The Sands Chapter 4

Chapter 4 

-Where Things Are Jostled-

The ship sailed smoothly through the cool night sir, sands crashing far below. Frytir stood at the bow of the ship, the sand stinging his face. Faint whispers of smoke branched from his pipe. Frytir joined the ship with Roui what seemed to him like a lifetime ago. In reality it was probably a few months before. His skin had lost the softness that it had back then. It had taken on the coarseness of the sand it was constantly bombarded with. In many ways his life in the city was a lifetime ago, he wasn’t the same person who had gone to school with Rik and Lux, who had spent hours studying languages in the evenings. Despite the hard work Frytir liked life on the boat. It gave him stability, a schedule. Besides working himself to exhaustion was the only way he could sleep these days. He still enjoyed an occasional pull of Stoke but it wasn’t a problem.
 Yeah sure not a problem.
 It’s not, I have it under control.
 Sure you do.
 I’m perfectly functional.
 Your father probably thought the same thing.
 You’re wrong.
 You’re pathetic. Frytir took another drag, hoping to quiet the internal dialogue. It wasn’t actually Stoke, not the kind he’d been able to get back in the undercity anyway. The Stoke he’s gotten when working at the docks was from the ships that arrived from the surface. Which means it was already processed by the time it got to Frytir. Mostly likely also cut with who knows what the pure stuff went to the upper city. Violet leaf was all he could get on the surface, the unprocessed version of Stoke. Not that it mattered, it provided him with the same warm blanket. That’s all that mattered.
“I figured I’d find you up here.” Roui emerged from the iron passage that led below deck.
“Yeah,” said Frytir staring off into the distance, doing his best to look deep and thoughtful.
“What are you thinking about?” He asked as he took Frytir in his arms. Frytir could feel his strong muscles wrap gently around him. 
“Oh you know, stuff.” Frytir said vaguely. Frytir had put on a considerable amount of muscle since he had started on the ship, which made him look a little less like a dying tree. 
“Of course, stuff, what else could it be?” Roui joked, Turing Frytir’s head to kiss him. “How bout you let stuff wait till tomorrow and come with me downstairs.” Roui pulled him below deck.
“I guess stuff can wait.” Frytir allowed himself to be led.
 He’s good for you.
 Yeah he is.
 What could he possibly see in a sad excuse for a human like you.
 There must be something he likes about me.
 It won’t last.
 He loves me.
 He will come to his senses sooner or later and leave you.
 You’re wrong.
 You know I’m right.
 Shut up.
 No one could ever love you.
 Shut up!
 He must be suffering from some sort of temporary insanity. He will come to his senses eventually and realise he can do better.
 No…. He won’t.
 Maybe he already has and he is just staying with you out of some sort of charity.
 That can’t be true.
 Can’t it?
“Frytir, Frytir, earth to Frytir.” Roui’s voice leaked into his thoughts.
“Hmm, what?” Frytir snapped back to reality.
“You do that a lot, you know.”
“Do what?”
“Get lost in your head. I have to admit I really want to know what you think about.” They were in they’re shared room now, though Frytir didn’t remember getting there. “Not that you’ll ever tell me.” Roui sat on their bed, looking up at him.
“I think I need another puff.” Frytir packed his pipe. 
“Of course you do, that shit will kill you, you know.” Roui lost his smile.
“So will alcohol, sweets, or bread.”
“It’s not the same.”
“Isn’t it?” Frytir blew a cloud of blue grey smoke, filling the room with a haze. “I’m just trying to make this shit a little more pleasant. Same as someone who has a beer after work or sneaks a chocolate bar between meals.” 
“At least a beer isn’t nearly as expensive.” Roui spat.
“How I spend my money is my business.” Frytir said defensively.
“Really, I have no say at all?”
“No Roui, you don’t. We aren’t married and you aren’t my father.”
“I don’t want to be with someone who cares so little about himself.”
“Then you don’t have to, I’m leaving.”
“Wait I didn’t mean it like that, wait!” Frytir was already out the door, slamming it behind him. Before long he sat alone in the ship’s canteen nursing a beer. Someone pulled up a chair and sat next to him.
“You know, If you’re going to drink yourself to sleep you’re going to need something a little stronger than that.”
Frytir pulled his gaze from the bubbles rising in his beer, to whoever was talking to him. “Oh hey Ray, no this isn’t a sleeping beer. I am just trying to drink enough that I find any of you attractive enough to spend the night with.”
Ray looked around the mostly empty canteen. “Well your pickings are pretty slim. I’m going to need a lot more booze before I can see your ugly mug as passable.”
“Could I get a bottle of whiskey over her?” Frytir called to the only remaining kitchen staff.
“Wow you really are desperate.” Ray laughed, putting their arm around Frytir. Ray had a slender build, like Frytir before ship life. Their long, curly,  jet black hair tied up behind their ebony toned face. They worked as the ship's medic. A bottle of what passed for whiskey was placed before them with a dull thud. Ray poured two shots, holding theirs up. “To feelings, they may be a bitch but they make this shit worth it!”
Frytir brought his cup to theirs with a clink before downing the contents. “How did you know I was feeling like garbage?” Frytir asked, pouring them both another round.
“You’re joking right? You’re terrible at hiding things. Sitting over here looking like a kicked puppy.” Ray brought the glass up initiating the next round. “Relationship problems?” asked Ray, setting down their glass.
“Am I really that easy to read?” asked Frytir.
“Yes, absolutely” said Ray. Frytir let his head hit the table, releasing what could have been a sigh or a groan.
 “I’d rather not talk about it.” He mumbled into the table.
“Fair enough, what do you want to talk about?”
“Let’s talk about you.”
“Oh good, my favourite topic.”
Frytir shifted to look up at them. “I can never tell if you are being serious.
“Neither can I.” said Ray, taking another shot. “What is it about me that interests you?”
“Well how did you end up here? I mean, you are a doctor right? How did you end up on a cargo ship?”
“You just shoot straight for the jugular don’t you. No, what's your favourite colour or if you could be any animal what would you be?”
Frytir shrugged, to diminished effectiveness considering he was still lying on the table. “Sorry if it’s a sensitive topic, you don’t have to answer.”
“No it’s alright.” Ray held their wrist up to show a ghostly white scar running across it, and no faint glow. The sight of it made Frytir’s own wrist burn. “I think my story might be similar to your own.” They said looking down at where Frytir’s wrist too once gave off the soft light of identity.
“I see,” Frytir poured Ray and himself another drink. The two of them, in a matter of minutes, polished off the remainder of the cheap whiskey. Colours began to blur and the fluorescent lights steamed ribbons of light when he moved. Frytir tried to stand and failed miserably.
“I should go back to… to my room…. to talk.”
“That might not be the best idea.” Ray helped him get to his feet. “You still have the alcohol tolerance of a city boy. You can sleep it off in my room tonight.”
“Hey, my plan worked. I knew you’d invite me to your room eventually.”
“Yep you got me, come on now.” Ray led him slowly out of the canteen and down the hall.

