Part 43 (1/2)
”Come on, Wong! Whoever these people are, they're up to no good.
If they were loyal citizens, wouldn't they say, ”Hey, we didn't know this place was off limits and we mistakenly settled here, and you know what, we're okay'? ”
Chang shrugged, wanting to know how much time he had to warn the Trib Force but not daring to ask. ”I guess.”
”You guess? There's no record of a loyalty mark application site there, of course. And n.o.body who's registered with us would live there without telling us.”
”You're right.”
”'Course I'm right. Hey, Chang, you don't look so good.”
Chang had been surrept.i.tiously holding his breath and not blinking. His face had reddened and his eyes watered. ”Just tired,” he said, exhaling finally. ”And I think I'm coming down with something.”
”You all right?”
Chang coughed, then pretended he couldn't stop. He held up a hand as if to apologize and say he was okay. ”Didn't sleep that well last night,” he managed. ”I'll be fine. I'll go to bed early tonight.”
”You need a nap?”
”Nah. Too much to do.”
”we're okay. Take a break.”
”I couldn't.”
”why not?”
”want to do my share, pull my weight, all that.” He disintegrated into a coughing spell again.
”Just knock off early. You've got sick time left, don't you?”
”Just used some during the, you know, plague thing.”
”Boils? Yeah, didn't we all? Take the rest of the day off, and if you're not in tomorrow, I'll understand.”
”No, now really, Mr. Figueroa, I'll be fine. See? I feel better already.”
”what is it with you, Wong? I mean, I'm all for gungho, but ” ”Just don't like being a wimp.”
”You're anything but that.”
”Thanks,” Chang said, covering his mouth and coughing longer than he had before.
”Stop by Medical and get something.”
Chang waved Figueroa off. ”I'm going back to my desk,” he wheezed.
”No, you're not. Now that's a directive.”
”You're making me leave work early?”