Ensign Tho’Bi - Allow Me to Introduce Myself. I am Your Mother

[Tobi]

((Ensign Tho’Bi's Quarters, Compartment 99, Section 7, Deck 5, USS Artemis)) 

The Ensign woke. It was dark in his cramped quarters. A dull electric blue glow languished in the tiny bathroom. And beyond the small porthole, the elongated cylinder and mushroom top of Deep Space 224 sparkled, a city of tiny lights, adrift in the Badlands.

In the murk, he reached out and found his PADD. Its bright display hurt his eyes, he squinted and looked again. Thirty hours. Thirty hours had passed since the Award Ceremony. Thirty hours, he had slept without waking.  

A light beam traveled across the bed and the pristine white of his dress uniform. He was still in his dress uniform. Dark blue eyes glanced through the porthole at the shuttle craft sweeping past. Artemis was loading supplies in final preparation for its next mission.

He should be on duty. He tapped his PADD to bring up his duty roster. A dull single tone buzz emanated from the PADD.

//PAD SCREEN//

CREWMEMBER: THO'BI, ENSIGN [EG-793-322]

STATUS: OFF ACTIVE DUTY [MEDICAL]  

NOTES: ENSIGN THO’BI ASSIGNED BED REST 

             UNTIL DECLARED FIT FOR DUTY 

             BY MEDICAL STAFF

MEDICAL OFFICER: BANCROFT, ROY DOCTOR/ENSIGN [XD-416-312]

//END OF PADD SCREEN//

The Ensign tossed the PADD to one side and looked at his hands in the shifting light of passing shuttles. They were still pale, a washed-out blue/white. He needed to eat.

An ugly hunk of Raw Andorian Tuber Root and Fat Grass pinned between two ragged slices of Hari gripped in one hand, the Andorian was making for his bed, when the quiet pulse of blue light around his terminal caught his eye.  

He had a message. 

//TERMINAL SCREEN | SUBSPACE COMMUNICATION//

An Andorian woman, clad in the black and gold of Engineering addressed the camera.

El'Ley: ::sarcastic:: Hello Tho’Bi. Allow me to introduce myself. I am your mother. I know it has been many months and that you do not recognise me anymore.   

The Andorian woman waved her hands in a dismissive gesture.

El'Ley: You do not need to explain. I know how easy it is to let time slide by and communications slip away. After all ::shrugs:: I am married to your father.

The Andorian woman paused for a moment and held her expression. 

El'Ley: And as you know… in your father's case, it is something I actively encourage.

The woman's manner and tone shifted. Her body language tightened up. She tilted her head to one side.

El'Ley: ::softer slower:: But my boy… as your mother… I would prefer to hear from you… my only son… that you have had a NeuroPhasic Episode. ::voice thins out:: 

The Andorian woman glanced to one side. The white of the overhead lights reflecting in her dark blue eyes. She held up a PADD with what looked like a message on it.

El'Ley:: ::thinner more uneven:: …and not from this Doctor… ::glances at PADD: Ensign Bancroft ::thin smile::

The PADD was deposited back onto the desk with a clatter. Blue hand tracked across blue face.

El'Ley: ::faster agitated:: I have sent the technical schematics and specifications Ensign Bancroft asked for. But why? ::louder and more agitated:: Why did Artemis not have them already? How many of your treatments have you missed? 

Blue palm slapped desk. Not hard, but hard enough.

El'Ley: ::calmer:: Tho’Bi… as your mother I have only ever asked two things of you. ::one finger:: One… you take care of yourself. ::two fingers:: And two… you recognise the universal constant that I am always right and your father is always wrong.

Blue hands placed deliberately on the desk.

El'Ley: Ensign Bancroft said that you needed sleep. Well… now that you've had your sleep. ::sarcastic:: And now that you are eating that ridiculous human sandwich that you make from our food… ::deliberate:: call your mother.

Blue finger pointed.

El'Ley: Because if you don't… I am boarding the fastest civilian transport docked to Deep Space 3 ::beat:: and you know they all owe me a favor ::beat:: and I am coming to Artemis… and no one will stop me.

Dark blue eyes fixed gaze.

El'Ley: ::quiet:: Because when it comes to matters of you, my boy… not even your Captain outranks me. I am your mother. 

Blue finger tapped terminal input.

//TERMINAL SCREEN | SUBSPACE COMMUNICATION | END//

The black terminal screen reflected the young Andorian's dark blue eyes back at him. He looked down at the half eaten hulk of makeshift sandwich in his hand, and then back at the dark reflection of the screen.

Tho'Bi: Uh oh.

TAG/End of Scene for Tho’Bi (and his mother)

((OOC: Bancroft references checked with Carter))

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Ensign Tho’Bi

Engineering

USS Artemis-A

A240203T11