Smith slowly drifted into consciousness. He looked around his cabin. Something didn't feel quite right. Carefully extracting himself from the pile of sleeping cubs and stepping lightly over Artemis, he left his cabin to satisfy his curiosity. The ship was quiet. Each cabin door was closed and the Robot stood like a silent sentinel in his compartment. Smith climbed the ladder rungs to the upper level. When he got to the top deck, he heard a muffled knocking sound. It seemed to be coming from the hatch.
The doctor went to the inner door and opened it. He peered through the porthole in the outer door. His eyebrows rose in alarm, for there outside the ship was Professor Robinson. He hit the button to open the hatch.
Behind him, he heard a small sound. He turned and saw Deimos had followed him. He turned back to the Professor.
"Professor Robinson, what are you doing outside? I thought..."
Before Smith could finish his sentence, the Professor's hand shot out and grasped his throat. He grabbed it with both hands, trying in vain to free himself from the iron grip. Suddenly, the illusion melted away and he saw Kai in the Professor's place.
Deimos pounced on the alien, sinking his sabre-like incisors into Kai's leg. Kai screamed in pain and released the doctor, shoving him hard. Kai tried to release the determined cub from his leg, but Deimos held tight. The alien tried hitting him, choking him, but nothing dissuaded the cub as his teeth and claws dug deep into the leg.
Kai turned and tried to leave the ship, dragging the tenacious cub behind him. As soon as the alien passed the threshold, Deimos released his grip and returned to Smith, who lay motionless on the deck. The cub nudged him with his nose, but he didn't move. Deimos jumped onto Smith's chest trying to wake him.
Smith shrieked and sat straight up. Deimos jumped back. The two looked around, confused to be back in bed. They both felt the calming influence of Artemis.
You are safe. You had a nightmare. Deimos seemed to pick up on your thoughts during your sleep and shared the dream with you.
Smith and the little black cat looked at each other in amazement.
You have a strong bond, Artemis said. It may even be stronger than the bond you and I have.
Smith did not sense any jealousy in Artemis' statement. In fact, he felt she was proud of her offsprings' abilities. He gathered up Deimos in his arms and stroked his back, comforting the startled and confused cub. "I'm sorry, Deimos. I certainly didn't mean for you to get caught up in my nightmares."
A knock came at the door. "Doctor Smith? Is everything alright?" Mrs. Robinson asked.
"Yes, madam. It was a nightmare," Smith replied. "I'm sorry to have awakened you."
Used to Smith's frequent nightmares by now, Mrs. Robinson bid the doctor goodnight and returned to her bed.
Deimos protect, the little cub said as he rubbed his head underneath Smith's chin.
Yes, you did, didn't you. Thank you, my little ferocious feline.
He felt the tickle of Deimos laughter in his mind at the alliterative phrase.
While tonight's visit with the Robinsons was pleasant, Artemis continued, your nightmare clearly shows you have issues left to resolve with them. You know what they went through. They need to know what you went through. Everything must be out in the open. They need to know how you felt.
I do not discuss my feelings with the Robinsons, Smith insisted.
Then there will continue to be a rift between you, Artemis concluded.
The doctor sighed and nodded in agreement. I suppose you learned to psychoanalyze from me too, Smith chuckled.
You are a good teacher, Artemis confirmed.
Smith laid back in his bed and Deimos settled on his chest, purring, his head right over Smith's heart. The two fell back asleep quickly.
Concerned, Artemis monitored the two for a while to make sure they did not have another nightmare. When she was certain they would be fine, she settled her head on her paws and went back to sleep.
The girls awoke earlier than the boys and quietly slipped out of the cabin to find breakfast. Penny was helping her mother prepare breakfast when she saw the cats out of the corner of her eye.
"Oh, hello. Good morning," she said as she knelt to pet the felines.
