Chapter 9
JOLAR
“Wow, it looks like an old school flying saucer on the outside, but the inside is definitely more BSG,” Mitchell said as we entered the shuttle.
I had no idea what he was talking about, but he seemed very impressed.
I let go of his hand to see to Neal, only for Targel to wave me away.
“I’ve got him,” he said, grinning. “You help your mate figure out the straps.”
I turned to face Mitchell, who was still looking around at everything while wearing an expression of absolute awe.
“Where do I sit?” he whispered to me.
“Anywhere but there,” I replied, pointing to the pilot’s seat. “How about here, next to me?” I gestured to a seat that was next to the one I planned to occupy, next to Neal.
“Can I watch more Scooby Doo?” Neal asked Targel.
“Sure thing, buddy. How about you watch a couple of episodes, and then we can turn the viewscreens back on so we can show your new dad what it looks like when we leave Earth and join the Fleet.”
Neal bounced in his seat. “Yeah!” He looked over at Mitchell. “Our ships are super duper big! And Earth looks all blue with white swirls that look like frosting! It’s super cool!”
Mitchell took the seat I’d pointed to. “That would be amazing! I never dreamed I’d be riding in one of these babies and getting to see Earth from space. I feel like I’m in a sci-fi movie!”
Neal wrinkled his nose. “But Scooby first.” He clutched Stitch to his chest as if to defend himself in case Mitchell became angry and decided to punish him.
Mitchell nodded, pursing his lips. “Good solid choice for in-flight entertainment. The TV show or one of the movies?”
“The show, the one without the puppy,” Neal informed him.
“Oh, good. Because those are the best ones,” Mitchell said as I leaned over him, my hands deftly adjusting the straps and fastening him in. He lowered his voice. “He looked scared of me just now. Did I say something wrong??”
“Neal has trouble asserting himself. His mother punished him if he asked for anything or if she thought he disagreed with her.”
Mitchell looked incredibly sad. “I understand.”
My heart clenched. I had a terrible feeling that he did indeed understand and why. I gave him a small smile. “He’s usually okay once he gets to know you and finds out you won’t hurt him like that. I’m certain he is already halfway there.”
Mitchell nodded, some of the tension bleeding from the set of his shoulders. “I won’t. Hurt him, I mean, because I would never.”
I believed him. The universe would not have matched me with such a monster.
In time, I hoped he’d share about who’d hurt him and let me help him finish healing.
For now, all I could do was let him know that I believed him in this, so I gave him a simple nod of acceptance and took my seat between him and Neal.
I fastened myself in, absently listening to Neal talk to Xeranos as he asked the AI for his favorite episode.
“Yeah, the one where the scuba man says he wants to take them down to Davy Jones’s locker!” Neal said. I sank back against the cushions of my seat as the viewscreen before us flickered to life as the engines engaged.
About half way through the first episode, Mitchell angled his seat towards me. “Hey,” he said. “Um, I was just wondering how the college thing was going to work.”
I shrugged. “The Fleet Education Officer will arrange to meet with you, once our bond has been completed, and discuss your goals. Then a program will be worked out for you.”
He looked puzzled. “So, I won’t be shuttling down to class a couple times a week? Is there a college up there?”
I shook my head. “It’s different for everyone.”
“I planned to go to nursing school,” he said. “I want to gain my qualification as an R.N.”
“R.N.?” I asked, not knowing what that was.
“Registered Nurse,” he clarified. “They can hand out medicines and have more training and other responsibilities than licensed practical nurses.”
I had no idea what he was talking about, but I was certain that he would be able to be accommodated.
“Shit, I just had a thought!” he hissed a moment later. “We’re going to be living within the Fleet, not down on Earth. Do you guys even use nurses?”
“If I am understanding you correctly, yes, we do. They work with the medics.”
“Medics?” He swiped a hand down his face. “Why do I have the feeling that means something different than what it means down on Earth?”
“I’ve heard our chief medical officer referred to as ‘doctor’ by some of the humans aboard,” I offered.
“Yeah, not the same thing. We call a medic someone who renders emergency care until you can get to a doctor.”
“We have that sort as well,” I assured him.
“And you also call them medics?”
“Yes. What else would we call them?”
He didn’t reply, a look of confused consternation on his features.
I knew it was no doubt all very confusing now, but he’d soon grasp the nuances.
It was simply a matter of rank and training, after all, that distinguishes one type of medic from another.
Much like how the nursing thing sounded to me, actually, though I could be wrong.
Regardless, Mitchell would be given the education and training his heart desired, which was the important thing.
An awkward sort of silence fell over us, neither of us knowing quite what to say and hyper aware of our audience and surroundings.
I was content to wait for further personal discussions when we’d be away from other ears.
He seemed to feel the same way, his attention focusing back on the screen where some impossible-looking chase was happening as the dog and his human companion ran down a hallway, going in and out of doors, sometimes emerging from one dressed in some sort of wacky disguise as the dog giggled.
I shook my head, a small smile playing at the edge of my lips.
It was good that they didn’t completely get away and that the monster of the day had their disguises uncovered without much effort.
It was an excellent lesson for us all – you can’t run from your troubles, and if you try to hide, you will eventually be found.