The Run of Deck 10

Posted on Wed Oct 24th, 2018 @ 3:07am by

Mission: Run Afoul
Location: Various corridors
Timeline: MD2, 1400 hours
2019 words - 4 OF Standard Post Measure

Beata smoothed down her uniform. Perhaps it was her imagination but it seemed to be fitting just a tad snug lately. She'd needed to go running again. It was always hard to start a new routine on a new ship. For one thing she didn't know where to run. What happened if she picked the wrong corridor and actually ran into the Captain or the XO? She also didn't have a running partner and she enjoyed the sound of someone else's feet hitting the ground next to hers. There was always the holodeck, she supposed. But what program and when? Before her shift? After? She blew out a breath, making her dark hair fly off her forehead and land again.

Seeing the woman pause, Sekat walked up to her, the sound if his cane tapping the deck an out of synch tic-toc with the steps he took. "Are you alright?" he asked as he came within audible and visual distance of her. "Do you require assistance?"

Looking around Beata eyed the man carefully. "No sir, I was just . . . thinking." She noticed he had a cane. She didn't think she'd ever seen one in real life before. Beata wasn't sure what else to do, move off or wait for him to respond.

"About..?" the man prompted gently, "surely there is a reason you stopped dead in your tracks?"

"Exercise," Beata blushed slightly, having to admit what she was actually thinking of when she'd stopped walking. "Did I stop right in front of you? I'm so sorry!"

"No, you did not stop right in front of me," the Vulcan reassured her. "I would not have needed to walk over to you had you done that. You did not answer my question though, why did you stop?"

Beata shrugged. "I don't know, something caught my eye and reminded me that I needed to exercise more, I just stopped to think about how I looked. I'm so short, I can't just be lazy or I put on weight and my uniform gets tight." It didn't occur to her that perhaps this should be a sensitive subject or that he didn't want to hear it.

Sekat sized her up for a moment. "You do not appear as though you need to lose weight," he assured her, "I see no fault in how you look."

Beata raised her eyebrows at this. "Well thank you," she wasn't sure what else to say. She believed he was telling her the truth but she still felt the need to follow her original plan. "I don't believe I've seen you before. I'm Beata . . . oh sorry, Ensign Lauryl."

The Vulcan gave her a small bow. "Doctor Sekat," he replied formally, "or lieutenant if you prefer though my preference would be doctor. It is possible we have not met as I spend most of my time in the ship's infirmary. Unless you have been in for your physical, and I missed it."

"Uh no, I just arrived and have not had a chance to stop by." Beata didn't really mind doctors, she was being honest when she said she had not had time, she'd barely unpacked when she'd been asked to report for duty. "I will as soon as I'm able."

"I never said you should tend to it immediately," Sekat offered, clearly amused by her statement, "though I would recommend seeing Doctor Adamson sooner rather than later. In my experience the longer someone puts it off, the more difficult it becomes to tend to it."

"I suppose that's true." Beata bit her lip slightly. "I get off duty in thirty minutes. Would you like to have a drink?" It wouldn't hurt to ask, perhaps Vulcans enjoyed beverages. She'd never really been around many.

Giving it a second of thought, Sekat nodded. He reasoned having a drink with someone was just being polite. There was nothing wrong with just sharing a drink. Yet in a fleeting thought, however brief, he did wonder what Sandy might think about this. Still, they weren't a comitted couple (yet) and there was nothing wrong with just a drink. "Of course," he finally said, realizing he had yet to properly respond, "I will meet you in the mess in thirty minutes."

"Alright." She looked down at herself. It would have to do as she had no time to change once she was off duty. "I'll see you there. " Beata gave him a small smile then wandered off in the direction of her last assignment for the day.

Thirty minutes later Beata rushed into the mess and looked around for Sekat. "Hi, sorry, I think I'm a few minutes late."

Not one to stand on exact timing like most Vulcans, Sekat simply smiled at her. "Better late than never," he suggested quietly while gesturing for her to sit down. "How was the remainder of your exercise?"

"Oh I was still on duty, I'll go running later. Or maybe you'd like to join me for that as well?" Beata thought she was probably pushing her luck but it was worth a try just mentioning it. She sat down and looked at Sekat. "how long have you been in Starfleet?"

"I graduated Starfleet academy in 2388," the Vulcan replied after a moment of thought, "but I have been a doctor since 2369." He gave her a slight chuckle, nodding towards his cane. "Under normal circumstances I would not mind joining you, however under current circumstances I fear I would not get far. I cannot run, at all. Walking on its own is a struggle, hence I need supporting measures to get around." He smiled slightly, yet kindly at her. A smile minute enough it might even be missed altogether. "How about you?"

Beata flushed, "I'm sorry, that was so stupid of me. Of course. Umm, I've been out for about a year." She had no idea what else to say and was still suffering from her faux pas.

