Poster Child for Poverty, Part 3

Posted on Mon 17th Feb, 2020 @ 9:40pm by Elizabeth Anderson M.D. & Lieutenant Commander Alora Baro

1,378 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Resolution
Location: Brown Sector, Deck 2445
Timeline: MD -15, 1050

Previously, preparing for the Brown Sector ...They were quiet for a few minutes until the tram came to a stop at their station. "Well, here goes something, I hope," the counselor said, rising and waiting for an older woman to step off in front of her. As the two of them walked out of the station toward the lift that would bring them up the last few floors, Elizabeth smiled and said, "We've got this, right?"

"With us two how could we not?" Alora smiled and replied gamely.

And now, the conclusion ...

Business began slowly. Dr. Anderson opened the door to the small offices she had rented, just two rooms and a bathroom, really, and found it a little stuffy inside. She flipped a switch on the wall, which was supposed to circulate cool or warm air, but nothing happened. With a shrug, she said, "I guess we'll leave the door open and hope for the best. I'll have to get a repairman down here. What do you know about Corin Durant's skills? I saw Durant Repair Services on Deck 1548."

Alora pretended offense, "What am I chopped flarn?" she quipped. "I can have a look until we get a few people!"

The counselor laughed, "Ooops! I forgot you are in engineer - the top engineer, in fact. I'm so used to having to call someone for help." The truth was, she had a database full of information, but having knowledge and knowing how to fix things didn't always turn out to be compatible skills. "You go right ahead and see what you can do."

Knowing she was there to help, not fix everything, Alora's old habits died hard. "To answer your question," she said getting down to one knee to pull off the AC/Heating cover to the unit, "They're pretty good, rates are reasonable, fairly professional and haven't heard of them cheating anyone.... Not too shabby, overall," she replied after a moment of thought.

"Oh, good to know. If I'm down here without your excellent skills, I won't be afraid to call on them, then. Thanks," she waved at the insides of the unit that was dark and dusty mystery to her, "you know, for anything you can do. I appreciate your being willing to turn your hands to whatever comes up, but I wasn't considering that when I asked you to help. Let's say I owe you an extra lunch at Jade's place for this."

Alora paused in what she was doing and looked a little sheepish as she shrugged, "I can't really help it. If people have something broke, I want to fix it for them. Make it right, as it were. I can't cook or heal, but I can fix things, so it's how I help. My Academy roommate used to joke I had helium hand, always volunteering to help." She shrugged with a small laugh, "Where I came from, if you could do you did, it helped make everything easier for everyone." Then she turned and smiled more broadly, "And since I can't cook, I can always be bribed with food. Thank God for replicators in a pinch, though."

Elizabeth laughed. "I agree. And for people who know how to program them correctly. I'll leave you to it, then. Call if you need a clumsy hand to hold something. I'm going to check that everything is set to go ... should someone come in.

She checked the bathroom, which was just as she'd left it, neat and tidy, with plenty of soap and a silent hand dryer. No dust had collected in the two days since she'd been down to stock it. The truth was, she felt out of place with the engineer being so knowledgeable about machines. As she wandered into the office, she thought about what the woman had said. "... if you could do, you did ...." That was not a bad philosophy for living alongside other people. She wondered if the people here in the Brown Sector followed that same rule. She hoped she'd find out.

Nothing needed doing in the office, either, so the counselor sat down in the chair behind the desk to wait. Would anyone show up? She'd posted ads on what someone called the guild wall - a place to put want ads and services. Somehow, it didn't seem likely that people down here listened to Caroline Post, or any programing from up over, so she hadn't added any sponsorship to the news segments she already had going for her Tivoli Gardens office. This was a world away from all that.

Before long, cool air began to stir, and it was a relief to know her savings for a much larger project were safe for the moment. And then she heard the chime on the door mat.

Alora had just put the panel back on the AC unit when she heard the door and glanced over to see who'd come in, already reaching for the intake PADD she'd put down near her.

A young mother with a child appearing to be about two entered the front room. Shyly, she asked, "Is this where I can talk to someone about my son?"

"Certainly." Alora stood smiling, holding the intake PADD, "I'm Alora. I help Doc Lizzie." She said informally to put the other at ease, "If she can't help, we know who does. And you are?" Alora looked solid and earnest but wasn't pushy. She knew with these kinds of people respect and gentleness have done much to cross bridges.

Hesitantly, the woman said, "Inje Baidusi." After a moment she added, "And this is my son, Inje Ebu." Hearing his name, the boy looked up. His eyes were bright with intelligence. "He is not thriving," his mother said softly.

Alora's heart broke a little at her tone and she smiled at the little boy, "Well, let's see what we can do about that." She said kindly. "Why don't you have a seat, and I'll get the smart one in here to lend a hand." She waited until both were seated, then tapped quickly, filling out the intake form and sending it to the Doctor.

Elizabeth saw the form come up when the computer dinged, and she downloaded it into her own database immediately. A moment was all it took to absorb the details, and then she came through the door. "Mrs. Inje? Would you care to bring your son back, and I'll have a look at him and listen to your words." She cast a glance of thanks to Alora and held the door for the Injes.

The woman stepped across the threshold, keeping her son close, and glanced around the office. "Look, Ebu, a tree is growing inside." She pointed at the plant in the corner, it's full green leaves climbing a post up toward the lights. Looking at Elizabeth, she asked. "Please, say what is this tree?"

"It's called a philodendron. It's from my planet, Earth, where it has existed for hundreds of years. Not this particular one, but ones like it. It's what we call a vine, and it grows toward light, wrapping around whatever it can find. I gave it the post to grow around, but some time, I will have to either trim it back or give it something more to climb. Do you like plants, Ebu?" she asked.

The boy nodded, and looked at her in question. Rapidly, her sensors took in all the aspects of his stance and facial expression, and she answered the unspoken question, "Yes, it's perfectly alright to touch it. It doesn't poke or stick, and can't hurt you, as long as you don't eat the leaves. And you can't hurt it, either."

The child let go of his mother's hand and moved closer, tentatively reaching out to touch one leaf. As he explored carefully, Mrs. Inje said wistfully, "I wish my boy to grow like this tree."

"Tell me what worries you," the doctor said.

Alora took a deep breath as they entered the inner room and the door closed. She hoped the doc could do something. Alora could fix items, but people - that was outside her realm. Speaking of which, she positioned herself to see the outer door and waited for the next person.

 

RSS Feed