A Taste of Russia

Posted on 07 Aug 2016 @ 5:05am by Captain Harvey Geisler & Senior Chief Petty Officer Mila Rasputin

1,754 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Risky Business
Location: Mess Hall/Ready Room
Timeline: MD 6 || 1300 hours

After leaving Joey, Mila headed to the Administration complex and sorted through the PADDs until she came to the one she wanted. She double checked it, then headed to the mess hall with a smile on her face and a gleam in her eyes. There, she found the head cook and approached him with the PADD in hand and the same smile that she had had since she left her offices.

"Yars," she said, greeting the Enlisted chef by his first name, which caused the Bolian to look at her warily.

"What can I do for you, Chief Rasputin?" he asked, sure that whatever it was, he was going to get the worst end of it.

Mila held up the PADD and handed it to him. "I am just remembering that you are due for leave soon and found VIP suite for you and special friend at Unity when we are getting here. All you have to do is add you thumb print and I will finalize it."

"What do you want in return?" Yars asked, still suspicious. If she went out of her way to wangle a VIP suite at the starbase for him and someone else, it had to be something big. Still, he took the PADD and verified that it contained what she had said it did and put his thumb print on it.

"Very little," she said. "I am wishing to make special meal for Captain and friend of his. I am only needing celery, onion, carrots, potatoes, olive oil chicken, dill, parsley, flour, eggs, sour cream, sugar, butter and eggs. Oh, and large pot and several bowls."

Yars sighed, but the thought of a vacation and a VIP suite was too much to pass up. He handed the PADD back to her and started to get the supplies she wanted and moved out of her way. He knew how the Russian Yeoman was when she was cooking and hoped one day to actually sample some of the cuisine that smelled so good.

An hour later, Mila eyed the Halushki soup and sampled a little of the Russian version of chicken and dumplings. "Perfect," she said. She grabbed a large container to put it in, then got two more bowls, a serving spoon and two small spoons in a bag and headed to the turbolift.

"Computer," she said. "Locate Captain Geisler."

"Captain Geisler is currently in training room one in Security on Deck Four" the computer responded.

===[Deck 4]===

Harvey had just come out of the isolation brig. While he hadn't expected to learn anything from the confrontation, he hadn't expected to be worked up like that. He knew the other members of the senior staffs were starting to wake. Harvey couldn't see them in his agitated state. Therefore, he'd retreated to one of the empty training rooms to clear his head.

Mila smiled, glad that it was only a quick trip to where Harvey was and headed down the corridor with the bowl of Halushki in one hand and the bag of bowls and spoons in the other. She paused at the doorway to the training room before she reached out and nudged the chime carefully without setting the bag down.

Harvey, who had just placed his face in his hands in an effort to calm his nerves, nearly jumped at the chime. He was curious who was at the door, especially since he told Tanika and the security detail that he'd call for them when he was ready to proceed. Keeping his face in his hands, he just simply called out, "Enter."

Mila entered and stopped when she saw the Captain with his head in his hands and felt bad for the man. "Captain?" she queried, her accent lighter than normal and her voice filled with concern at his posture.

He looked up to see Mila standing in the doorway. The training room was dim compared to the connected security area, mainly because Harvey had no desire for all of the lights. "Mila," he greeted before heaving a sigh. Straightening up, but not standing, he asked, "What brings you down here?"

"I am just coming from seeing Joey and making something special," she said as she approached him to set the covered soup on the table near him and the bag beside of it. "She is just out of surgery and wishes to see Rico, but I am only Yeoman and not having pull to take him into Medical." She studied the lines in his face and saw the stress clearly written there and felt bad for having disturbed him. "However, I am sure she is to be understanding if you are not able to."

The Captain tensed at the very mention of Joey's name, thinking of Jackson who threatened her life from behind his forcefield. Then it occurred to him that she was in surgery. "She... she was in surgery?" Harvey asked. He'd gotten so caught up in the moment that he never thought to check on her when she returned aboard.

