Well Wishes ... of a Sort

Posted on 13 Jan 2016 @ 5:45am by Lieutenant JG Noah Khoroushi

571 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Episode 10 - Symposium
Location: Isfahan, Earth
Timeline: MD O8 - 1300

"Do you have to go again?"

The question had been repeated numerous times and from varied sources over the past two days; at this moment, it was his baby sister. Yasmin had followed him into his old room and stationed herself atop his bed as Noah put the last few items in his tote bag. He glanced up to catch her twisting the purple strands of her forelock and shook his head. "You're going to go bald if you keep that up."

Yasmin flushed, but she tucked the lock behind her ear nonetheless. "Not that you'd care - you're too busy thinking about flying off again."

She was nearly twenty years old and yet she sat there pouting like a truculent child. He lowered the flap and moved carefully about to sit on the bed beside her. "You know I care, Yaya." She sniffed, turning away from him, but just as sudden curled into his side. Noah wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. "This is what I trained to do."

"So train to do something else." Yasmin squirmed so that she could push away again, peering up at his face. It struck Noah how much she looked like their mother - more than any other of his sisters - especially when she was upset. It was in her eyes and the tilt of her nose. As if she could read his thoughts, his baby sister tried a different line of argument. "You almost died - you still can't walk right." Her gaze dropped to his leg, even though the light walking brace was all but hidden beneath his pants leg. "Maman cried for weeks when we got the news - if something happened again ..."

"I could just as easily have been in a shuttle accident in Earth Orbit. You know that." He stood again, heading back to his bag. "Besides, i already have my next assignment. I leave tonight for Jupiter Station." Turning to the chest, Noah grabbed a last shirt to tuck in the bag. He grimaced as the action put pressure on his knee.

"It's not the same." Defeat was beginning to sound in her voice, but Yasmin held on. "Let me go with you. We can fly out to the station together, then I could come home when your ship leaves."

"And miss your mid-level exams." He closed the bag. "Even if I said yes Maman and Agha would vote us both down and you know it." Noah's expression softened. "I'll keep in touch, Yaya. I promise." She was waxing petulant again. With a sigh, he added. "You could probably come as far as Luna Base. It's only a few hours out and you would be back in time for school." She had been to the base before when he was on a summer internship at the Academy, and then when he left for his first mission after graduation. Noah knew their parents would have nothing against Yasmin accompanying him that far, at least.

Her lips pursed in thought before Yasmin asked, "And you'll take me out for dinner at Clio's?"

Noah chuckled. "If you insist. Go pack your bag. I'll talk to Maman."

Yasmin leaped off of the bed and hugged him wildly before flying from the room. Noah just managed to keep his balance in her wake, pausing a moment before he headed out of the room to find his mother.

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