"And you've got Landau orbiting around you."
"Alex? Oh, he's an old friend. We met years ago . . ."
Sipping gingerly at the searing coffee, Kinsman said, "I was watching you two back at the ICU. Do you realize that 336 you actually fluttered your eyelashes at him?"
Jill's face went deep red. "That's not true!"
"Oh no? He's asked to stay here overnight."
"He wants to be with his patient."
"And pigs have wings. He wants to be with you, kid."
She grinned, but her hands seemed to go out of control. They fidgeted around the coffee cup and then up to her face. "You're joking. You really think so?"
"Looks pretty obvious to me. I wouldn't be surprised if he ran the old man halfway around the Ocean of Storms just to get him to keel over."
"You're terrible!"
Kinsman smiled back at her. "Yeah, I guess I am. But I'm not the only one who's noticed the way you two have been looking at each other. Half the hospital staff is sighing with romantic rapture about you. The female half."
Jill tried to frown but her pixie face was not made for it. "What about you and this new girl in the comm section?"
Kinsman scratched at his stubbly chin. "Diane? I've known her for years. She was a pretty well known singer a few years back. Diane Lawrence."
"That's Diane Lawrence?" Jill seemed impressed.
Nodding, Kinsman said, "She ran into trouble with the government and that ended her singing career."
"But the First Amendment ..."
"Is in trouble," Kinsman said. "Just like the rest of the country."
Jill rested her chin on a tiny fist. "She was good. I used to buy her tapes."
Brightening, Kinsman said, "There's no reason why she can't sing here. We could use a little entertainment around the old joint."
"That's right."
