Surprise party

Posted on Thu Mar 8, 2018 @ 6:32am by Commander Amia Telamon M.D. & Lieutenant Liam Reynolds

1,804 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Victory Conditions
Location: Medical
Timeline: MD4 11:00 hours

ON:

Jack Robinson was in awe of the size of this station his cousin had ended up on. It was huge. How Liam navigated this place amazed him. It weren't like you could find a quick gunnel and pop out the end of the road you wanted. Well there wasn't even roads.

He had arrived on the station sent on an errand by their grandparents who had decided they were far too old to make the several weeks trip to visit. And he was looking for someone specific. One of the only two people he had ever heard Liam speak about as colleagues. Walking into sickbay he flashed a trademark family smile at the person on reception. "Can you help me? I need to find a lass called Amia. Its a personal matter. I know she works here so if she's in the middle of "medically type stuff" I'm more than happy to wait."

The Receptionist looked at him and replied rather as if she had an idiot standing in front of her. "Do you have an appointment to see the Commander?" she asked, stiffening to emphasize that such a thing was as essential as life support.

"Well if I am willing to wait, it kind of implies I do not," Jack told her noticing the rude demeanour. Was there an idiot sitting in front of him he mused.

"What name would you like me to tell the Chief Medical Officer is waiting for her?" the Receptionist asked, feeling that she was being endlessly patient. She was sure this man hadn't got the idea yet about exactly who this "lass called Amia" was and how it was not at all appropriate for any stranger to just saunter into Sickbay in the middle of a busy day, not knowing even who it was that he was asking for, and expect to be able to call her out of her work for some kind of 'chat' that he hadn't even made a prior arrangement to have.

"Do you have any identification? You might be one of the terrorists we've had around here of late!" she tried to make her point. She was clearly very protective of her colleagues, especially the pregnant boss.

"Tell her it's Liam's cousin Jack and yes," he fished into his pocket starting to lose patience at this idea now. He should just have gone and found Liam. He pulled out a chip. "Scan it please. It will confirm my details - even the incredibly long transport I have just come in on and if you really need to I'm happy to provide a biological sample that you can check against the database to see that I am who I say I am. I'm a baker love, not a terrorist. From Yorkshire, England, Earth. Please," he handed her his bag, "Feel free to go through it there's nought more dangerous than clothing and some raisin scones in there."

"That should not be necessary Sir, if you had offered me the identification on entry we should not have had to have our lengthy conversation trying to ascertain what kind of visitor you were." she took the chip and put it against her scanner. It bleeped and some data rolled up the screen very quickly. Too quickly for the eye to read but the computer had it processed in second. It made a pleasant sound which signalled acceptance and most importantly clearance.

The receptionist nodded happily, handed the chip back, asked Jack to please take a seat and disappeared into the main sickbay returning with a red haired woman in Theatre 'blues' who looked put out.

'Lengthy' Jack snorted as he took a seat. That lass wouldn't last five minutes in a country pub if she had thought that lengthy. Who were these people? he mused. A lady arrived, he stood up of course politely. "Amia?" he asked.

"Jack!" the approaching cyclone that was the CMO descended on him and swept him up into a hug. "Liam told me all about you and that you were coming! I'm SO sorry to have kept you waiting" she apologised and turned to glare at the over-protective Receptionist who still looked suspiciously at Jack, unabashed.

"Come into my office. I'll make us some coffee" Amia enthused, putting her arm through his elbow and steering him deeper into the main sickbay, she began to chatter non-stop about Liam and what he had said about Jack and Earth and England and Yorkshire in particular.

"Liam shouldn't even know I am here," he said confused when he finally got a word in edgeways. "The plan was to surprise him. But I was the only one of his human family who could make the trip. His grandparents are too old and well Declan, I assume you know he's in a mental facility. We just felt that since his Betazoid family are participating in that ridiculous sham of declaring him dead that he needed to know the rest of us love him. We thought a surprise birthday party. I knew that I had to get you involved. How does Liam know that I am here?"

