Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek. I never will. Ha! You can't sue me
now, can you? Copyright infringement, sheesh!
Amanda Picard sat on her bed. Every part of her body was in pain. She could feel the
throbbing of her arms, legs, and head as she reclined to lie down. She was in agony; not
only did she just finish a field hockey game, but also she had been working out lately and
her muscles seemed to have nothing left to give. She bitterly recalled the events of the
game. She was on her way down the field (in a holodeck, of course) to score a goal. She
was almost there when a member of the other team slammed into her, knocking her to the
ground and allowing him to run down the field in the other direction and score. She
protested but her claims found no attention; her friends on the team were already leaving
the holodeck, eager to shower off and do their homework. She never needed to do her
night work at home, she always did it while she was supposed to be learning math or
science, two subjects that she had mastered a long time ago. She sighed, now she had to
begin her workout routine, or else she wouldn't get home in time to curtail her parent's
questions. She could hear her mother's voice now: "Why are you pushing yourself so
hard? Do you need us to spend more time with you? Oh my God, Jean-Luc, she isn't
growing up as she should. I was in a lot more trouble when I was fourteen, and I'm sure
that you were. Amanda, do you feel alright?" Amanda smiled as she thought of her
mother. She would, as a doctor, would be more concerned about her daughter's welfare
with the knowledge that she possessed. Amanda was just glad that all she had left to do
was to shower off and then eat dinner with her parents. Then she could go to sleep and
rest until she had to get up in the morning for school. 'Ah,' she thought, 'sleep will feel
great.'
Beverly Picard was famished. All day, willing participants in the field hockey
tournament were inundating her sickbay, bringing their injuries, no matter how critical, to
her attention. She was surprised that Amanda didn't come; she was sure of the fact that
Amanda would be hurt. 'Never mind,' she thought as she left sickbay and went off duty,
'at least I'll get to see her at home.' Beverly smiled as she saw Amanda sitting on the
couch when she entered her quarters. "Amanda," she asked, "how was your day?"
"Fine. Just fine," Amanda answered with a sense of airiness that only an experienced liar
can accomplish. "We didn't win but we got second place, which is good enough." She
smiled, amazed that her mouth muscles were the only ones that didn't feel sore enough to
fall off. "What are we having for dinner?" Amanda asked, hoping that the small talk
would keep her mother from noticing that she couldn't move. "Oh, whatever you want,"
said Beverly lovingly. 'Great,' Amanda thought with relief, 'I can pick.' "Can we have
something soft, like potato soup? I'm in the mood for it." She thought of her stomach
and how much better it would feel with some easy to digest food in it. She remembered
when she first tried potato soup, how she found it in the replicator files and how she tried
it and loved it. Ever since then, she was fond of the concoction. She looked at her
mother. 'I hate lying to her but I can't help it. If she knew that I'm working out so that I
can withstand the stresses of time for my next science project, I'd be grounded for a
week,' Amanda thought. 'On second thought, make that a year.'
Jean-Luc Picard hated negotiations that ran overtime. They kept him away from his
family, not to mention that they were excessively boring. 'When will this end?' he
thought in agony as the two diplomats battled it out. Seeing the look on his face, Wil
Riker proposed an idea: "Perhaps we should recess until tomorrow. Give each party
time to think through their ideas and to clear their minds." The people in the room
readily accepted this idea and the meeting was adjourned. As they walked out, Picard
said to Riker, "I owe you, Wil." "Sir," Wil said with a grin, "you've owed me for a long
time." Both men stepped into the turbolift. "Deck 8." Picard said. "So, how's Amanda
doing?" Wil asked. Picard's face went from bored to slightly worried. 'Bad subject.'
Wil thought. "I don't know Wil. She has been getting thinner lately and she seems to be
completely obsessed with her schoolwork. Every time Beverly prompts her about it, she
gives a completely untrue excuse and continues to do whatever she's doing. Not to
mention that whole field hockey thing; what would possess her to play the sport?" Wil
gave him a thoughtful look and said, "Maybe she is just finding her place. You shouldn't
worry yet; just support her now." Picard smiled; Wil was always the perfect counselor
when Deanna wasn't around. They got off at Deck 8 and Picard entered his quarters.
Sitting on the couch was Amanda, who was reading a padd. Beverly was working at her
desk in the adjoining room. He smiled again; everything was perfect. Amanda looked
up. "Oh, hi daddy," she said without even giving him a second thought. 'Yes, Jean-Luc,
everything is as should be,' he thought with happiness. "What are you reading?" he
asked. For once, Amanda did not lie. "A paper on theoretical mathematics. It doesn't
seem very out of the ordinary to me, though. Anyone could have figured this out." "I
see," Jean-Luc said with a bit of astonishment. He proceeded to Beverly, who smiled at
him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Would you mind having potato soup again?" she
asked while she got up. "Amanda's request." "Sure," said Jean-Luc, who was personally
tired of the food she had been choosing lately, loaded with carbohydrates and some
protein, but not much more. Beverly went in and ordered three servings of potato soup
for them to eat. "Mmmm...good," said Amanda. Beverly and Jean-Luc shared a
look. Beverly set down Amanda's plate and as soon as she did, Amanda began to eat
with fervor, honestly famished. She glanced up at her parent's amazed stares. "What?
I'm hungry," she said with a quick laugh. "Yes..." Beverly said with some
hesitation. "So, when's your science project due?" she asked. "Oh, that's right, I forgot
to tell you. It's due tomorrow." "I see," stammered a worried Beverly.
That's all I have for now. This chapter is like an orientation to the rest of the story so I promise you that not everything will move this slowly. R/R, adios!
