Author's Note: Welcome everybody! Just a quick note before I let y'all go. I know that half the dialogue here is basically straight from the story; I did it on purpose. I figured that it would be easier to have a nice familiar starting point for everyone. I did add a bit of my writing in there so y'all could get a feel for what you'd be getting into, though. And yes, it's short, but it gets longer as the chapters go on (or at least I try to). Anywho, I've talked your ear off for now, so I will let y'all be. Enjoy!

"Oh! Commander? Something you need?"

"Sorry, Lieutenant; I didn't mean to startle you."

"Yeah, well, it's been bred into me. Usually when the big shots come up here it's to yell at me. …You're not here to yell at me, are you?"

"Not at all, Lieutenant. In fact, I was just hoping to talk. Mind if I take the co-pilot's chair?"

"Uh…sure. Go right ahead."

"Thanks. I like to get to know my crew, so I was hoping I could ask a few questions. Do you have a minute?"

"Oh, I can see where this is going. You did a background check on me, didn't you? Well, I'll tell you the same thing I told the captain: you want me as your pilot. I'm not good; I'm not even great. I am the best damn helmsman in the Alliance fleet. Top of my class in flight school? I earned that. All those commendations in my file? I earned every single one. Those weren't given to me as…charity for my disease."

"I'm sorry, Joker. I didn't even know you were sick."

"You mean… you didn't know. Aw, crap."

"It's all right, Lieutenant. No harm done. And I trust the captain. If he says you should be here, then you should be here."

"Seriously? You'll just take it? No explanation or anything?"

"Well, I'd prefer an explanation from you rather than digging through your files and searching the extranet. But, the choice is yours."

"Knowing the extranet, you'd come back telling me that I actually have an increase in jumping abilities since my bones are hollow. Luckily, you have me here to give you the right facts. I have Vrolik's Syndrome; basically, all of my bones from the waist down are hollow. I manage with crutches and braces, but it's still hard to get around. One wrong step, and crack! It's very dramatic. But I've learned to manage my condition, Commander. Put the Normandy in my hands, and I can make her dance. Just don't ask me to get up and dance…unless, you know, you like the sound of snapping shin bones."

"Does it hurt?"

"Snapping shin bones? Of course they do, what type of question is that?"

"No, I meant on a daily basis. Like right now."

"Oh. No. Not really. I promise you, Commander. I can do this."

"And I believe you, Joker. I just wanted to make sure that Chakwas had you covered."

"Ugh. She does. With those stupid pills and…needles." *shudders* "You'd think we'd have progressed past that by now."

"Well, the medicine needs to get to your body somehow. I have a feeling needles won't be going away any time soon."

"Well thanks for the hope. Is there a reason that you came up here or did you just want to brighten my day with lovely reminders about my missed doses?"

"I told you Lieutenant: I like to get to know my crew. Would you prefer that I didn't?"

"Well, you're my XO so I have a feeling it wouldn't really matter anyway."

"Well, lucky for you, you happen to have an XO with ears and a sense of humor. But I'll let you go. You let me know if you need anything, okay?"

"Of course, Commander. I'll see you around."