Dinner Party

When Ron and Yori made their appearance, Kim squealed as she gave Ron a hug. Yori was more reserved, but Kim caught a sudden flash of tension between her and Joss.

What is that about? It's not because Ron and Yori were sleeping together, was it? If so, Kim resolved to have a serious talk with Joss later. She hoped her cousin wasn't so foolish to think that Ron was supposed to be celibate for ten years…

Then that thought went away as Monique also squealed and gave Ron and then Yori an Enthusiastic hug.

"Haven't been over doing the Bueno Nacho have you?" Monique said when she relinquished Ron. "Good for you, and your cholesterol."

"Hey, we use low C ingredients." Ron protested. Monique raised her eyebrows.

"Friend, 'low C' is pretty relative when you're talking about what youused to use. Say "Thank you doctor Monique.""

"Thank you doctor Monique." Ron said obediently. "So you haven't been eating at my place? I'm hurt."

"She eats there." Joss said, having dropped her tension, "So don't let her fool you."

"Hush you, I eat in moderation."

"Speaking of eating…" Dr. Possible said, a smile on her face, "I have a surprise…" She continued as the group filtered back to the room, where an odd looking meatloaf sat on the table.

"Heartloaf!" She said, "Surprise Monique!" Kim blinked.

Okay, some things were the same. She wanted to hurl.

"Heartloaf? Heartloaf?" She asked.

"Oh Kimmie, didn't you know? Monique is going to be teaching the cardiology department how to use the new regenerative cardiac surgical systems."

"Regenerative?" Kim turned to Monique.

"Oh, I was working on heart cultures for transplants during my med school—they like us to do research." She paused, and continued, "Well slave labor since they call it a class."

"Oh, I remember those." Kim's mother said.

"Well, I and Dr. Cho thought to see if instead of culturing the heart outside and transplanting it, we could culture it in the body—lay down a substrate of undifferentiated heart muscle cells and reconstruct the heart in the body." She shrugged, "And synthogoo is already a mass of undifferentiated cells, and so we just had to work on a transfer mechanism for the…" And the conversation quickly moved beyond anyone other than Monique and Dr. Possible. When Monique noticed the glazed expressions, she stopped. "Sorry, sometimes I TBTM".

"TBTM?" Yori asked,

"Talk Braniac Too Much."

"And it worked." Ann said.

"Oh yeah, but it's pricy." Monique said, "I wish we could make it cheaper—as it is, it's only because some people funded it that we're able to get it built at all. Thanks Ron." Kim blinked at that.

Ron grinned crookedly. "Don't thank, me, but I think you're not giving yourself enough credit." He turned to Kim, "Monique forgot to mention that there are about 20 doctors in the entire nation that are qualified on it—and she's one of them." Monique looked embarrassed at the congratulations coming across the table.

"It's new—by this time next year there'll be a hundred doctors." She said.

"Just as long as they don't make a mistake and put a heart loaf in me." Kim said, and after the laughter, further conversation waited until after dinner.

Once they'd retired to the living room, Kim turned to Joss.

"So what's a robo-wrangler?" She asked, "They don't have you ride your cyber horses, do they?"

"Well I have one at home, but only ride him for fun." Joss said, her Midwestern accent merging with a New York accent. "I handle the rescue and disaster relief robotics systems for the NYFD—if a building goes down, or there's a fire, I'm-" She paused, "Or someone else like me, control the robots."

"Don't let her fool you girl." Monique said, "Joss helped design the entire system and the hive system still uses her original design."

"Hive system?"

"We can't risk having a central computer." Joss said, "What if it goes down, or if it can't get through to the drones? Every drone has a computer that takes part of the load—and it all feeds back to me." She shrugged, "I use a VR control and interface set up to provide direction and override any drone that needs my direct control."

"It's a little like the UCAV systems the air-" Ron started, but Joss cut him off.

"It's not like that at all." She said, "Mine save lives."

