Tea Time

Posted on Sun Mar 31st, 2024 @ 4:43am by Captain Rylan Gray

1,628 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Opening Moves
Location: Main Lounge | Deck 5 | USS Thunderbird
Timeline: MD021-1200

Rylan was sitting in the main lounge enjoying a cup of strong Yorkshire tea watching the activity outside the ship. Still a week away from their scheduled departure date, the Fleet Yard engineering team was working hard to finish. There was, Rylan knew, a long list of small tasks that needed to be done, most being calibrations and final tests, but there were some minor adjustments as well. At the moment, a team was working on one of the torpedo tubes and another was doing a final inspection of the hull looking for minor imperfections.

Soon, Rylan thought, we'll have the ship and we'll be out of here. He imagined her, a great bird of prey, impatient to be free of her shackles, ready to soar and liked the imagery. Smiling to himself, he took a long sip of tea and then placed the cup back on its saucer. First reports were scheduled for today which meant that he'd seldom, if ever, visit the lounge because they needed a place to unwind, out of sight of their commanding officer. It was something of a tradition and one that his former captain had adhered to strictly.

The doors to the lounge swished open, and Charlie entered. The computer had identified this as the captain's location when she beamed aboard, and she knew her first responsibility was to check in with her new CO. Seeing him so relaxed, however, she wondered if she had caught him on break and considered respectfully stepping out to afford him some time. There was so much she had to do to make sure sickbay was ready for launch, she couldn't imagine being responsible for the entire ship. And with that much work ahead of them, she realized she might as well stay and say hello.

"Captain Gray?" she asked, walking over to where he sat. "Charlie Hart, your new CMO. Am I interrupting anything?"

"No, not at all," Rylan said as he rose to his feet. "Please, have a seat, Lieutenant. Can I get you anything from the replicator?"

She knew she should probably just ask for a water; after staying up late with her niece the night before she'd been sure to caffeinate herself but not necessarily hydrate. "Mint tea, unsweetened, iced, please." Charlie decided, making herself comfortable.

Rylan, speaking with an upper-class British accent, repeated the order and before long, a glass of Mint Tea appeared on the pad. He brought it to the table and placed it in front of his new Chief Medical Officer before resuming his own seat. He had an educated palate, something instilled in him by his public school education, and preferred, whenever possible, to eat food that didn't come through a replicator which was why he generally ordered hot water and brought his own tea.

"I did see the notice that you were coming aboard but I'm afraid I haven't had time to review your file as yet," Rylan said. "Perhaps you can tell me a bit about yourself."

Charlie took a deep drink of her tea. "Well... I've been practicing starship medicine for eleven years now. I've served aboard three other ships, two long term and the last as short-term assignment to cover an extended leave of absence." She leaned back and smiled, thinking of her family. "I'm the youngest of three, second to join Starfleet. My middle brother is an exceptional chef, he and his husband run a restaurant on Earth. Their daughter is my current favorite person in the galaxy." She took another drink, thirstier than she's realized. "My oldest brother, Clay, he was... he is a Lieutenant Commander. Currently listed as missing-in-action."

Her voice trailed off for a moment, as the fear for his safety threatened to rise, but she recovered her focus and continued her introduction. "My dad is a lawyer, arguing cases across the Federation. I take after him a bit when it comes to being... outspoken." She offered a mischievous smile along with that last piece of information. "That wasn't one of my former CO's favorite things about me, so I guess it's best you know in advance. I will always speak my mind. I don't expect we'll always agree on everything, and I can respect that. And follow orders. But let's just say you'll never have to guess what my opinion is."

Rylan took a sip of tea as he considered his answer. "I am not opposed to members of the senior staff voicing their opinions," he said after setting the tea cup back on its saucer. "As long as the discussion remains civil and you recognize when the discussion is over. Whether you agree with the outcome or not."

