CHAPTER 8 - SIMON'S BALLERINA

Whoa…Simon thought the moment she walked into the examination room.

This morning he thought today was going to be like every other day, but it seemed the ‘verse had thrown him a bone. And what a beautiful bone it was.

Her name was Nadine Pryor and just twenty minutes ago she had limped into the emergency room and right into the examination room where he was working.

Even though Simon was studying to be a surgeon, as work experience his resident had put him to the task of applying simple weaves, giving inoculations, stitching up wounds and cuts, and bandaging sprained joints and the like in the emergency room.

“Interact with the patients Simon,” Dr Li had lectured, “It’s very different operating on someone’s whose unconscious, to helping someone who’s awake and very aware of the pain. It’ll help you see your patients as humans…and you’ll make better decisions in surgery.”

He wasn’t particularly happy about it because he had been looking forward to doing some ‘real work’ but the moment he had set eyes on Nadine, with her fiery red hair, and twinkling blue eyes, and the most adorable sprinkling of freckles across her nose, he was ready to sing the praises of whatever deity that had brought her here.

Of course, because Simon was, what his friends kindly referred to him, ‘a total backbirth’ when it came to talking to the opposite sex, he did not manage more than a simple, “Could you please get up on the examination table?” and “I’m going to take a scan of your ankle now. Hold still please,” before he faded into completely (how he justified it) ‘professional’ silence.

Simon set up the scanner, and as he was readying it to begin operation, when his ‘professional silence’ was unceremoniously broken by Nadine.

“So er…Simon,” she said scanning his ID badge, “You’re kinda of young…to be a doctor.”

He looked at her uncertainly, “Oh I…er…I could get someone to verify-“

She let out a tinkling laugh which entranced Simon momentarily, “You’re hilarious. I didn’t know doctors had sense of humours.”

“Why?” Simon said frowning.

“Because every other doctor I’ve ever met has been a complete and utter dullard. This including my father, my sister, my two uncles, and my second cousin Bertha.” She nodded at Simon’s raised eyebrows, “I know…crazy right? It’s stuff like that which makes me absolutely certain I’m adopted.”

“Oh…” Simon laughed weakly and then disintegrated into silence.

Nadine cocked her head to one side and regarded him carefully, “So…are you from Osiris originally?”

“Yes…” Simon nodded, “And you?”

Nadine shook her head and said proudly, “Sihnon born and bred.”

“What are you doing over here?” Simon asked, as he brought the images up of her ankle up onto the screen and scanned them with a trained medical eye.

“I’m auditioning for the Osiris Dance Academy…” She replied and then seemed to deflate remembering her ankle, “Or I was going to anyway…”

Simon pressed a few more buttons on the controls, “When is it?”

“The audition? In two weeks time…not that it matters…does it?” she asked hopefully, trying to look at what he was writing down on his chart.

Simon looked up and smiled, “It does. There’s nothing to worry about. You’ve only jarred it; I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t make the audition.”

“Oh! Merciful Buddah!” Nadine sighed with relief, “Are you sure?”

Simon nodded and put his chart away. He turned and began foraging through one of the cupboards, “Just keep off it for two days and by the weekend you should be able to start practice again. And I’m serious about that…” He began to unroll a stretch of pressure bandage, looking at her warningly, “…not even a demi-plié until Saturday. Dong ma?”

Nadine narrowed her eyes at Simon, laughing a little “How would a doctor know a word like that?”

Simon chuckled, shrugging, “My little sister’s a dancer as well. I’ve been to enough recitals to…well…” Simon frowned, “Actually I don’t know what.”

Nadine giggled and she suddenly looked at Simon in a slightly different light. As he began to secure the bandage she asked, “How old is she?”

“Fourteen…”

“Fourteen…” sighed Nadine, “That’s a lovely age to be.” Simon gave her a funny look and she amended with a grimace, “Well apart from all those hormones and stuff…”

“Truth be told,” Simon winced a tiny bit, and said “I’d rather not think about that…get’s an older brother a bit nervous knowing that his sister’s growing up…and you know…boys and all that,” drawing an amused chuckle from Nadine which made him feel all manner of extraordinary.

“Does she want to dance professionally?” Simon had now crossed the room and was rummaging through another cupboard, “I mean…if you’re worried about boys,” Nadine rolled her eyes, “she’d probably be better off at the Dance Academy. Separate dormitories and separate classes. Plus, they keep the students so busy that there is hardly time for socialising.” Nadine frowned, “Come to think of it…why in the ‘verse do I want to go there?”

“I think she’d love to dance…” Simon said with real sincerity, “I’ve never seen her happier than when she’s on stage.”

