ten_fwd | Chocolate Milk

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Chocolate Milk

Andrew has been in a mood since the little adventure everyone had on Alemar III. He hates getting sick and he almost had gotten sick during the cave-ins. He also really disliked the fact that he couldn't really help as much as he would have liked.

It wasn't his fault that he was only nine. If only he was more capable of helping. Andrew frowns a little harder. This is going to take some thought. Clearly he needs more chocolate milk. Chocolate milk seems to be the answer to everything right now.

Andrew gets up to wander towards the replicator. He is pretty much set on ignoring everyone in Ten Forward. That doesn't really work out for him so much. Instead of ignoring everyone and continuing on his quest to be a grumpy kid he starts to take in everything going on around him. Ten Forward itself is pretty busy right now.

Andrew frowns a little more and hurries along to go get his drink. He doesn't want to lose his seat to someone else right now. He gets his chocolate milk as quickly as he can and scampers back to his seat sliding back in and making a low pleased noise. Good. It was still his though by the looks of it he won't be the only one at this table for too much longer.

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No, Andrew was absolutely right about that. When Kitt spots him, he diverts from the table he was headed for and slides into a seat across from Andrew instead.

"Chocolate milk." He nods towards the drink. "I know many humans who will swear by the fact that chocolate is the cure for whatever ails you. Are you ailing, Andrew?" He hasn't seen much of his roommate in the past few days, and he feels a little guilty for not checking in with him sooner.

"ind of, Kitt," the boy admits. The fact that Kitt is a total blank to him is almost nice. He doesn't know just how to react to the hologram avatar of the talking car. The fact Kitt is an actual AI does interest Andrew but it's mostly because he is in a car.

"I've just been in a bit of a mood since I got back from that planet."

Kitt likes kids. He just doesn't know much about them. Most of his interactions with humans have been with adults, so he tends to treat children as smaller versions of grown-ups. Sorry, Andrew. He's trying.

"What happened to you there? I meant to check in with you sooner; I apologize for my neglect." He canted his head, studying the boy and gauging his mood. "I have a feeling you're probably going to need more chocolate milk."

"I got caught in one of the cave-ins," Andrew starts. "I broke my foot."

He wiggles the toes of the foot that had been broken. They tingle a bit but that might just be in his head."I also lost my inhaler. But it's okay. I didn't have an attack."

Just trouble breathing after the first day. His lungs had started to feel super heavy.

"I just... I wish I could have helped more."

"Oh my." Kitt's curiosity changes immediately to concern. "I'm sorry, Andrew. I'm glad that you're all right now, but I wish I had been there to help." He leans over to check out Andrew's foot under the table, making sure for himself that it's okay. "Is there not something that the doctors in this time can do to help or cure your asthma? Have you been able to get another inhaler?" Surely the replicators could produce another for him?

He nods in understanding. "I feel the same way. I wasn't familiar enough with the technology to help as much as I would have liked. From what I gather it was somewhat outdated for this time, but it still seemed quite advanced to me." Not for the first time, he felt sympathy for Andrew, being here in a strange place, and so young. He was glad of his dog, at least, in that Andrew wasn't entirely alone.

"How do you think you might have helped more?"

"I guess, I just haven't... exactly asked." He looks a touch uncomfortable. Andrew does't like having attention focused on him. He also hates talking about his asthma given that it makes him feel useless.

"I took care of it." Not as well as he should have. He just mentally tells himself he had better go talk to one of the medical staff soon. "My lungs are doing okay right now."

Andrew knows he would have been useless with technology too. He is only okay with computers back home. The ones here are really weird. "I'm... A little different. I could sense the Crystaloids."

"Perhaps you should. If it would help, I could go with you to ask." Kitt wasn't one to judge a person on the basis of a condition they weren't responsible for. No one was capable of doing everything.

"I'm glad to hear it." It doesn't mean that Kitt won't be keeping a closer eye on him in the future. But now he tilts his head again, narrowing his eyes with interest. "You could sense them?"

John's been keeping an eye out for Andrew, or the kid as he tends to call him. He feels a little responsible for him since they were stuck in the cave-in together. The scowl on the kid's face doesn't put him off. He comes across and taps him on the shoulder.

