Quick and Dirty
Nov/Dec? 2525
Trans U, Polaris Class Delilah
En Route to Beaumonde
(No date as yet. Grah. Too far behind in the logging)
Vikki got the idea of keeping the children gainfully employed by enlisting them in sorting such scrap as was safe to handle, with an eye to turning said scrap into play equipment. It wasn't long before an improvised hoop ball court was set up in the cargo hold. Kids being kids, they took to it with a vengeance ... and kids being kids, it wasn't long before injuries, minor but bloody, ensued. Vikki took Shaun Porter (age 7) to med bay with a cut lip and bloodied nose. Keeping her manner light so as to avoid frightening the child further, Vikki called out in a sing song through the medbay door.
"Incoming! Fast track patient for Dr. Grace..."
Tian had been working on her journal, but on hearing Vikki's voice calling out 'incoming,' she whipped around quickly. Her dark eyes immediately riveted themselves on the small boy's face and there was a split second where that part of her brain that was a trauma surgeon calmly cataloged the immediately evident injuries with the ease of long practice. The part of her that wasn't the same hesitated just that microsecond more, fascinated by the trail the blood left on the boy's face, but the doctor smothered that response. Forcing a gentle smile to her features, she said, "Well, now... looks like you had a fight with a ball and the ball won, my young friend. Come on in and jump up here, let me take a look."
"It's okay, Shaun," Vikki said softly. "She's really nice. She'll fix you up." Vikki smiled at Shaun as he balked on the threshold and she stroked his back reassuringly. The little boy nodded and cowboyed up and stepped into medbay. Not a scaredy cat, nope! Vikki gave Tian a look over the boy's head that said: Need assist?
There was a subtle nod to Vikki meant to indicate that the younger woman should stay. "This shouldn't take long at all," she reassured the boy. As he reluctantly climbed onto the table, Tian slipped her hands into gloves. When he was settled, she tipped his chin up to take a closer look at the damage. There'd been plenty of cuts and lumps since Vikki installed the hoop for the kids, for certain. Examining his cut lip gently, Tian found that just as she'd suspected, it was simply a matter of a ball to the nose and a lip cut by pressure against the teeth. Her hands were gentle on the boy and she reached for a simple alcohol wipe to clean up his face.
"I think if Vikki will grab one of those ice packs from the fridge, you're going to be good as gold, young man," she told him. "No stitches, just a fat lip from that ball." She grinned at him and teased lightly, "Next time you are trying to stop the other guy from making a hoop, how about using your hand instead of your face?"
Vikki pulled the ice pack from the fridge and gave it to Tian. At the mention of using hands, Vikki cut a eyeroll and stuck out her tongue behind Tian's back before winking at Shaun. Yes, Mommmmmmm came through loud and clear.
The boy's wicked little grin gave Tian a moment of heartache. Shaun looked a little like David... And she hadn't heard from her son in weeks. Swabbing the blood from beneath Shaun's nose, she told Vikki, "Let his mother know he may have a shiner. But he's fine."
"Will do," Vikki chirped. "And Shaun'll have bragging rights. Nobody else has a shiner. Right, Shaun?"
Shaun grinned again and gave the women a thumbs-up. One can already see the boy thinking of turning that status to his advantage.
Tian laughed softly, watching Shaun hop down while she stripped her gloves back off and deposited both the gloves and the swabs and wipes she'd used in the receptacle. With the ice pack in his hand, Shaun raced for the door and disappeared. The doctor looked at Vikki. "Thanks for staying."
"Sure," Vikki said easily. Looking over her shoulder to make sure no one was near enough to hear, Vikki asked quietly. "I know there's a lot of noise and bustle and people everywhere, but how are you holding up? Can I help you with anything?"
Tian hesitated and then shook her head. "Not really." She knew Vikki could see the tremors in her hands. "I'm holding up fine," she insisted quietly, just as she always did. "The drug protocol makes me a little shaky, but it doesn't seem to be getting worse." She told the lie with a perfectly straight face—the side effects were worse than she was letting on. She was constantly on edge and her blood pressure was through the roof. The only telltale sign of that, however, was the subtle flush across her face—sometimes worse than at other times—that came from spiking a fever. "Keeping a bit of a low profile with the passengers seems a good idea, though. How are things going with them? You seem to be dealing quite well with the children, at least."
"Oh, they're fine. They're good kids, really. Just give them something to do and they'll take care of the rest," Vikki said, nodding. She had tried throughout the voyage to keep things moving as smoothly for the passengers and crew, arranging activities for the younger set and enlisting the older kids in light chores. The other day she had some of the more responsible teens helping her in the galley as the smaller of the littles arranged the tables and the chairs for the coming meal. "It's one of the reasons I have the kids down in the hold. I figured keeping them occupied there would help give the grownups a break. I think I'll have them help me sort through some nuts and bolts later. Metric versus English, you know? Let'em get dirty for a good cause."
Oh god, you sound hopelessly lame, Vik. Vikki ran a hand through her hair, fluffing it and scratching her neck. It was less a nervous gesture and more a suppressed need to do something. Vikki cared for Tian like a sister and a mother, no question about it. She understood Tian didn't want anyone to fuss over her, yet her refusal to complain or burden anyone with her trouble made it hard to offer her help with imposing. And quite frankly, it was killing Vikki to stand by and do nothing. So she did what she could. It wasn't want she wanted but it was as much as she dared. She just hoped she wasn't making things worse.
"I was wondering if I could filch a few gloves from you for later? I was thinking of doing balloon trials off the catwalk after supper." Vikki mimed blowing up a surgical glove and letting it go, an aerial raspberry crossing the room. "Should be good for a few laughs before bed, you know? I could number them with a marker and the one that traveled farthest would get a prize. Hmm, the ones who didn't win should get something too. Especially the younger ones. They take things so personally. What do you think?"
It was silly, really, but gorrammit, the mood on the ship was so …. so glum! What Vikki wouldn't do to have a little bit of cheer on the adults' faces.
"Sure, help yourself," Tian replied mildly. "That sounds like fun for them." She paused, wracking her brain for a half-formed thought that she was struggling to capture. "You could also make a relay race of it—I used to do that when David was little," she said slowly. "Dribble the hoop ball down the cargo bay and back, then the next person has to put it between their knees and back, then they have to skip rope down and back... stuff like that."
"Oooh, nice one!" Vikki crooned appreciatively, giving Tian a thumbs up. She stopped herself from clapping Tian on the back, realizing just in time that maybe that physical contact wouldn't be welcome. Vikki had to get rid of the urge by bouncing on her toes instead. She grinned and started walking backwards for the door before she did anything more—like hug the stuffing out of Tian. "See you there?"
Because really, Tian looks like she could use a break.
"Perhaps," Tian acknowledged with a faint smile. "I may catch a nap later on." It's not as if it's not well-known that she doesn't sleep well. "But if I'm feeling up to it, I will come and watch. See you later, Vikki."
"Thanks, Jiějiě," Vikki said and detoured to the glove dispenser on the wall. Pulling half a dozen and trying not to wince at the cost incurred on Tian's finite supplies, Vikki put them carefully in her pocket and gave Tian a smile as she got herself through the medbay door. And swung on the jamb back in again. "Oh, by the way, I'm making egg drop soup for dinner tonight. Save room for it!"
HOW TO SPEAK CHINESE[edit]
Jiějiě = = Jeh-jeh = Older/Elder sister Sound clip
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