Mighty Orbots:
The Silent Commander
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By: Jo Ann/Dia
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Rob has a sore throat, but reports to work anyway --as the Orbots' Commander. What happens when he's ordered to check in at the hospital and finds that he has tonsillitis?
Disclaimer: Mighty Orbots is owned by TMS Entertainment. To anyone who reads this who knows anything about medicine or tonsillitis: Don't sweat it if the information is not entirely accurate. I looked it up the best I could, and the tonsillitis is just to get Rob into the hospital and in the Children's Ward. This is fic I started years ago, and have just now finished.
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Rob Simmons finished dressing in front of his mirror. But he had to report to work as the Orbots' Commander this morning. Rondu had told him that the leader of the Orbots was needed to be seen around the Galactic Patrol Headquarters. Several officers and employees had been asking questions about the Orbots' Commander not being there, when he so clearly worked for the Galactic Patrol. Rondu had discussed the problem with Rob, and both agreed that Rob should show up occasionally as the Orbots' Commander. With a little practice, Rob could even make it seem that both men were at work at the same time!
As Rob slipped on his jacket, he suddenly coughed. His throat was sore, too, but really did not think much about it. He took a cough drop and stuck it in his mouth.
His fingers pressed a special button on a device in his jacket. With a golden glow, Rob's clothes changed to the uniform of the Orbots' Commander, while his glasses also disappeared. Thinking that he might be needing them, he stuck the box of cough drops into his pocket. Then, he went to pick up Oh-No and the Beamcar.
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"Is something wrong, Rob?" Oh-No asked, concerned. "You haven't spoken since we started."
"I just have a sore throat today, Oh-No," he answered. "Nothing serious. I'll be okay." His voice sounded a little raspy, and the little robot girl's concern grew.
"If you're sure..." she replied.
"I'm 'cough' fine. Really." Rob smiled at her to reassure her.
"Okay..."
During the ride to Rondu's office, Oh-No thought Rob's coughing was getting worse. They stepped into the office and walked up to the Galactic Patrol Commander's desk.
"Orbots' Commander and 'cough' Oh-No, reporting for duty, Commander Rondu! 'cough'" Rob saluted, as Oh-No did the same.
"Are you alright, Commander?" Rondu asked. As Dia and his secretary were also in the room, Rondu did not use Rob's first name, since Rob and the Orbots' Commander were suppose to be two different men.
"Just a sore throat, sir. 'cough' Nothing serious."
"I'll let the GP doctor be the judge of that," Rondu said. He pressed a button on a vid-phone, and a man in a doctor's uniform appeared on the screen.
"Yes, Commander Rondu?" he asked.
"Dr. Stong, I need you to come to my office. It appears that the Orbots' Commander has a sore throat."
"Really, it's 'cough' nothing..." Rob protested. But his cough was worse, and his throat was really hurting him, now.
"Quiet, Commander. Save your voice. You won't irritate your throat so much," Rondu said sternly, but gently, as if speaking to a child. Rob, stunned, kept quiet.
Soon, Dr. Stong arrived, carrying a small case with him. Without saying a word, he took out a diagnostic device and turned to face Rob.
"Open your mouth, please, Commander, and I'll look inside," he requested. Rob did as he was told and Dr. Stong stuck the device in Rob's mouth.
"Ah rahlly dohn neahd..." Rob tried to say.
"No talking, Commander!" Dr. Stong ordered. Rob obeyed. After a while, the doctor removed the device.
"Well?" Rondu asked.
"Dear me...I'm afraid the Commander's tonsils are quite enlarged and very infected. They must be removed as soon as possible!"
"When should he have it done?" Dia asked.
"How soon can he check himself into the hospital?" Dr. Stong inquired.
"Right now!" Rondu answered, eyeing Rob, silently commanding him not to say anything to counter the command.
"Bu..." Rob began to protest. He could feel the control of his day slipping away.
"Not another word, Commander," Rondu said sternly. "Dia, escort our Orbots' Commander to the hospital and make sure he checks in. And no arguments, Commander."
"Yes, sir," Rob whispered meekly. He had never seen Rondu like this. He and Oh-No marched out, escorted by Dia.
