New Territory

Posted on 08 Feb 2022 @ 7:46pm by Petty Officer 1st Class Ember Locksley & Petty Officer 2nd Class Leon Inaros
Edited on on 15 Feb 2022 @ 7:47pm

1,679 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Episode 18 - Cold Station 31
Location: USS Galileo-A - Deck 3, Sickbay
Timeline: MD 07, 1605 hrs

[ON]

Nurse Inaros frowned as he sat on the biobed, biting his fingernail as he read over the PADD. He was catching up on ship protocols for emergencies in sickbay, getting his head around it all. And there was a lot to get his head around. But he was starting to understand it all. Just had to visualise it, which was why he closed his eyes every thirty seconds and remembered how the sickbay was laid out, what was there. So that if there was no lights, he could still find his way around.

Ember slowed her pace as she moved through the Sickbay, folding her arms as she watched the strange behaviour. "Everything okay there?" she finally asked, looking him over.

He opened his eyes before he smiled, holding the PADD up. "Emergency procedures for sickbay. I'm memorising them..." he admitted and then realised how stupid it sounded. "You're Doctor Locksley, right? Nurse Inaros..." he jumped off the biobed and offered his hand.

Ember shook it carefully, watching him with gentle confusion as she tried to find more clues from his appearance, but came up short. "You...appear to have me at a disadvantage."

"I'm a new transfer," Leon said with a small smile, holding her eyes before he cocked his head slightly to the side. "And I looked up the manifest, trying to remember who I would work alongside." And he knew she had come from the Trial and that rumour had gone around quickly on Regula I.

"Ah," she chuckled, nodding as she pressed her hands together and tilted her head to him. "Do I need to worry about how easily and quickly you had me marked?"

"Not many female redheads," he said lightly as he held her eyes. "So it helped narrow it down a little bit. I...suppose I might as well fill you in a bit. It's my first posting as a nurse on a starship, so I may be...trying to prep a little too much."

"On quieter days, it will feel like that is all there is to do," she responded in the spirit of reassuring him, folding her arms with a small, knowing smile. "Were you still a nurse before then...?"

"No, Marine Medic," he said and shook his head, giving a small grimace at that. "Don't worry, I am fully committed to the blue." He knew some people who didn't like Marines, not for what they were, but because a lot of them had been forced over to the regular Fleet and naturally weren't as committed.

"Marine," Ember watched him with surprise, moving to lean back against the edge of a biobed, crossing her ankles. "Forgive me, I don't know too much about marines, but you weren't tempted by security?"

He gave a small shrug, holding her eyes with a small smile. "Not at all. I wouldn't wear mustard for the world," he said as he raised an eyebrow. "Besides, I...couldn't take what I know about keeping someone alive and then put it on the shelf just to run around with a phaser telling teenagers not to run down a corridor."

"Hm..." Ember took a deep breath as she looked away to the side, taking the words in and turning them over. It made sense, to a doctor at least. She finally smiled softly, tilting her head back towards him as she held the side of the bed. "I like that. I really do."

"You seem surprised," Leon said as he watched Ember, considering his next words. "I know I got a lot to learn about being a nurse. And I expect it will take me a bit of time to get used to...being on a ship like this."

She nodded in agreement, letting out a soft breath. "Yes, quite honestly, that was the part I found the hardest," she looked back to him, meeting his eyes with sincerity in her own. "It is rather like being cooped up in a hotel. Just without the spa."

"How did you get through it?" Leon asked, curious what her trick was. He had heard a lot of them...about how to meditate, or to pretend you were on different planets with each room. Or take some medication to calm the nerves, he had heard that one too. So a lot to...pick from.

Ember chuckled, nodding slowly as she pulled the sleeves of her top down a little further over her hands, folding her arms. "I learnt to find the beauty in what I did have," she said softly, holding his gaze. "I missed nature, so I learnt to find appreciation in the arboretum. I missed sunshine, so I learnt to love the starlight instead. Nothing's like the feel of the sea breeze against your skin, but the chance to feel the air of a different planet, with another new horizon? That's pretty special too."

