The characters don't belong to me.  Which is a shame.

Of sickness, mushies

and astrums
 

 
“And then she told me this dumb story about a siress who was so delicate that she could feel a pea all the way through a hundred mattresses.  That’s rubbish, you know, Starbuck, because once I fell asleep with a really big mushy in my bed and I didn’t feel it at all.”

“Yes, that’s nice, Boxey.  Now you really do need to be asleep before your dad gets home.  You know he won’t be pleased to find you’re still awake at this time of night when you’re sick.”

“Not just me - everyone’s sick with these huge red spots.  Why haven’t you got them, Starbuck?”

“Because I’m a grown up and only children get clucker pox.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know.  Now just close your eyes….”

“I’ve even got spots on my astrum now.  Do you want to see?”

“No, thanks anyway.  And I don’t think you should use words like that, Boxey.”

“That’s what Grandfather said, but I said it was all right because you said it too.”

“You did, did you?”

“Yes!  I told him that you said my dad has a really nice astrum.”

“You said WHAT?”

“You don’t need to shout, Starbuck, I haven’t got spots in my ears.  Do you think -” 

“Boxey, just hold on a micron.  When did you hear me say that?”

“Last night, when you and Dad came in and Athena left and then you said that Dad had a really nice astrum and then he said your name and laughed and then you shut the door and I couldn’t hear anything more.”

“Thank the Lords for that.”

“But Starbuck, I’m ill, and I was bored, and it wasn’t nice of you not to come and see me when Athena had been telling me horrid stories all evening about siresses and yukky stuff and not giving me any mushies and - ”

“And I think she’s made up for it today, if this level of hyper is anything to go by.  Go to sleep, brat.”

“But I’m bored.”

“And I’m tired and – hold on a micron, kid: what did the Commander – I mean Grandfather – say when you told him what I had said about your dad?”

“Well, his face went all sort of squonky like it did when he had toothache that time and then it went all purple but Colonel Tigh was coughing - ”

“Tigh was here as well?”

“Why’s your voice all squeaky, Starbuck?  It sounds funny, like Colonel Tigh’s did when he stopped coughing.”

“Never mind that, what was he doing here?  Not that it really matters now that the Commander knows anyway and my life as I know it is over.”

“Colonel Tigh came to talk to Grandfather about something when Grandfather was making me lunch, and Grandfather told me to wash up and sit down for lunch and I told him that I had spots on my astrum and that’s when he said I shouldn’t use that word and I said that it was all right because –"

“Yes, because I said it to your dad.  I get that.  Lords, I’m dead.”

“I certainly hope not.”

“Apollo!”

“Dad!”

“I thought you were supposed to be asleep by now, young man, getting better to go back to lessons tomorrow.”

“I don’t want to go to lessons.  I’m ill.  I’ve got red spots everywhere still, even on my astrum.  Do you want to see?”

“No!  And you shouldn’t use that word, Boxey.”

“But Starbuck - ”

“Starbuck is wishing he had never used that word, especially in connection with Apollo, and Starbuck promises that he will never use that word again, probably because Starbuck is going to be spaced as soon as Grandfather next catches up with him.”

“Star?  What’s going on?”

“Believe me, Apollo, you really, really don’t want to know.”

“So have you been good, you little monster?”

“Yes, and Grandfather made me lunch and Athena gave me a mushy – “

“Thought as much.”

“- and let me watch IFB and then Starbuck came in and he told me about the time you ran away from this really huge crawlon and didn’t see where you were going and fell into the lake and – "

“He did, did he?”

“Yes, he did, and then he told me about the time – "

“I think that’s enough, Boxey – your dad must be tired after the long day he’s had, doing all the important Captainy things he does.  Why don’t you snuggle down and go to sleep.”

“If I have to.  But I’m not well enough to go to lessons tomorrow.”

“We’ll see.”

“But I’m not!  Look at all my spots!”

“Pull the covers back up and go to sleep, Boxey.”

“Oh, all right.  Night, Dad.  Night, Starbuck.”

“Night, son.”

“Good night, you little brat.”

“Dad?”

“What now, Boxey?”

“Why did Colonel Tigh’s voice go squeaky when I told Grandfather that Starbuck thinks you’ve got a really nice astrum?”

 

“Dad?”

*****
End
*****