Chapter Eight: Surprise Visit

"Good morning Miss Dell," Dr. Walters greeted Laura Dell as she walked into the lobby of the museum. He picked his cane up off the bench so she could sit down next to him.

"How are you feeling today Dr. Walters?" she asked him.

"Laura Dell, I have something I need to talk to you about," he said, looking straight into her eyes. "First, call me Herbert. Second, I may not be young, but I'm not fossilized yet, so until that time comes, you don't have to tip-toe around me." Dr. Walters grinned the way he often did when he found a way to compare himself to things in the museum, making Laura Dell laugh.

"I'm doing alright. Actually, I feel like a little walk. How about we do see Sue?"

"Of course, Herbert. Let me go check in with Dr. Feinman first to make sure there is nothing he needs me to do."

***

"How is Dr. Feinman today?" Dr. Walters asked Laura Dell when she returned.

"He's actually in a good mood this morning. Monday's are pretty slow so there is less for him to stress out about. We have a group of elementary school students comeing for a field trip in a little while, but I organized everything for that yesterday. I've got some free time now. Are you ready to go?" she asked.

"Yes I am. I think we should go straight to Sue. I have to leave in a little while for an appointment." Dr. Walters stood up using his cane and held his arm out to Laura Dell. She slipped her hand through his arm and started walking towards Sue.

"What kind of appointment do you have today?" she asked.

"Laura Dell, do you remember that night I walked you home form the bar?" he asked as they walked up to Sue. The room was almost entirely deserted except for a mom with two preschool aged children. Laura Dell nodded as she watched the children. They had not talked about that night after she apologized and she was not sure she wanted to talk about it now. She was sure that she wanted to know where Dr. Walters had been going on the days he didn't stop by the museum.

"Well that night I tried to tell you something. I tried to tell you the reason I've been going to all these doctor's appointments, the reason I'm going to one today." Though Dr. Walters' tone was the same now as it was that night a few weeks ago, something about his voice was different. he seemed more serious now. Laura Dell let go of his arm to wipe dust off the nameplate in front of Sue.

"I'm not as healthy as I once was. Part of getting old means you have to go to the doctor more often. You don't need to be worrying about me though."

Laura Dell looked into Dr. Walters' eyes and wondered what he wasn't telling her. He didn't give her the details she was hoping for, but she decided not to pry right now. After a second he smiled at her; the discussion was over. The mom with the little kids moved closer to where they were standing.

"Are you excited about having your first school group this afternoon?" Dr. Walters asked as he started walking around Sue away from the kids. Laura Dell looped her arm back through his.

"Yes I am. I'm also a little nervous though. As a child, I thought science was fascinating, but I'm afraid these kids won't be like me."

"I have done some presentations at elementary schools and I was surprised at how much the kids really enjoyed it. You just have to make it interesting. When you show the kids Sue, don't just tell them how old she is and where she was found, tell a story about her. I'm sure they will love whatever you come up with."

Laura Dell and Dr. Walters made up stories for each other about Sue until she was no longer nervous. When it was time for Dr. Walters to leave for his appointment, he and Laura Dell agreed to meet for dinner later so she could tell him all about the kids.

***

When the children arrived, it took Laura Dell more time than she expected to get them to calm down and listen to her. After they got settled in, the tour of the museum went as well as she could have hoped for. Laura Dell completed the tour with a story about Sue, the leader of a dinosaur tribe. The story was a combination of the many stories she and Dr. Walters had created together.

Because they finished a little earlier than planned, she had time to talk to the kids that were most interested while the rest of the group wandered around Sue's room. In the midst of telling a little girl about the fossils they saw in the Cenozoic Time Machine exhibit, Laura Dell saw a few little boys swinging on the ropes surrounding Sue. Before she could get over to them, one of them went under the ropes and ran up to Sue to touch her leg. Laura Dell ran after him and got him out, but not before Dr. Feinman saw what was going on. She returned the little boy over to his teacher for punishment and went to talk to Dr. Feinman.

"I'm so sorry sir. That will never happen-"

"Miss Dell, you can't promise me that will never happen again. Children are unpredictable. Their teachers should have been more responsible for watching them. You would be surprised at how often that happens during tours. The last time it happened during one of my tours, I decided to put up a more permanent barrier, but we haven't gotten around to it yet," Dr. Feinman told Laura Dell. "I was just coming over here to tell you that you have a visitor in the lobby."

***

After the children all said "thank you" to Laura Dell, she headed to the lobby, expecting to see Dr. Walters arriving early for their dinner.

"Surprise!" a familiar voice yelled to her. Instead of Dr. Walters, Laura Dell found John William waiting for her. She ran over to him and hugged him.

"What are you doing here?" Laura dell asked her brother. When she decided to move to Chicago, Laura Dell was saddest to leave her brother. They had discussed him coming to visit, but they did not decide on any particulars.

"I just thought it was time to check on my baby sister and make sure she was being treated well." John William was always the free spirit of the family. Laura Dell and their parents needed a plan for everything, but John William thought plans were boring.

"I have to stay here until closing time, but I can show you around the museum until time to go. I promised a friend that I would eat dinner with him tonight and I would love for you to meet him."

"That sounds great, as long as you promise to tell me about how your life is going and don't talk too much about the museum. I would rather hear about your friends." John William and Laura Dell did not share a passion for science and he often accused her of being boring when she tried to tell him about her work.

They walked through the Cenozoic Time Machine exhibit and Laura Dell told her brother a little about Dr. Walters, Eddie, Dr. Feinman and he even thought Sue was interesting for a few minutes.

"Dr. Feinman could be nicer to you, but I'm glad you have some friends here. I can't wait to meet Dr. Walters. I hope he's not a boring science guy though."

***

When Laura Dell finished at work, she took John William by her apartment to get ready for dinner and then went to meet Dr. Walters. She didn't have time to tell her brother much other than he was an ornithologist and that they had become friends at the museum.

They walked into the restaurant and saw Dr. Walters already at a table. When Laura Dell got over to him they hugged and she introduced him to John William.

"He decided to surprise me with a visit so I thought this would be a good time for y'all to meet," she explained as they sat down at the table.

"It's nice to meet you Dr. Walters. My sister mentioned that you are a frequent visitor of the museum and tat you went to school in the South. Where exactly are you from?" John William asked.

"You will have to excuse John William, Herbert. He doesn't care much for science. He would rather talk about anything but science." Laura Dell smiled at Dr. Walters and said, "Maybe you can help me convince him that it really is interesting."

"Science isn't for everyone I guess. That's why those of us that love it have to stick together," he said.

Dr. Walters talked to John William about his time at school in Texas and the traveling he did when he was going on digs, but stayed away from science. By the time the main course came, Laura Dell thought Dr. Walters and John William were getting along much better than she expected.