Mila went to sit down beside of him and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Da," she said softly. "Her left shoulder had been hurt when she was on Chimera, but nurse said she was to be released soon."

He sighed. They all knew the risks associated with her going over to the Chimera. Harvey recalled how relieved he was when he'd heard her voice on the bridge. "Maybe I should go see her," he said while his mind disagreed. There was still much to do, and this mission was far from over.

"Few minutes would not hurt and with all that is going on, you are needing break other than sitting alone in dim room. Is not good for eyes, Harvey," she said, using his name since no one else was present. "I have made Halushki soup...is good for soul and body. Is chicken and dumplings and I am certain you are not eating yet and must be keeping up strength. It seems I have made enough for two by accident."

Harvey knew Mila well enough by now that she never did anything by accident. And, come to think of it, he hadn't bothered with breakfast that morning. He'd been operating today on two pots of coffee. Perhaps it was time to indeed eat something. "She told you, didn't she?"

"Told me what?" Mila asked innocently for Joey had told her many things.

She always makes me say it, thought Harvey, looking at Mila now. "That she and I... Well, I kissed her this morning."

"You did?" Mila asked, her eyes lighting up with a flare at the romantic thoughts that filled her mind. "Is wonderful news, Harvey!" she said. In truth, Joey had not told her that Harvey had kissed her. "She is saying that you are together, but she did not say you kissed her. I am being very happy for you both. Are you needing me to kill rumormill?" The last was said as if she had really asked him if he wanted her to kill the people who started the rumors.

Harvey shook his head. "Let the crew have something to chat about. It'll give them something else to talk about than absent friends." He did smile, if just for a moment. "If anything, I've got a potential fireball on my hands. The Major in command of the Chimera has it in for Joey."

Mila frowned and a look entered her eyes that had nothing to do with romance and everything to do with her last question to him. "I am suggesting that you are strapping him to torpedo and be launching him at nearest black hole," she said in all seriousness. "People like that are not having right to exist."

"I may be a Captain," Harvey countered, "but it's not my place to decide. JAG will take care of them as soon as we return to Unity."

"There are just some people who should not..." she trailed off, thinking of her ex boyfriend who had killed a crewman she had complained about and the consequences that had followed. It was in her personal counseling records that he would have access to but wasn't something she spoke about with anyone other than Aidan in any detail since it had happened. Her experience in Medical had reminded her of that time and she only wanted to put it behind her. "You are right," she said, even if she disagreed with him. "What if you are to be having him transferred to other part of ship...such as strapped to deuterium storage container with Rico watching him?"

The comment made Harvey chuckle. "Maybe when this is all over. Until then, there's still a Valdore out there, and a lot of unanswered questions."

"Da, and Halushki is to be getting cold," Mila said. "So I am saying go, Harvey. You are to be taking time while you are having it and enjoying moment out of day. I am to be covering for you if anyone is asking."

Harvey nodded, knowing he didn't have long before he needed to be in the main brig. "I suppose a quick visit won't hurt," he told her. Rising from the bench, he mentally calculated how quickly he could get to the Ready Room, then back down to sickbay. "I might have you keep an eye on Rico after I leave sickbay," he said. "There's still a few people from the Chimera and Cochrane I need to talk to."

"I will do so," Mila said. "I am thinking Chow will be okay by himself for short time longer if you are having computer transfer requests to me so I am filtering them for you. I will make certain that you are not bothered unless is emergency."

Harvey nodded. "Thank you, Mila," he said with a slight smile before graciously taking the soup container and bag and leaving the room. A quick visit to Joey would indeed do them both some good.

Mila waited a minute after he left, then she headed out with a smile on her face. When she saw that no one else was in the corridor with her, a broad grin crossed her face and she dropped down in a squat with her arms crossed, kicked one leg out in a Hopak dance step and gave a cheer before she danced down the corridor.

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