"Of course, sir," she affirmed. "Other than that... I'm a doctor that makes house calls, meaning I don't just confine myself to sick bay. I will get around and check in on the crew, get to know them, track them down if they're avoiding their annuals. I'm also always ready to hit the ground, when you or the XO determine the need for a medical presence on an away team."

"House calls," Rylan repeated. One corner of his mouth lifted almost imperceptibly. "That sounds a bit ominous. I'm not one of those that fears medical appointments; if you have trouble pinning me down, you can also check with my yeoman once, whomever it is, reports aboard. Make sure your weapon certification is up-to-date with Lieutenant Baas, our Chief of Security. He's already reported aboard."

"Looking forward to it," Charlie grinned. She always loved the shock on other officers faces when they saw a doctor outshoot them, or at the very least, shoot as well. "And I didn't mean to sound ominous, but I'm glad to know I won't have to twist your arm for medical care. I'm not sure if you know, but they offer a seminar at Starfleet Medical every year on how to provide care for reluctant command staff."

"Now that would be interesting," Rylan said leaning forward slightly. "And did you take it? This seminar?"

"Of course I did," she revealed. "It was one of those 'not-mandatory-but-strongly-advised" electives. It's come in handy, too." Her thoughts drifted back to the Horatio, where they knowledge gained from that seminar was routinely tested. There was a comfortable silence and she shifted slightly, selecting a new topic. "So tell me, what do you like to do for fun?"

"Rather depends on how much time I have," Rylan said. "With all the preparations for launch, the opportunities for 'fun' have been greatly diminished. How about yourself? What do you like to do?"

"Depends on what I'm in the mood for. If I'm lookin' to relax, nothing beats enjoying the outdoors, even if its on a holodeck. If the holodeck's unavailable, I enjoy quilting. My granny taught me, it's a nice way to take your mind off your worries and create something personal at the same time." She turned to Rylan. "You'll probably end up with one down the road, once I get to know you a little better. I like to personalize quilts I give to my friends. Well, future friends, hopefully."

"Now, when it comes to blowing off steam, I'm all about adventure holo-novels!" Charlie continued, her face flush with excitement. "I just finished this really cool pirate one, set on the high seas of earth in the Caribbean in the 1700s. I think next I'm going to try a spy one, again set on earth, this time in the 1960s. You are welcome to join if you'd like - my character does have a partner."

"Other than a bit of acting back in school," Rylan said, "I'm afraid I've never tried anything of the sort. What reading I have time for is generally historical or, occasionally, archeological in nature. And the closest I've ever come to a game is chess and that was with my former commanding officer." He smiled slightly, a tiny crack in his habitual reserve. "And that could hardly be called a game. More of Captain Walsh's preferred method of training."

"The invitation is always there, if you'd like to give it a try," Charlie offered. "In the meantime, as your new physician, I strongly advise you to make some time for yourself before launch. Speaking of... I know I'm tasked with departmental readiness. Anything else you need from me, or think I need to know before we get underway?"

"I'll give some thought," Rylan said. "There is one thing though. Lieutenant Baas has volunteered all of the department heads to prepare a dinner for myself, Commander Knox, and the other department heads in my dining room. I believe there's to be a once a month rotation so you might want to check in with him." He held up his index finger as he added, "and nothing replicated. You'll find the pantry is full stocked. Other than that, the only medical concern would be our new Chief of Engineering but I leave it to her to fill you in on that."

Cooking? Charlie's skill level amounted to being able to boil water and burn toast. She made mental notes to 'thank' Lieutenant Baas and follow up on their Chief Engineer. She stood and collected her empty glass. "Heard, Now I'd best go get sickbay up and running, unless there's anything else?"

"Just the official part," Rylan said as he rose to his feet. "Lieutenant Hart, I officially accept your transfer to the USS Thunderbird in the position of Chief Medical Officer. Computer, note this in the official record."

"Noted," the computer responded in its neutral male tone.

"Welcome aboard, Lieutenant," Rylan said. His smile now was genuine and slightly mischievous as he added, "and send me your notes from the seminar."

Charlie laughed. "Aye, Captain!"

 

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