<USS Meridian> =/\= A Few Words =/\=
- From: HotSheep4U@xxxxxxx
- To: ussmeridian@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 7 Aug 2005 18:24:12 EDT
=/\= A Few Words =/\=
by Lt. Marnie Armstrong
Marnie left Sickbay on her lunch break to have a talk with her sons' tutor.
She and Caden had wanted to speak with the young man together, but their
schedules didn't seem to be allowing it, and this was not a talk that could be
put
off indefinitely. So after checking with her husband, she went to the small
conference room near their quarters which had been transformed into a
schoolroom for the boys.
Zak and Davey were busy at their terminals when she entered, and barely
looked up, with indistinct mutters of, "Hi, Mum." Marnie gave them each a
special
smile and a silent touch of approval before extending her hand to the tutor.
"Mr. Thomas, I know we've barely had a chance to meet in passing, and I'm
terribly sorry. I trust my sons have been behaving themselves for you?"
The young man grinned. "Oh, absolutely, Dr. Armstrong. And please, call me
Devin. I've asked the boys to do so, and it would be silly for you to call me
Mr. Thomas when your kids are calling me by my first name."
Marnie laughed. "Well, then, if you're to be Devin, I'm Marnie. I just
wanted to touch base with you, see how the boys are doing, and give you a bit
of
advice." She spoke quietly, though Davey and Zak had been warned that their
parents would be telling the tutor what to watch out for.
"I hope they're not such bad kids that I need advice," Devin chuckled. "They
really have been very good, and they're more advanced in their studies than
I'd expect at their age."
"They started first grade at age four," Marnie explained. "Most kids do, in
our community. And being allowed to progress at their own pace, most graduate
high school at fourteen or fifteen. "But as bright as they are," she went
on, "they are still children and shouldn't be mistaken for little adults." And
she smiled to soften her words.
"Not a mistake I'd make," Devin assured her. "I graduated at fifteen myself,
which is how I got my Master's at twenty-one. Kids need time to act their
age. I've reserved gym time and holodeck time on a regular basis."
Marnie nodded along as he spoke. "Good job, that," she approved. "The other
thing you ought to be aware of, especially as you're to have them in the gym
and in the holodeck, is that my boys have some... ah... unusual abilities, not
typically found in children from Earth. They've been taught from an early
age not to show off, but they are still children, and children occasionally
forget." She watched the tutor's face as she spoke. "So you'll not be too put
off if something unusual should happen? And just remind them that the rule is
they're not to show off?"
Devin's brows rose as she spoke. "As long as it's nothing dangerous..." he
offered.
"Oh, no, nothing dangerous." She was concerned by his trepidation, and
decided to elaborate. "But Davey's got the habit that when he gets excited his
feet won't touch the floor... and Zak has a few quirks as well," she confided.
"Just remind them, and everything will be fine."
"Uh... all right." Devin still seemed skeptical, but nodded.
Marnie grinned and patted him on the shoulder. "You'll do fine, Devin. And
they do seem to like you. Feel free to contact me, or their father, if
there's any sort of problem." She checked the time. "I've got to get back to
work..." Her voice raised a bit. "Be good, boys." And she left the
classroom,
with the tutor looking after her.
=/\=
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