"Father's just concerned for you, Commander," Dia said gently. "He didn't mean to be so harsh with you."
"I know," Rob whispered. Dia smiled tenderly at him, then gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek.
"Come on. We'd better go on to the hospital. The sooner we do, the sooner we can get you well again."
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Doctors, nurses, patients and visitors all looked up from their tasks when Dia walked in with her charge. There were expressions of shock and surprise when they saw who was with her. Rob and Dia walked up to the receptionist's desk, with Oh-No following behind them.
"The Orbots' Commander needs to check in for a tonsillectomy. Have the doctor call Dr. Stong at Galactic Patrol Headquarters for his medical report," Dia told her.
"Y...y...yes..." the receptionist replied, a little flustered. "Please fill out this card with the vid-phone number." She pushed a white card toward Dia, which the officer filled out with the information. Then, Dia slid the card back to the woman.
The receptionist called for a nurse to take Rob to the examining room, while Dia filled out the necessary paperwork.
Dr. Tim Mornte entered the examining room and was somewhat surprised at discovering just who his patient was.
"The Orbots' Commander? But why are you here?"
"Dr. Stong 'cough' says I need 'cough' a tonsillect 'cough' omy!" Rob replied, his voice extremely raspy, now.
"I can see why!" Dr. Mornte exclaimed. He took a device like the one Dr. Stong used and proceeded to do his own examination. "And he's right! Those tonsils are very infected!" He called for a nurse.
"Nurse Himeti, please take the Commander to a room and get him settled in. As soon as I run some more tests, we'll begin the surgery."
"The only beds we have left is in the Children's Ward. He'll have to go there."
"Very well. Just get him to a room."
"Follow me, please," Nurse Himeti said, and left the room. Rob followed.
All this for a cough and a sore throat?
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Later that day, the Orbots came to visit Rob. Oh-No brought him some pajamas and personal items from home. Bo had picked out a "Get Well Soon" card, and had the Orbots sign it. Bort bought a balloon with a teddy bear holding a heart that said, "Get Well Soon" on it. Tor and Crunch brought Rob some puzzle books and a few magazines to read. Boo brought a bouquet of flowers in a crystal vase.
"Thanks, guys," Rob smiled. A nurse had given him something to calm the coughing and soothe the sore throat for a while, so he was able to talk some. Rob had been warned not to talk too much, though.
"We miss you, Rob," Boo said. The other Orbots agreed with her.
"It's just not the same without you," Tor added.
"Yeah …MUNCH!... " Crunch ate a piece of metal the size of his head.
"The doctor says I'll be back in action in about a week," Rob told them.
"That's a week too long!" Boo said. She leaned over and gave her inventor a kiss on the cheek.
A nurse brought in a small child in a floating chair. The child was a little girl of about five, with red hair and green eyes. A spattering of freckles covered her cheeks and nose.
"You have a new roommate, Commander," the nurse said. "This is Kelly Baird, an orphan, and like you, she needs to have her tonsils taken out."
"Hi, Kelly," Rob smiled. His voice started to sound raspy again, a sign that the medicine they had given him earlier was starting to wear off.
Kelly just smiled shyly and waved as the nurse put her in the other bed. Like everyone else, she recognized the Orbots and their commander. She was just too shy to say anything.
"Visiting hours are just about over, and they both need their rest for tomorrow," the nurse told them.
"All right, nurse," Bo said. The Orbots turned toward Rob and said their goodbyes and told him that they would drop by tomorrow. They said goodbye to Kelly, then left.
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"Well, Commander," Dr. Mornte said, looking at the test results, "except for the tonsillitis, you are a very healthy young man."
"Does that mean 'cough' I'll be out sooner?" Rob asked.
"No," the doctor chuckled. "But it means we can get you into surgery right away and get it over with."
"Oh…"
"Speaking of which," the doctor continued. "Let's get you prepared. The surgery will take place in an hour."
"Okay…'cough'…" Rob replied.
"And don't talk," Dr. Mornte said. "Save your voice." The doctor turned to the nurse and said, "Prepare the Commander for surgery, Nurse Himeti. We'll come to get him in an hour."
