Space Dude by Jann Jeter @Hasty

Nadine was leaning over Thipp saying, “Thipp. Can you hear me?” and softly shaking him. Thipp only groaned, but Dude thought ‘Damn, she does know our names!’ Nadine turned to the crowd and snapped, “I know everybody here, and if I hear anything about you jerks spreading this tale, you’ll all be cut off from every bar in the sector as well. Reggie – go get your car and take Brit Boy here to the Doc.”

Someone in the crowd must have left because a minute later Dude heard a motor start up across the parking pad and rumble over towards the crowd. Dude noticed it was a ’77 Pontiac – nice looking with a new-ish paint job in a sort of turquoise color. Several people picked Thipp up smoothly and put him in the back seat, although Thipp would say later they tossed him in like a sack of plasticrete. Dude very slowly and gingerly climbed in the front seat of the car and shut the door. Nadine gave two knocks on the roof and Reggie drove off.

Dude looked over at Reggie and saw a pretty pleasant looking fella – maybe a dockworker over at the plant? Dark ebony skin and black eyes that twinkled. Pretty well muscled, messy jeans and a tight tee-shirt Dude would never be caught in; but basically Reggie looked like an all right kinda guy, which was a big relief after the run-in with Troy.

“Uh, where are you taking us, dude?” Dude asked.

“Oh, just over to the Doc’s place.” He turned to look at Dude. “And I have to ask, how open-minded are you?”

The question threw Dude and all he could say was “Why?”

Reggie shrugged his shoulders and said, “Well, Doc ain’t like most medicos you know. As a matter of fact, I’d be willin’ to bet you never met anybody like our Doc.” He smiled slightly. “You just need to be a little open-minded s’all I’m sayin’.”

Reggie pulled up to a small brick building and across the front in faded letters it just said ‘ os ital’. There was a neon sign on the front door that flashed ‘the Doc is in’ every few seconds.