Joe clenched his teeth. His fists.
No, he was the ship. He needed to be mighty and strong.
“Vega,” Crawford called out him, from the hall. “Get up. Cooke wants to see you.” He unlocked the gate, allowed Joe to step out, and shut the gate behind him. He looked at Joe for a moment and gave him a hint of a smile. “So, heard you were a big hero out there today, huh?”
Joe just watched the old man’s face, waiting.
“Justin, the kid you helped, he’s doing well. Fisher says he’s gonna make it.” Crawford was a little uneasy and cleared his throat, grabbing Joe’s elbow, but gently. “Anyway…look, Vega, I have to tell you something, all right? Man to man.” He glanced around at the tier, speaking very low. “I know you think we’re all a bunch of sadist pigs working here, but lemme tell you something,
