fermata

[isthisart]

Linya sees Dr. Cheung onto a ship other than the Ariel, which agrees to tote him to Komarr very, very slowly, knocking him out for each jump and having someone look after him when he comes around green in the gills. It's not going to be a fun trip for him, but it's better than trying to collaborate with a multi-week conversational turnaround time. It's pricey - the ship has nonperishable cargo with no deadline at its destination and already employs a medtech, but still - but she thinks it's worth it.

Her business on Earth concluded, she examines the list of tourist attractions she didn't get around to, determines that none of them are worth sticking around for, and gets on a much faster vessel and goes all the way home. The first thing she does when there is go looking for whichever of the Count or Countess is easiest to find.

Comments

[greatcomposure]

"No." She bends down and kisses his forehead. "You'll know when you are, because your wife will be here. Now rest up. The sooner you convince that doctor of your good behaviour and general recuperation, the sooner you can be down at Vorkosigan Surleau, recuperating."

[thisvorlunatic]

"Yes, ma'am."

[greatcomposure]

"Rest. I'll see you soon."

She sweeps out.

[as_i_remember]

Meanwhile, Illyan is writing a note.

Lady Vorkosigan,

I find I must apologize. When I denied you clearance to know about your husband's work, I did it as a mere default, absent any well-founded suspicion. It is impossible to prove a negative; no amount of evidence could have reversed my decision. I would not have treated any other covert agent's wife the same way. I acted on prejudice, without considering the costs, and for that I am sorry.

Respectfully,
Simon

[isthisart]

Linya does not read this note immediately because she is busy being completely horrified by Elli Quinn's war stories. By the time Quinn is done regaling her with explanations for why Miles's arm bones have now been completely replaced on an emergency basis, Cordelia is home.

Linya goes up to her. "One, how is he doing, and two, I would appreciate an - etiquette consult."

[greatcomposure]

"He's... moderately unhappy. But I think he's settled down. What's the etiquette problem?"

[isthisart]

"Captain Illyan sent me an apology." Linya calls it up to show her. "And signed it with his first name. Letting it go unacknowledged seems hostile, but I'm not sure how I am at this time supposed to format the salutation."

[greatcomposure]

Cordelia reads the note. Then she reads it again, thoughtfully.

"If you want to go with 'Captain Illyan' for simplicity's sake, you can. Signing 'Simon' is... Simon's way of subtly acknowledging that you're part of this family. You may address him as Simon now, if you choose. 'Captain Illyan' is neutral; 'Simon' implies... let's say, an openness to friendship."

[isthisart]

"I'm willing to accept his apology," says Linya. "He might have to do something beyond formally cease to consider me an information security hazard before friendship becomes likely."

[greatcomposure]

"Simon considers almost everyone an information security hazard. Going as far as sending you an apology note about not trusting you enough implies that some degree of active trust has been achieved."

[isthisart]

"Hmm. I wonder what the tipping point there was? He got my story about Earth weeks ago."

[greatcomposure]

"He had a... conversation... with Miles just now. At a guess, I'd say he was moved to apologize to Miles about something, and doing so reminded him that apologies are an available course of action when one has made mistakes that affect others."

[isthisart]

Linya laughs. "Well. Thank you for the consult. Any idea when Miles can be visited?"

[greatcomposure]

"Not yet. I'll let you know first thing."

[isthisart]

"Thank you."

And Linya goes off and composes a reply to Simon, which she does in fact open with,

Simon,

Your apology is accepted. I acknowledge that my circumstances are exceptional and am glad that I located an opportunity to demonstrate my harmlessness sooner rather than later; thank you for your openness to necessarily finite evidence.

Likewise,
Linyabel

And she settles in to wait for Miles to be allowed visitors. (Quinn will not be allowed into ImpMil hospital territory on the grounds of being foreign military personnel, but Linya doesn't have that problem - nor, any longer, an equivalent one.) It takes two days, and then she and Cordelia (and an Armsman to conduct them on the journey) go in. Linya hopes that at least some of Quinn's story was embellished.

[thisvorlunatic]

Well, there's Miles, lying in a hospital bed, both arms wrapped up completely in bandages and immobilized at his sides.

He smiles weakly.

[isthisart]

"Hi. Tell me where it doesn't hurt at least to a sufficient degree that I can kiss you?"

[thisvorlunatic]

"My face is mostly fine," he says encouragingly.

[isthisart]

So he gets a proper kiss, then, with her leaning carefully to avoid jostling his arms at all. "I was hoping Quinn had exaggerated."

[thisvorlunatic]

"Well, what'd she say?"

[isthisart]

"She told me that you fired an antique pistol complete with recoil when you already had a broken shoulder and were then even further bounced around. She told me this complete with gory details. Which I have barely just enough medical education to find specifically alarming rather than reducible to 'there ensued injurious action'."

[thisvorlunatic]

"That's... just about accurate, yeah. Although she seems to have omitted the part where I was bounced around beforehand too."

[isthisart]

"No, that was included, it just graduated from expected 'my husband is a mercenary admiral' levels of appalling into a new tier at the point where your shoulder was already broken and you had to shoot a slug-thrower with that arm." She kisses his forehead and smooths his hair.

[thisvorlunatic]

"Aha. Well, now you know to adjust your expectations of appallingness upward," he jokes. "Anyway, I was hardly going to shoot with the other arm, then I wouldn't have had any totally functional arms left. That's generally considered a major drawback in combat."

[isthisart]

"One which you soon suffered, to hear Quinn tell it, or is that solely for symmetry?" she asks, gesturing at his bandaged left arm.