Time for a change

Posted on 18 Nov 2021 @ 9:04am by Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kala Gorvel
Edited on on 10 Jan 2022 @ 10:59pm

2,268 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Episode 18 - Cold Station 31
Location: Regula I - Level 17, Promenade
Timeline: MD 01, 0130 hrs

[ON]

Before the real work started and not the hauling of resources from the station to the ship Kala decided she was going to get herself some well needed down time for herself and unlike herself away from the crew. She loved her crew mates, and would lay down her life for any of them but having spent months with them usually working much longer shifts than she Trillily thought possibly it was time she had her alone time.

Having checked into Operations post leaving and explained her situation she was now freely roaming the promenade looking for her first stop, a hairdresser. A lot of the crew had started resorting to each other but Kala wanted to keep up the good fight and besides no one approached a tired crazy haired engineer unless they had a death wish.

She been recommended a handful of different stores from several sources but one stuck out, and coincidentally it was owned by a Trill. There weren’t many on the Galileo and certainly none she found herself to gravitate towards so in terms of Trill on trill talk she’d been limited. The idea of going to get her hair done and making conversation with someone like herself was a welcome one so when she found herself standing out side the quaint store front she smiled walking in through the door.

Like many back home it jingled notifying the shop owner of her presence.

From behind the counter and through a door which Kala presumed went into a back office came a small voice, “I’ll be with you in a minute take a seat and look through the styles dear.” Kala almost wondered how the woman knew she was a she and not a her but stopped herself remember this was a woman’s hairdresser, and so it made sense.

Doing as instructed Kala took a seat on the middle vacant chair and picked up the styles guide magazine which was on the mirrors ledge. She began flicking through, she though she’d decided on her style but seeing all these gave her pause to reconsider.

On about the twelfth page Kala stopped and smiled, she’d found the perfect one. It was a design seemingly in fashion and it in her mind screamed power and control. Much of which she’d lacked in the past few weeks. The design was simple in a way, her right hand side would be undercut and the rest of her cut long and curled, she’d also decided the dark blue was something she really liked.

“So dear have you found something you like?” The older Trill woman said as she made her way from behind the counter and towards Kala. “Oh how lovely, I haven’t had the luxury of doing a Trills hair in some time. Once she came closer either she realised the state of her hair or it simply came into focus. Her hand went to her mouth. “Oh deary me, what have you… or haven’t you done to it.” She picked up a brush and pocked at the hair. “It wouldn’t surprise me if we find some Trill grub beetles in there”

And like that Kala felt like she was at home, “Its been a touch rotation.” She explained feeling as if there was no further information needed. “I like this one, and the colour too.” Kala jabbed at the picture in the style guide.

“Ah lovely, I do enjoy doing some different and I think once we get this hair washed and tidied it’ll suit you well. My name I Morrel” She offered a skinny hand to Kala who took it. “Whats your name dear?” She asked.

Shaking her bony hand “Kala Ma’am.” She replied as they let each other go and followed Morrel as she made her way over to the hair washing basin. “Have you been on the station long?” Kala wanted some normal conversation away from work and she knew the best way to do that was to keep asking the questions.

Morrel eased Kala into the chair and turned on the tap with the head attached, Tilting the young Trill back she spoke, “Yes, I’ve been on the station for a few years now. Moved this way with my husband, he works here as a civilian aid to security.” She explained tugging, yes tugging on Kala’s hair as she tried to work out the knots that had formed there.

Withstanding the pulling sensation that the Older Trill was succumbing her too Kala between moans of pain replied, “Oh that must be nice. Is he also a Trill?” She grit her teeth as Morrel begun another attack on another portion of her hair, if she was lucky she may have some scalp left.

“Oh yeah, childhood sweethearts.” She explained now working another comb through with some more success than before. Kala’s hair was slowly untangling. “We met on Trill, he joined Starfleet and I followed him ever since across the stars, I’d say its romantic but everyone’s doing it these days” She joked.

“It is romantic” Kala said her head still feeling the pain from the tugging and unknotting but not she could feel the brush slowly becoming less obstructed by her bird nest. “So you never thought about joining Starfleet?”

“Oh no, I’ve always had a way with peoples hair. I like to think of it as art and the head my easel.” Morrel Explained, “Besides being a hairdresser aboard a starship has its perks depending on the size of the ship I’d even get my own room if not we’d use our quarters.” She chuckled, “You’d be surprised how often you Starfleet Officers left your hair to get unruly.”

“Oh I’m not an officer, just an engineer.” Kala said quickly then kicking herself, she really didn’t want to talk about her and what she did. Kala could now feel the silkiness of her own hair and almost let out a sigh as Morrel began pulling through the berry scented shampoo and conditioner.

“We’ll officer or not you shouldn’t let your hair get in a state, it must have been some mission for it to be like this and I know its not just you everyone who has gotten of that’s ship looks as if they’re haunted by what happened.” Morrel commented, she understood the difficulties of being Starfleet even as a spouse.

Kala tried to keep herself from balling, “Yes, well” She said unsure what to say. “I wouldn’t like to go through it again.” She said finally.

