You should sell t-shirts...

Posted on Sunday, 2 May 2021 - 12:55pm by Lieutenant Alex Kingsley & Lieutenant Ryan Rose MD

Mission: Operation: Peace or P'Jem
Location: Sickbay
Timeline: Prior to P'Jem arrival

Miracles do actually happen... making a brief detour which brought her into Dr Rose's office, Lieutenant Kingsley was surprised not to see the physician behind his desk. It was no secret that, aboard this ship, their CMO was a near constant presence within the medical bay. Maybe, she mused as she set down a cup of tea on his desk, he had taken a day off? A thought she dismissed a heartbeat later.

Which was when she turned around and almost walked right into him.

"Hey, Doc," she blurted out, sounding perhaps far to guilty because she thought, for a second, that he looked suspicious. "I just dropped off some tea. Since, you know, we are keeping you so busy lately."

Ryan blinked in surprise, but composed himself almost immediately. "Hello Alex." He glanced at the tea and smiled. "Thank you. Did you ninja yourself back into sickbay just to give me tea?" He asked with a teasing lilt to his voice.

"I have no idea what you mean," she grinned before adding, "from what I saw, you had your hands full. Too many people and not enough biobeds. Giving this crew's tendency to get injured..? You may want to requisition some more space and supplies."

"I'd love to, if I thought there was any space to be had, I would. We made do with the Mess Hall, and I haven't even looked at how much power we used. Above my pay grade to worry about that." Ryan grinned, but then turned the conversation back around. "Really though, what can I do for you?"

Alex feigned a wounded expression, "can't a colleague, a friend even, bring you some tea without needing something?"

Ryan deflated. "Of course. Sorry. I guess I have had work on the mind. Would you like some of the tea?" He offered. "I'll even replicate some cookies."

"Only if they are mint chocolate chip," she grinned. "Oh, and that Haru or Soral do not find out. Or if they do, tell them it was pineapple flavour. Vulcans love that stuff."

"I think I can manage that." Ryan headed to the replicator. "And we will eat all the evidence." He brought a pitcher of boiling water and a plate of mint chocolate cookies to the small coffee table in front of the couch in his office and sat down. "Ahhh. Thank you for the excuse to sit for a bit."

"Anytime," she smiled as she picked out a cookie. "Thanks for helping me sneak some chocolate."

"No, thank you." Ryan shamelessly spoke through a mouthful of cookie. Once he swallowed he looked over. "Hey, can I ask you something? Off Duty personal question."

“Sure,” she nodded, picking out another cookie as she sorted the tea.

Ryan took a fortifying breath. He was a bit embarrassed to ask, but he really did need a woman's opinion, and he trusted Alex not to laugh at him about it. "If you were seeing somebody long distance, just video calls and the odd holocall, what could they do that would be romantic?"

“That would depend upon the person but things like flowers etc never go wrong... Hmm. I guess since you cannot be there then your options are to show her how special she is. Or he, I’m not judging! Do you think they would enjoy things like spas or would it be more museums and theatre?”

Ryan snorted in amusement at the mental picture of Scarlet going to a spa. She'd probably try to tinker with the sauna or something. "I can't picture her at a spa. The few times we've been able to sit down and have a call, it's usually a movie. But flowers, classic. That's not a bad idea."

“What does she do? Or like? Besides movies?”

"She's in R&D for medical engineering. She likes to draw, and berate my taste in super heroes." He replied fondly, taking a sip of his tea. "I do like your flowers idea. I mean, it's classic for a reason."

"Well depending on your taste in said super heroes, she may be entirely justified," Alex teased. "I know a few people from uni who are artists, they could paint or sketch something - like a picture of you both together or something like that? But flowers, and chocolates, of course, are always classic."

Ryan smiled. "Thank you.I like the sketch idea as well, but I can do that myself. I hope I didn't make you uncomfortable. I just needed an opinion." He was already thinking of how to arrange it.

“Not at all,” she grinned. “Most people, except Soral, Mac and Huru, usually only as me about work related things. Oh, and yourself and T’Lanna obviously. But I couldn’t just have tea and cookies with T’Lanna without being asked about some kind of counselling vibe. She can’t help it. Just sometimes you just want tea and cookies. Tea optional.”

"Well anytime you need help sneaking chocolate, you know where to find me." Ryan smiled and snatched another cookie.

“Sadly yes,” she grinned, “do you ever leave sickbay? I know the crew keep you busy but I can’t recall you not being here when I’ve needed you - or more often - when Soral has. I know the EMH has a rep cos of the bedside manner thing but practice makes perfect as they say. If you like, we could arrange a movie night? In quarters or even the mess hall. It can even be a superhero one as long as Black Widow is in it and there is popcorn. She’s one of my favourites.”

"I do leave sickbay. Ok, not all that often as of late, but as you said, it's been busy. I appreciate the offer though." Ryan chuckled then. "And you should see Emerick in action. He put his foot down when I needed to catch some sleep. I had no idea he had 'Go the fuck to sleep' in his memory banks."

She couldn’t help it, she laughed. Loud, so much it kind of hurt. “Oh wow, he didn’t?!” she managed finally, picturing it in her head.

"He did, it worked too." Ryan couldn't help but join in the laughter.

“Well, he deserves a raise but maybe we won’t ask him to babysit N’Vek,” Alex grinned.

"Yeah, maybe not." Ryan agreed.


OFF