Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Elara Dain (Doctor) in Sickbay - (Pre-sim) Lessons in Plasma

Posted by Lieutenant Matthias Meadows (Helmsman) in Sickbay - (Pre-sim) Lessons in Plasma

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Elara Dain (Doctor) in Sickbay - (Pre-sim) Lessons in Plasma
Posted by… suppressed (2) by the Post Ghost! 👻

<snip>

She looked up at him for a moment, head tilted slightly, dark hair falling back to reveal the soft line of Trill spots that curved from her temple down her neck. “It is,” she said simply, the comment carrying a little weight of agreement—and perhaps shared understanding.

Her hazel-green eyes dropped to her work. The itching had started to ease as the dermal regeneration did its job. Elara ran her fingers lightly over the area that had been burned, not just along the edges, but directly across the newly mended tissue. Her touch was deliberate but gentle, pausing now and then to gauge his reaction. “A good workout’s always a good idea,” she murmured. Her eyes flicked up again, brief but bright.

The quick scan from her tricorder confirmed what her fingers already told her—tissue density, blood flow, nerve activity. All normal. But healing wasn’t just about numbers.

“Make a fist.” Her tone shifted slightly—more professional, but still warm. She guided him through a sequence of movements: flexion, extension, rotation. Never quite breaking contact, always gauging, adjusting.

Then she turned his hand palm-up and wove her fingers between his with quiet precision. The intimacy of it was subtle, medical, but undeniably present. She pressed both thumbs gently into the base of his palm, then smoothed them along tendons and muscles with steady, practiced pressure. A stretch. A release. She repeated it again, slow and firm.

Her fingers never lingered longer than necessary—but they also never rushed.

“Lemme have the other one real quick,” she said, looking up again. Her voice was light, maybe even teasing. Head tilted. The faintest smile at the corner of her mouth.

Lt., j.g. Dain, Doctor

Matthias let out a breath of something close to a laugh. “At this rate, you’ll have both arms working better than before.”

Ela smiled for a moment, eyes down, focused on her work as her hair fell just enough to hide her face. “Well, that’s the idea, right?” She stole a quick glance back up at him.

His fingers shifted slightly, not resisting when hers slipped between them. The stretch actually did feel good—he hadn’t realized how tense he’d been. His gaze flicked to hers briefly, catching the small smile.

“You’re obviously skilled with your hands.” He gave a slight pause to allow he words to conjure up alternative meanings besides how she obviously used them while working. He was also enjoying the light massage.

The comment sent a flush of heat through her, all the way through her face and the tips of her ears. “I… well… ” She swallowed. “Kind of have to be when taking care of other people.” Chewing her bottom lip, she continued working.

His grin broadened at her obvious physical state. Matthias was having an effect on her apparently. An effect he enjoyed perhaps a bit too much in the current situation.

He continued. “What do you do outside of here?” He curiously asked, eyes set on her face to read her reactions with no shame.

-Lt. Matthias Meadows, Helm

“You mean besides flirt with cute but slightly clumsy operations folks?” She shrugged one shoulder. “A lot of things.” Her face heated again. “I… It’s kind of silly, I guess.”

Lt., j.g. Dain, Doctor

So, she came right out with it. Cute, eh? It only served to encourage him to dig deeper. He shook his head at her. “Whatever it is, I’m confident it’s not silly to you. C’mon Ela, spill the beans.” he said, not clearly invested in knowing and watching her react to him.

-Lt. Matthias Meadows, Helm

She paused, fingers gently kneading the muscle at the base of his thumb. Her tone turned soft, almost reluctant. “I read old mystery novels. The kind with detectives in trench coats and too much whiskey.”

His grin grew broader.

She winced and shook head. A breath of a laugh followed. “This is really going to make me sound like an old lady but… I knit. Started on the station — supplies were cheap, and it kept my hands busy.”

Shrugging one shoulder, Elara pressed on. “I also box and kickbox. Dance, all kinds. Swing, Salsa, Samba. I do a bit of fencing, when I can find a partner who doesn’t treat me like I’ll break.” Then, with a slightly sheepish glance up at him: “…I still think it sounds silly.”

Lt., j.g. Dain, Doctor

Matthias gave a warm laugh, not directed at her, but at the idea of it all sounding silly. “You’re crazy. How is that silly? If you enjoy it, do it! I’d love to learn some fencing some day. Dance also sounds like a good time. But I think you really got me with the mystery novels. Have you ever played through them in the holodeck?” he asked curiously, completely relaxed with the way her hands massaged his own.

-Lt. Matthias Meadows, Helm