Breaking the Ice

The doctor held the door open for Lt. Thessamar. Astra was seated comfortably on a couch with her arm draped on the armrest. Roberta the nurse was seated on a black, high-backed, leather chair, and leaning over a glass table. Apparently the conversation had been going quite well. As Belinda entered the room, Astra rose and said, "Belinda! I did not expect to see you here. Roberta, this has to be Belinda, my younger sister."

Astra walked over and hugged the lieutenant, who hugged her back, but a little stiffly. She accepted Astra's invitation to join her on the sofa, while the doctor pulled up the last chair in the room, which was the twin to Roberta's.

Roberta said, "Yes, I can tell that you two are sisters. How far are you apart in age?"

"Ten years," the two ladies said in unison. Everyone in the room laughed a little, and then Astra said, "Belinda, I have to warn you, I am not quite myself. The last two days - I still have not made sense of them."

Belinda said, "Yes, well, the family is here for you. We will do what we can to help."

"Your just being here helps. If you don't mind my asking, is what you are wearing new? I don't remember you wearing it before."

"It is. The army is making a switch from the old green to these blue uniforms. This is the first time that I have worn it since seeing you last."

The doctor replied, "I was about to comment on that myself. I had heard some talk that you are getting a second bar."

Belinda replied, "It has not come through yet. Things move slowly in the army."

The doctor said, "Have patience. When I was in the army, you had to have four years time in service. Unless, of course, you were in the medical corps, when you start out as captain. It is a fair trade for the extra time in medical school."

Belinda replied, "Well, I want to make it the first time. When you have a sister that was elected governor at 35, the bar is set pretty high - and she still complains about Harold Stassen getting elected at 32."

Roberta added, "But you look like you could be younger than 32, Astra. You have kept yourself in great shape."

Astra changed the subject, asking, "Did you just get back from some formal occasion?"

"No, this is what I wear at the office. There is another uniform for the field, as you know."

"Yes, of course." Astra was dazzled by all the shiny metal on the uniform. There was a row of buttons, a couple of shiny pins on the collar, and a silver bar on a red tab on the shoulder, as well as some colored ribbons over a pocket. Astra's asked about one of the pins on the collar.

Belinda replied, "That is the insignia for the branch of the army I am in..."

1. the tank and crossed swords of the armored cavalry."
2. the rose and daggar of military intelligence."
3. the castle of the Corps of Engineers."

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