Amanda Picard sat on her bed. Every part of her body was in pain. She could feel the
throbbing of her arms, legs, and head as she reclined to lie down. She was in agony; not
only did she just finish a field hockey game, but also she had been working out lately and
her muscles seemed to have nothing left to give. She bitterly recalled the events of the
game. She was on her way down the field (in a holodeck, of course) to score a goal. She
was almost there when a member of the other team slammed into her, knocking her to the
ground and allowing him to run down the field in the other direction and score. She
protested but her claims found no attention; her friends on the team were already leaving
the holodeck, eager to shower off and do their homework. She never needed to do her
night work at home, she always did it while she was supposed to be learning math or
science, two subjects that she had mastered a long time ago. She sighed, now she had to
begin her workout routine, or else she wouldn't get home in time to curtail her parent's
questions. She could hear her mother's voice now: "Why are you pushing yourself so
hard? Do you need us to spend more time with you? Oh my God, Jean-Luc, she isn't
growing up as she should. I was in a lot more trouble when I was fourteen, and I'm sure
that you were. Amanda, do you feel alright?" Amanda smiled as she thought of her
mother. She would, as a doctor, would be more concerned about her daughter's welfare
with the knowledge that she possessed. Amanda was just glad that all she had left to do
was to shower off and then eat dinner with her parents. Then she could go to sleep and
rest until she had to get up in the morning for school. 'Ah,' she thought, 'sleep will feel
great.'
Beverly Picard was famished. All day, willing participants in the field hockey
tournament were inundating her sickbay, bringing their injuries, no matter how critical, to
her attention. She was surprised that Amanda didn't come; she was sure of the fact that
Amanda would be hurt. 'Never mind,' she thought as she left sickbay and went off duty,
'at least I'll get to see her at home.' Beverly smiled as she saw Amanda sitting on the
couch when she entered her quarters. "Amanda," she asked, "how was your day?"
"Fine. Just fine," Amanda answered with a sense of airiness that only an experienced liar
can accomplish. "We didn't win but we got second place, which is good enough." She
smiled, amazed that her mouth muscles were the only ones that didn't feel sore enough to
fall off. "What are we having for dinner?" Amanda asked, hoping that the small talk
would keep her mother from noticing that she couldn't move. "Oh, whatever you want,"
said Beverly lovingly. 'Great,' Amanda thought with relief, 'I can pick.' "Can we have
something soft, like potato soup? I'm in the mood for it." She thought of her stomach
and how much better it would feel with some easy to digest food in it. She remembered
when she first tried potato soup, how she found it in the replicator files and how she tried
it and loved it. Ever since then, she was fond of the concoction. She looked at her
mother. 'I hate lying to her but I can't help it. If she knew that I'm working out so that I
can withstand the stresses of time for my next science project, I'd be grounded for a
week,' Amanda thought. 'On second thought, make that a year.'
Jean-Luc Picard hated negotiations that ran overtime. They kept him away from his
family, not to mention that they were excessively boring. 'When will this end?' he
thought in agony as the two diplomats battled it out. Seeing the look on his face, Wil
Riker proposed an idea: "Perhaps we should recess until tomorrow. Give each party
time to think through their ideas and to clear their minds." The people in the room
readily accepted this idea and the meeting was adjourned. As they walked out, Picard
said to Riker, "I owe you, Wil." "Sir," Wil said with a grin, "you've owed me for a long
time." Both men stepped into the turbolift. "Deck 8." Picard said. "So, how's Amanda
doing?" Wil asked. Picard's face went from bored to slightly worried. 'Bad subject.'
Wil thought. "I don't know Wil. She has been getting thinner lately and she seems to be
completely obsessed with her schoolwork. Every time Beverly prompts her about it, she
gives a completely untrue excuse and continues to do whatever she's doing. Not to
mention that whole field hockey thing; what would possess her to play the sport?" Wil
gave him a thoughtful look and said, "Maybe she is just finding her place. You shouldn't
worry yet; just support her now." Picard smiled; Wil was always the perfect counselor
when Deanna wasn't around. They got off at Deck 8 and Picard entered his quarters.
Sitting on the couch was Amanda, who was reading a padd. Beverly was working at her
desk in the adjoining room. He smiled again; everything was perfect. Amanda looked
up. "Oh, hi daddy," she said without even giving him a second thought. 'Yes, Jean-Luc,
everything is as should be,' he thought with happiness. "What are you reading?" he
asked. For once, Amanda did not lie. "A paper on theoretical mathematics. It doesn't
seem very out of the ordinary to me, though. Anyone could have figured this out." "I
see," Jean-Luc said with a bit of astonishment. He proceeded to Beverly, who smiled at
him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Would you mind having potato soup again?" she
asked while she got up. "Amanda's request." "Sure," said Jean-Luc, who was personally
tired of the food she had been choosing lately, loaded with carbohydrates and some
protein, but not much more. Beverly went in and ordered three servings of potato soup
for them to eat. "Mmmm...good," said Amanda. Beverly and Jean-Luc shared a
look. Beverly set down Amanda's plate and as soon as she did, Amanda began to eat
with fervor, honestly famished. She glanced up at her parent's amazed stares. "What?
I'm hungry," she said with a quick laugh. "Yes..." Beverly said with some
hesitation. "So, when's your science project due?" she asked. "Oh, that's right, I forgot
to tell you. It's due tomorrow." "I see," stammered a worried Beverly.
That's all I have for now. This chapter is like an orientation to the rest of the story so I promise you that not everything will move this slowly. R/R, adios!