Checkup

Posted on 12 Apr 2016 @ 8:28pm by Lieutenant Commander Temerant Bast & Commander Jayla Kij

1,294 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Outbreak
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: MD5 - 1400 Hours

The turbolift came to a stop, and the sudden motion caused a bit of a lurch in Bast's stomach. He was still a bit hung over from the previous night's activities with Camila. He regretted none of it – except perhaps the last three or four cocktails. But his nascent relationship with Camila was thrilling, and filled him with expectation. He couldn't remember ever feeling this way – except that it was the same feeling he'd had when Wilem Bast had met his future wife, over thirty-five years ago.

For now though, he turned his attention to the task at hand. He was scheduled for a check-up with Jayla, following his recent injuries on the T'Pring. The sickbay doors parted at his approach, and nurse T'Lura directed him to Kij's office.

"Good afternoon," he greeted, wakling into his new friend's office.

"Hi!" Jayla greeted cheerfully. "How are you feeling."

"I'm good," replied Temerant, a smile tugging at one corner of his mouth. "How about you? Enjoying the shore leave?"

"Absolutely," replied Jayla with a grin. "I accompanied the captain to dinner with the Administrator and then he got us seats to this weird mating ritual thing with luminescent birds. It's hard to explain, but it was amazing. Apparently it only happens twice a year. How about you? Do anything fun?"

"Sounds nice," replied Temerant. "I, uh... Do you have anything for hangovers?"

Jayla grinned. "Over did it, huh?" she said, reaching for a hypo spray. "Sounds like you had a great time, anyway," she added, loading the spray with a simple NSAID.

"I did," said Temerant, presenting his neck to Jayla.

As she injected him with the drug, he looked at her face more closely. "That grin is a little too big for a mating ritual involving birds. Out with it," he prodded.

Jayla's eyes sparkled. "The birds weren't the only ones," she said with a wink.

"Good for you, Kij," replied Temerant with a smile. "Wait..." He paused, and looked at her. "With the Captain?" he said incredulously.

Jayla blinked and gave him a surprised look. "How did you... Wait, did I say that?" she asked, and the realization hit her. "Right, I said I spent time with him on the planet and then... Oi. I gotta learn to keep my mouth shut. Yes, but don't tell anyone, okay? I'm not so sure we're ready for it to be public knowledge, yet."

"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me," replied Temerant, winking. "Though New Risa does have a certain... je-ne-sais-quoi..."

"It does," agreed Jayla, going to the replicator and asking for a glass of water, room temperature. "I've been to Risa and, to be honest, I like Yolvanda II better. Here, drink this, it'll help with the hangover," she added, handing him the glass.

"So do I," he replied. He drank the water slowly, so as not to overtax his stomach. "It certainly is a very... nice planet," he said.

"Yes," agreed Jayla, pulling out her tricirder. "It is. It's peaceful. So did you have anyone to spend time with?" she asked, kneeling to check his ankle. Normally, she would have taken him to a bio bed, but then they wouldn't be able to have a conversation like this. "Put your foot up here," she said, patting her right knee.

Temerant removed his boot, and placed his foot where she was indicating. "I, uh... Let's just say someone counted my spots."

Jayla snickered. "I thought so," she said. "Men only wear that particular grin when they've got lucky. And come to think of it, only men wear it. Women are sort of... smug."

Temerant chuckled. "What, you think you're the only one who gets to touch pouch once in a while?" He winced as Jayla's manipulation of his ankle hit a sensitive nerve. "We just got a bit drunk, and one thing led to another. I woke up naked on the couch, and she was naked in my bed..."

"Wow," said Jayla, scanning his ankle carefully. "That sounds like a wild time. Either that or... very weird. I can't decide which. How's it feel?" she asked, indicating his ankle.

"I can tell you it felt anything BUT weird. After everything that's happened in the last few months, being able to reconnect with someone felt... liberating," he said, searching for the right word. He flexed his ankle. "That feels all right."

"Well, that's good," said Jayla. "On both counts. I think your ankle's pretty much healed. There's still a bit of sorting out that the nerves have to do, but mostly, it should be fine. You can put your boot back on," she added, standing and stowing her tricorder back in its pocket. "So do you think it's just a fling, or will it last?" She asked. "With the girl. Also, if I'm getting too personal, you are totally allowed to tell me to shut up."

"I hope it lasts," he replied. "But time will tell. What about you and... your mystery man?" he said, hushing his voice in conspiratorial tones.

Jayla grinned, leaning against her desk. "I honestly don't know," she answred. "I mean, we were friends almost as soon as I came on board. And then one night I just asked him to stay over. I'm not sure why, really. But it was good, and I like him, so...." She shrugged. "I guess we'll see what happens."

"Starfleet and love often don't mix very well," he stated. Especially, he thought without voicing it, when one fo the people involved was the ship's Commanding Officer. "Best of luck to you," he said instead.

Unbeknownst to Bast, Jayla was thinking the same thing. It was hard in a relationship if one person was less important than a ship. If it was going to work, she was going to have to be far more understanding than anyone else in all of history. "Thanks," she said. "You, too."

A memory suddenly emerged in Bast's consciousness. Something from very long ago. "Wait a second," he said. "Didn't Lorelei go through something similar back at the Symbiosis Commission? I seem to remember a bit of a ruckuss because she was involved with one of the selectors there..."

Jayla grinned slightly. "Yeah," she answered. "People were saying he showed favoritism to her. There was an investigation, but they found that if anything, he was harder in her than the others. She married him and they had five kids."

"See? In some cases, these things do work out."

This time, the grin was a bit wider. "Thanks," she said. "I guess, if I really want it to- and if he does, too- then it has a pretty good chance."

"The odds will be in your favor, that's for sure," replied Bast, flexing his foot one last time before putting his boot back on. He could feel the effects of the hangover subsiding.

"I should get back to work then," he said.

"Work!" she laughed. "Aren't we both supposed to be in shore leave?"

"I wish," he said. "But I only put in for 36 hours of shore leave, which ended about two hours ago. I don't have a staff, and I have a maintenance list that's as long as your desk."

"Ugh," said Jayla, wrinkling her nose. "I guess that means we need some ops staff. I'm on leave until tomorrow morning, but doctors always have something tgat needs their attention. I'm taking off again as soon as I'm done here."

"Then I won't keep you," said Temerant, walking toward the door. "I wouldn't want to keep the Captain waiting!"

Jayla grinned and waved as he left her office. Now, it was time to get back to these reports so she could get back to her vacation.

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