“All ballerina’s are show-offs at heart,” Nadine smiled sagely, “It’s the sign of a true devotee. After all, have you ever met a prima ballerina who wasn’t a prima donna?”

Simon laughed, “I’ll take your word for it.”

His amusement seemed to die a bit, “Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s really possible…”

“Why?” Nadine said encouragingly, then she added quietly, “Isn’t she…very good?”

It was frank. And blunt. And to the point. Something that Simon wasn’t used to.

Simon bristled a bit, for a second, pretended he didn’t hear her, and said while handing her a balm for her ankle “Rub this on it twice a day…it’ll help ease the tension.”

Seeming to sense his annoyance “Simon…” Nadine said “I didn’t mean that like it sounded.”

He looked at Nadine’s face, and took in it’s open, honest, countenance and realised she was actually interested in what he had to say. Again, something new for Simon who hadn’t been exposed to any girls who weren’t daughter’s of his parents’ friends who were only after him because he was a Tam (and was lucky enough to be blessed with the Tam good looks) or nurses who seemed to have something against newbie doctors.

Simon shook his head, “It’s alright. I’m…it’s just…she’s…my sister’s really gifted.” He shrugged, gesturing with his hands broadly, “In everything. It’s my parents…they want her to go to this…government run education institute.”

“Wow…bet you’ve got to be higher than a Stream 6 to get into that!” whistled Nadine raising her eyebrows. Simon gave her a look and she rolled her eyes, “Not all of us can be stream 12s and become doctors Simon…there’s gotta be someone to clean your house!”

Simon flushed and waved his hand apologetically, laughing a little he said, “I’m sorry…it’s just uh…River’s actually in the Grad Programme…”

“And she’s fourteen?!”

“Yeah…” Simon nodded wryly.

“Wow…she must really make you look like an idiot child.”

Simon frowned, but ended up laughing, “And she can be a real brat about it too.”

“Sounds like you two are close…”

Simon leaned against the table, and nodded, “We are…growing up, it was mostly just the two of us. My parents…well, they were always travelling or going to party’s and that sort of thing. Oh, don’t get the wrong impression, it’s not like they don’t care. It’s just…they gave us what they thought we wanted…rather than…you know…the other thing. I mean…my dad’s a good guy but...mother’s a little less…” He winced, finding he couldn’t think of the right word.

“So they don’t like the idea of your sister being a dancer? I mean…it sounds like she could be the top of her game, in anything she wanted to do.”

“Ha!” Simon could keep the irony out of his voice, “They’re convinced my sister’s going to perfect the science of instantaneous space travel. And I’m sure she could if she put her mind to it… I think they’re worried she’d be wasted as a dancer.” Seeing Nadine’s affronted look, he quickly tried to save himself, “I mean – I didn’t mean that dancers were waste…I mean uh…”

Nadine burst into laughter, “You are too cute.” Looking coyly at him she said, “Do you wanna go out?”

Simon spluttered. Another thing Simon wasn’t used to, was girls being so forward. The sort of girls he met in society were either so prim that they’d scream in horror if you so much as smiled at them, or were really brazen hussies on the inside, but pretending to coquettes on the outside. They’d bend and sway, and dance around until you finally just came out and asked them in hope that they’d just stop being so damn coy and then they’d act like they were surprised. The tittering Osiris debutante. They were like a special breed of girl that Simon didn’t appreciate. Nadine on the other hand…

She was of quite another calibre. He decided that his parents would love her. Most of her family were doctors for God’s sake! If that wasn’t a signifier for the ‘good blood’ his parents were always hoping their son would some day bring home, her natural charm would be enough to persuade even his mother that Nadine was exactly the woman for him. Of course, Simon’s thoughts turned a little dark, even if his parents had something to say about Nadine, he wouldn’t care…he’d just-oh…

Simon realised that he still hadn’t answered and Nadine was starting to look at him worriedly.

“Er…sorry…”

Nadine shrugged, “You don’t have to-“

“No!”

“Oh…okay…I’ll just-“

“No…I mean…” Simon flushed, “I mean I’d really like to go out with you.”

Nadine smiled brightly and Simon was momentarily dazzled. “Good…here are my digits,” she grabbed the pen out of his breast pocket and scrawled her number across the inside of his wrist. She replaced the pen and pinched his nose playfully, “Don’t you dare NOT call me.” And with that she floated out of the room, leaving Simon dazed…but delightfully so.

Comments and Ratings much appreciated!! To read the preceding chapters please go to my Firefly log page by clicking on 'espritnoir' at the top of this page.