Famille

Synopsis: When Captain Jean-Luc Picard brings his five year-old aboard the newly commissioned Enterprise, he seeks help from an old friend.

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to CBS, its parents and affiliates. Just taking the characters out for a jaunt around the galaxy, I warrant they will be returned in the same condition I borrowed them.

Part 1

"Doctor," a young nurse nudges Crusher, pointing in the direction of the door.

Beverly turns from the biomonitor and glances toward the door, where the captain and a small blonde-haired girl are walking through the emergency ward. The captain is not in his uniform but a casual tunic and grey slacks. Somewhat caught off guard, Beverly sets her PADD down as the captain pads toward her, hand on the shoulder of the young girl.

"Hello, Captain," Beverly greets, her eyes dropping down to the little girl who is looking up at her with wide, frightened eyes.

"Doctor," Picard nods, pausing before Crusher. He looks down at the small girl and back up at Beverly with a somewhat sheepish expression. "I apologize for interrupting you. May you please have a look at Adele's arm?"

Lips falling into an easy smile, Beverly bobs her head, turning to the little girl with long, straight blond hair and big blue eyes. "Of course. What happened?"

"We were rock climbing on one of these new holodecks," Picard supplies guiltily. "She's pulled something or dislocated her shoulder. I guess it was too much. I thought she could do it."

Half-smiling, Beverly reaches for a tricorder that she had left on one of the biobeds behind her. "You like rock climbing?" She kneels down to get a better look at the girl's arm and conduct a scan. It's obvious the child has been crying and is worried.

Shaking her head, Adele glances up at the captain. "No. I'm scared of heights."

Smiling to put the girl at ease, Beverly bobs her head. "Me too."

Picard rolls his eyes, folding his arms. "It was supposed to be fun. Besides, a fear of heights is irrational."

Still smiling, Beverly reaches for the girl's arm to commence a quick exam. Adele's eyes widen in fear and she retracts her arm.

"I'd just like to look at your arm. It won't hurt," the doctor tells the little girl softly. "This is a tricorder. It will take an image of your arm and let me see if you have any broken bones."

Adele looks to Picard uncertainly.

Picard's eyes widen in understanding. "Yes, love. Give the doctor your arm."

As she extends her arm to Crusher, Adele eyes the doctor cautiously.

"I'm sorry, Doctor. I've been amiss," Picard admits, giving his head a shake. "I suppose we were wrapped up with our mission at Far Point and I forgot to introduce you. This is Adele. Adele, this is Doctor Crusher. She is our Chief Medical Officer. You will follow all of her instructions, understood?"

Nodding as Crusher scans her arm with the tricorder, Adele appraises the doctor. "Yes."

"I heard you would be on board with your father. It's very nice to meet you, Adele," Beverly grins.

Nodding, Adele watches as Beverly reads the tricorder.

"What's wrong?" Beverly inquires. " Does your shoulder hurt?"

"You're really nice for a doctor," Adele whispers softly.

Relieved, Beverly smiles. "You don't like doctors?"

"That's an understatement, Doctor," Picard jests, fixing his five year-old with an impatient look.

Laughing lightly, Beverly rises to her full stature. "Well, we'll just have to turn that around, won't we? Come on up here and we'll get you fixed up and on your way. "

"What's wrong with her arm?" Picard inquires, lifting Adele onto the biobed.

"She's dislocated her shoulder," Crusher supplies, reaching for a hypospray. "We'll have you out of here in no time."

"Will it hurt?" Adele asks, grasping for her father's hand with her uninjured hand.

Beverly injects the hypo into her shoulder swiftly and then moves to the counter. "Just for a minute. I'm sure you'll barely even feel it."

Adele absently bites her lip, watching the doctor collect supplies.

When Crusher returns to the biobed, Adele is nervously clutching the captain's hand with her uninjured hand.

"So, Adele, what do you think of the Enterprise?" Beverly inquires conversationally, taking Adele's arm in her hand, preparing to set the shoulder.

Pursing her lips, Adele studies the doctor. "It's okay."

"Just okay?" Beverly presses, consulting her tricorder. "How do you like your school, your teacher? Have you made new friends?"

Bowing her head, Adele grows still. "School's okay."

"What do you do when you're not in class?" Beverly asks, setting her instrument down.

Looking up at her father, Adele shrugs. "Sometimes we go horseback riding in the holodeck. I do my school work. I learn French."

Folding her arms across her chest, Crusher looks at Picard who has an unsettled expression on his face.

"What do you like to do for fun?" Beverly asks lightly.

"I don't know," whispers Adele, looking up at the doctor shyly.

Smiling, Beverly puts her hands on the bed and leans forward. "I'm sure we can find something."

Straightening, Adele frowns. "When are you going to fix my shoulder?"

"It's done," Crusher declares, retrieving her tricorder off of the biobed.

Eyes illuminating, Adele almost smiles. "It's fixed? But, I didn't even feel it."

"I guess we were having too much fun," shrugs Beverly playfully.

"Thank you, Doctor," Picard says evenly.

Crusher collects her instruments off of the bed as Picard lifts the little girl to the ground. "How does your shoulder feel now?"

Adele rotates her shoulder, a satisfied look on her face. "Good. Thank you, Doctor Crusher."

"Great. Captain, keep her off of the cliffs for a couple weeks," Beverly suggests in jest as Adele looks up in wonder.

"Thank you for the advice, Doctor," Picard retorts dryly. "Come on, Adele."

Smiling, Crusher follows them past the line of the beds until Adele spots a nurse with a large white cat with black spots in her arms.

"Papa, look! There's cats on this ship!" Adele exclaims, rushing up to the short brunette nurse holding the large feline.

Sighing, Picard pauses, evidently irritated at having been side-tracked by the distraction.

"This is Lieutenant Barron's cat. Her name's Ink," Beverly tells Adele, standing behind Adele and reaching over to pet the feline affectionately.

Glancing up expectantly at Picard, Adele smiles sweetly. "Can I pet the cat, Papa?"

Raising a brow at the doctor, Picard half-smiles. "Alright."

Grinning, Adele looks up at Beverly for guidance.

"Just pet her gently on the back like this," Beverly tells her, demonstrating. "Ink is going to have kittens any time now."

Slowly stroking the cat's back as the nurse watches in amusement, Adele's blue eyes light up. "Really? Will you take care of all of the kittens after they're born?"

Laughing lightly, Beverly shakes her head. "No. I haven't time for that. Actually, a few crew members have already spoken for some of them. Commander Data actually expressed interest in having his first pet."

Picard's lips curl into a tiny smile. "Mr. Data wants a cat?"

Bobbing her head, Crusher smiles. "Yes, something for him to learn. I think he'd make a great pet owner."

Whipping around to face her father, Adele beams. "Papa, can we have…"

Picard's expression turns serious as he fixes his daughter with a no-nonsense look. "No."

"But…." Adele begins to protest.

"Come on, Adele. We've taken up enough of the doctor's time." Picard takes her tiny hand and directs her toward the exit.

Following them toward the door, Beverly puts a hand on Adele's shoulder. "Hey, sweetie. You can come by sickbay tomorrow after school. Maybe Ink will have had her kittens by then and you can see them."

Smiling shyly, Adele nods. "Thank you, Doctor Crusher."

Pausing at the door, Picard watches as Beverly squeezes his daughter's hand affectionately. "Thank you, Doctor. Have a good evening."

"You, too, Captain," Beverly replies as the door slides open.