Page 46 of Reformation
Darrel shrugged. “I’ve spent so much time on the sims lately, I feel like I’ve been living in them. I feel better about being Reyes’ backup, at least. I think that’s the best I can hope for.”
“Then it will be enough.”
Darrel hoped that Grennson was right.
***
“You’ve got to sleep, darlin’.”
Garrett shook his head, resolutely not looking at his hallucination of Jonah. “I’ve got to finish this first.”
“Sigurd’s working on it. Let him handle things while you take a break.”
“It’s too much for just one person to work out.”
“Especially when one of them is dead on his feet.”
“If you could avoid that word while I don’t know whether you’re alive or not, I’d really appreciate it,” Garrett snapped, breaking his resolution and glaring at the image of his husband. He knew he wasn’t there, heknewit, but he didn’tfeelit. It feltlike Jonah, and if he let himself go too far down that hole, he wouldn’t be able to back out of it. Especially if Jonah really was … “I’ll sleep in another few hours.”
“Fifteen minutes,” Jonah wheedled. “Fifteen minutes to let Sigurd tie the net tighter without you. That’s all.”
“There’s no time to—”
“There is, darlin’. I swear there is. You know it must be true if you’re the one thinkin’ it.”
Garrett sighed. “Stop logicking me.”
“You’re doing it to yourself. C’mon.” Jonah patted the couch where he was sitting. “Come and sit, just for a little while. Then go back at it fresh.”
“Just for a little while.” Garrett’s arms felt like lead as he pushed away from the table, and it was surprisingly difficult to get all the way over to the couch. He sipped from the bottle of water Jonah pointed out on the side table, then leaned his head back with a sigh.
It wasn’t fair. Humans had figured out cures to almost every disease and disorder that could come at them, had found a way to practically defeat death itself, and yet there was still no way to go completely without sleep. Oh, there were stimulants that would let you evade it for days, weeks if need be, but none of them came without permanent side effects. Garrett was rather fond of his brain, all things considered—he wasn’t about to sacrifice it for the sake of a few more minutes even though he kind of wanted to.
“No, you don’t.”
“Stop telling me things I already know.”
“Somebody’s gotta say them out loud.” Jonah was so close, Garrett could feel the heat of his thigh. Or rather … well, it was as though he could, which was better than the alternative. Wasn’t it?
“If you’re that confused, you need more sleep.”
“Anyone would be confused, talking to their hallucination,” Garrett defended himself. He had to keep saying that—as tempting as it was to live in the delusion more fully, his actual husband was on Pandora, fighting for his life. He’dbetterbe fighting for his life, at least. Garrett couldn’t let himself forget that.
“He’d want you to sleep too. C’mon, kick your shoes off, darlin’, stay a while.”
Garrett sighed. “One hour.”
“Four.”
“Two.”
“Three and a half.”
“Two and a half.”
“Three it is.” Jonah sounded satisfied. “Lay down, relax. I’ll get you up in time.”
Garrett didn’t let himself think too hard about his own subconscious promises as he settled on the couch. A minute later, he couldn’t think at all.
