It takes Meg longer to put her uniform on than me, so I sit on the floor where it’s coolest and lean back on the wall while I get my breath back. I wipe big beads of sweat from my forehead and lip.
“Thanks for the Tim Tam,” I say.
“Anytime.”
“Really? Wasn’t just a one-time offer? You don’t want me to erase your secret chill-out room from my mind?”
Right then our radios crackle to life.
“Red Six, Red Six, this is Red One, come in, over.”
Meg and I share a look.
“You going to answer that?” asks Meg.
I glare at my radio, heaped next to me on the floor. I sigh. “Yeah. Two Code Blacks in one day might be a bit much.”
I grab the handset and press the transmit button. “Red One, come in Red One, this is Red Six. What can I do for you?”
“Red Six, can you give us a heads-up on your location? Benedict is looking for you.”
I pause a moment. “Red One, Red Six be taking a shit. Over.”
Meg suppresses a giggle as she shakes her head. There’s a lull in the transmission. I assume Benedict is in the office with Gabriel, talking through their options.
“Ahh, roger that Red Six. When you’re ready, please report to Benedict at admin. Over.”
“Soon as I’ve snapped it off. Over and out.”
“I can’t believe you said that,” says Meg, chortling. It’s a magnificent sound, a girl laughing.
“Could hardly tell them the truth.”
Meg fixes her radio onto her belt. “So, do you know what Benedict wants?”
“Well, yeah, it’s pretty obvious. He’s gonna give me a formal warning for triggering that Code Black. He wants me gone.”
“I don’t think he wants you gone.”
“Ahh, yeah, he wants me gone. I’m about as popular as Roy around this joint. That’s why that piece of shit Gabriel hung me out to dry.”
“What do you mean?”
“The Code Black. It was an accident when I left my radio in the office, but it wasn’t an accident when Gabriel saw it sitting there and decided it’d be a good time to hail me.”
“Well, just don’t go in there angry. If you have to get a warning, get a warning. It’s no big deal. If you go in there and argue with Benedict then you might give him an actual reason to fire you. And that’d be stupid.”
I stand up and walk across to Meg. “Are you trying to say you want me to stick around?”
Meg leans forward. I move toward her mouth, but she ignores my overture and kisses me on the cheek.
“Yes. I want you to stick around. Please don’t say anything stupid. You don’t have to be at war with everyone all the time.”
I pull back and stare at Meg. I don’t know if it’s perverse or uncanny or what it is.
“Why are you looking at me that way?” she says.
“No reason. It’s nothing. You just reminded me of something someone said to me once. Anyway, I’d better go. Wouldn’t want ’em to think I’m constipated.”