Ah, I owe you a drink!

Posted on 07 Nov 2022 @ 2:04pm by Lieutenant Commander Raviran Dattek-Winters & Lieutenant JG Christina Hartley

1,161 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Outbreak
Location: Ten Forward
Timeline: MD1 minus 3

Ravi had pulled a few long shifts and she was tired. Over-tired. She was having trouble sleeping, especially as she couldn't get the worry of how Vatt was faring was on her mind such a lot. She knew that tonight would be no different and she faced a late shift tomorrow, easing her way into nights again for the next shift pattern.

Deciding not to just lay and stare at the walls or the ceiling like she had last night, struggling to force herself to rest, she went into 10-forward to see if she could put a few alcoholic incentives into her bloodstream and physically knock herself out. It seemed worth a try.

Entering the suite she immediately thought of the night she had come here for the reception which had led to her meeting Lisald. There that man was again. He was in everything it seemed. She decided not to order an Andorian Sunrise like they had that evening, as that would just add salt to the wound but then again it was her favourite 'medical' sedation and this was an Emergency Medical Incident. She smiled despite herself, even though she knew it was the first sign of madness to laugh at your own jokes but she walked determinedly towards the bar, trying to think of an alternative on the way over.

Before she made it even halfway across the room however, she noticed that nice Engineer Lady who had come to her rescue on her first day on duty and helped her fix a wayward monitor and station, rescuing her from making a fool of herself as a very unhappy first impression.

She stopped, turned and approached the woman. ~Now what had been her name?~ she asked herself. Luckily it came to her before she reached the booth where the Engineer was sitting.

"OH, Christina isn't it? Hi, I'm Ravi, from Sickbay? You rescued me from a computer virus or something that was trying to make a fool of me on my first day, I don't know if you remember? I owe you a drink for your help. What can I order you?" she asked.

Christina smiled. "Ravi, right?" Christina asked. "I remember. I have an eidetic memory," she explained. "I'll take a Cherry Cola please, it's my favourite."

"Coming right up!" Ravi replied. "excuse me a sec......." she resumed her path towards the bar to place her order and the sensible nature of Christina's order of cherry cola made her decide to go sensible too.

She ordered and returned with two huge cherry colas with ice and an actual replicated cherry on the top, speared with a cocktail stick and decorated with the tiniest leaves of parsley also speared and suspended across the top of the glass to either eat or discard as preferred.

Putting both drinks down on the table, she asked politely if she might join Christina - as long as she wasn't busy or expecting someone else?

"Please do. I'm just on a lunch break, and with K'tress in daycare, and Kin on duty, I'm on my own right now," Christina said.

Ravi sat and couldn't resist asking about what Christina had just said. "I hope you don't mind me asking, but you mentioned someone in daycare? Do you have a child?"

It was obvious that there must be a child or why would whoever it was be in Daycare? That was a pretty stupid question but Ravi wanted to word her query in a way that wouldn't be intrusive or offend so that seemed like a good way to start.

"I do, a daughter, K'tress. My wife is Kin'Fuji, and we've been together now since we were thirteen," Christina replied, smiling. "K'tress is five, and a great kid. She was born when Kin and I were at the academy, so we got permission to live off campus after," Christina pulled out a small device from her pocket, and activated a holo image of herself, Kin, and K'tress.

"oh what a lovely family!" Ravi admired the sweet image. "I'd love to meet them one day!" she began with a huge smile. "....when it's appropriate, of course" she added so as not to be too pushy.

"Soon as we can, you will," Christina smiled back. "It's... well, Kin got here before us, because we both put in transfers, but mine was rejected because I was working on a new ship at Utopia Planetia, and I helped design the new impulse engines. So for the last couple of months, we've been apart, but thankfully, the Captain got me transferred here," Christina explained.

"Good news for all of us" Ravi agreed. "It certainly helped me out..... well, you did, I should say" she grinned.

"You designed the new engines for a new ship then?" Ravi said thoughtfully. "I can see why they didn't want to lose you. That sounds really clever. You're a bit of a star I think." she winked at Christina and smiled broadly.

Christina blushed. "I'm just an engineer. I see how things are supposed to go, and it all fits and makes sense. Hell, when I was ten, Uncle Plase got command of a new ship, and I spotted that the officer overseeing the warp field tests had screwed up, so I fixed it. He told me I'd make a hell of an engineer," Christina said.

"....and he was right!" Ravi agreed, holding her cola up to "toast" that fact.

Christina accepted the toast, and smiled as she held up her glass of cola. "We're all amazing people, which is why we're here. You might have liked my graduation speech. I was the class valedictorian, and I made a point how everyone always wants to measure up to Kirk, Picard, Sisko, Janeway, Archer, Calhoun, Batesom... but the fact is, as soon as we put on these uniforms, we became the same as them. We might not do the exact same thing, but being in Starfleet is important. We're here to make a difference," Christina said.

"That's so true and very philosophical" Winters agreed. "If we didn't have the need or the desire to be someone who can make a difference in our own way, I doubt if any of us would have ever even thought of joining up."

The two officers finished their drinks and chatted for ages, seeming to have a great deal in common and a lot to share. Finally, Ravi looked at the time and gasped.

"Oh, I didn't realise we'd been here so long. I should be back to get ready for my shift. I'm so glad we talked. It's been so amazing to meet you and I hope..... if you are okay with it? Perhaps we could come here regularly? Maybe make it a regular slot?" she asked and waited to see if Christina had enjoyed their chat as much as she had and would like to make it a regular event.

She hoped that was a rhetorical question.

 

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