Green pondered his observations and had to admit he couldn’t explain it.
None of the captains could really be considered ‘touch’ people to begin with anyway, but if placed on a sliding scale, Scarlet was at the (comparatively) more tactile end, welcoming and dispensing contact with relative comfort, followed by Magenta, Blue, then Ochre. Grey was the least touchy. He just didn’t show affection that way.
After the incident (as those on Cloudbase had started to call it), Scarlet became a ‘do not touch me’ person.
He would still freely give casual affectionate touches to those who liked it – a clap on the shoulder, hand on the back, or a teasing poke in the ribs when he was in a relaxed and playful mood. In the safety and privacy of the Amber Room, he’d venture so far as to lean on Rhapsody’s shoulder with an arm around her or lie with his head on her lap.
However he accepted casual affectionate touching from very few people now. He’d become quite adept at dodging or diverting anything more than a handshake, or if someone had managed to put hands on him, ending it as quickly as manners would allow.
Green pondered it and one day, floated the question to Fawn over lunch – why would that be?
The doctor had put down his coffee and given the younger man a searching look that Green couldn’t quite decipher.
“Think about it, Green – how often he ends up in Medical,” Fawn explained. “If he’s dropped, we have to get his uniform off, clean him up, do any patching needed, then get him into clean clothes and into a bed. That’s a lot of touching while he’s not conscious, vulnerable and unable to give permission. I’d be surprised if he didn’t get prickly about it.”