowls, Cody brought them to the table and sat down. Nick took a sip and his stomach didn't roil, which was a good sign. He was hungrier than he thought and managed to polish off the whole bowl.
"Your chicken soup is better than my mom's," said Murray, taking another sip from his spoon.
"Thanks." Cody beamed.
Nick's shoulder was throbbing again, and he rubbed at it absently. Cody and Murray exchanged a glance, and then Cody put down his spoon and got up, motioning for Nick.
"I just got up," complained Nick.
"That's enough excitement for one day," said Cody.
Nick took off his bathrobe and slid into bed, and Cody helped adjust the covers and then sat down next to him. Nick felt the touch of his hands on his shoulder, probing the muscles.
"Well, it looks like you're a little more relaxed." Cody kept his touch light and careful, and Nick sighed as his fingers went to work, gently helping to release some of the tension. "How about a nap?"
"Mmmh."
"I'll take that as a yes."
Nick drifted off. When he woke up an hour later, he could hear Cody and Murray talking in the salon. Shrugging into his bathrobe, he joined them.
"I was just telling Cody the good news," said Murray excitedly. "I have a new contract from Beaker Games--a rush job to rewrite some of the code for their War of the Merlds game."
"That's great," said Nick, wondering what the hell a Merld was.
"It's only three days of programming, but it's a good paycheck because they're desperate. We can afford to take the week off after that."
"I was thinking it might be nice to do a little fishing." Cody flashed a grin, looking much happier than he had before.
Considering the worry that he'd put them through, that was a relief. "Wow." Nick blinked. "That's...that sounds great. Thanks, guys."
"Thank Murray, not me," said Cody. "He's the one who's stepping up to the plate. I'm just the one who makes sure we have enough Mountain Dew."
"I really appreciate it," said Nick. He felt a flood of warmth for his two best friends. "Thanks, Boz, you're the best."
Murray and Cody hugged him, and he returned the hug as best as he could, feeling like the luckiest guy in the world.