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"Starting Out" by A. Rhea King
Rating: PG Hippo Birdee Two Ewe (7) “Captain. Captain Archer.” Archer stopped walking and looked back. Ensign Paris ran up, stopping beside him. “Sir, can I requisition a birthday cake?” Archer smiled. “Of course.” “Here.” Ensign Paris handed him a PADD and stylus to sign it with. Archer signed the PADD and handed it back. “Whose birthday?” “Well, no one really. The children don’t know when they were born so I thought we would just sort of start celebrating it.” Archer laughed. “Let me know when to show up.” “Yes, sir. Good day, sir.” Ensign Paris turned and walked away. # “I have their birthdays!” Hoshi announced as she walked up to the galley counter. Ensign Paris finished putting the flower petal on the cake and looked up at Hoshi. “How’d you get them?” she asked “A lot of math, Lieutenants Reed and Monroe, and some guesses.” Hoshi handed Ensign Paris the PADD. “And three of them have birthdays this month.” Ensign Paris smiled, looking over the PADD. “How wonderful! Eartik’s is this month,” Ensign Paris gasped. “In three days!” “I know. I’ll have to hurry and make him a present.” Ensign Paris went back to decorating the cake. “He’s getting cake from me. This is hard work!” “It looks nice,” Hoshi commented. “I hope they like it.” “Since they’ve never seen a birthday cake, I’m sure they will,” Hoshi said. “Chef refused to decorate it. He told me he’d bake it but it was up to me to decorate.” Hoshi replied in a quiet voice, “He gets cranky about some things.” “I HEARD THAT!” Chef yelled from the back of the galley. Hoshi and Ensign Paris laughed. # Eartik sat the marker in his hand down, looking at the door when the doorbell rang. “Come in,” Eartik said. The door opened and Archer stepped in. “K’pan!” Eartik cried. He dropped his marker and ran up to Archer, hugging the Captain as if he hadn’t seen him in weeks. Archer laughed, looking at the drawings sitting on the desk. “Are these yours?” Archer asked, walking over to the desk. “Yeah.” Eartik snatched up a picture, holding it up for Archer to see. “See. I drew crow-nose.” “Qo’nos,” Archer corrected. “Yeah. That too.” Archer laughed. “Yeah. That too. Hey, I need you to come to the mess hall with me.” “Am I in trouble?” “Not yet. Should you be?” Eartik shook his head, grinning up at Archer. Archer held out his hand and Eartik slid his into Archer’s. The two left the quarters and started walking to the lift. “Trip said he was coming by tonight and was going to teach me more of baseball. Will we be back by then?” Eartik asked, looking up at Archer. “Might be,” Archer said. They stopped at the lift and Archer pushed the button. “K’pan?” “Hm?” “Do you have birthdays?” “Yes.” The lift door opened and Eartik hopped onto the lift and then stood beside Archer swinging their joined hands. “How many birthdays have you had?” “Lots.” “How many?” “Over thirty.” “Really?” “Yep.” “That’s a lot of birthdays. Did you get presents for all of them?” “Most of them.” “Not all of them? Ensign Paris said people get presents for their birthdays.” “She also said you’ve been asking everyone about their birthday this week.” “I wanna have a birthday. They sound like fun.” Eartik looked down at the floor, stubbing the toe of his shoe against the carpet. “I think they are.” “K’pan?” Eartik asked. The lift stopped and Eartik hopped off. The two started walking toward the mess hall. “What?” “Do Vulcan’s have birthdays?” “I don’t know. You should ask T’Pol.” “But if they’re fun, then they should have them.” “You’ll have to ask T’Pol about that. Maybe that’s a hidden secret we humans and Jit aren’t privileged to know.” “Are we going to have T’Pol’s birthday someday?” “Maybe.” “I would make ‘er a present.” “What would it be?” “I dunno.” Eartik looked up at the ceiling. “How come the lights get dim at night?” “To conserve on power.” “Why do they do that?” Archer laughed. “Do you ever not ask questions?” “No.” Eartik smiled up at Archer. “You know what Trip does?” “Hm?” “He gives me piggy back rides. Why do they call them piggy back rides?” “I dunno. You want a piggy back ride?” “YEAH!” Eartik said, his eyes getting wide. Archer stopped and crouched down. Eartik climbed on his back, wrapping his arms around Archer’s neck and his legs around Archer’s waist. Archer stood up, lacing his arms around Eartik’s legs and continued walking. “K’pan?” “Hm?” “Where did you get Porthos?” “From a friend on Earth.” “Did your friend have a dog like Porthos?” “She had two and the girl had puppies. Porthos was one of her puppies.” “Really? Do you think he misses his parents?” “I dunno. Maybe.” Archer turned the corner and walked into the mess hall. “SURPRISE!” everyone yelled. Eartik wiggled free and slid off Archer’s back. He peeked around Archer, making everyone laugh. Archer crouched down, sliding his arm around Eartik’s waist. “Did you know that today is your birthday?” Archer asked. “No,” Eartik said, looking at everyone. “Today is. Happy birthday.” Eartik grinned at Archer. “Ensign Paris did this so you should probably go give her a hug and thank her,” Archer whispered. Eartik ran to Ensign Paris and hugged her. Archer laughed, standing. “And you said you’d never have kids,” Trip said, walking up behind Archer. “Things can change,” Archer said, watching the children. Trip laughed, handing Archer a cup of punch. “Uh-huh.” “Happy birthday,” Ensign Paris called and the crowd started singing ‘Happy Birthday.’ “Hippo birdee two ewe, hippo birdee two ewe,” Trip sung to himself, grinning when Archer looked peculiarly at him. Archer shook his head, smiling at Trip. “You’re never going to sing the song right, are you?” “Nope.” Trip lifted his chin, looking defiant. “That’s how we always sung it when I was a kid. That’s how my kids are going to learn to sing it. That’s how my great-grand kids will be singing it when I’m dead and gone.” Archer laughed. He looked down when a hand latched on to his, finding Navta grinning up at him. “They’re opening presents. Come on K’pan!” Navta pulled on his hand. Trip grinned, watching Navta pull archer through the crowd. |
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