Reclassified

Date/Timing: 28 August 2006
Setting: a Berlin public library; Berlin, Germany
.
Hermann shuffles papers, frowns again at Bastien's red ink-free Japanese worksheet and his own bloody-looking one.
Bastien, beside him at the library worktable, flies through the next lesson.
Hermann glowers at him with his peripheral vision.
Bastien scribbles on, blissfully oblivious.
Hermann sighs, fishes in his rucksack for his stationery, this batch decorated with cartoon bees and flowers, spreads it on the table, begins his reply to Edan's latest missive.
- 28 Aug 2006
Berlin, Germany
Dear Edan,
I /cannot believe you. You fell down the stairs?! A broken ankle?! Six /more weeks on crutches?! You'll still be hurt when the term starts!
I don't care /what Trinity did, you simply /must stop hurting yourself. One cripple in this relationship is enough. 
As someone who has had years of both full and limited mobility, you want to avoid disability at all costs. -
Hermann chews his lower lip.
- Dietrich has been discussing my 'case'—hypothetically, of course—with an orthopedic-surgeon-in-training he met recently. Apparently she believes it possible to repair my lame leg well enough for me to walk without assistance. It will, however, involve treatment by a -
Grimaces.
- foreign expert. I'm loathe to consent, even if surgery might allow me to function more normally. I know of this expert by reputation and I do not trust him, especially not when I would be anesthetized while he has sharp objects readily available.
Maybe I'm paranoid, but I don't trust anyone except Dietrich with my health. -
Frowns deeply.
- I've had my fill of quacks. -
„Done!“ chirps Bastien and he flies off into the stacks, no doubt headed directly for the Japanese readers.
Hermann sighs.
- I'm also rapidly running out of patience for Japanese. French, Russian, and even the smattering of Yiddish with which Dr Schulte peppers his lessons are absolute child's play. Japanese continues to toy with me like a cat with a mouse. Bastien is running rings around my comprehension. He soaks up the language like a sponge. Even Dr Weiß is impressed with him.
I'm very unused to being second-best in my studies and I don't like the feeling one bit.
So it is with much relief that my marks for the semester came back at the very tippy-top in each course. In addition, I've been promised an assistantship by Dr Umarov /if I declare for Computer Science at the start of the term. 
Despite your continued assurances, I /still fear what the change will do to our relationship. Code is so far from the stars it might as well be underground.
It shouldn't be this easy to let go of my lifelong dream. 
It really shouldn't.
Yet, I'm on the verge of doing so and I'm not sure what, if anything, this says about me, especially in light of your unwavering drive to achieve the same dream.
I envy you. In so many ways, I envy you. -
Hermann turns his gaze to the ceiling for a long mental ten-count.
- Agus mar sin tha e a 'dol, yea?
I assume you've read the IAU resolution on the definition of 'planet' and what it means for primary school solar system models.
The 'dwarf planet' category and Pluto's reclassification are long overdue. I'm pleased logic has /finally triumphed over tradition. Maybe now sky-watchers can stop arguing over labels and focus on actually doing research.
I'm so tired of this break trapped at my father's house, without any /real work to do. The start of the semester (October!!!) can't come quickly enough.
Karla swept through the city on her way from visiting friends in Zürich back to Montreal. She absolutely refused to set foot in the house, so Dietrich had to sneak Bastien and I out to see her at a café. She was happier than I've seen her in years. An ocean between her and Father seems to have worked wonders on her disposition. Perhaps it's more that she has a fully involving life to distract her from all the little indignities of being a member of this family.
I wish I had /you to distract /me, even if it was only to bring you ice cream and curry while you recuperate.
The days are ticking away (we're down to 285), however, they can't go quickly enough for me.
Love,
Hermann -
He folds the papers into their envelope, already stamped and addressed to Glasgow, tucks it into a folder for posting on the way to the bus stop.
Fighting the temptation to simply copy from Bastien's unguarded assignment, he returns his attention to his Japanese workbook and glowers at the blank spaces.
Category:Ficlet
Category:Berlin (setting)
Category:Hermann
Category:Hermann's POV
Category:Hermann (ficlet)
Category:Bastien
Category:Bastien (ficlet)
Category:Edan (mention)
Category:Dietrich (mention)
Category:Lars (mention)
Category:Karla (mention)
Category:Trinity (mention)
Category:Ficlets with images
2006 08 28
Category:Celestial Mechanics
Category:Hermann writes a letter