10-17-2024, 11:30 PM
"Do you usually greet visitors in a bathrobe?" Karlos Mayfair asked, his voice stern and disapproving but with a hint of humor. Her mother, Sonjia, rapped her husband in the arm with a light punch. "Hush, Karlos."
Robin snapped out of her stupor, or at least was functional enough to speak. "Come in, come in!" She hugged them both as they entered. Her parents hadn't left Iota Tau in their entire lives save for when they took their daughter off-world to find a cure for the genetic disease that had been killing her. "I can't believe you're here! I mean, it's great to see you, but... why?"
That got a chuckle out of her father. "Why not? We've earned it. Rachelle is taking care of the ranch and I think we've earned a vacation. We asked Katy not to tell you it could be a surprise." Robin's parents took the seat on the couch she offered them while she pulled up a chair. Her father put down the small bag he had been carrying.
"Do you have a place to stay?" the young woman asked. She had a smaller half-bedroom but it wasn't set up for visitors. Robin had considered getting a pull-out sofa bed in case one of her friends visited; she just hadn't ordered it yet. Having guests was still an idea that took some getting used to. She rarely even had them on the Artemis.
"Orbit, dear," her mother said with a smile. "The Grant Hilton Station."
Robin had stayed there the first time she'd visited Earth, courtesy of Captain Cardon. She had been preparing to force the issue of her admittance to Starfleet Academy. The view from the Hilton was astounding, floating above North America's eastern seaboard. It was actually visible on a clear night from her new home. "Did you walk here from the station?" she asked, and her mother nodded.
"Doctor's orders. Your father has a strict diet and exercise regimen, and that includes walks. It does him good, and besides, this is beautiful country. That got a lighthearted grumble from Karlos.
"How's your doctor friend? Doctor Sydesh? I don't feel like I got the chance to properly thank her for saving my life."
"She's fine, papa." Robin didn't go into Beka's troubles and injuries. That was a private matter. "I made her my Head Doctor."
Her father laughed. "You too seemed as thick as thieves. I can't believe you're Chief Medical Officer. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm proud as anything of you, but they don't usually give nurses that job, do they? Especially..." His voice trailed off.
Robin was surprised that she wasn't annoyed. He was right and wasn't trying to be patronizing. A nurse being made a medical department head was extremely unusual, and an Augment even more so. Julian Bashir had been CMO of Deep Space Nine, but when he'd been given the job it had been considered a backwater posting and his enhancements had been secret. A position like that on a ship like the Artemis? Unheard of.
"Yeah. But I've been doing a pretty good job, at least if my performance reviews are accurate. And I've completed my training for command. Hopefully I'll be a Lieutenant Commander by the time I return."
"Really, dear? That's wonderful!" her mother exclaimed. "Command? Do you see yourself becoming Captain someday?"
"No way!" Robin laughed. "I mostly went for ell-cee just so I would have a bit more rank to boss around doctors. They don't like being told what to do by nurses. I can't even imagine sitting in the big chair, especially since I look so young. Nobody would take me seriously." She got up. "Can I get you anything? I have some milk and juice in the fridge. No replicators out here."
"Water, please," her father said with a grumble. She could tell he wanted something stronger, but he knew his daughter wouldn't have a drop of alcohol in the house. He stood up and started looking around. "This is your new place? Seems nice. 'Bit small, but then I suppose more would just be a waste when you're hardly ever here. Could definitely do with some decoration." He reached into the bag and pulled out a well-worn stuffed gray rabbit.
"Muffin!" Robin exclaimed with delight. Her favorite childhood stuffed animal, one she'd had before she was enhanced. It had gone to Adigeon Prime with her, and playing with it was one of her earliest memories after her mind began to knit itself back together and grow. She hugger her father again. "Thanks so much, Papa!"
"Of course, my girl. Don't get separated again. Take her with you to that ship of yours. It'll remind you of us."
"Papa, I could never forget," she said with a sniff.
Robin snapped out of her stupor, or at least was functional enough to speak. "Come in, come in!" She hugged them both as they entered. Her parents hadn't left Iota Tau in their entire lives save for when they took their daughter off-world to find a cure for the genetic disease that had been killing her. "I can't believe you're here! I mean, it's great to see you, but... why?"
That got a chuckle out of her father. "Why not? We've earned it. Rachelle is taking care of the ranch and I think we've earned a vacation. We asked Katy not to tell you it could be a surprise." Robin's parents took the seat on the couch she offered them while she pulled up a chair. Her father put down the small bag he had been carrying.
"Do you have a place to stay?" the young woman asked. She had a smaller half-bedroom but it wasn't set up for visitors. Robin had considered getting a pull-out sofa bed in case one of her friends visited; she just hadn't ordered it yet. Having guests was still an idea that took some getting used to. She rarely even had them on the Artemis.
"Orbit, dear," her mother said with a smile. "The Grant Hilton Station."
Robin had stayed there the first time she'd visited Earth, courtesy of Captain Cardon. She had been preparing to force the issue of her admittance to Starfleet Academy. The view from the Hilton was astounding, floating above North America's eastern seaboard. It was actually visible on a clear night from her new home. "Did you walk here from the station?" she asked, and her mother nodded.
"Doctor's orders. Your father has a strict diet and exercise regimen, and that includes walks. It does him good, and besides, this is beautiful country. That got a lighthearted grumble from Karlos.
"How's your doctor friend? Doctor Sydesh? I don't feel like I got the chance to properly thank her for saving my life."
"She's fine, papa." Robin didn't go into Beka's troubles and injuries. That was a private matter. "I made her my Head Doctor."
Her father laughed. "You too seemed as thick as thieves. I can't believe you're Chief Medical Officer. I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm proud as anything of you, but they don't usually give nurses that job, do they? Especially..." His voice trailed off.
Robin was surprised that she wasn't annoyed. He was right and wasn't trying to be patronizing. A nurse being made a medical department head was extremely unusual, and an Augment even more so. Julian Bashir had been CMO of Deep Space Nine, but when he'd been given the job it had been considered a backwater posting and his enhancements had been secret. A position like that on a ship like the Artemis? Unheard of.
"Yeah. But I've been doing a pretty good job, at least if my performance reviews are accurate. And I've completed my training for command. Hopefully I'll be a Lieutenant Commander by the time I return."
"Really, dear? That's wonderful!" her mother exclaimed. "Command? Do you see yourself becoming Captain someday?"
"No way!" Robin laughed. "I mostly went for ell-cee just so I would have a bit more rank to boss around doctors. They don't like being told what to do by nurses. I can't even imagine sitting in the big chair, especially since I look so young. Nobody would take me seriously." She got up. "Can I get you anything? I have some milk and juice in the fridge. No replicators out here."
"Water, please," her father said with a grumble. She could tell he wanted something stronger, but he knew his daughter wouldn't have a drop of alcohol in the house. He stood up and started looking around. "This is your new place? Seems nice. 'Bit small, but then I suppose more would just be a waste when you're hardly ever here. Could definitely do with some decoration." He reached into the bag and pulled out a well-worn stuffed gray rabbit.
"Muffin!" Robin exclaimed with delight. Her favorite childhood stuffed animal, one she'd had before she was enhanced. It had gone to Adigeon Prime with her, and playing with it was one of her earliest memories after her mind began to knit itself back together and grow. She hugger her father again. "Thanks so much, Papa!"
"Of course, my girl. Don't get separated again. Take her with you to that ship of yours. It'll remind you of us."
"Papa, I could never forget," she said with a sniff.