Lunch of sorts

Posted on 05 Apr 2009 @ 6:18pm by Colonel Stadi Andrus

989 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: M1: Prepare for Battle
Location: Lounge
Timeline: Before the Briefing

ON:

Mari moved through the group standing around talking and trying to decide on what they would get to eat and politely said, "Permiso," to several, hoping they would listen and move out of the way. When she finally made it to the front, she smiled to the server and requested, "Simple salad, please, grilled chicken on top. Vinaigrette dressing."

Melanie had wanted to forget the dreams that haunted her, she wished she could be with him again but knew the rules...it was too dangerous. Her mind distracted when she nerly bumped into the XO.

"Cuidado!" Mari cried out as she turned swiftly to see who had come close to making her wear her meal, "Doctor, I would expect you to be more careful than that!"

"I am sorry...I was distracted. I will be more careful."

"Por favor, see that you do," Mari responded with a firm tone.

Melanie was disgusted with herself...she had never let herself become distracted to any extent like that before...she was a surgeon, she was dedicated to her work...she didn't get distracted...not even with...She shook her head pushing away the thoughts of the man she loved. "Please accept my apologies."

"Esta bien," Mari said, taking her salad and nodding to the other woman, "Don't let it happen again."

"May I join you?"she asked.

With no hesitation, Mari gave a confident nod and said, "Si, I don't have much time before I have to be back on the bridge, but that would be fine."

Melanie grabbed a cup of strawberry tea and joined lieutenant. They sat down and she said."Sickbay is ready to accept casaulties."

"Bueno, but I'm hoping that we will not have any. Probably a naive hope, but until its proved wrong..." Mari let her words drift off at the end, picking up her fork and beginning to eat her salad, asking suddenly, "Why are you here, Doctor? Why medicine? Why Starfleet?"

"I was thrown into the field during the Dominion War...I was only 18. I was a nurse. I am here again because I can't be stuck behind a desk any longer at Starfleet medical."

Snickering, Mari's eyes flashed with amusement, "No, es verdad. I doubt you could handle that much better than I handled when they tried to pin me down to a department."

"Yes of course...I was promoted in the field...I had all the medical background needed but remained a nurse...our doctor was killed and the captain promoted me that afternoon. I love medicain now...but felt pushed into it when I was younger. I was quite happy staying a nurse...but the call of duty was stronger." She said almost bitterly.

"Hmmm..." Mari responded, shaking her head, "I don't let anyone push me into anything. That's no way to live. You need to be happy, free to make your own choices, your own decisions."

"I am happy...I was thrown into it before I was ready. I am not sure I could be anything else but I doctor now."

Mari's eyes narrowed, "You seem to be focusing on being thrown into your field. Why is that?"

"My captain was my father. He wanted me to be something more. He was the one that promoted me in the field. I am here and happy." She smiled but so distracted from the haunting dreams.

"Have you been to see the counselor yet for your psych eval?" Mari asked suddenly, going with her gut instinct that there was something not quite right with the woman.

Melanie stiffened. "I have received my evaluation 2 weeks before boarding the Freedom. Would you like a copy?"

Unruffled, Mari's lips pursed and her eyes narrowed in amusement, "You do not like the counselor, then, I take it," she said, completely ignoring the woman's words.

"He asked me for tea in the middle of my sickbay lieutenant..I refuse to see someone that cannot distinguish between a lounge and sickbay!"

Delighted with the mental image of the counselor doing precisely what the other woman said, Mari laughed and shook her head, "Pues, Doctora, perhaps he simply thought you were too stressed and needed to relax. It *is* his job to help you to do that..."

"If you could get me a full staff I would be less inclined to be stressed."

"Yo se," Mari agreed with a nod, "But considering how long it took us to get a captain, I'm not sure how likely it is that you'll have a full staff in medical anytime soon."

"Perfect." She said simply, and leaned back into her chair. "What is so difficult about finding a couple of nurses? I have nearly disabled that ridiculous EMH twice today...and the battle hasn't started."

Narrowing her eyes again, Mari asked, "Why not ask the counselor to help out if needed? I'm sure that somewhere in his 500 years of life experience, he has some medical training in there..."

~And have him offer tea and biscuits to my patients?~ She thought to herself. "Yes...of course...I will ask him..." Melanie didn't trust the counsellor...

"No you won't," Mari stated easily, "No me mientas, Lieutenant. It is rude to lie to your superiors."

"Pardon me? I'm lying to you?" She cocked her head to the side.

"Do you have any intention of contacting the counselor for assistance?" Mari asked pointedly.

"I do." She looked directly into the lieutenant's eyes meaning the truth...but prayed the counsellor would have no expertise in medicine.

Mari snorted mildly and shook her head, "Bueno, if you say so," then she stood and gathered her things to clean up and head out, "I need to head back to the bridge. I will see you soon, Doctor."

"Of course." She replied. ~Not too soon I hope.~ she thought to herself...she had to get back to sickbay...

END

Lt Mariposa Hernandez Rodriguez

Lt. Melanie Hemmingway
CMO
USS Freedom

 

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