Haven 4 AVOW - Sandra R Neeley Page 0,44
“Oh, can you tell me if there is a place onboard for children to play?” she asked, turning back to Re’Vahl.
“I suppose they could access the exercise facilities if they wished to run the track. There is also a virtual reality habitat that can be set to mirror many types of surroundings. We’ve never hosted any younglings before. It is something I can address with Sire Zha Quin Tha if you’d like,” Re’Vahl answered.
“That’s not necessary. Thank you, though, I appreciate your suggestions.” Synclare smiled at Re’Vahl then left Command Deck, walking aimlessly down the corridor, wondering where Lo'San was.
After looking in all the places she hoped to locate Lo'San, and not having any luck, Synclare finally returned to their home. “Lo'San?” she called out hopefully as she stepped inside. There was no answer, wherever he was, he obviously wasn’t in their quarters. She walked into the living space and noticed the orange dot blinking on their main com unit, and hurriedly told it to play.
“Play messages!” she said, hoping that the message was from Lo'San.
But it wasn’t, it was from Doc. “Synclare, please come to medical at your convenience so that we can perform another blood test to evaluate your hormone levels. I have several ideas of why you have had so much difficulty conceiving. We shall discuss them when you arrive.”
Stressed from the meeting with Lo’San’s family, and still upset from his response to her attempt to surprise him, Synclare just didn’t have it in her to go to medical at the moment. She didn’t even bother to erase the message, she just walked out of the living space and into her bedroom. She lay across the bed and let the tears come. Obviously her hormone levels were all over the place, otherwise she wouldn’t be crying like this. All she’d endured, all she’d overcome and all it took was her husband, her husband’s family, and a message from a doctor to drive her to tears. She allowed herself a few minutes of tears, before pulling herself back together. And getting in the shower to prepare to escort Lo’San’s family to dinner in a few hours.
~~~
Lo’San paced in Zha Quin’s living space as he asked the same question for the sixth time. “But why did you think it a good idea to allow them to board this ship without first asking me?!” he asked. His irritation was apparent but so was his effort to remain respectful. “This is not a dignitary I must entertain, nor a military envoy anxious to make allies of us. This is personal, Zha Quin! These people are the very reason I left Eschina and requested entry to the Cruestaci military. The very reason I’ve never, ever looked back!” Lo'San insisted.
Zha Quin sighed as he prepared to answer Lo'San for the sixth time. “Your mate asked that they be allowed to board. She informed me that you spoke fondly of your brother and admitted that you often remembered your formative years with him affectionately.”
“My brother, yes. My mother, no! The woman thrives on one thing and one thing only - control of all around her. I will not succumb to her machinations. I will not allow her to sully the life I’ve built here, with great effort and no small amount of commitment I might add! My female had no right to make this decision without my approval! They will leave. At once!” Lo'San insisted.
“Lo'San, I suggest you calm, and think of several things that are immediately apparent to me,” Quin said.
“And they are?” Lo'San asked.
“Firstly, your mate did not contact your family, they contacted her. And even then, I believe she meant only to surprise you with that she thought you’d lost. It was not her intent to cause you pain, or any other unpleasantries.”
Begrudgingly Lo’San nodded. “I am aware that she meant no harm.”
“Next, they cannot leave until the next connecting transport is available. I cannot dump them on a space station to await a commuter transport from Eschina to arrive to pick them up,” Quin said.
“Of course, you can,” Lo'San answered.
When Quin simply raised an eyebrow at him, Lo'San shoulders dropped. “Fine. Go on,” Lo'San said.
“Third, in light of the fact that you walked away and left your female to deal with it on her own, and the information you’ve since provided on the nature of your mother, if I were you, I’d be standing in front of my mother making it perfectly clear that my female is to be treated