Maybe I Should?

Posted on 08 Nov 2012 @ 3:20pm by Lieutenant Commander Pola Ni Dhuinn M.D. & Commander Andreus Kohl

1,545 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Episode 02 - Resupply
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 4 Corridor
Timeline: MD 03 - 1230 hours

[ON]

Walking along with Kohl by her side, Pola had spent the last few minutes in silence aside from the ACMO's chewing on the wrap he'd brought along. Smiling as finished up, she looked across with a raised eyebrow, "So that's where my appetite went? To help supplement yours?" Her easy smile and twinkle in her eye, were easy indicators to the Doctor's teasing.

"I'm a growing boy," Kohl said in a playful riposte. The fair-haired Argelian gave Pola a stupid grin as he walked alongside her. He brushed his hands together to smear away any sandwich remnants, and he said nonsensically, "If I keep eating like this, they'll make me Chief Medical Officer some day."

Laughing, Pola clasped her hands behind her back as she lightly shook her head. "Shoulda realised that a promotion would lead you to being power mad. Maybe it's a good think I didn't eat that food, you might have spiked it on me or something."

"Nah, better to line your tricorder with a topical narcotic. Probably give you a far higher dosage that way than going through your food," Kohl said. His voice remained bouncy and animated to match their pace, despite the morbid subject matter. "But, no, if there's anything you need in you, it's alcohol, among other things. That's what shore leave is for! For once, there's no risk of being the only doctor on call."

Laughing, Pola shook her head as she looked across at her ACMO. "Andreus...you scare me sometime...I don't think I want to know where you get these ideas from." Kohl's mentioned of alcohol had Pola's mind flashing back to Cyrus' offer. Chewing on the corner of her lip, she knew she'd been avoiding him since but she couldn't find the guts to contact him.

"Oh sweet, innocent, Pola," Kohl said, but as much as he was teasing her, he said it with admiration. "The only real industry on Areglius Two is tourism. If I hadn't gone to the Federation school, my education would have consisted of mixing drinks and belly dancing." Kohl cocked his head and he grinned broadly. "Well... actually it did, but that would have been the extent of my education."

Pola tried to figure out why she thought Kohl had said terrorism. It took a few moments for it to sink in that he'd actually said tourism. Suddenly laughing, she rubbed her hand across her forehead. "Maybe a drink wouldn't be such a bad idea. I had an offer maybe I should take him up on it."

"Why would you not take him up on it?" Kohl asked, sounding utterly dumbfounded. Walking on, he shook his head to further express his confusion.

Pola's mind wandered back to Cyrus causing her cheeks to suddenly flush red as she started to blush. It wasn't just the memory of his bare chest...the man himself, the presence he commanded seemed to wrap her in twists and cause her to loose all sense on the strong woman she is. Finding herself blushing more, she cleared her throat as she realised a subject change would be good. "I think that there's a few nights out being organised amongst the crew, maybe I should try one of those."

"Oh, yes, you really should," Kohl said, his tone revealing reverence to Pola's wisdom. "Your Starfleet chap will still be here when we're called back to our tour of duty. Might as well enjoy the variety Vega Colony has to offer while it's available to you."

That wasn't what Pola had expected to hear. "Um...so you think I'm right putting him off? I...I'm not very good when it comes to these..." She paused for a moment as she tried to find a word to describe the situation. "...I'm not used to liking guys." Realising what she had said, Pola bit down on her tongue to stop herself making anymore of a fool of herself.

Turning to face Pola head-on, Kohl came to a stop in front of her. He raised a gentle hand and rested it on her shoulder. "Don't put him off," Kohl said. His timbre was direct but his voice was low. "If you're not used to it... Isn't it time you find out?"

Not sure why, Pola realised that she really needed a friend right now. Whereas in the past she might have contacted Kate, she knew that that wasn't an option now. For no apparent reason she suddenly felt scared as she looked at Kohl. "What if I've gotten it all wrong? What if he ends up thinking that I'm just..just..a screwup and mistake?"

"Then he's an idiot," Kohl said bluntly. There was sharp conviction in his timbre. Staring back at Pola, Kohl squeezed her shoulder again and said, "And why would you want to waste your time on an idiot?"

Shaking her head, Pola started to nervously pull on her first finger, her hands still behind her back. "He's not an idiot...Well I don't think that he is anyway. He's...nice." Blushing slightly, Pola realised that she was making a haems of this. "He laughs and smiles a lot, kept playfully teasing me."

"He wouldn't be smiling so much at a screw up," Kohl said reassuringly. Pulling back his hand, Kohl rubbed the back of his neck as he went quiet with consideration. "So... there is a very specific he here, isn't there?"

Chewing on her lower lip, Pola nodded her head before smiling shyly. "I'm sorry...you'd think a grown woman would know how to act her age better in these kind of situations."

Smiling at how familiar Pola's fears sounded, Kohl shook his head to disagree with her sentiment. "No," Kohl said, "any chance of love makes fools of us all." He lowered his voice to a conspiratorial tone and leaned in ever so subtly. He asked, "Now who's making you feel this way?"

Blushing even more, Pola realised that the possibility of love had never even crossed her mind, infact that was an avenue she didn't even want to touch. It was far too soon and early for that to happen. Right now Cyrus was just...well he was a man she liked alot, something which she hadn't experienced in a very long time. "Um...I'm not sure you know him. He's just joined us in the colony, is going to be in security."

At a leisurely pace, Kohl stepped away from Pola, but not too far, and he continued onwards in their aimless stroll. "Ahh... Security. Now that department tends to be a calling for passionate men," Kohl said. His tone implied he was speaking from experience.

Slightly confused at Kohl's move, Pola continued to walk along at his pace as smiled slightly at his words. "Um...well I don't know about passionate..." Blushing as that thought went through her head, Pola quickly moved on. "Maybe I should give him a chance? What could be the harm...right?"

Nodding at Pola's tentative plan, Kohl remarked, "It's like all the poets say, the real risk is the regret you might face if you don't give him a chance. And if things go sour, well, you'll have a funny story for parties."

As it hit her like a brick to the head, Pola suddenly laughed as she finally figured it out, the exact thing which was making her wonder what was wrong with Kohl. "Your talking in riddles...you keep saying old sayings applicable to the situation. Where on earth did they all come out of?"

"You're from Earth. I don't know much about Human psychology, except for what I inferred from mandatory literature at the Academy..." Kohl admitted sheepishly. He shrugged a bit, but he couldn't look over at her for fear of appearing guilty. Re-appropriating his wry manner, Kohl said, "Besides, you haven't told me anything substantial about this man. I haven't seen you together. Platitudes are all I've got until I have more to go on."

"I'm sorry...as I said I'm not used to this. I'm not sure if you've met him yet, his name is Cyrus, Cyrus Kiwosk. He's a security officer but has a background in the Marines and...ah...he's slightly younger then me, and an enlisted." Smiling at Kohl, Pola rubbed her hand across her forehead. "I don't know much else outside of that except what's in his medical file. I know one of two things he confided but its not my place to say."

"It's settled then," Kohl said with an easy confidence. He smiled over at Pola now too. "I'll have to meet him. Then I can let you know what I think."

Suddenly feeling a strike of fear through her, Pola had a very odd feeling that that would not be a good idea in the early days. Not because she was worried Kohl would ruin things but she realised that both of them in the same room with her might not be advantageous to her. "Um...one day at a time Andreus...one day at a time."


[OFF]

Lieutenant JG Pola N Dhuinn
Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo

Ensign Andreus Kohl
Assistant Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo

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