When your children put their heads together to try to heal you, and they inherit good science skills from both their parents and a touch of Kirk crazy from you, and their mother compensates for that by getting materials that make things work although the appearance can't be helped … .
Valerie brought the feathers. Marcus had the idea about the ice. Marcia obliged her younger sister and brother by doing the crocheting and sewing when their mother, the highest-ranking science officer in the fleet, helped them all get around the problem that ice melts.
“So, we picked lavender fabric because it is a cool color, Dad,” Marcus said to me when he bought in the contraption you see above. The feathers are for softness and wicking, because this here is state-of-the-art ice substitute!”
“Ice substitute? State-of-the-art?”
“Yeah, not like that bad plastic they've been using at the ice skating rinks since the 20th century,” he said. “This is nano-fiber polymer that wicks out the heat in your head and cools the area down … it's like a gentle ice pack, but still soft, and it will mold to your head for ultimate comfort.”
“What does the golden flower do?”
“Oh, Laura asked for that,” Marcus said. “You know how five-year-old girls are … they think it will work better if it's pretty.”
Marcus was old and wise by comparison, in his own eight-year-old eyes.
“Anyway, the fabric and feathers help with the cooling too, and you see we've put ear sections in here too so the cool can cover everything but your forehead because that naturally vents heat anyhow.”
It worked, and was very comfortable! It made guests think the family was a little strange when I forgot to take it off before entertaining visitors, but my children beamed with joy as they explained the feather ice cap they had designed for me and how it worked to our guests.
Of course, I thanked them publicly and thanked my wife privately for making the thing actually work.
“It's actually a good design idea that Valerie and Marcus had: wicking heat away once Marcia reminded them that ice sheets would melt quickly. I just needed to order them the right non-toxic polymer, and you know Laura insisted on Marcia making a golden flower to add to it for you.”
“All of you are just the best, kindest family an injured man could have, and I love you all, so much.”
She waited until I was almost asleep...
“You know the other reason the forehead was left open?” she purred just as I was going under.
“No,” I said with my last waking effort.
She kissed me all over my forehead and sent me to sweet dreams.
