Moon decided to bring up something he had been quietly curious about.
Rowan was one of his closer subordinates. The man had brought his unconscious body back to Earth. Moon had asked around during his week at Tom's estate, gathering small details about Rowan's history through the connections Tom had opened for him.
One detail had stood out.
Moon spoke without stopping his walk. His eyes stayed on Rowan's back.
"I heard you haven't taken any leave from the base to return to Earth. You only went back the one time, to find me help."
Rowan didn't stop walking.
There was a long silence before Rowan spoke, "Yes. That's correct."
"Why is that? I gave you standing permission to leave whenever you needed. You've been through a lot. You should have taken a break. You need fresh air. You shouldn't overwork yourself."
Rowan sighed.
His footsteps slowed and then stopped entirely.
He didn't turn around.
"That's not the issue. It's more complicated than that."
