Neptune Crossing

  *

  When he woke, it was to the sound of the quarx saying,

  /// . . . got to get something to eat.

  You need fuel . . . ///

  He blinked his eyes open, startled to realize that he’d gone to sleep. For a moment, he could not identify what he was feeling. Then he realized he was ravenous. He hadn’t eaten a thing last night; he had slept straight through from late afternoon to morning. Pushing himself up, he felt a wave of lightheadedness. He felt drained and hung over. /What have you been doing to me?/ he whispered.

  /// Healing you.

  We demanded a lot of your body, while you slept.

  After you eat,

  we’ve got to see the good doctor. ///

  It took an effort to get down from his bunk, but once he’d been upright for a few moments, he felt better. /I would hesitate to give Switzer the benefit of that title,/ he grunted, testing his ankle. He felt nothing—but then, with the cast on, he hadn’t felt too much anyway.

  /// Well, whatever we call him,

  he’s going to be mighty amazed . . . ///