He nodded at the words, taking them in before he smiled weakly. "Find something else to focus on and...enjoy it for what it is?" he asked softly, the smile disappearing as he looked at her...almost as if waiting for instructions. But he was asking for advice.

She nodded gently, watching him with a small, knowing smile at the slightly lost look in what she took to be a strong man. "Or more, learn to appreciate what you have, rather than dwelling on what you don't have."

He chuckled at himself. "I suppose it will be a steep learning curve. I thought I was losing my mind on shoreleave without a routine. I forget that part of shoreleave is having those you care about around you."

"Not so easy when you're out here on your own, hm?" she said with a small, half smile, understanding what he meant well enough.

"No...no it isn't," he admitted and chuckled warmly, holding her eyes before he smiled to her. "But I'll get used to it at some time. And a ship like this? I think it might do me well to be put right in the middle of an environment I wasn't exposed to in my previous career."

She watched him with amusement that finally became a warm smile as she licked her bottom lip and cast her eyes down. "You say that the same way someone does when they're forced to have healthy grains or a detox drink..."

Leon winked, watching her for a long moment. "Okay, so perhaps my pride was slightly wounded that Starfleet Medical didn't want to keep me. I thought I had done a good job. Turns out...they found me a bit too...brash. Note from the doctor was to remember my place. So...taking the lesson on board here."

Ember watched him for a long moment before shaking her head gently. "You *do* realise that a medic with combat experience is wasted in Starfleet Medical, yes?" she said bluntly. "You're needed out here. When things start exploding and there's nowhere to run."

"Maybe," Leon said as he shook his head, clearly thinking it over. "But I am only useful if I can...help. If I get in the way because I fall into old habits...I'd expect a doctor or another nurse to tell me."

"Oh, we will," she laughed softly, folding her arms with a shake of her head that made her long red hair fall down over her shoulder. "But I don't think it will come to that. We're all professionals. With different experience. And we should all respect that, I'm sure we will."

"I look forward to working with you then, Doctor Locksley," Leon said with a smile that said he was genuine in it. She seemed like an intelligent woman and it would be good to pick up some knowledge while he was here.

"And I you," she assured with a small but genuine smile as she glanced around the room. "We can learn the quirks of this new Sickbay together. I'm sure we'll get the hang of her pretty quickly..."

"I think so. She's not very big so..." Leon said as he looked around as well. "Hopefully no one is hiding the good things around in little crooks and crannies."

"Well we can always put that right," Ember twisted slightly on the spot in a play of being coy for a moment, but her features remained a picture of poised amusement.

"Depends on what your pleasure is," Leon said lightly, clearly making a show of looking around. "Personally, Romulan ale is a good thing to have around. If we are caught we can say it is anaesthesia"

"Romulan ale?" she laughed softly, rubbing the back of her neck as she shook her head. "You're more daring than I am. You'll be rolling me home if we start on that..."

"Can't be that bad..." Leon said with a warm smile, unable to stop it. "And even if it is, I would carry you home...with your permission. And tuck you into bed next to a large glass of water and a hypo full of painkillers."

"A gentleman..." Ember looked him up and down with a small smile before shaking her head with a mock wistful sigh. "No, I've known enough gentlemen in my time, and none have been that considerate."

He chuckled softly, studying her for a moment. "You're part of my tribe now," he said playfully. "Means I take care of you and I have your back. No matter what."

"Hm, I think I like being part of your tribe," Ember laughed softly, but her eyes shone with a sense of humour rather than any real coyness. "I've been part of a few in my time, you have a lot to live up to."

"I'll try my best," Leon said as he chuckle as he raised an eyebrow. "And I am sure you'd tell me if it isn't what you'd expect..." he spoke lightly, playfully, with clear warmth.

[OFF]

--

PO2 Leon Inaros
Nurse
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Rice]

Dr. Ember Locksley
Medical Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Blake]

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