Derelict: Halcyone Space, Book 1 by Lj Cohen

the jangle of the first. Jem couldn't see through the crush of bodies around Barre's bed. His mouth dried. What if he'd made the wrong choice? What if the drug had made his brother seriously sick? He'd have to tell his parents not only about Barre, but what he'd done to the records. He chewed on the side of his thumb until the cuticle bled.
    "Get the fuck off me," Barre rasped, barely loud enough to be heard over the machinery.
    "And he's back," his father said. Jem could hear the relief in his voice. "All right, team, give the boy some room."
    Technicians scurried around, clearing machines and pulling all the tubes away from Barre's body. Jem took a few hesitant steps forward. His parents stood looking down at Barre, identical expressions of relief on their faces. That wouldn't last long.
    "What am I doing here?" Barre asked.
    Jem watched his mother's lips thin and her eyes narrow, the anger that was never far below the surface bubbling up. "I don't know what you took this time, but I know it was something and as soon as I prove it —"
    "Mom, I don't —"
    She leaned forward. "Don't you dare," she said, the deadly quiet in her voice sending chills down Jem's spine. He had definitely done the right thing. His mother whirled away from Barre, bright spots flushing her dark cheeks. His father shook his head and followed her. So everything was back to normal then and right on schedule.
    Barre looked up into Jem's eyes and shrugged.
    "Yeah, some things never change," Jem said.
    "What am I doing here?"
    Jem slid the stool back over to Barre's bedside and handed his brother a water bulb. "Really? You don't know?"
    Barre sucked down the liquid and handed Jem back the empty container. "I was making music." He frowned, looked up, squinted at Jem. "My stash —"
    "Don't," Jem warned, softly.
    "You?"
    "I have it."
    Barre closed his eyes and exhaled heavily.
    They sat in silence for a few minutes.
    "I wouldn't do that to you," Barre said.
    "Do what?"
    "Leave you alone with them."
    Jem nodded, not sure what else he could say. The silence stretched out. The normal buzz of conversations rose around them as the staff waited for the next emergency, or even the next routine call. A tech glanced at the monitor above Barre's bedside and walked away. Their parents didn't even look up from their desks.
    "I guess I owe you one," Barre said.
    "Well, you can bail me out the next time I'm an idiot."
    "That's not fair."
    "No?" Jem said, and struggled to lower his voice. "I can't believe you started using again. Especially after what they said they'd do after the last time." He jutted his chin toward his parents. "And you shouldn't trust Rotherwood."
    Barre frowned. "The senator?"
    "Don't play cute. Micah Rotherwood. Your source." Ro better be watching him prepare that assay. If he did anything wrong in the process, Jem would make sure Micah would suffer.
    "Keep your voice down!" Barre said in a fierce whisper. "And I don't know where you get your information, but for one thing, I didn't know Micah had access. So thank you."
    Jem shot him a furious look.
    "For another, I brought it from Hadria. Maybe it got contaminated or something." His gaze darted all around the room, but no one paid either of them the slightest attention now that it was clear Barre would live. "I know you won't believe me, but I tried to give it up. But Mom and Dad … you have no idea what it's like not to be you."
    "Don't you dare throw this on me!" Jem didn't realize he'd stood until he was leaning over Barre's bed, shouting. The monitors red-lined as Barre struggled to sit up, his face red, his eyebrows drawn over angry eyes. A technician tugged at Jem's arm. He struggled in the man's grasp. "You have choices, Barre, no matter what you tell yourself."
    "I'm sorry, visiting hours are over," the tech said, his voice firm, his grip firmer.
    "And they have nothing to do with me," Jem shouted. So much for his brother's gratitude. The hell with it. He didn't even care about Micah's