Teaching The Children Well

Posted on Thu Nov 13th, 2014 @ 12:48pm by James Holbridge

HOLBRIDGE FAMILY QUARTERS
___________________________

Jim was hurriedly packing a duffel bag, cursing under his breath. Holbridge Mining may have belonged to his family for nealy two decades, but one thing goes sour and the damned Board OF Directors, Federation Trade Guilds, and even Starfleet JAG lost their goddamned minds! It wasn't as though Jim had crashed a shuttle intentionally into Admiral rick's bedroom...that was something Jim was saving for when the admiral kicked him off the station.

"Daddy, what you doin?" asked the tiny voice of Kim Holbridge, Jim's toddler daughter.

"Well, sugar, Daddy has to go fix a booboo." Jim replied, stopping his packing when he sensed his little girl needed a hug and some daddy time. Jim sat on the bed and motioned his daughter over.

"Can you put a band-aid on it like you did my knee?"

Wish I could, baby!" Jim smiled, thinking of putting a bandage across the cadaver and dare anyone to make a wisecrack. "But Daddy is going to a freezing-cold planet to help Uncle Dave and big Q-Man with an alien."

Kim wrinkled her nose at the mention of Quentin's name. "I don't like Uncle Quentin because he made you and Mommy fight."

"Honey, that's all in the past and we don't hold grudges about things like that because it will make us angry and bitter."

"Like you used to be, Dad?" the voice of JD Holbridge asked as the lanky youth with sandy-blonde hair entered the room.

"Wanna work on the surface of Archadia Prime for a month, wiseass?" Jim asked, his eyebrow cocked up.

"Not really, but you still didn't answer my question."

Jim spun and threw a folded pair of socks at his son. "Not gonna, either! It's between Mom and me, but I'd say Mom and I are doing better."

"Even if Grandpa pulls Delta quadrant Operations?" JD asked.

"We have NGSC to fall back on, son, plus we aren't exactly destitute or without prospects. Not to worry, unless I really screw up, we will be here for a long time." Jim quickly changed the subject. "How are your studies, young man? The Satellite Academy is interested in you."

JD grinned. "A's and B's. Professor McGinty in advanced mathematics says I am a natural at engineering." JD had designed an impulse engine that ran on 1/3 less deuterium fuel.

"Awesome!" Jim enthused. It was nice to forget his troubles as CEO of HMC:DQ and just be a dad. For the next half hour, Jim sat in his bedroom with his kids, answering their questions and even playing with them until he was summoned by Eddie to the Starfleet hangar bay.

"Be careful, Dad. Tell Uncle Dave hi for me!" Kim smiled as Jim left the room. As he walked down the hall, he realized that Quentin Harrison was no longer a member of his family, which was too bad because the man had a huge heart and loved kids, especially Jim's brood.

Jim quietly exited the family deck and made hsi way to a turbolift, troubled.

____________________________

a post by

Jim Holbridge
Loving Daddy-type Dude