"You're the captain," said Doc. He shambled off down the corridor, trailing a worm of blue smoke in the air behind him. He rounded a corner out of sight, small and gnarled and tired of arguing. The last of the smoke vanished into the ventilators.
Dillman laughed gratingly with effort. "Let's go get the rest of that bottle, Cap."
"Sure," said Caffrey.
They were three hours out from Mars when the com system came to life again. Caffrey jumped up out of the shock chair and jabbed the switch. A nervous, excited voice came screeching at him.
"Skolnik, Captain."
"What's wrong?"
"It's Doc. He's on the floor of his cabin. He's ... I...."
"Speak up, man!" Caffrey yelled.
Skolnik's voice pulled itself back from shivering pieces and went on, "Doc's lying on the floor ... and his voice is awful ... and the muscles in his face and arms and all over him are jumping and ... oh, Captain...."
"Go on," Caffrey said savagely. "Go on!"