Sharp pain radiated through Frytir’s skull.
“Fuck!” He said more to the world than to anyone in particular.
“Look who’s up.” Ray emerged already dressed in their doctor's attire.
“Shhh, no need to be so loud.” Frytir held his head listening to it throb.
“Here,” Ray handed him a glass of water accompanied by a little orange pill. “It’ll help,” Frytir took both, feeling the cool water slide down his parched throat. Followed by a stifled heaving sound. “If you’re going to throw up, at least make it to the sink.” They turned away, continuing to prepare for they’re day.
 Scum.
“Oh shut up,” Frytir accidentally said aloud. 
“Excuse me?” said Ray.
“Sorry that wasn’t for you it was, well it was for myself.” Ray looked him over just long enough to make Frytir self conscious.
 “Alright then,” they said, returning to their morning ritual. “As much as you’re welcome to stay here and recover, we are scheduled for a pick up this morning, so you’re probably going to be needed.”
“Fuck right,” Frytir shot up nearly loosening his balance as the blood rushed from his brain. “Thanks, for last night.” He said as an afterthought.
“No worries, I’m here if you want to talk, maybe next time we’ll drink a little less.” 

The heat in the midday sun was beyond what Frytir would have been able to imagine in his previous life. He stood on the docks of the small oasis. Throat stinging from the inhalation of airborne sand. And thirsty, he was so thirsty. Frytir had taken for granted being able to get fresh clean water on any street corner.
“Where were you last night?” Roui said in his best, you’re in for it now tone.
“What do you care?”
“What, I'm not allowed to care anymore either?”
“I stayed with a friend.”
“A friend, right.” Roui walked past him.
“Ya a friend, it’s alright for me to have friends isn’t it?” Frytir spat.
“Maybe you can stay with your friend from now on.”
“Maybe I will!”
“Fine then,” Roui grabbed a loader and made his way onto the ship, leaving Frytir alone.
 That could have gone better.
 What do I do now?
 Time to find a new toy.
 He’s more than a toy.
 If you say so.
“Frytir get your head out of your ass and get to work!”
Frytir jumped, his manager stared at him from inside the cargo hold.
“Right away sir!” Frytir said.
“Fucking useless,” The man said before returning to the bowls of the ship.
 He’s right, you know.

Frytir found himself once again nursing a drink. This time with his pipe smoking away in his other hand. Someone pulled out the stool next to him, taking a seat and sliding in close to Frytir. 
“Look I’m sorry.” Roui said.
“Sorry about what?” Frytir said, bringing his pipe to his lips.
“You know, everything.”
“You’ll have to be a little more specific than that.”
“Ok, I’m sorry I was upset about you staying out last night, I trust you and I understand why you didn’t want to come back to the room after what happened.”
“Thank you, it was mostly my fault. Probably would have been upset as well if you hadn’t come home.”
“You coming home tonight?”
“Of course, have a drink with me first.”
Roui laughed, “Alright I can do that.” The two shared a drink as they sailed across the vast sand seas at sunset. Finishing up, the couple stood to return to their room. When the entire ship was rocked by an explosion. Sending things and people flying through the ship.