By the time they washed up, Leila was awake. John tucked her next to him, feeding her like he’d been doing it for months. Harold listened to them ‘talking’ as he unpacks the broken code machine. His hands move in a blur, his mind moving even faster as he pulled out springs and gears and levers, creating a pile which no one but himself could reconfigure back into a working whole. John sat close, an able assistant passing needle nose pliers, metal files and screws while dandling Leila. John and the baby are asleep when Harold finally leans back, his joints screaming in protest.
The repairs are complete.