Chapter Text
"Alright Alyssa, I'm going to put a hypospray to your arm. Do you want to hold your mommy?"
The little girl scrunched her face up. "Okay."
Alyssa's mother, a human woman named Kailee Waters, held her daughter close to her side.
"It won't hurt at all sweetness."
Doctor Movar gingerly raised her hypospray—held tight by her deep blue hand—to Alyssa's own vibrant shoulder. Alyssa's skin was a cloudy blue, in some areas much more pale and in other patches, cerulean. Thin white hairs dotted Alyssa's arms, but were much more visible atop the latter, more blue areas of her skin. Straight hair, almost stark white, save for undertones of dirty blonde, came down from the crown of her head—where she sported two antennae—to the girl's back reaching her elbows. Movar felt a pang of nostalgia. Growing up on Andoria, every girl's hair looked like Alyssa's.
"That was pretty easy, wasn't it?" Movar winked.
The little girl nodded.
"Well Mrs. Waters, Alyssa has a clean bill of health. All her vitals and measurements are standard for a half-Andorian and half-human four-year-old. She is getting all the nutrients she needs and her immunizations are set for her to begin school next week. Is there anything you would like to talk with me about?"
"Thank you Doctor." The woman paused, the ends of her mouth pinched tight, "And matter of a fact, there is. Alyssa, why don't you go play over there?"
The girl slid off the bench and started towards the chair in the waiting room. As she did so, her dark eyes caught Movar's smile. "You're pretty."
Movar's expression melted and she couldn't help but raise her antennae, "Thank you dear. You just made my day!" After Alyssa had bounded to the rug some distance away, Movar turned back to Alyssa's mother, "I'm all ears."
Ensign Waters let loose a shaky sigh, "Recently, Alyssa has become very—oh, how do I phrase this?—talkative in her sleep. And it has become harder and harder to wake her up."
"I'm glad you brought this up Mrs. Waters. Andorians develop the sleep habits we keep for the rest of our lives more or less when we are around four years old. That entails speaking complex, though unrelated and often nonsensical sentences during the dream stages of the sleep cycle, which is around one-third of the Andorian sleep cycle, intermittently. Raising one's hands while sleeping is also a common trait among Andorians. And we are very heavy sleepers. You may have to rouse her physically by holding her shoulders. Is her sleep healthy otherwise? Does she suffer from nightmares, insomnia, or bedwetting?"
"No, no. Nothing of the sort. And Tyeran—her father—well he sleep talks as well, I know it's normal for you Andorians. However... isn't it too early for her to be like that? I mean, she's also human."
Movar sat next to Kailee. "The fact that Alyssa has these traits at her age is no cause for alarm, in fact, it demonstrates her development is normal. In cases where children are of different species with similar milestones of biological and psychological development, as humans and Andorians are, their progress to these stages of development is not delayed. From reading Alyssa's chart, she has reached developmental milestones at the appropriate times for both a human and Andorian child. Though, I understand that because she has dual ancestry, you might be more reassured if I conduct more in-depth tests. Like a sleep lab."
Waters gaze tunneled straight through the wall, but she spared a glance to meet the Doctor's eyes. "Would that mean she has to stay the night in Sickbay?"
"Oh no! I can deliver and set up the equipment at your quarters tonight and conduct the measurements remotely. Really, it's easy and noninvasive."
"That's a relief to hear. Thank you Doctor."
"I would be happy to help. I'll spend this afternoon researching what has been reported about the development of half-Andorian half-human children in greater detail."
"Your kindness is appreciated Doctor Movar. We'll be heading out now."
"Actually, there is an additional item I wanted to discuss with you."
Ensign Waters turned around, raising her soft blonde eyebrows wordlessly.
Movar continued, "I know that due to your husband's ongoing mission, you have been raising her yourself these past few months. I imagine that being a single parent is not made easier when your child is Andorian."
"Well, she is just as human."
"Of course. I bring this up to say that, while her antennael reflexes are excellent, Alyssa does not gesticulate using her antennae fully."
"I had anticipated that because she is half-human, she would not behave like her father or other full Andorians in that regard."
"She possesses the ability to, and judging by her facial expressions, she has no issue expressing her emotions. At this stage in childhood, Andorian children both mimic the antennael expressions of others as well as consciously and unconsciously use their own antennae. While Andorian children do not reach the same level of antennael control as adults, like how kids may struggle to consciously shut their eyes without scrunching their eyelids, it's important that Alyssa exercise this ability, as it's crucial to emotional learning. It would benefit her to be around other Andorians casually."
"Mhm." Kailee's blue eyes met Movar's dark ones for the first time since she had entered Sickbay. The woman sucked her teeth in. "I don't know any Andorians on the crew complement personally. I had not considered that Alyssa might need to be around them..."
"Please, don't beat yourself up about it. You have a lot on your plate. Well, the Andorian New Year's Week is coming up. So, I wanted to invite you and Alyssa to celebrate with us tomorrow evening."
Her words hung in the air, still stiff. "That is exceedingly kind. Thank you, truly. Will you be hosting?"
"It'll be in my quarters yes, but, well, my sister is going to visit me so she'll be officiating." Movar cringed at the exasperation already present in her voice. Ashka hadn't even arrived yet.
At the least, Ensign Waters found some humor in her words. "Ah, I see. I think we can be there tomorrow evening. Who else will be there?"
"Great! It'll be myself, Vayel, my sister Ashka..." Movar rattled forth a few more names of the attending crew.
"How nice. I look forward to it. And one more question. What would be appropriate to wear?"
Movar smiled, "Just be yourselves. I'll be wearing my uniform."
The Ensign slowly returned the smile as she and her daughter exited Sickbay.
"Computer, time?"
"Seventeen hours and forty-nine." Ah, late.