"Mind if I sit down?" It doesn't seem fair to barge into Andrew's space just because he's a kid.

"No." John isn't so bad. It is obvious that Andrew is in some kind of bad mood. There are a few emptied glasses lined up on the table. Rings of chocolate milk rest at the bottom of each glass. It is pretty clear that when Andrew is feeling bad he turns to chocolate milk.

Not exactly a bad thing given milk is good for kids but maybe he should lay off a little bit. "How have you been?"

Andrew doesn't feel like talking about himself right now. Maybe he can avoid it all together?

John eyes the empty glasses as he takes a seat across from Andrew. Chocolate milk must be the kids version of alcohol. "I'm fine," he says easily. "I thought I'd check up on you, just to make sure you're no worse for wear after the cave ins. Did they get you a new inhaler? "

Because if one isn't organised, he is going to drag the kid away from his chocolate milk to sort it out. He didn't want to see the effects of Andrew going without it again.

Obviously Andrew has no problem indulging himself when he is in a mood. If he were an adult that might be an issue but because Andrew is nine it really shouldn't do anything besides maybe give him a belly ache later on.

Andrew blinks owlishly at the question. "They fixed my foot." He really has to think about this one.

"I don't have a new one. I think I forgot to ask abut a replacement. I was really tired."

John doesn't blame Andrew for forgetting to ask, the kid had been through hell. But he may just raise some stink down at the medical bay, to make sure this doesn't happen again. "Finish the rest of your milk, quickly. We are going down now to get this sorted out."

He pauses and grins at the kid. "I did promise to keep an eye on you."

That gets a slight smile of appreciation from Andrew. He is glad that John is keeping his word. The boy can't explain it but having yet another adult out there who keeps their word is nice.

"Thanks." He dips his head slightly to focus on his milk. It's a little hard since he has had quite a bit already. His stomach is going to be pretty full. Full to the point where he might not feel up for a normal sized supper.

John waits patiently, and slowly slides to his feet. "Is there anything else you need? Anyone you need me to beat up for you?" Because he's really good at taking down the bullies.

Andrew shakes his head. "I'm okay. Just...."

He doesn't know how to put it. "I think I'm homesick. Sure, I have Bernie but...Even after I moved in with my Aunt and Uncle I've never really been away from home."

He misses familiar things.

"Where is your bedroom on the ship?" John knows it must get lonely for the kid if he's surrounded by complete strangers when he goes back to his room. He's going to make an effort to check in on him at bedtime.

"Does anyone even tell you to go bed?"

"Deck Seven, section four," Andrew starts. He pushes the glass away from himself pulling a face.

"I think I had too much milk to drink." He feels way too full. "Um. My roommate Kitt checks on me sometimes. But it's not the same. He's an AI. He's nice and everything but..."

It's hard for him to listen sometimes.

John grimaces, he's one of the few lucky people to be roomed up in the VIP section. How he got there, he still isn't quite sure. It means he's a deck above Andrew. Well, he can casually show up and poke his nose around on Deck Seven and just happen to wander past Andrew's door most nights.

"An AI. Are we talking creepy AI or the I am not here to take over the world kind?"

He'd finally, finally managed to cajole Trance into letting him out of sickbay.

More honestly, it's probably just a case of Trance finally decided that she didn't need to keep him around anymore, but he's going to stick with cajoling.

She did, however, insist on him making sure he rests and eats; she's been stubbornly insisting on making sure he ate the whole time he'd been in sickbay, which is paying off. His face is less gaunt now and if he doesn't have the usual energetic drive that members of his crew are used to from their captain, at least he's got the strength to be up and about now. Which, if he'd been completely honest with himself, he hadn't had when Trance had forced him to sickbay.

Now that he's out, he's had far too much time in his own thoughts. They haven't been a good place to be.

Ten Forward is busy tonight, and Dylan's a little relieved. There should be some company, at least. Company to stop him missing the people who aren't here: Rommie. Beka. Even Molly, who he'd left on Mobius to start her training just weeks ago.

He doesn't see anyone he knows, but there are plenty of people around, and Dylan's looking around for somewhere to sit when he sees a kid, sitting alone at a table.

He smiles.

"Hey."

