You have a visitor

Posted on 06 Oct 2014 @ 8:55pm by Petty Officer 1st Class Pieter Van Zyl Ph.D.

1,842 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 06 - Legend of Souls
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 3, Sickbay
Timeline: MD09 - 2200hrs

[ON]

Who knew that a mild case of hives would grow into being quarantined in Sickbay until the Tribble situation was under control? Pieter had always known it was a possibility, but that didn't make the experience any less uncomfortable and frightening (although he'd die before admitting the latter). Waking up wheezing and fighting for breath while his roommate was on shift, Pieter had just barely managed to administer a hypospray and call into Sickbay before passing out. Less than an hour later, he'd woken up in a secluded part of Sickbay, away from everyone else, behind a force-field. Like a prisoner.

Not the least bit amused after almost an entire day of that kind of tomfoolery, Pieter was about ready to start dismantling the panels around him, looking for a way out. It was just through careful discipline and years of training that he managed to compose himself.

His medical completed, and learning that his roommate was stuck here, Tyrion roamed sickbay until he'd found him. "Hey," he greeted as he approached the forcefield, almost tripping over a Tribble as he did so. "How do you feel? You gave me quite a scare you know. I come home this morning, and you're gone without so much as a good morning or a goodbye. And when your shift ends there's still no word, I got worried. I guess the filters failed then huh?"

Pieter nodded, actually glad for the distraction his roommate was providing. I really have been in here too long.

"There were too many Tribbles, and they must have broken through." Pieter sat down on the biobed. "What are you doing here?"

"I was sent here for a medical, Markos' orders. I'm not quite sure what is going on though. Had to undergo a deep cortical scan, and I'm not liking it one bit. So you've been on your lonesome here all day? No-one visiting at all?"

Pieter shook his head with an expression that clearly showed his confusion. Who would visit? He wasn't dying after all! The cortical scan sounded much more serious.

"Are you feeling ill?" Pieter asked.

This time, Tyrion shook his head. "No, not that I'm aware of, but apparently, I'm obsessed... and now I'm being subjected to counseling and medical sessions. No doubt, security is next the way this is going. I'm sure you remember me telling about Tyrek. I got told off for continuing the investigation of his murder."

"Why? What did you do?"

"I was running an investigation when I had a brief moment of nothing to do. And I pour just about all my free time into this. I need to know Piet, I need to know who killed him."

"I doubt there's anything you can do aboard the Galileo that won't end in you getting arrested, Tyrion," Pieter explained, unsure what to tell the younger man at this point. While he could understand the frustration (well, the idea of it, anyway), he couldn't help but think that his roommate was just setting himself up for trouble.

"I don't know Piet, there must be something I can do. I can't just do nothing, I can't. And now you're stuck here, all alone. Who's keeping you company? Don't you have anyone you work with that can spend an hour or so with you? Did you get anything to eat at all? Anything to read?"

"I'm fine," Pieter assured him. "I'm not in the brig. I have plenty to read," he added, suddenly uncomfortable with the attention turned towards him. "You should lay low with all of this investigation business for now. Let others do their job."

"Can't do much else, I'm banned from doing anything investigations wise. I'm allowed only to do what I'm supposed to be doing and they're watching me for sure. So I'm not touching that right now but I swear Piet, I'll know who did it in the long run. And when i find out, who did it has hell to pay. "

"Calm down," Pieter said, a warning look on his face. "Get another hobby."

"A hobby....like what? Cultivate flowers? I don't want to butcher your flowers Piet, I don't have green fingers and I'm sure you don't just grow a pair either."

"There are other hobbies." Pieter rolled his eyes dramatically. "Go fishing in the holodeck. It will calm your mind."

"I don't have the patience for that. Besides, we don't have enough power to run a holodeck program right now remember? Maybe I'll just grab a canvas from somewhere and see if I can find some paint. maybe just slashing away at a canvas will help, what do you think?"

"I don't think slashing at anything is in any way therapeutic," Pieter admitted, shaking his head at his young roommate. "How about the gymnasium?" Working out always focused Pieter's mind, so maybe it would do the trick for Tyrion as well.

"Maybe. I'll find something to do with my time," the younger man promised. "Quarters are clean though, insofar possible. damn tribbles, getting into everything. I'll have our room sanitized after this is over, make sure it's safe for you."

"Thank you," Pieter replied, feeling lucky to have such a considerate roommate. Tyrion, for all of his obsessive qualities, was really a nice kid from what Pieter could see. It was a shame that life seemed to be intent on challenging him. "I'll be fine once the Tribbles are gone. I'm used to this," he admitted.

