Warrant Call Home

Posted on Tue Jun 28th, 2022 @ 8:55pm by Game Master
Edited on on Fri Jul 5th, 2024 @ 4:12pm

1,718 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Interdimensional Archives
Timeline: Prior to Righteous's scientific mission

Bhen settled into the chair as the screen stated the subspace call was still being connected. It felt good to sit. It’d been a long day trying to wrap up as much as he could on the cases he currently held. He’d received the news he would be temporarily assigned to the Righteous as security chief for a routine scientific survey.The ship’s currently serving security chief was offloading for another assignment and the new chief wouldn’t arrive prior to the Righteous’s departure. Starfleet assigned him as a stand in since the station could spare him for the length of the trip and there wasn’t expectation of real problems.

He would be gone from his normal duties as the station’s chief investigator for several weeks. Of the things he needed to square away before disembarking for the Righteous was to contact his family back home. He spoke with Daria a few days ago when she arrived home with Mummi and Pappa. He wanted to call more but he was suddenly busy trying to get ready.

The screen beeped and the image changed. Mummi appeared, her silver hair with it’s braided crown and piercing blue eyes came online. She appeared small and frail but Bhen knew very well the strength in that disparate visage. She sat in front of the screen in her nightdress and robe, the house behind her dark except for the soft light of several lamps. The aged and polished wood of the ancestral home gleamed with dark warmth and, as he often did, Bhen longed to be there.

“Mummi,” Bhen said. “Where’s Daria?”

“In bed, asleep, where a child should be at this time of night,” Mummi’s voice was sharp with reproach, a tone with which Bhen was all too familiar. He’d heard that same sharp, acerbic tone as a child raised by his grandparents. Pappa was by far the more lenient of the two, but then again, even Pappa played it straight where Mummi was concerned. But he glanced at the local time on the screen and sighed.

“I’m sorry, I thought it was early still,” Bhen said.

“No, is late. Very late. You should call earlier. Your daughter misses you.”

Bhen didn’t need the reminder of his failure as a parent. It was the primary reason he almost failed to get any custody of Daria at all. If not for Mummi and Pappa stepping up and accepting Daria for those custody times when Bhen was deployed elsewhere. Which he had been for most of Daria’s young life.

“I make sure she makes video for you. When do you leave on new assignment?” Mummi asked.

“In a few days, I’ll try again in the morning,” Bhen said. “How is she? She doing well?”

“She grows like weed, and eats like hungry wolf.” Despite the criticisms Mummi smiled. “She takes after father like that. She will sprout up another full inch over next month, I am sure. Always she is hungry. Growth spurt for sure.”

Bhen laughed at that. Daria was only six but taking after him in height. And as a girl she would grow to full height sooner than any boy.

“She does well in school, which is good, Pappa and I cannot help with homework anymore. So advanced kids are these days, they know so much more than we did at their age. But she does well.” Mummi pursed her lips and stared at the screen. “You do not appear well.”

“I’m okay,” Bhen lied. He knew that Mummi knew he lied so there was no point. Except, in some way he was trying to keep her from worrying. “I’m just busy. Trying to wrap up things here so I can leave with a clear conscience. You always told me to clean up my own messes.”

“Oh, now you clean after yourself? Last time you were here you still left dirty dishes everywhere and could not find the refresher for your dirty socks.”

“Mummi-” he started to protest but she held up the single finger a sure sign that he was to be quiet and listen.

“Many times I tell you to put dishes and socks where they belong, and many times I find you did not listen again. Daria, she puts dishes in washer and dirty clothes in refresher, where they belong. She helps with chores. Her mother may be godless, unloving wife, but she is good mother. For that we are grateful. But you, you do not deny you are messy when you are home. Maybe when you are off playing Starfleet security officer you clean up after yourself, maybe your bosses tell you to neatly stack your files and clear your desk, I do not know. Only do I know what happens when you are home.”

“Leave the boy alone,” Pappa said as he entered the frame and gave Bhen a wink. “Boys are supposed to be messy. They are supposed to leave socks on floor and dishes on couches. It makes them tough and they grow up big and strong. Is good they are strong when they are security.”

