:1995:
Lani looks at Ronnie with a combination of worry and confusion. How does she not know what year it is? What is going on here?
"Are you feeling okay, Ronnie?" she asks gently, jostling a still cranky infant in her arms. "You look like someone just hit you with a mack truck..."
"That's a little how I feel," Ronnie admits meekly. "If I didn't know better, I'd swear I was going nuts."
"What do you mean?" Lani asks concern lacing her tone. Before she gets a chance to respond, Prince returns from the kitchen laden with a tea tray.
"Can someone explain what the hell is going on here?" he asks curtly, eyes cutting back and forth between Lani and Ronnie with irritation.
Eventually his gaze uneasily settles on Lani as he places the tray carefully down onto the table. "Do we need to call security, mama?" he asks eyeing both her and Violet with concern, as he meticulously prepares a cup of tea exactly the way Lani likes it and carefully hands it over.
"I don't think so...." Lani replies, her tone unsure as her eyes rove over to Ronnie who looks like she's fighting off the beginnings of a panic attack. "Ronnie...?" she asks carefully. "What's going on here?"
---
Ronnie looks between them and she does the one thing she knows how to do best - she rationalises.
She's surrounded by decor and tech from the mid-90s so the possibility that they're lying to her is getting less and less by the second. Still, if she's going to risk being made a fool out of, she'll have to test them, first. Just to make sure.
She looks at Prince. "Answer me these questions as quickly as you can."
"You what now?"
"Just. Do it, please?"
His nose scrunches up and Lani reaches over to squeeze his arm in a gesture so similar to what Ronnie does with her Prince that it's almost scary. "Please, e ipo."
"Fine. Fine."
"The last album you released. What is it called?"
"The Gold Experience."
"Who's the president?"
"Bill Clinton."
"Did a famous basketball player return to the NBA this year?"
"Michael Jordan."
She racks her brain for more things that she knows happened in 1995 that Prince would know of. In the meantime, he keeps staring at her as if she's about to grow an extra set of teeth every second.
"If we're finished with the pop culture quiz, would you mind explaining just what --"
He's interrupted by a loud sneeze and Lani's gentle gasp. Their heads turn simultaneously towards Violet, who's clearly unhappy and crying in Lani's arms. Ronnie's heart softens. No matter what's happening with Prince, no matter whether this is some sort of sick joke, she is still a doctor and she has to help this baby.
"Look at the poor angel. Let me have a look at her." Ronnie looks at Lani. "Can I have her, Lani?"
"Lani," Prince warns. "Don't --"
Before he can finish, Lani hands Ronnie the baby. Prince grunts. "Hello? Am I invisible?"
"Hush," Ronnie tells him as she gets up, gently bouncing the baby on her hip. Violet quietens down and looks at her face with the intense curiosity all babies have. Ronnie smiles and offers her her pinky finger - Violet takes it straightaway. "Is there anywhere I can examine her?"
