"Rosie, please report to the Command Post."
The announcement came over the intercom just as Rosie and Bova were setting up a game of Minbar chess.
"That's strange," Rosie remarked. "Usually Commander Goddard doesn't call me during my free time." She got up and started heading there to see what was going on.
"You're probably in trouble," Bova called after her, only halfway teasing. He couldn't imagine Rosie doing something worthy of getting in trouble, but it was the worst explanation he could think of.
When Rosie arrived, she noticed that Goddard looked troubled.
"Thanks for getting here so quickly," he said. "I'm concerned about Radu. He's been acting kind of off lately, and just a few minutes ago, he was taking a turn at helm and passed out. When he came to, he said he was feeling dizzy, so I had Thelma escort him to the Medlab."
Rosie knew where this was going. "Do you want me to go check on him?" she asked.
"I would really appreciate it," Goddard said. "I think something has been wrong for a while, but for some reason he never wants to tell anyone when things are bothering him."
Rosie nodded. "Thanks for letting me know," she said as she set off to see Radu.
When she got to the Medlab, Radu was sitting on the exam chair with his face in his hands. He looked absolutely humiliated, and at first he didn't notice that Rosie came in.
"Hello, Radu," Rosie greeted him cheerfully. "Did something happen with you at the Command Post today?"
"It's really nothing," Radu muttered, not looking up at Rosie.
She knew that wasn't true, but she didn't want to upset Radu. "Mind if I check you over?" she asked, retrieving her scanner. "If it's really nothing, you'll be free to go." Radu didn't say anything or even move in response, so she began running the scanner over him and found that his right ear was severely infected. "How long has your ear been hurting?" she asked.
Now Radu knew he couldn't hide it anymore. "About a week," he answered, sounding like he was trying not to cry. He still wouldn't look at Rosie.
Rosie's heart sank. "Why didn't you tell anyone?" she implored.
"I just get scared to talk about these things," he explained. "I have such a hard time already with what the rest of you think of me. I don't want to come across as weak, plus I worry about whether anyone will take it seriously if I say I'm having a problem. Andromedans don't usually think it's a big deal when kids don't feel well, so I've been conditioned to think it's just easier to keep it to myself." He was taken by surprise when Rosie wrapped him in a hug, holding his head against her chest.
"Radu, you know I care about you," she said, weaving her fingers into his hair. "I can understand not wanting Harlan or Bova or even Catalina to know about these things, but you shouldn't hide it from everyone. It's really important that you tell me or Ms. Davenport or Commander Goddard if something is bothering you. No one can help you if you don't tell them." She stopped hugging him and patted him on the back. "Now, can you lie on your left side for me? I need to take care of your ear so it doesn't hurt you anymore."
Radu obliged, hoping whatever she was going to do wouldn't hurt. Rosie went to a cabinet and found a vial of some light blue liquid.
"This is going to feel really weird at first," she warned him as she drew some up in a dropper and filled his ear with it. It caused a kind of burning sensation, and Radu squirmed uncomfortably as it fizzed in his ear.
"Rosie, what is this?" he demanded. "How long do I have to keep this in for?" This was another reason he was hesitant to tell people when he didn't feel well; in a lot of cases, he felt that the treatment was more unpleasant than the illness itself.
"I know it's uncomfortable. It's just cleaning your ear and clearing up the infection," Rosie explained. "You have to lie there for an hour for it to take full effect, but after a minute or so, it will numb your ear so you won't feel the fizzing or any pain." She found a blanket in another cabinet and put it over Radu. "You should try to get some rest. Want me to take your boots off so you'll be more comfortable?" Radu nodded slightly, careful not to let the medicine run out of his ear. After removing Radu's shoes, Rosie took his hands in hers. "You're going to be just fine," she assured him. He didn't respond. As the numbness set in and his pain faded away, Radu realized just how tired he was; he hadn't slept well for the past week. He closed his eyes, figuring that if he was stuck there for an hour, he might as well take a nap. Noticing this, Rosie quickly left the Medlab, making sure to be as quiet as possible.
zZzZzZzZzZz
When Radu woke up, it took him a moment to remember why he wasn't in his room. As he sat up, he realized that he didn't feel any pain or dizziness anymore. Something still didn't seem right, though.
"Hello!" came Thelma's voice. "Rosie will be pleased that you're awake. I have been checking on you every half hour to see if you were awake."
"Every half hour?" Radu said, confused. "How long have I been asleep?"
"Approximately seventeen and a half hours," Thelma answered. Before Radu could ask her anything else, she left the room.
Radu sighed. How was he going to explain this to Commander Goddard and Ms. Davenport? He had missed class and his turn at the Command Post. Just as that thought crossed his mind, Goddard walked in.
"Nice to see you're awake," Goddard said with a smile. "Rosie told me everything. Are you feeling better now?"
"Definitely," Radu replied. He still felt embarrassed about passing out. "Am I in trouble or anything?"
"Only for not telling anyone sooner," Goddard replied, clapping Radu on the shoulder. "Promise me you won't let yourself suffer like that again. I really care about the well-being of all of my crew, and that includes you."
"Yes, sir," Radu replied. He still felt a little embarrassed about the whole thing, but it was nice to hear that Goddard cared so much about him.
"Now, please report back to the Command Post whenever you're ready," Goddard said, smiling again. "We're heading toward some really spectacular star formations that I think you'd like to see." He left, giving Radu a chance to get fully awake and ready to face the day.
Radu looked around, feeling more hopeful than usual. His life on the Christa still wouldn't be perfect, but now he felt more loved and accepted than he ever had before.