Tours of the Campus

BJ Pearce, Steven Hale, T'Liante and Sullivan Fishler

The tall, mousy haired older student gave all the new medical students a bright and endearing smile. BJ met each person's eyes with either a wink or a twinkle, even the straight if stunningly beautiful Vulcan girl. He had, of course, recognised her and the blond kid the second he'd seen them.. Thank heaven for military jackets and strong genes: Steven Hale was the spitting image of his father at that age. He also knew that, in true Starfleet style, those two would be housed with a couple of other freshmans of equally prestigious parentage. BJ so loved Starfleet's reliability.

"Welcome to Starfleet MEdical, ladies and gentlemen," he beamed. "My name's BJ Pearce, I've done my time where you are and now I'm studying to be a surgeon. For today, though, you may call me God or His Royal Highness, King of Medicine." It got a few snickers but nothing like the normal laugh. Been doing that gag for too long, he thought.

"Okay people I'm here to take you on a tour then some of you poor newbies are going to end up with me as your first year student contact," his eyes twinkled as he added, "The rest of you are doomed to have my colleagues and my eternal sympathy." The laughter was a bit more promising but BJ was now convinced he shouldn't give up his medical career for comedy.

The tour itself took two hours because he liked showing people all the nooks and crannies that all procrastinating students should know about. As he sauntered back the the enrolment office, his sheep in tow, he gave an idle wave to the red haired, stocky man with a bushy moustache.

"This is the end of the tour, ladies and gentlemen. I shall now hand you over to Professor Routeledge, who will get you all enrolled and assimilated into the Collective." At last! he thought as the laughter rolled easily. He'd finally warmed up. "I'll see you all around, I'm sure." With that he sauntered away.

A knock on the office door silenced the prattle of the post-graduates. BJ jumped off the desk he'd been sitting on and stashed away the plans for Rag Week. "Come in," he called, winking at the pretty redhead he shared with.

Routeledge marched in, three new cadets behind him. "Your charges, Dr Pearce. Try not to corrupt them instantaneously."

"No sir," BJ said as he smiled at Stevie, T'Liante and a kid he didn't know.

"This is Steven Hale, T'Liante and Sullivan Fishler. They will be your tutorial group." With that, Routeledge turned and marched back out.

"Well, welcome to our small piece of madness." BJ waved a hand at the office, already making his mind up to keep an eye on the Fishler kid. The things he'd heard about the boy's father were too dark not to. "This is Carrie. She's training to be a surgeon too. You'll all be welcome here to escape the insanity of tests and exams."

Stevie grinned at BJ as he offered his hand. "Ain't so bad bein' a post-grad."

"So long as you can put up with being a student for another five years, sure," BJ laughed.

"If you had not wished to continue in your studies, why are you here?" the beautiful Vulcan asked softly.

"Never said I didn't but twelve years is a long, long time." BJ shrugged. "I love what I do."

"You'd have to," Sullivan said, his voice seeming to take on a snide tone.

Okay, BJ thought, it's official, I don't like this little jerk. "Well," he said, ignoring the squirt. "I'm meant to get you all settled then take you to lunch. Anyone for Chinese?"