Run of the [Rumor] Mill

Posted on Sun Dec 2nd, 2018 @ 5:11am by Petty Officer 3rd Class Tox Chara

Mission: Run Afoul
Location: Patrick's Quarters
1559 words - 3.1 OF Standard Post Measure

Tox chimed twice already. Maybe the Chef was sleeping and she should come back another time, or maybe she was just being impatient. She scrunched up her face and press the chime again with her elbow, since her arms were full.

Patrick startled awake at the third chime, having thought it was a dream the first two. Who would be visiting him though? He struggled to sit up a little, rubbing sleep from his eyes. "Come!" He called out.

When the doors slid apart, Tox Chara bopped through into the darkened quarters with a bounce in her step. "Hello?" she called cheerfully. "Chef?" She carried a tray with a small pile of things on it and set it aside onto the table and then said, "Computer, lights. I brought you some food."

"In here!" Patrick called from the bedroom, squinting at the suddenly very bright lights. "What time is it?" He wondered how long he had been asleep. He mustered up a smile as the woman walked in. "Food... that's very thoughtful of you To. Thank you."

"Almost 1900 hours. Don't thank me yet, you haven't tasted it. We drew straws to see who was going to bring it up to you, but I lost. Obviously," Tox said as she appeared in the doorway of the bedroom. "Got banana soup. That was my idea. It's really interesting. I think the texture is a little off because I didn't know it was going to react so... uh... violently with the andorian spice mix. There's also a beetroot and marshmallow cake. It's very colorful." Tox, clearly, was vegetarian and only cooked that way. Attendance in the mess hall was down dramatically. "How are you feeling? Lieutenant Murphy said you would be hungry."

"Banana soup?" Patrick blinked in surprise. "Beetroot and marshmallow?" He wasn't keen on either mix. "What else have you got? Anything else that um...my stomach might actually appreciate?"

"Oh, they're delicious, really," Tox said, a little deflated. "Uh, well, I brought some bread that someone made and some cheese that I found in your refrigerator. I could throw together a sandwich I suppose. I thought you would be a little more appreciative."

"Oh I appreciate the effort," the young man reassured her, "I really do...but you have to remember that what is absolutely lovely for you, might be something that could make me very sick. And Banana soup...I might consider that as a dessert but not as dinner main. And beetroot is actually quite lovely with chocolate, but I'm not so sure about marshmallows." He smiled encouragingly. "A cheese sandwich on he other hand sounds great."

"I don't think bananas are going to make you sick," Tox tsk'ed as she turned to make him a boring cheese sandwich. She could be heard rummaging through the cabinet for a knife. "Your place is really nice. I like your kitchen. I didn't think any of the quarters had kitchens in them," she chatted loudly from the other room as she worked. "I'll put all this food in your refrigerator. Maybe you'll come to your senses later and decide to try it."

"Murph will eat it," Patrick promised, craning his neck in the hope of seeing what she was doing. "No they don't come with kitchens," he added, "I asked for one to be put in. I cook my own food, remember?"

"I remember," Tox said when she brought in the plate with sliced bread and two slices of a soft white cheese and handed it to him. "I just thought you had the one in the mess and that was what you used." She gave a shrug. "I guess I didn't think about it." She plopped down on the end of the bed. "So, Murphy said that he wouldn't be back until much later. Are you guys a couple now?"

"I'm not entirely sure," he admitted, casting her a rueful smile, "I think so, but I'm not sure. I know he'll be late, he's got so much to do..." He sighed, taking a small bite. "All I know is that his presence makes me happy."

"Awww," she cooed lightly, cocking her head and giving him a smile. "That sounds sweet. I never would have guessed he'd be the kind to be all nice and stuff."

"Why wouldn't he be?" It was a genuine question. "What gives you that idea?"

"Because he's kind of a hardass," Tox admitted. She was technically off-duty, so it was alright to talk about an officer in the negative, right? "I mean, you don't have to tell him I said that. I've only heard it second hard. That's what people say."