"Yes, doctor," she replied.
"In the meantime, Commander," the doctor continued. "Keep quiet and rest your throat."
Rob started to speak, but thought better of it, and just nodded.
"Good," Dr. Mornte smiled. "You're learning." He left the room to allow the nurse to get Rob ready for the operation.
An hour later, the doctor reentered the room, followed by two men with a gurney.
"Get on, Commander," Dr. Mornte said. "And you'll be wheeled to the operating room." Rob obeyed, and laid down. The men pushed the wheeled cot out of the room and down the hall, the doctor following them. They entered a room where some other doctors and nurses were waiting. Rob was transferred to the operating table, and the anesthesiologist fitted a mask over his face. Hoses were attached to the mask, which led to tanks of gas.
"Count to zero from one hundred, Commander," the woman holding the mask on his face said.
"One hundred….ninety-nine…ninety-eight…ninety-seven…ninety-six…ninety-five…ninety-four…" Rob counted. Before he could get to eighty, Rob was asleep. When the doctor was satisfied that the patient was under, he began the operation.
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Rob awoke in his hospital bed. His throat was still a little sore, but not as much as before. He looked around the room sleepily, the effects of the anesthesia still not completely worn off. Dia sat next him, with Rondu nearby, and Oh-No watching him through the bars of the bed railing. Tor stood leaning against the wall, his arms crossed, while Bort was next to him, looking on anxiously. Crunch was in a corner, munching on a piece of scrap metal, while Bo and Boo were on the other side of the bed, watching him for any signs of him waking up. As soon as he opened his eyes, his visitors smiled and greeted him. He opened his mouth to reply, but Dia put her finger over his lips.
"Don't talk, Commander," she said. "You need to rest your throat and allow it to heal."
"She's right, Commander," Dr. Mornte confirmed as he entered the room. "You can't talk while your throat heals. Your throat will be sore for a day or two, and you'll be completely healed in a week." The doctor moved to check Rob's throat, and take his temperature.
"On the up side," he grinned, "you get to have all the ice cream you can eat!" Rob blinked. "Well," the doctor added, "that always works with the kids…"
That comment made Rob think about Kelly. He looked over to her bed to see her missing. He pointed over to the bed, and made a questioning face.
"Oh, the little girl?" Dr. Mornte asked. Rob nodded. "She's in surgery. She should be out soon." Rob nodded again.
"In the meantime, Commander," Dia said, "we got you this datapad." She handed him a large, electronic pad. The top part was a screen, while the bottom part had a computer keyboard. There was also a writing stylus, should he prefer to write his answers, instead of type.
"It has a huge memory," Dia told him. "If you want to save something you write or draw, you can."
When Dia mentioned drawing, Rob was surprised. He checked, and sure enough, there was a paint program in the datapad. He wrote his first response and showed it to them, giving them a smile.
On the pad was written, "THANKS, GUYS!"
"You are very welcome, Commander," Dia smiled back. She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss, brushing her lips on his. Rob blushed.
Rob thought of something. He wrote on the board: "Dia, will you be Orbots' Commander while I'm sick?"
"Of course," she replied. "But why me?"
He wrote: "Because I can't trust the Orbots with anyone else."
"And you'll need to learn, sometime, Dia," Tor added.
"It would be a good idea to have a back-up," Bo agreed. "Just in case something like this happens to him again."
"Yes," Boo nodded. "If Shadow, or someone else, should attack, and our leader is sick or hurt, and can't lead us…" She did not want to finish the thought.
"I'll do my best," Dia promised.
Kelly was wheeled into the room and put to bed. Rob watched as his roommate was tucked in her blanket. Like Rob, she would be allowed to sleep off the anesthesia. He smiled gently as the little girl slept peacefully after her surgery.
"How about something to eat, Commander," Rondu asked. "Any kind of ice cream you'd like?"
Rob thought for a moment, then wrote: "Chocolate?"
"Chocolate it is," Dr. Mornte agreed. "I'll have someone bring you some." He left the room.
