Not even curious, on his way back to his room, Shane stopped by the doors leading to the sleeping pods filled with thousands of humans.

He peered in, staring at Mira sitting on a blanket next to one of the pods telling it something. Before Shane could even think, he was walking silently closer to hear.

"...then he told me to fix the oven. It took me a while, but I got it all fixed, brother!" Mira whispered softly to the pod. "I can't wait to start baking him some cookies. But they'll never be as good as yours." He sighed a bit, "When we get back to earth, you'll wake up right?"

"Mira."

Mira turned a bit to look at Shane standing near him. "Yeah? Are we there yet?"

"No. We've got a ways still." Shane answered, walking closer.

"Oh! Shane, this is my brother, Marin." Mira stood up and gestured to the sleeping man. "He's been in a coma since a bad accident three years ago, before we came up into space."

Shane couldn't stop the cold words leave his lips. "He probably won't wake up."

"I know... I know that." Mira looked to Shane with almost fear in his eyes. "But he's the most important person to me."

"Your family?"

"They're here too. But Marin really wanted to see the stars when he got in the crash. So... I'm here telling him all about them!" Mira smiled brightly.

"He won't wake up."

"He will!" Mira shouted. Then he began that wailing and screaming. "He will wake up! Just you see! You'll all be proven wrong! He'll wake up! He'll wake up and smile and laugh and tell you all to fuck off and that he really was waiting for us to--"

Mira suddenly stopped.

The hand on the top of his head was so heavy, but gentle and warm that he just froze. Slowly, he looked up to the eyes staring at him.

Shane's eyes weren't emotionless to the untrained eye. He had emotion of sympathy and comfort rested deep within them, but to anyone who didn't know him, it was a cold empty stare.

Mira blinked some gum drop sized tears from his eyes. Then he cried more. He just stood there, crying with that hand on his head the whole time.

Shane didn't say anything at all.

He couldn't think of the kind words to say, only the cruel honest truth that would hurt Mira more. All he could do was give that look of comfort and let Mira cry and wail.

For Shane, standing there comforting Mira like that for what seemed like hours, was more painful than any insult he'd ever come to regret.