Interlude

Andrea could hear Mike and Nick in their room playing around even though they were supposed to be down for bed.  During her time on the USS Augusta she had missed that the most.  She settled back into the couch, resting her head on the back and listened like someone would to music.  To her those two little boys were the world.  A particularly nasty thump on the wall brought her out of her reverie.

"Guys that's enough.  You should be asleep by now."

"Yes ma'am" they responded in unison.

Shaking her head while wearing a slight grim she picked up the next PADD on her long list of catching up on the research being conducted by her ex when he was injured in the boating accident.

Brenton had been in a coma since May.  There had been signs of brain wave activity associated with consciousness but he was not and had not been. Something else was causing those readings and that was where Andrea was focusing her research at the moment.

Meanwhile outside several miles down coast from the Institute a very curious conversation is occurring. To the casual observer a slightly unkempt man was talking? to the ocean.  Closer inspection showed that the man was actually Whistle, a native jack-of-all-trades that had recently been helping out around the Institute. He also was not talking to the ocean instead it was to several dolphins that had surfaced nearby.  The clicks and whirrs are beyond normal human capacity to understand however rest assured that the conversation is two way and both sides understand each other.

As she scrolled through the latest test results on Brenton, Andrea's subconscious was working overtime. She couldn't shake the feeling she only need a piece or two more and she would have the entire story about what *had* happened and what was currently happening to Brenton.  Unfortunately she wasn't sure what the pieces were that she *did* have.

"Computer. 80"s. Quarter volume."  Immediately the refrain for the Kinks "Come Dancing" started up.

Andrea continued reading the medical PADD's confident in her ability to unravel this mystery she hoped.