“Yet here you are readying yourself to go back out there.” Morrel said as she began washing out the hair products with the lukewarm water that was neither too cold to give you a shock of surprise or to hot to scald the scalp. Clearly Morrel wasn’t lying about being an artist of hair.

“You think I should quit?” Kala asked simply allowing Morrel to almost simply washing away the past with every stroke of her hair. “I sometimes think I should quit, I must be crazy to want to keep going.”

Morrel was silent as she washed Kala's hair, “Oh no dear I think what you do, all do is bravery at the highest order. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the bravery of the few.” She turned of the tap and ran a fine comb through Kala’s now very long hair. “I was present as WOLF 359, and anyone who puts on the shirt deserves the utmost respect. Now, enough with the doom and gloom lets move you over to the dryer and once your done we can see about colouring your hair before styling it.”

Kala followed Morrel to the dryer and sat down, Morrel set up and turned on the machine explain she’d be back in a bit leaving the young trill to her own thoughts. Was she crazy to want to put the uniform back on? She’d thought about everything that had happened on the Galileo and off the Galileo, the people they’d lost and those who survived but were not all there, like her.

After a while and her hair now dried Morrel returned with two mugs, “I figured you’d want a drink. Its hot chocolate with a little chocolate liquor” She wiggled her thin greying eyebrows as gave Kala the drink and took her over to the seat she first sat in. “Ok lets get to work.

Kala took a sip of the drink and audibly sighed at the smooth rich coco and alcohol, real alcohol that only she’d know from Trill. Setting the drink down Morrel silently went to work brushing Kalas hair before applying the dye.

“Ok, now we wait for the colour to set in.” Morrel said putting some biscuits on the counter. “I’ll be in the back trying to fix my computer while you wait, if you need me just call.” Morrel explained almost leaving Kala.

“Would you like me to look at it? While I wait of course?” She asked her eyes clearly dancing at the idea of fixing something other than the Galileo. Morrel stopped and turned as if she planned it all along.

“Oh if you don’t mind dear.” There was a mischievous twinkle to her eye.

“Not at all.” Kala got up careful not to move her head to much that the foil attached to it wouldn’t fall off before making her way with Morrel leading to the back office. It was one of those older models and Kala’s mind was already reeling with solutions. “It’ll take me some time, how about you relax for a bit and I work” She offered and Morrel with not objections left Kala to her own devices.

It took an hour and half of tinkering, cursing and some singed finger tips but Kala finally had the old computer turning on. Either the sound of her standing up and moaning or the computers audible start up sequence Morrel returned “Oh look at that! It hasn’t been working in so long I though I’d have to buy a new one!”

“Oh please, this machine has years of life left in her” She tapped the monitor. “Besides it wasn’t that badly damaged, looks like some of the cabling was aged and corroded from a spilt substance but I cleared up that, replaced the cables and then cleaned up the cooling system for you. Id recommend not drinking near it” She added with a smile.

“Oh well one always need a hot coco to run the checks” She chuckled, “Right lets wash out your hair and get it dry and have you a nice new hair style. Morrel once again led Kala to the basin and washed out her hair.

Kala could smell the hair dye being drained away and like before after that Morrel led her to the dryer leaving her once again alone until her hair was all puffy again, the whole process till now had taken some hours and Kala realised that the shop front displayed the closed sign and she felt bad.

None the less Morrel returned ready to finalise the style. “Right here it goes.”

After some shaving of the hair, cutting, brushing, more cutting, more brushing and finally curling Kala was looking at her fresh new style with a more than happy looking Morrel stood behind her with a brush and pair of scissors in her crossed hands. “Well?” She asked expectedly.

Kala was gawking and finally remember how to speak, “Its beautiful!” She finally answered, the design showed of her spots all the way up to where her hair was long again on her right side, her hair of course was deep dark blue so up close you could tell but far away people wouldn’t be pointing at you. Kala turned to Morrel, “Its perfect thankyou Morrel.” Kala reached to her pocket but Morrel held up her hand.

“You fixed my computer so its on the house, you’re a bright young girl Kala Gorvel and now your as pretty as they come. You should go out there and make yourself proud.” Morrel smiled, “Its been an honour having you in my store but its time for you to move on.”

Looking to the clock it was late, far later than she though, “Oh wow your right! Sorry for making you work so late! I’ll make sure to tell everyone about this place!” Kala said being hushed out the door until finally standing in a somewhat quieter promenade. “Goodbye Morrel and tell you Husband he’s super lucky to have you!

“Oh he knows it!” She said smiling and waving as the Younger Trill turned to leave, “Oh Kala dear” Morrel quickly said.

“Yes?” Kala asked as she turned.

“If I catch you with one drop of engine grease in that hair I’ll make the Borg look like cute.” She winked and then turned to close the shop.

Kala chuckled but sensed the accusation behind the words, maybe she did need to take some actual time of. She ran a hand through her hair, it was soft and bouncy much like her and Kala knew that not matter what she was ready to face anything, especially the 1800 meeting with the Captain.

[OFF]

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CPO Kala Gorvel
Chief Engineer
USS Galileo-A

Morrel (NPC)
Hairdresser
Regula I

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