Daniel stood at the counter with his back to us, entering notes on his iPad. The clinic was quiet. Outside the small porthole window the weather was clearer, sun shining on the dark waters of the ocean.
He set the iPad down and turned around. “So,” he said. “Clear skies yesterday.”
Sam looked up. “Fog in the morning.”
“Correct. But the fog burned off by nine.” Daniel crossed his arms.
I had been lying very still with my eyes mostly closed. My check up had gone great. No lasting damage but I didn’t want more needled poked so I was playing dead. A head peeked in the doorway of the clinic. I recognized Adrien’s face.
“Uh…bad timing?” He asked. Grant was behind him. “We heard Viktor is up but—”
“Come on in.” Daniel gestured to them. “I could use some audience.”
“For what?” Grant asked stepping inside and taking a chair next to Adrien.
“We are discussing Sam.” Daniel informed them. “So, Sam, I checked the weather log. Visibility good all day.” He tilted his head. “You called a mayday.”
Sam shifted in his chair. “There was heavy rains all day before, Doc.”
“Yes. Something very common. It wasn’t even a thunderstorm.”
Grant and Adrien exchanged a look.
“Viktor was down with a head injury.” Sam’s voice had gone a bit low.
“Mm.” Daniel picked up his iPad again. He was such a bastard. My roommate had been cooking something up. I didn’t know what but he was patiently laying the trap. I could see it in his expression.
“Here’s what’s interesting to me about that.” Daniel tapped on his Ipad. “You remember the undergrad study group three seasons back? Chen’s team? Four students, one of them went through the ice on the eastern side of Torgersen. You had them back at station and filed your report before the station chief even knew what had happened.” He glanced at Sam. “No mayday.”
Sam said nothing.
Daniel turned to the two who had joined. “Grant, you will remember the accident with the Wisconsin B-16 team. What was it — two years ago?”
“Oh, Yes.” Grant nodded.
“Blizzard came in fast from the west. Seven researchers, two with no real field experience. Sam, you sheltered them for eleven hours and walked them out when it broke.” He set the iPad down. “No mayday.”
The clinic was very quiet. But Grant was fighting a smile and so was I.
“And the tourist group.” Daniel’s voice stayed even, conversational, almost friendly. “The civilian visit. The iceberg fragment? You had nine tourists in two Zodiacs and the calvingstarted twenty meters off the port side. I remember you describing it as — " he looked at the ceiling thoughtfully “— moderately inconvenient.” He glanced back at Sam. “No mayday.”
I peeked at Sam’s face. He was looking everywhere but at Daniel.
“So it was Viktor.” Daniel finally delivered his coup da finale.
The muscle in Sam’s jaw worked once. He did not answer.
Adrien and Grant started grinning like two five year olds. Oh, this was good.
I waited until Daniel turned back to his counter. Then I folded my hands on my chest, stared at the ceiling mimicking his gesture, and spoke in the pleasant, conversational tone he had used.
“I had the most interesting experience on that helicopter.”
Sam’s head came up fast.
“I was drifting in and out, you know how concussions are, and I kept hearing this voice.” I turned my head and looked at him with mild curiosity. “Going on about how he was a coward.” I paused. “His word, not mine.”
Sam had gone very still.
