Far From Home

"I would like," she said in reply with a tired smile, not really thinking about it. She slid past him and started to walk towards the fire. She was glad that he maintained it well.

Evaline kneeled in front of Ellie, giving her a quick pat on the head before taking out her mug and root and setting it aside. She then realized that she left the pot in the yurt.

"Sorry," she murmured without explanation, dipping back in the yurt and returning a few moments later with a pot. She returned to the fire, setting the campfire to hold it, and then pouring water from her canteen into the pot.

"So," she said for James to hear. "When's the last time you slept for more than four hours?"

James wanted to offer to help, but Evaline seemed to still be waking up, and he wasn't in a hurry, so he stayed by the fire, sitting down near it as he waited for Evaline to make the tea.

He blinked slowly at her question.

"Uh..." he looked to the side. "I don't know, really."

"That's okay," Evaline said as she set the pot over the fire. "I don't think I'd remember details like that either."

Well, she did have a habit of remembering small details, but usually not anything trivial like sleep times.

"The root doesn't exactly put you to sleep," she explained. "It mostly helps relax you, and it does make you feel more tired. Hopefully it helps. It usually helps me."

James nodded slightly, trying not to think too hard about it. His eyes drifted to the small bird that was sleeping in the nest he made it nearby.

“You make it often?”

Evaline placed the root in the pot. Now they wait until the water heated up.

"Not often," she said. "Just sometimes whenever I feel restless on a particular week." She looked at James and followed his eyes to the small bumblebird who nested in some leaves and grass on top of a rock near the fire. "I like the nest you made," she commented.

James’s gaze flicked back at Evaline.

“Oh,” he said softly. “Thanks. I wanted it to have a safe place to sleep.”

"It looks peaceful," Evaline said, noting how the bird was sleeping in the nest like it had no cares in the world despite a broken wing and being separated from its hive. She made a mental note to radio Alistair later to see if he'd know anything about these birds and what he'd recommend they should do to repair a broken wing.

"Did you name it yet?" she asked, figuring it was a pet he'd take to Terra since it was unlikely it'd get any better soon.

James looked back at the bird a little stiffly.

“...Yyyyes,” he said hesitantly. “It’s — it’s more of a placeholder than anything.”

Evaline was ready to move on to whatever other question that popped in her head, but James's reluctance brought her back to the moment. She stared at James, a hint of a smirk tugging her lips.

"Are you embarrassed?"

“No,” James said with a straight face and a relaxed confidence that only he knew in his heart was a facade (and over something so inconsequential).

“I just think it should stay between me... and Bubby.”

Evaline felt the smile form on her lips as she looked at James with a slightly raised brow. "Bubby?" she repeated.

She laughed through her nose and then leaned back on one arm. "I like it. It's cute. Fitting, for its size."

James kept a straight face and glance at her. At the very least, he seemed to make her smile a little. Perhaps it was worth the mild embarrassment for that.

"It seemed like a suitable name. Especially considering I can't really tell if it's male or female either."

"Bubby the bird," Evaline mused, then paused in thought. She made a mental note to find some resources on animals and nature around these parts so she could show James some text about the birds, but she doubted there were many to begin with.

"You know, naming an animal usually indicates you have grown attached to it," she said, watching him still with a faint smile. "Are you going to let Bubby go once it can fly again?"

James looked back at the little bird, sleeping peacefully.

"Of course I'll let it go free again," he said. "It doesn't belong to me. It belongs with its own kind, provided we can find its hive again."

"Fair enough," Evaline said, now also watching the bird sleep.

It was nice how James treated the animal with such care and attention. Although Evaline wouldn't have let it free to die right away, she didn't think she'd have the patience and capacity to care for it until it got better. It wasn't like she was going to Terra, though.

"It's probably not fast," she added. "To heal, I mean. It may take weeks, maybe months."