"Well, he knows you're intending to visit, I think?" Amia looked confused. "I'm pretty sure he said that. He's often talking about you and he seemed to think you would come out here. Perhaps he doesn't know when exactly and it was probably an assumption on my part that he would naturally know you were here now..... "

"Ahhh phew," he winked at the flustered red head. "In that case I think we can pull this off. Now Amia, surprise parties. You know all his friends and colleagues right? Can point me in the direction of finding a venue? I can bake the cake, I just need a working oven. That ones more problematic. In fact lets face it I need you. I'm a bloke. I know nothing about planning a party. There needs to be more food than just cake," he mused. "Liam said you make the best Hasperat he's ever had," he suddenly remembered.

"It is so very sweet of you to come out here to let him know you and the family still love him. In the light of the way the rest of his family have treated him, I am very impressed and heartened to hear that you've come with that wonderful intention." she said, so happy that she wanted to hug him for his kindness.

She hesitated but it was something she needed to ask because she wasn't willing to keep the whole episode as a surprise nor help to set it up as such and she needed to explain why. Very carefully so as not to cause offence.

"Can I just say though, even though your heart and intentions couldn't be any better nor any more amazing, I have this nagging concern that is something personal to me." She began

"Of course this is not my call and I realise and respect that, so you can tell me to push off if you like..... but these 'surprise' ideas.... they serve the surprisOR but not the surprisEE." she said with a sad look and clearly some kind of memory that was making her unhappy.

"I mean, if you're part of the group planning it (and they rarely happen without cooperation and joint efforts so it's always a team of some kind) then putting all the arrangements in place and all that excitement gives a great high of anticipation of what a great event it will be. The surprisor/s get to build up to it but the surprisee misses all that and whilst it may be a lovely event, it risks the taint of shock and the embarrassment of not being prepared." she explained.

"They undoubtedly feel like the only one there in their everyday clothes amongst everyone else's best party clothes. Perhaps they wish they'd had opportunity to wash their hair." The personal nature of this was gradually leaking out with the odd clue such as these.

"Of course, the target/surprisee will probably come to love the idea by the time the evening is over but they will have spent at least the initial part, feeling like they've had a pie in their face. Surprises suck." she expanded on her theory.

"So how do you feel about maybe telling Liam why you're here and let him have a chance to enjoy some of the fun of preparing and anticipating his special event?" she asked, smiling softly some sadness still evident in her manner and eyes.

"Thats an awful lot of Surprisor and surprisee you know," Jack said with a grin. "Maybe you're right. I still get to bake his surprise cake though yes? If you can point me in the direction of an oven."

"I don't really know where..... I'm sure there's one in the Senior Officers' Mess?" she guessed. "If not we can try to find someone on the Promenade Decks with one we can borrow". She was more doubtful about that last idea but she didn't want to be any more unhelpful than she felt she had been already and she was very relieved that he had accepted her opinion in that way so she was in the mood to make concessions and an effort now.

"Oh I forgot, Gran sent you this care package," he fished out a small bag from his kitbag and handed it too her. "I think she's been knitting, for your little one there. And somewhere, might be in my other bag I had beamed to where I'm sleeping. I have you some home made jam too."

"Thank you. That's very sweet of your Gran. Please send her my thanks" Amia said gratefully, softening even more as she opened the bag and pulled out some lovely tiny knitted cardigans in pastel colours with teeny booties and bonnets to match. "How clever she is! These are so beautifully put together."

"Yeah she's pretty good at crafts and the preservatives. Even been known to brew some homemade damson gin in her time. But no one got their hands on that," He laughed getting up to leave. "I'm glad I got to meet you finally Amia," he held his hand out and when she gave her his pulled it to his mouth and bestowed a kiss on it. "And thank you for all the advice and help. I look forward to seeing you at the gathering."

"I'll look forward to it too." she replied, pinkening softly at the chivalrous kiss he had placed on her hand. She hadn't liked him on first impressions but now she was wondering why not. It was a much better farewell than the hello had hinted at.

OFF:



Cmdr Amia Telamon
CMO - DS5

&

Jack Robinson
Baker - NPC Liam Reynolds

 

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