Edited 2014-09-24 18:36 (UTC)

"Hi." Andrew is kicking one foot lightly against a leg of the table. The way the rubber bounces off the table leg is almost soothing. He may have gone through quite a bit of milk tonight too but he doesn't care.

He has too many feelings right now. It really doesn't help him that he can tell other people are feeling lots of things too. Eventually it will be better but right now he sort of wants to frown at everyone even if it sounds silly in his head.

Maybe he won't do that. He pulls the fresh glass of chocolate milk towards him and takes a careful sip. It still leaves a streak of chocolate milk across his upper lip. He doesn't really seem to notice.

If the empty glasses are any indication, the kid is drinking an awful lot of something that Dylan isn't sure he recognizes but that looks like some sort of milk.

"You mind if I join you?" he asks.

He doesn't know the kid, but ... after meeting Henry in the sickbay, he doesn't want to leave a kid alone here without anyone to keep an eye on him. Besides. Worrying about a kid on his own here would at least distract him from thinking about Rommie, Beka, and Molly. About everything and everyone else he misses.

Besides, he likes kids, even if ...

Well. That's a thought it's not worth entertaining, because it belongs to a time and an opportunity long gone.

"No." He doesn't seem like the sort of kid who gets very chatty. Andrew does talk sometimes even if right now he feels a little grumpy and if he admits it? He feels a little sad too right now.

He really misses his Aunt right now. She would hug him. He misses the farm too. Even the slightly stinky parts.

Andrew wants to ignore what Dylan is feeling. At least it isn't over powering or overly sad at the moment. Andrew can only deal with so much right now. "It's really busy tonight, huh?"

"Thanks," Dylan says, his smile warm, as friendly as he can make it, which is extremely friendly, Dylan being Dylan. He's had an awful lot of practice at looking friendly in the last 18 months or so, and he was very good at it before that. Peacekeeping and stepping into the awkward sort of situation he sometimes wound up in when things didn't go great with Argosy Special Operations were usually helped with an easygoing smile, too.

He slips into the seat opposite the kid.

"Yeah, it is. Guess people are settling back in after what happened on the planet."

He looks around for a moment, then settles his arms against the table, hands clasped in front of him, looking back at his companion.

"I'm Dylan, by the way. Captain Dylan Hunt."

"Andrew McKee," the boy offers. He is put at ease by the friendly attitude that Dylan puts fourth. Andrew doesn't pick up on anything dangerous from the grown up. That makes it easier for him to relax.

Andrew doesn't think he will get hurt. He is very sure that the security guards would do something if there was an issue anyways.

"I'm still a little new. I got here.... a couple days before that... planet." He looks a little uncomfortable. Visibly so when he mentions the planet. He won't call it by name.

"Nice to meet you, Andrew," he says, his voice serious but friendly.

It's true, too; Dylan's always gotten on well with kids, liked them, a big part of why he'd wanted ... something he's not going to get, now.

Andrew looks a little less tense now than he had when Dylan had first approached him, too, thought he still seems wary. Which is fair enough; this place is hard enough for an adult, let alone a kid trying to work out who to trust in a place full of strangers.

Dylan's eyebrows edge upwards. There's something in those pauses that say a lot more than Andrew's words do.

"It was tough down there," he says. "I got stuck there too."

It's not Dylan's fault that Andrew is tense still. Not that Dylan has any reason to be worried over Andrew's reaction. Andrew just has a slightly keener danger sense right now.

Even if there is literally no actual danger.

"And I do bad if it gets cold," the boy half mumbles. It is obvious what he said. He just grumpily stirs his drink around by rolling the glass a bit in his small hands. "It wasn't really warm down there. I didn't like it."

He didn't like it for other reasons besides that.

"No," Dylan says in a low, gentle voice, "it wasn't, was it?"

It wasn't deep enough for the warmth of the planet's core to start permeating the mines, and though the temperature had been a fairly minor problem in comparison to everything else that went wrong down there, it had been kind of cold. Dylan had been glad for the coat he'd had there with him.

"I didn't like it much, either."

Which is an understatement. He'd hated being stuck, hated the feeling of nothing that he could do down there. Hated knowing he was stranded without any of the backup he could usually rely on.

"But we're okay."

It's added softly, but his smile's as reassuring as he can make it.

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Chocolate Milk

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