Not having Smith's thoughts to draw from, Artemis could not understand what Penny was saying. It was puzzling, since she understood English when Smith spoke it, but she was not understanding it now. The mental link must be key, she thought. She did understand the body language, however, and knew the girl was greeting them. Artemis, Aurora, and Nyx sat patiently as Penny pet each one in turn.
"Are you hungry?" Penny asked. She beckoned them to follow her, which they did.
Each cat sniffed eagerly, picking up the aroma of cooking meat.
"I saved some meat for you... for breakfast," Penny explained.
Mrs. Robinson smiled, watching Penny interact with the felines. "Dear, why don't you take them outside first. They've been cooped up in the ship all night. They might want to stretch their legs..."
"... and go to the bathroom?" Penny finished, understanding her mother's subtle hint.
Her mother's smile confirmed her assumption. She signaled for the cats to follow her to the elevator, which they did.
The Professor, freshly dressed after his shower, joined his wife in the galley, giving her a peck on the cheek as he accepted a cup of coffee from her. "Smith still asleep?"
"Yes, and with what he's been through, I don't blame him. It's probably the first solid night's sleep he's gotten, sleeping fully secure behind the walls and forcefield of the Jupiter 2," Mrs. Robinson stated.
"Do you remember finals week in college? After the stress of exams was over, I must've slept for two days straight," the Professor shared.
"I had nightmares for years after," Mrs. Robinson added, "that I missed my final exams."
"Or showed up naked," the Professor laughed.
"That too," Mrs. Robinson smirked.
"Smith's been under constant stress trying to survive here for quite some time. It wouldn't surprise me if he slept for a week," the Professor proposed.
"Smith's not up yet?" the Major inquired as he joined the couple. He stifled a yawn. "Even after all he's been through, I guess I didn't expect him to miss breakfast."
A berobed Judy joined them all a few minutes later. She caught the tail end of the conversation and looked toward the doctor's cabin. "I'd probably sleep all day too," she added. "So, what's the plan?" She looked to her father to supply an answer.
"Simple," the Professor stated. "We get things back to normal as quickly as possible. We demonstrate our remorse for leaving him here. Show him we're glad he's ok. Reiterate that we want him to come with us."
"I guess that means I should keep my mouth shut," Don offered with a grin.
The others laughed while the Professor confirmed, "Yeah, it would be best if you don't antagonize him, Don."
"Breakfast in bed would be a good start," Judy offered.
"Yeah, but we don't want him to get too used to being waited on hand and foot," Don replied. "He'd be insufferable then."
"Don," Judy gave warning with a light slap to his arm, then smiled because she knew he was right.
Penny returned with the cats and Will finally left his cabin. They joined the group at the table and the others quickly filled him in as Mrs. Robinson served breakfast.
"Maybe Doctor Smith will join me in rock hunting today," Will mused.
"Well, that certainly would be getting things back to normal," John replied.
"It hasn't been the same without him tagging along," Will explained.
When breakfast finished, the kids took the cats outside to play while Maureen and Judy cleared the table. After that chore was done, the two sat at the table chatting, waiting for signs of life from Smith's cabin.
Half an hour later, they heard scratching at the door, then a baritone voice punctuated by yawns, "Patience, little one. Give me a moment to wake up."
The ladies took that as their cue to deliver breakfast in bed to the good doctor. Judy rapped lightly at the door. "Doctor Smith?"
"Come in," Smith answered.
Mrs. Robinson slid the door open for her daughter. "We thought you'd enjoy some breakfast in bed," Judy announced.
Smith smiled. "How thoughtful!" He propped himself up in bed and took the tray that Judy offered. "Thank you."
Mrs. Robinson left for a moment and came back with a little bowl. She placed it in front of Deimos, who was on top of the blanket on the bed, laying in the gap between Smith's legs. He sniffed and immediately started eating.
"Enjoy," Judy said. "Oh, and if you're up for it later, Will would like you to join him on a rock hunting expedition."
"Thank you, my dear," Smith replied. "Tell William I'll be ready in an hour."