"Really?" Tyrion pulled up a chair and curled up in it. "How can you get used to something like this?"

Pieter shrugged. "I've always been sickly, since I was a child." The content of the sentence and the sturdy construction of the man in front of Tyrion felt like a complete contradiction. "In and out of hospitals my whole life."

"And yet here you are, braving all the dangers on your path. I bet your parents would've rather you stayed home, and put you in a bubble?" he smiled brightly. "Good thing you didn't listen. There's so much to see in the universe, and I bet you probably have one plant or flower that you're chasing after. That one in a life time must experience?"

Pieter let out a small huff of laughter. "There are a couple I'd like to see, but it's hardly the most exciting field," he admitted. In fact, it was the whole reason Botany had appealed to him after years of working in Engineering. "Beautiful, but not exciting." He decided not to comment on Tyrion's observations of what his parents might have wanted. That was a part of his life he didn't like talking about.

"Or maybe find that other type of beautiful flower?" Tyrion smirked, nodding covertly at a very cute female nurse that just walked by. Not that the woman appealed to him, but he could still appreciate female beauty.

Pieter glanced at the nurse, who gave him a smile he couldn't quite identify before moving along to get back to her work before he could reply in any way. "I'm not sure fraternization is a good idea," he admitted, turning back to look at Tyrion.

"Why not? You need someone to look after you, you know. I won't always be around to do that. Besides...you and I... that'll never work that way anyway." He grinned broadly now. "Is there no-one here that you'd just like to know that little bit better?"

Pieter just shook his head. This entire conversation was taking a turn he hadn't anticipated. It was starting to remind him of family reunions back home, where, as the eldest sibling, he was constantly badgered into meeting women by his brother and sister. Not to mention the small army of aunts and uncles, all wondering when he was finally going to settle down, preferably back in South Africa.

"How odd. Handsome fella like you..." Tyrion shook his head. "I'd date you without hesitation, you know, if you swung my way, but since you don't...." He shrugged. "You'll find someone, when the time is right."

"That's what people tell me," Pieter replied with a small shrug. "What about you? You seem to need a hobby." He smirked.

"Yeah you just said that. But what. The only thing I am really good at is playing with computers."

"Maybe you need a boyfriend." Pieter's smirk widened.

"Got any suggestions?" Tyrion smirked back.

"What about the guy you had lunch with?"

"Grayson?" Tyrion blushed scarlet. "Yeah, he's cute, but I don't think that'll go anywhere. Anyone else? I've barely met anyone since I got here, haven't had a whole lot of interaction with people."

Pieter, on the other hand, knew almost everyone. Sure, he wasn't the most social person on the ship, but he prided himself on having a normal, adult relationship with everyone he met. For the most part.

"Depends what you're looking for."

"I'm not really looking, maybe that's part of the problem?" Tyrion shrugged. "I'm not really demanding, just someone who's nice and pleasant to get along with? Something long term would be nice, but not opposed to just being friends at first either. I mean, it's not about sex, is it."

"It is for some people. Sometimes I think maybe purely physical relationships work out better, long term, on a ship as small as this," Pieter explained. In the years he'd spent on Nova class starships, he'd seen plenty of nasty break-ups. They usually interfered with the daily business and Pieter was always against fraternization after that.

"Well who knows. Maybe I'll invite him to lunch again when this Tribble mess is over. What do you think? Can you live with him visiting from time to time? If it comes to that."

"I don't mind. As long as I don't walk in on anything." Pieter made a face at the very thought.

"Oh I promise. If, and that's a big if, something ever happens I promise the bedroom door will be closed. Or I'll give you a call ahead."

"That'll be romantic, stopping in the middle to tell me about it."

"Wouldn't it just?" Tyrion uncurled from the seat and got to his feet. "I got to go now, I'm on duty soon. You hang in here okay, and I'll be back after my shift."

"You don't have to," Pieter was quick to say.

"No I know, but I want to." Tyrion smiled. "Good night Piet, and I'll see you in the morning. Do try and relax? Please?"

Pieter just rolled his eyes and, with a shooing motion reminiscent of an old woman, waved at Tyrion before picking up one of the paDDs nearby and went back to his reading.

Chuckling, Tyrion waved a goodbye, and walked out of sickbay, heading towards his small office. Assuming of course, given all that was going on, he was actually still on duty.

[OFF]

Ensign Tyrion Faye
Intelligence Officer
USS Galileo
[PNPC T'Vanna]

PO1 Pieter Van Zyl
Botanist
USS Galileo
[PNPC Idris]

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