mann and keen scene - edit

Mann woke with a cry wrenched from deep inside his chest. He kicked to be free of the sodden sheets that wrapped him tight. The bedroom door flew open and Keen appeared holding a lighted lamp.

‘The dream?’

Mann nodded and fought to catch his breath.

Keen moved to the bed and Mann stopped her with a raised hand. ‘I’m wet with sweat.’

‘I’m not afraid of you.’ Keen placed the lamp on the nightstand.

‘You should be.’

‘It’s hard to be scared of a man when you’ve cleaned his rump.’

Mann grimaced and Keen laughed. ‘Where’s my undershirt?’ he said.

‘Still drying, we laundered your clothes.’

He lifted pleading eyes to hers and with a sigh she left the room. Mann sat breathing deeply, calming himself. When Keen returned she handed him the vest.

‘You still panic without it.’

Mann struggled to pull on the stiff, rough garment, remembering the punch of the dart it had baffled. He saw Keen eyeing the raw skin across his shoulders and chest.

‘It keeps my temperature high. It keeps me safe.’

‘It makes you unhappy.’ Keen sighed. She reached out her hand to stroke the webbing of the vest and he felt her cool, sweet breath on his face, ‘You wear it like armour, not for your hide but for your heart.’

Mann placed his hand over Keen’s, thought hard for a moment and then whispered, ‘Remember Ursula?’

Keen stiffened, ‘Pah, Bug Hunter.’

Mann’s face fell and Keen regretted her words. ‘I’m sorry. I should not have...’

‘No, you are right.’ Mann interrupted as he tenderly brushed a tangle of auburn curls away from Keen’s face, ‘Her ghost serves to remind me, always, to have a care around you.’

‘Party?’

Mann and Keen both jumped at the sound of Amir’s voice and turned together to see him standing in the doorway. Keen stood quickly and moved to Amir’s side.

‘The dream again.’ She said.

‘I gathered.’ He replied.

She smiled sadly at Mann and then she led Amir from the room.