"Never heard of it." Jon grinned as he went to get a reelbook on radioactives, and began studying. Jak, too, went back to studying and trying to classify the various specimens he had obtained from the two worlds. However, they soon remembered their usual duties—and whisked through their various chores about the ship, then went back to their absorbing occupations.
They had been at these nearly an hour when they heard their father's voice. Dropping everything, they sprang toward the control room, and found him wide-awake and looking much better. Mrs. Carver came running in, and they were told, "Feel fine. This is a wonderful bed. Seem to be much stronger today, too."
"That's wonderful, Mr. C. I'll go get you some breakfast."
Jon ran for a basin of water and towels, and he and Jak helped their father with his toilet.
"While you're eating, Pop, how about me cutting off that piece of the new metal so we can start studying it?"
"How big a piece were you figuring on?" Mr. Carver asked with that quizzical look.
Jon flushed and mentally changed the size he had planned to get. "About a gram?" he asked.
"I'd say more like a few milligrams." His father grinned. "That's plenty for our initial studies and analyses, and shouldn't hurt us any if we're careful and wear insulation."
"But that's only a pin-head size."
"Well?" again quizzically.