“It’s a satellite phone!” He spoke slowly, which for a man who spoke slowly whilst sober was incredibly slowly.

Steve turned, he’d never seen a satellite phone before and was intrigued as to how much technology had advanced. He’d expected a satellite phone to be much bigger, almost like cell phones had been in the beginning.
Reaching out, he took the simple black phone and turned it over in his hands.

“That still doesn’t mean you can use it, the battery is dead!” Steve said.

Walter frowned. “You gotta push the button!” He punched at the keys randomly before throwing the phone back towards his gym bag.

“Want a beer?” Walter asked him.

Realising the Walter was clearly in the mood to talk, Steve nodded.

Twenty minutes later when Walter hadn’t returned. Steve got up and went to the cockpit where Chip was singing something under his breath. He’d discovered why Walter hadn’t returned with any beer, he’d collapsed in a seat next to the cooler.

“Hey!” Chip growled. Both he and Bear never really spoke, they always snapped their words, as if they were in a continuous state of anger at the person with whom they were conversing.

“Hey.” Steve hovered, ready to make a quick step back to his seat should Chip actually be in a foul mood.

“Sit down!” He offered. It was the first time in the many years that Steve had known Chip that he had spoken softly. “Are those fools asleep?”

Steve cracked open a beer and drank deeply. “Yeah, Walter just passed out.”

“Fuckin’ cokehead!”

Steve chuckled and eased back into his seat, happy to sit in silence.

-/-

“Maura?” Jane had been watching her lover for almost a full half hour. In that time she had eaten almost all of the sandwiches and drunk two bottles of Gatorade.

Maura jumped and turned. “Oh hey.” Her cheeks flushed as she saw Jane sitting by the food cart. She could tell by the piles of crusts left on the plate that Jane had been sat there for a while.

“Been waiting long?” she asked with a giggle.

Jane shook her head. “Only forever.” She purred softly. “Now, come on, to bed with you, we have a busy day in the morning.”