A Promise, Semi-Kept

Posted on Wed Jun 6th, 2018 @ 9:23am by

1,223 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: S1:3: Myriad Problems
Location: Various Decks
Timeline: MD 1: 15.56

There was truth to the saying that doctors make terrible patients. It didn't help that Rena basically had to wake her "doctor" like she promised. She stood over Merzel's pod, staring at his peaceful expression for a moment, the window making his skin paler than it seemed, before starting the thawing process. She had promised him that she'd wake him up once they completed the jump, and while she didn't want to, she knew that the longer she delayed, the more upset he would be. She watched as color returned to his cheeks before glancing down at the pod to make sure everything was going alright. His vitals were normal, and once pressure and temperature were equal to that outside the pod, she opened the hatch.

If he was having a dream, it quickly faded as he was pulled back to consciousness. Merzel took in a slow, deep breath before opening his eyes, squinting a little at the lighting. After a moment of letting his eyes adjust, he looked around, seeing Rena almost instantly. "Kal… did something happen with the pod? It..." The goosebumps that suddenly raced up his arms made hm shiver. "... it's cold..."

"Welcome back," Rena said with a smile, giving him a blanket to wrap up in. "I made you some tea, it will help you warm up." She offered him a cup of the steaming liquid, and motioned to the food on the side.

Merzel accepted the blanket, wrapping it around his shoulders, before taking the cup and taking a tentative sip. "Thank you. Now, was there a reason for my awakening?"

Once he took the items from her, Kal grabbed her tricorder and began her routine scans. "I'm keeping my promise, that I would wake you once we completed the jump? You also may feel nauseous, it's a common symptom."

The man nodded, his free hand touching the short stubble that had started to grow. Even a cryo pod couldn't completely stop the age progression of his body, but it definitely slowed it down. "The jump was a success, then."

"We got here about a month ago," Rena said with a nod. It took her a moment to realize what she said, and looked up to see an expression of disappointment. "I know I was supposed to wake you once the jump was complete, but there were... complications." She hadn't realized that 4 weeks had passed, but with the recent activity, time did seem to fly.

The look of disappointment turned into understanding, and he took another sip of the tea. "That I can understand, and I know you would have woken me earlier if something was wrong. So, when will I be good to check on you, Kal?"

"I would let your body rest for a couple hours," she responded, closing her tricorder. "Until then, I can show you around, or you can rest in sickbay. It's up to you."

Merzel opened his mouth, only to be interrupted by a vengeful growl from his stomach. The man chuckled a little, "I think that's my body's way of saying I need some nourishment. Do you have time for lunch?"

Rena snickered at the noise, then nodded. "I could eat. My shift is about to end anyways. We can go to the recreation deck, they have some good variety. Careful standing, you may get lightheaded as your body adjusts to moving again." She helped Merzel stand, offering support as he got his bearings, before closing the pod and marking it as unoccupied. She then walked with him out of the bay.

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10 minutes later
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"... so you're saying, this other ship just exploded?" Merzel asked through a mouthful of food. Being a traditionalist, he wanted some food from home to satisfy his hunger, and sat with half of his favorite dish in his mouth, something that resembled noodles and meat. They chose a more secluded corner, not because their conversation was private, but it was also less noisy than the main tabled area. It also had a good window view.

"Something like that," Rena responded, watching him eat with slight disgust. This was one of Kal's future hosts? 'Great, now he'll know what I think of his chewing if he ever joins,' she thought, shaking her head a little to vanish the thought. "It created a shockwave that... shatter isn't the right word, but it turned the Clock Makers to this ashy composite. The body we found is still intact, but-"

"Wait," the man stopped her. "A body?"

"Well, yeah, the one that was being consumed by the Clock Makers?" Rena reminded him before she took a sip of the juice she had. Her own meal was Grakizh, a type of salad from Trill, except hers contained beans and a dark meat. "For some reason, the shockwave didn't shatter the crystals on the body."

Merzel nodded slowly, slurping up the noodle dangling from his mouth, the action having resemblance to a snake's tongue. "Well, what happened next?"

Rena shrugged, taking a bite of her near-finished salad as the sound of noodle slurping sent a shiver down her spine. "We basically cleaned and sanitized the entire ship after the incident, since the Clock Makers consume any kind of matter. Shadi got a new leg... and then we encountered a ship. I'm actually about to head down there within a couple hours, the Captain wants the senior staff there for first contact."

His eyes widened with curiosity. "Only a month out here, and first contact already?? Wow! Well, I shouldn't keep you. I don't know how much time you need to prepare, so-"

As Merzel rambled on about the numerous things he thought should be at a first contact meeting, Rena was able to finish her meal. She then held up her hand, "Merzel, it's first contact, not a secret trade deal. I just need to be there in uniform. Thank you for your concern, but it's already been set up and organized."

His excitement ebbed a little. "... oh. Well, that's good, but before you go, we should still check on Kal." He then scooted his chair over until he was sitting closer to Rena and promptly put his hand on her abdomen. It was the worst timing, because Rena had been in the middle of a drink of her beverage, which soon enough ended up splattered on the table, followed by a short sting on his hand that he recognized as hers slapping it away. "What??"

To be surprised was an understatement. "Not in public!" she hissed, incredulous. Using a napkin to clean her mouth and wipe off the droplets of juice that clung to her uniform, she added, "at least wait until we get back to sickbay, or somewhere more private! Sheesh..." An additional phrase was grumbled, but if the tone implied the meaning, it was not kind.

The realization of the awkwardness settled in, making Merzel's face turn red. "S-sorry! I guess I-I'm used to how it is on Trill, I-" he stammered.

Rena waved her hand a little as she picked up her lunch. She wasn't angry, just surprised. "It's fine. Just remember for future references?" When he nodded, she gestured with her head to dispose of their dishes before heading back to sickbay.

Might as well get this over with.

 

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