@omniadventerous lost time verse
Ben measured time in bruises and doctor visits.
The training was like clockwork, whether he was on time or not.
It had almost been a year.
He knew that from the monthly physical and assessments.
His assumption was confirmed by the Plumber medic on staff who greeted him as he walked into the infirmary.
The doctor was kind and he took his congratulations with good humor.
It's not his fault Ben was there.
It's not actually his birthday, he and the original share the same day December 25 but no one's supposed to know that. Instead the day input on the forms was the day he arrived in the plumber base “newly grown” as it were.
He sat on the table and they do all the measurements.
He's gaining weight, his blood pressure could be better, but they will adjust his daily intake to manage that.
He was pretty healthy otherwise.
The fact he was on the same anxiety and depression regimen as the original was not lost on anyone.
He took the pills with a bottle of water and slid off the table.
He went to the mess hall and it was a cacophony of well wishes and pats on the back. He only escaped with the promise of joining an actual celebration after his work. He stole a muffin from the hot trays and quit the room quickly.
He made it to the training rooms with time to spare so he ate the muffin quietly tucked behind the weight set up.
When the commander appeared, he stared at him and insisted he didn't feel like training because it was his birthday.
Of course Rook knew that wasn't true, but would not compromise the ruse that Ben was fully a clone of the original and not in fact an entirely separate version of Ben.
He compromised by changing the training to a space walk instead.
And Ben spent the remainder of the hour puking in the airlock afterward.
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