When the Zoners of Bethlehem called for her medical services on station, it was the perfect chance for Doreen to leave Houston for what she would hope would be her last time. She was never happy there and the calling of the Crayter Republic was an opportunity to start anew. She anticipated acceptance so she took the bold task of putting up her Houston condominium up for sale. Luxury condos on Houston outside of the capital city weren't easily available nowadays so she figured that it would go quick and fetch a good price.
Along with her wardrobe and everything she owned and her young son, Benjen, she packed her hopes and new dreams into her Sunburst. For the moment, she was officially homeless. She only hoped that she wasn't making the same mistake she had made years earlier when she left her family on Hamburg to find her missing father only to be left adrift by a lie and a dead Red Hessian in an escape pod in the fields of Omega 41 about ready to give birth.
For the moment, she was tired. The trip from Houston to Bethlehem was never easy as three packs of Xeno patrols attacked. She fought them off but an accomplished fighter she was not. After taking care of several patients, she just wanted a rest. Benjen was sleeping in the quarters she was provided on station while she sat in the bar for a meal and some Gallic Wine.
There were only two Zoners, a Bounty Hunter and the bartender so the quiet was welcome. She let her hair down and was in a casual blouse as she went over some files on her datapad.
She had no idea when the Crayter ship would arrive to bring her to Coronado but for the moment, she wasn't worried.
She thought ahead to the meeting she would have with their leadership. She smiled a bit knowing what she had to offer. What she didn't have in ability she had in contacts. The promises of new facilities and a plush new world to live on sounded attractive. Gran Canaria offered those things until the icing began but that wasn't an issue where she was headed. She knew little about Planet Yuma as she had never stepped foot on it. "Vast seas and a wide equatorial band of humid tropical terrain" sounded good to her. A day on the beach during an off day wasn't a bad thing, after all. She could only snicker at the thought.
Best of all, it was a new place for Benjen to get a fresh start. No more discrimination because he was the son of a Rheinlander. He had been through enough.
And on a personal level, the same for Doreen herself. When the Tinker's closed up, she was left with nothing but a small practice on Houston and a dwindling supply of regular patients. While her Rheinland accent was virtually non-existent, it only took one person to figure it out. Having been exiled, she had much in common with the Crayterians......both had been driven from their home. With a sigh, she took a sip of her wine as she had finished her dish of chicken. The waiter re-filled her wine, took her plate and left her to her peace.
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