Moments later, a nurse came in with a bowl of chocolate ice cream and set it on the bedside tray. Dia moved it in front of Rob so he could eat. He smiled his thanks and started to eat.
"Eat slow, Commander," Dia said.
"Yeah," Bo added. "Or you'll get…"
But Rob suddenly winced in pain and his hand flew up to his forehead.
"…brainfreeze…" Bo finished with a sigh.
After a few moments, the pain had passed. Rob started to eat again, but much more slowly and carefully. Before long, he had finished the ice cream. He wrote on the datapad: "More?"
"How quickly our Orbots' Commander changes into a little boy…" Dia teased. Rob blushed and gave her a helpless look. He looked over at Kelly, who was beginning to stir.
He wrote: "And bring some for Kelly."
The nurse left, and was back with two bowls of ice cream. By then, Kelly was awake. She was about to say something, when Rob signed for her to not talk.
"You need to rest your throat," Rondu answered her unasked question. "We hope you like chocolate, because that's what the Commander is having."
Kelly nodded, and started in on her ice cream. She ate slow, picking up the pace from Rob. It was not long before both had finished their treat.
Rob wrote on his datapad: "Will there be any other foods other than ice cream?"
"I'm sure there will be," Rondu said. "You can't live on dessert forever, after all." A nurse came into the room.
"Visitors' hours are just about over, folks," she said. "It's time for them to get some rest."
"Alright, nurse," Rondu nodded. He turned to Rob. "You get some rest, Commander. We'll talk you again later. Alright?" He patted Rob's shoulder. Rob smiled and nodded. As each left the room, his friends gave him hugs and heart-felt well-wishes. When it was Dia's turn, she gave him a kiss as well.
"Get well soon, Commander," she said, before she, too, left the room.
Alone, with stomachs full of ice cream, Rob and Kelly snuggled down in the covers and drifted off to sleep.
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The week went quickly, and soon, Rob was completely healed. He was back in his flightsuit, and ready to check out of the hospital. Kelly, too, was dressed and ready to return home. He walked with her down the hall and to the waiting room. The Orbots, Rondu, and Dia were waiting for Rob, and the orphanage administrator was waiting for Kelly. Dr. Mornte was also there.
"The Commander has a clean bill of health," he announced. "As does Kelly," he added, turning to the Mrs. Renee Aimes. He turned back to Rondu and the others. "He's ready to return to active duty at any time."
"That's good," Rondu smiled.
"Yeah," Bo smiled. "We've sure missed him!"
"We sure have!" Boo agreed.
"And her friends at the orphanage has missed Kelly," Renee put it. She smiled at the little girl, who looked back up at her and smiled back. "Speaking of which, we need to go. They'll be waiting for us."
Kelly stuck her finger in her mouth, and smiled shyly at Rob. Then, she slipped her hand out of Renee's and skipped up to Rob, lifting her arms to him. Startled, he knelt down, and she put her arms around his neck and gave him a big hug.
"Well," he grinned, "that's a nice little send-off." He hugged her back, and received a quick kiss on the cheek.
"Awwwww…" the Orbots all said simultaneously. Rob ignored them, giving Kelly a kiss on her cheek, as well. He stood up, the girl still in his arms.
"Bye-bye, 'Mander," she said, her little forehead pressed against his.
"Bye, Kelly," he said softly. "I'll miss my little roommate." Renee came up to take the girl from his arms.
"Good-bye, everyone," the woman said, turning around and walking out the door. Kelly looked over her shoulder and waved at the Galactic Patrol officers. Smiling as they watched the two leave, they waved back.
"What a sweet little girl," Dia commented after they had left.
"She sure is," Rob agreed.
"Makes me wish to have one of my own," the silver-haired young woman added, giving Rob a sly smile. Everyone else looked at Rob.
"Don't look at me," he defended himself. "I've been in the hospital all week!"
At that, the group laughed, leaving the hospital to continue their lives, happy to have the Orbots' Commander back and in action.
THE END
As I said, it's an old fic, and some of the info might be wrong, now.
Test line. There's a lot of symbols that can't be used for some reason. I want to find out just what can and can not be used.
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