James quickly moved to diffuse the tension. "And you should see all the designs—little snakes for getting into areas that larger units couldn't get into, flyers with thermo imaging systems to see trapped people—Joss, your designs are brilliant!"

"Dad did some of the designs." Joss said, "The hard parts—I made some suggestions, but the hardware side was really his work."

"That's not what my big brother said," James commented with a broad grin.

Later, as the party continued, Joss found herself chatting with Kim's mother—Her mother was interested in the possibility of setting up drones with the equipment that could allow a surgeon to operate remotely and was talking to Joss about it. Kim moved away as Joss started talking about the dangers of feedback loops and radio interference.

"I'd do it if it was possible, Dr. Possible, but right now it'd be pretty dangerous to the patient…. If you dropped out of the net even for a second the on board computer might…" Ron and Yori were chatting with Kim's father, and Kim found herself with Monique.

"You're looking good, Girlfriend." Monique said, "I wish I could have seen you but-"

"Only close family gets visitation rights." Kim said, "It's okay, Monique." She grinned, "But excuse me, Doctor."

"You'd better watch the mouth or I'll convince your mom to let me handle your next physical." Monique said, a mock frown on her face, "Remember, I have the tools, and know where to stick them." The two giggled, like they hadn't…

For a decade or more. Kim thought.

"So Monique, give me the 411 on, well, ah…" She gestured over to Joss.

"Well, okay…" Monique grinned, "But you'll confuse the younger generation—it's give me the wiki now."

"Oh." Kim said, as the moved over to the deck, looking out on the light sprinkled city.

"Joss…" Monique paused, "Joss was hit really hard by what happened to you."

"But why would that- she's not upset because Ron and Yori were-"

"That? No way, girlfriend. Joss is about the most open minded you'll see. As far as she's concerned, if you're not hurting anyone else, it isn't her business."

"So…."

"Well, a bunch of stuff happened—can't tell you about it, because Joss hasn't told me about it. But before she got out of high school she'd converted and become a Quaker." Kim blinked. The image of the breakfast food icon floated in her head as she looked over at Joss.

"I know what you're thinking Kim…" Monique looked around, and then over to Ron and Yori. "But everyone has been telling you, how we're at war, how we have to do this and that?"

"Yeah."

"Quakers are pacifists." Monique said, "And Joss is a Quaker and she doesn't hide it. She's had some… pretty hard times around. Lots of people equate "pacifist" with "traitor" today."

"And you know this…"

"When Joss came to NY, she stayed with me for a while." Monique paused, "Some problems back home, and Slim figured she might do better in a big city, and besides she needed facilities that he couldn't give her." She shrugged, "And Joss is great at cooking, and since I'm almost as bad as you-"

"Hey!"

"okay,nobody is almost as bad as you, satisfied?"

"Monique!"

"heh, Anyway, I got to know her. Went to a few Quaker meetings too—way different from what I grew up with, but then I'm Baptist."

"But Ron…"

"Goes out and saves the world and ever so often kills people, or puts himself in position where he might have to kill people." Monique said, "I don't know if he ever has, but Joss ain't having none of it." She sighed, "And she's paid for it. There was the time I got to practice my bone setting skills when she got a bit to outspoken near some drunk guys."

"I guess I need to talk to her." Kim said, thinking about how Joss had come to idolize Ron. "Does she hate him?"

"Nah…more like doesn't understand." Monique paused, "Ron doesn't try and pick fights, no worries there, but he's not about to back down, either." She sighed, "And Joss… " She gave a soft laugh, "They like each other, but it's a bit like two icebergs meeting."

"I understand." Kim said. She looked over at Joss talking with her mother, her hands animatedly describing how a tunnel snake could move down to provide oxygen to a trapped individual, and then over at Ron and Yori were laughing at something her father had said.

Never thought I'd see the day when Joss and Ron avoided each other.

TBC.