Smith wolfed down his breakfast and made a beeline for the shower. He had been yearning for a long, hot shower for some time. Deimos stayed behind and lounged on the bed.
Quickly, the doctor stripped off his clothes, anxious to luxuriate in the seemingly endless supply of hot water. Oh, he'd had hot showers during his abandonment on this planet thanks to the hot springs and some engineering ingenuity, but those were limited to a minute at most. And, he didn't dare bathe in the hot springs since he used it for drinking water during the cold winter months. The only time he got completely clean was when he'd dunk himself in the cold river and stayed in long enough to thoroughly scrub all the grit and grime from his skin. Needless to say, those times were few and far between. He made due with quick "sponge baths" most of the time. He felt absolutely no guilt at depleting the ship's store of hot water, knowing there was plenty of water nearby to replenish it.
For the first five minutes, he just stood there and let the hot water pour over his head and trickle down his body. He breathed in the steam and let out a satisfied moan as his taut, overworked muscles began to relax. He grabbed the soap and lathered himself up from head to toe, then rinsed every inch of himself, relishing the feeling of finally being completely clean. Next, he grabbed the shampoo and lathered up his hair, working out knots and mats with his fingers. He looked forward to the haircut Mrs. Robinson had promised.
About a half hour later, Smith turned off the water with a contented sigh. As he stepped out of the shower and toweled himself off, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He'd seen his relection in pools of water, but he hadn't seen himself in high definition, as it were, since he was exiled from the Jupiter 2. He ran a hand over his beard, then ran that same hand through his hair. He was tanned and healthy, but the stress had clearly deepened the lines on his face. Still, he had survived, when no one had expected him to. He smiled at his reflection as he tamed his long, unruly hair with the Professor's comb.
Out of habit, he picked up his razor and was about to shave off his beard, but remembered Mrs. Robinson's comment. Instead, he shaved his cheeks and trimmed the rest, leaving a neat Van Dyke beard. I look like I should be teaching 19th century literature to freshman college students, he laughed.
The doctor peeked out of the bathroom and, finding the coast was clear, walked to his cabin with a towel tied around his waist. Upon entering his cabin, he found a fresh uniform to replace the one that had all but been torn to shreds in his trials on this world. Mrs. Robinson had left it while he was in the shower.
After dressing, he left his cabin and found Mrs. Robinson waiting for him in the kitchen area.
"Thank you for the new clothes, madam," he said as he ran a hand up and down one of the arms. "So much softer on the skin than animal hide."
The Robinson matriarch smiled. "Sorry about the fit. I used your previous measurements. You've clearly lost some weight," she explained. "And put on some muscle."
One corner of Smith's mouth twitched upward at the veiled compliment.
"Are you ready for that haircut?" she asked.
"Beyond ready," he replied. "I really don't understand how you women can stand to keep your hair long." He took in a deep breath and exhaled quickly. "This sheep is ready to be shorn. Clip away!" he exclaimed as he plopped into the seat to which Mrs. Robinson gestured.
In the matter of a few minutes, a small pile of Smith's locks pooled on the ground around the chair. Mrs. Robinson held a small mirror out for him and he ran his hands alongside both sides of his head. "Perfect," he stated. "My deepest gratitude. It may seem like a small thing, but I'm beginning to feel... normal... again." He cleared his throat as he felt emotion well up. A hand squeezed his shoulder and he could see Mrs. Robinson's radiant smile in the mirror.
"Will's waiting for you outside," she replied.
"Thank you," he said, as he stood, hand on his chest and bowing slightly toward her. As she moved to give his arm a squeeze, he intercepted her hand, brought it to his lips, and placed a gentle kiss upon it. He squeezed it once before letting it go.
Mrs. Robinson grinned at the doctor's old-fashioned, chivalrous gesture. How she'd missed him. "Have a good time, doctor."
"I fully intend to." He clicked his heels together, turned sharply, and quickly disappeared up the ladder to the upper deck.