“Pappa, you do not encourage such things. He is grown man now, with responsibilities and should be responsible. He is father and how is he to teach a child good things when as grown man he cannot do good things himself?”

“Aw, my love,” Pappa said and gave his wife a quick kiss on her lined cheek. “You are right but I would rather Bhen be happy to be home than unhappy to be nagged.”

“Pappa,” Bhen said, “I’m always happy to be home. I love you both always. And Mummi wouldn’t be Mummi if she did not always try to make me better than I am.”

“You!” Mummi said her finger wagging. “Had I a herring right now…”

Bhen laughed, “Okay, Mummi, okay.”

“One day, I call your boss and I tell him you deserve the fish slap. I am sure he would agree. The way you make fun of your old Mummi. Next time you are home, you get the oatmeal raisin cookies.”

“Mummi!” Bhen said, shocked at the reprisal.

“My love,” Pappa started.

“No, you get oatmeal raisin as well. You encourage him to be smart mouthed,” Mummi said, but not as tart.

“Now, see, Bhen, you get Pappa in trouble and he has to eat the raisins. What is this world coming to when Pappa’s must eat raisins.”

“Sorry, Pappa,” Bhen said holding back laughter. That was his grandparents, the couple that raised him after his father passed and his mother was unable to manage. His Mummi had always been strict. But there was a loving heart underneath that steel. In many ways Mummi’s ways helped him to survive, especially after the attack that left him mangled and resulted in the amputation and replacement of his arm and leg, as well as eye. When he first woke up in medical, she was there by his side and remained there throughout his convelescance. Her strength helped carry him when he needed it the most. Especially after Daria’s mother decided she didn’t have the ability to stick by him and left him. The divorce would have been over quickly had she not tried to keep his daughter from him. “You know I love you, Mummi,” Bhen said.

“You love my double chocolate chip cookies and just want to get on my sweet side.” Her stare softened though and she had a slight smile.

“I love your cookies as well,” Pappa said, the double entendre not at all subtle. Bhen stopped laughing and made retching sounds.

“If the two of you will excuse me, I need to go make an appointment with the counseling staff. I’ve suddenly developed childhood trauma.”

“No, you be quiet now boy, I just got back the double chocolate chip cookies, you make me eat oatmeal raisin now and you will be doing chores your entire next time home,” Pappa said.

“Now you agree with me that he is unmannered and a handful,” Mummi said leaning against her husband. “Now it is late, you need sleep, Bhen. Off to bed now.”

“Yes, Mummi,” Bhen said, somehow feeling more chastised than at any other time in the conversation.

“Do not sneak your funny books, it is past bedtime. You can have your funny books when you are doing nothing on the ship.”

Bhen shook his head, “Mummi, I haven’t read comic books since I was a teenager.”

“Sure, you say that now, but how do I know? Always you were too tired in the morning because you sneak the funny books past bedtime. Daria, she is good girl, goes to bed on time and goes to sleep like a growing child should. You go to sleep now and tomorrow, when you wake up on time, you call Daria and make her happy.”

“Yes, Mummi,” Bhen said, sure that it was just easier to give in than to convince her he didn’t stay up late reading comic books anymore. He was a career Starfleet Security officer and he did not read comic books. Much. Certainly not at bedtime. Hardly anymore.

“You too big and grown to give Mummi and Pappa goodnight kiss?” Mummi said, her voice becoming stern once more.

Bhen shook his head and blew a kiss to the screen, wishing he could do so in person. But then if he did, he would also have been able to give Daria her goodnight kiss as well. “Love you both, I don’t know what I’d ever do without you being there for me.”

“Never clean up after yourself most likely,” Mummi said as she reached out to end the call. The screen went momentarily blank before the Starfleet logo reappeared on the screen indicating the channel was closed. Bhen leaned back in his chair and stared at the bed. He was tired and sore from running around all day and crawling into bed did seem like the best idea.

Well, Mummi was usually always right, he thought to himself as he got out of the chair and started getting ready for bed.

 

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