"Hmmm. I'm not going to tell him anything," Patrick promised, taking another bite of his sandwich, "sure he can be a bit gruff, but he's been really thoughtful and attentive to me. I mean...he took me home when I asked him to."

Tox giggled. "That sounds scandelous when you say it like that." She prided herself on being in the center of the ship's grapevine of rumors. "You think Lieutenant Rai would take me home if I asked her to? I'd say Commander Sommers, but all those kids. They mess up the arboretum every time they visit. I couldn't deal with that."

"I don't know if she would..." Patrick seemed a little confused at her comparison. "I meant he brought me home from sickbay, when I asked him to. I didn't want to stay in that dreadful place, it's so stressful. And he's very attentive to me, he even tried to make breakfast..." He frowned. "What about Lhaes's kids? Surely the girls are fairly behaved?"

"I don't know, maybe," she scruntched up her nose and looked amused. "I'm not much of a kid person. They're all loud and energetic," she admitted. "You? Any children in your future?"

"Uhm.." Patrick bit his lip, looking away. "Andy and I were discussing it...not long before he died. I think it's a little too soon to bring anything like that up with Murphy... it's way too soon for that but ultimately, yes I'd like children." He sighed softly, shoving the plate aside. Suddenly, he just wasn't hungry anymore. "Maybe you're more of a pet person?"

"I don't think I want to be responsible for a little lifeform. I mean, plants are alive, but not really the same thing, right?" Tox exhaled and dropped to lay across the foot of the bed as though exhausted from conversation. "Is the sandwich wrong? Do you want me to heat up some soup?"

"No nothing is wrong with the sandwich." Patrick gave her a wan smile. "I'm just not hungry anymore, I'm not feeling too great, i"m sorry."

She sat back up and frowned. "Should I call medical? I swear the sandwich wasn't poisoned. I think. I mean... it was cheese you had in the refrigerator already and the bread came from the replicator because I couldn't get Wexler to save me any from the loaf he made. Are you allergic to replicator food? It makes so much sense now. That's why you became a chef?"

"Easy Tox..." Patrick smiled sadly as he shook his head. "No I'm not allergic to it, and I'm very sure you didn't poison me. I think it's all just catching up with me... how lonely I've been, and the explosion, and getting hurt and being in sickbay... I'm just tired. I'll tell you why I became a chef some day, just not now."

"Oh, but why not..." She feigned disappointment. "Fine. I can take a hint."

"I'm sorry I don't have the energy right now." Patrick settled back on the bed, using his free hand to pull the covers back up. "i really appreciate you bringing me food, I really do. And I appreciate the company, I'm just not very good company right now." There was only one person who could make him feel better, that person wasn't here.

"You need to be eating something to have energy and you're not eating," Tox implored. "You know what you need? My mother would say that you need a Limok soup. Magical healing properties, soothe the soul, heal the body, rest the mind. Yes? I'll make some up for later?"

"If it's edible for a Human, I'll try it," Patrick promised, "maybe the other injured from the blast would like some too... and Murph...get him to eat too?" The young man seemed to fred about the chief engineer's condition. "He'll forget himself, being so busy down there."

"Oh, it's edible," she promised with a laugh, "but it's a rather... uh... acquired taste." She pick up his plate of half-eaten sandwich and carried it out to the kitchen. A clatter of plates could be heard as she cleaned up and then called in, "Ok, if you need anything call, ok?"

"I will," Patrick promised, "and you make Murph eat something? He'll forget himself...."

Tox peeked her head back in and scrunched her nose at the question. "I don't know. The area is sealed off pretty good while they're working. We'll see. Maybe he'll come home like a lost puppy." She gave a carefree shrug. "Anyway, take care of yourself." And the let herself out and took her beautiful banana soup with her.

PO3 Tox Chara
Botanist
USS Majestic

Patrick O'Malley
Chef
pnpc Lhaes