Shell-shocked

“Benton! Ya got a minute?”

A clatter of tools sounded from inside the starboard engine room. “Yeah, boss!”

Jenny sulked, shooting a misty-eyed glare up at her father before crossing her arms over her chest and looking away.

“Don’t look at me like that, sweetie,” John murmured wearily, long days and sleepless nights showing on his face to mix with the emptiness in his eyes that came from grief.

“Hi-ya, Captain. What can I do ya for?” Benton, chief engineer and a Granok of a human stepped around the massive generator to approach the two. He wiped his oily hand on a stained cloth before reaching to tussle young Jenny’s hair.

“Pumpkin, mind if I talk to Benton alone for a moment?”

Jenny looked defiantly up at the men. “Don’ gotta talk b’hind mah back, ya know,” she said with no small amount of salt in her tone.

“Come on, kiddo, let me speak with your Pa. Go play with the tools ‘er sumthin’,” Benton responded quickly after seeing something in his friend’s demeanor.

Scrunching her freckled little nose, Jenny grunted in imitation of how many of the crew often responded before meandering further into the engine room.

“What’s up, John?”

Jenny found where Benton had been working. A mess of wires stuck out from beneath a fuse box. Glancing back to where the men’s voices echoed from she crawled under neath the box, and groped blindly at the floor for a minute before her hand found a wrench.

“I was wondering if you’d take Jenny on.”

“Like fer the day?”

“Like as an apprentice. Fer however long that might be.”

Jenny wiped at her eyes to clear her vision as hot tears streamed from their corners. Never making a sound, she counted wires, wiped at her eyes again, then began going through the fuses on the panel above her.

“… You really think that is a good idea? I know it’s hard, John, but you’re the kid’s father. She needs you.”

“ I can’t – Ben, I can’t right now,” came John Brightmist’s pained, nearly inaudible reply.

“I’ll do it. She’s got a gift fer this stuff, but I think you’re makin’ a big mistake.”

“There’s just…. She’s a tough kid. It’s not like I’m leaving. We’re on the same ship. And… it’ll be good for her.”