"I would not consider you to be stupid," Sekat said, "perhaps in time I can run again but not yet. Are there any other off-duty activities that you enjoy?" He saw no harm in enquiring. "Do you swim?"

"I can swim, I don't often but we could do that if you like." If he could stand to be with her for longer than the one night Beata had terrible luck with men. Not that expected this to get serious. "Would you like something to drink? I can get it for us."

"Tea please," the Vulcan answered, "swimming is one of the exercise I can do at the moment. I am not a very good swimmer however. It is unfortunate that I cannot go horse riding at the moment."

"Well I don't mind just swimming slowly, I'm not a fast swimmer anyway." She glanced at him again and then over at the replicator remembering that she was supposed to be getting the drinks "Tea, yes. Any particular flavor?"

"Surprise me," Sekat suggested, "swimming is just a means of exercise and it allows me to move without much strain on my body. Would you like to go swimming?"

A smile crept onto her face. "Sure." Brushing her dark hair out of her face she turned and went to the replicator to get him his tea and decided to make it two cups since she couldn't think of anything else she'd rather drink. "This is my favorite flavor, I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all," he reassured her, before carefully sipping the offered drink. He couldn't place the flavour but it wasn't unpleasant. "What can you tell me about this particular choice?"

"It's called Northern Delights. It's a blend of quite a few things including several kinds of berries. I like it because it's sweet enough that I don't need to add sugar or anything else for that matter. I can just enjoy the flavor. I actually have some of the tea in it's loose leaf form in my quarters."

"That is rather vague," Sekat oberved as he sipped the tea, "in terms of ingredients, I mean. It is quite pleasant in flavour however. Did you add it to the replicator or is it a selection that is already pre-programmed?"

"I added it. I can get you a list of ingredients if you like?" Beata answered nervously. "You're not allergic to anything are you?"

"Not that I am aware of," Sekat mused, "and if I am, then we will find out soon enough." It was the truth though, so far he hadn't encountered anything to which he reacted - physically - in a bad way. "Yes please, I would like a list of the ingredients. Perhaps chef can make us a fresh brew with fresh ingredients sometime."

Beata relaxed a bit and picked up her tea, holding it in her hands while letting the warmth from it wash over her body before she'd even taken a sip. "Thank you for agreeing to this."

"There is no need to thank me." Sekat took another sip of his tea, looking at her over the rim of his mug. "I have been told before I need to socialize more. However, I should probably inform you that I am seeing someone..." It wasn't a comitted relationship - yet - but he was pretty serious about his pursuit of the chief medical officer. He did have feelings for his boss.

"Oh." Beata replied, letting that sink in for a moment. She felt her cheeks flush. How could she have been so stupid?! "I'm sorry, I didn't realize." Beata gulped the nearly scalding hot tea down into her body, the heat didn't seem to bother her. "I should go, I have things to do like unpack." She rose from her chair.

The Vulcan arched an eyebrow at her in clear surprise. "Why the rush?" he asked, clearly confused at her sudden change of behaviour. "I felt I should be honest with you, because I did not wish to give you a wrong impression."

"It's fine, I'm just not feeling well suddenly." In the few minutes she'd known him her brain had convinced her that he must like her in order to want to have a drink with her, go swimming with her. His little words of encouragement had eased her social anxieties just enough. Now everything was in chaos again.

"If you are unwell, I should take you to sickbay." Sekat set down his mug and was up and around the table before she could protest. He gave her his full attention, his demeanor changing like a leaf on a tree. From relaxed and off duty, he went to full doctor-mode in just a few seconds. "Come, I will take you there. Can you tell me your symptoms, as we walk? Can you walk?"

"It's not a physical ailment. Well it is, but nothing the doctor can do." Beata protested but he seemed to be herding her along. She sighed. "I suffer from anxiety. And I had assumed you liked me." She had to admit it felt better to get things off her mind.

"I do like you," Seklat reasured her, pausing his stride to turn and look at her. "As a potential friend, I do like you. But I cannot be more than a friend, as I am already involved with someone. "If it is not a physical ailment perhaps you should see the ship's counselor," he suggested kindly, "otherwise I am certain Doctor Adamson will be able to help you."

"I just need to be alone," Beata assured him as she turned away from him and began walking back towards her quarters. She folded her arms over her chest, giving herself a hug. He wouldn't understand. None of them ever did.

Sekat sighed to himself and shook his head. "No-one ever needs to be alone," he told her as she walked away from him. Perhaps it was he, who needed to speak with a counselor because he didn't understand why she responded in this manner. It all seemed perculiar to him.

---

Ensign Beata Lauryl
Operations Officer
USS Majestic

Lieutenant j.g. Sekat
Medical Officer
pnpc Lhaes