The stand was delightfully cool, and Poppy was instantly drawn by the aloe vera plants. She squeezed the outer leaves lightly, her face interested. "I should really look into using more raw plants in medicines," she said, rubbing the slime that the plant contained between her thumb and her pointer. "There's just so much that we're not utilizing."
Francis paid more attention to the people roaming around. He nodded his head while she spoke, paying most of his attention to her words. "Isn't that what modern science is for?" he asked, crossing his arms and leaning against a post. After a few minutes, he stopped, freezing his tracks as he stared intently into the sea of people. He grew tense, and suddenly grabbed her arm, his grip strong. "I think I'm going to leave."
Poppy looked up from a mushroom she was examining instantly, her expression concerned. "Are you alright?"
He looked at her, his expression unreadable. Pulling his hand back to himself, he crossed his arms nervously. "I'm fine, alright? I just need to leave," he hissed, then began briskly walking away, keeping his eyes down.
Poppy was confused, her head cocked slightly. She deliberated whether or not to follow him momentarily. He had seemed strangely nervous. Something was wrong. Her loyalty won out over her uncertainty, and she followed him quickly, weaving through the crowds of people easily.
Francis stopped only when he was out of the market, and away from most people. He sat on the ground, putting a hand to head.
Poppy came up next to him slowly and knelt down. "Hey," she said softly, her eyes searching his face. "What's wrong?"
"Really?" Poppy asked, her head cocked. She sat down next to him, her knees drawn to her chest. "Who?"
Shaking his head, Francis looked back at her. "It's not important. Or it should be, to you." (His name autocorrected to FreshCo on my phone.)
(Is that not his name?) She frowned at him, studying his face, and then nodded. "I won't make you tell me. Don't worry. Is there anything I can do?"
(LOL That's his subconscious) He stood up, seemingly conflicted. "I don't know what to do. I don't know if I should just leave it confront the person I saw."
"When we get back to the ship," she said, squinting up at him, "will you regret having not talked to them?"
"Honestly, at this point it could go either way. I might as well just do it," he replied, slowly starting to go back. "I suppose I just needed a moment to think and breathe."
"Okay." She squinted at him, her head cocked. She paused for a moment before asking: "Do you want me to come with you? It's okay to say no."
He looked up in thought. "I don't think that's the best idea right now. You should probably enjoy the rest of the market."
She hesitated before nodding, her expression still concerned. "Okay," she said quietly. "If you need me.." She gestured to her watch. "Just press the main button and tell it to call me, okay? It has all the government numbers on it."
"Alright," he replied, checking his watch quickly. "I'll see you whenever, then." He gave a small smile. "Don't worry, okay?"
She raised an eyebrow, and nodded, very obviously still worried. "Be careful," she said, standing up.
