Posted by Commander Daniel “DaVinci” Colter (Chief Intelligence Officer/ 2nd Officer) in After Duty

It was the end of Hannah’s shift and she was ready to go. Normally she loved being in sickbay, but her implants were driving her nuts. She took them off setting them into the diagnostic bin and ran another test. She couldn’t get the frequency right. There was some kind of static or energy in the air of the ship that made them buzz constantly. She was thankful, at the moment, for external implants. She’d had internal ones at one point, but whenever they had issues the buzz was not just a sound but a vibration in her head that was painful. At least this way she could work on them without having to be sedated by another doctor while they worked on them.

She made a couple of fine adjustments and put them back on. It was a little better, but not quite right, yet. She sighed and decided to leave it for another day. She headed out of sickbay and went to her quarters to change. She was going to head to the forward lounge to eat and maybe meet more of the crew. She changed into jeans and a tank top, low profile keds, with her blonde hair pulled back in a pony tail. She sat down at a table after ordering buffalo stew with vegetables and corn bread. And because it was her favorite, but didn’t match the meal at all, mango dragonfruit lemonade to drink.
Lt j.g. Asimina, Doctor

DaVinci came hobbling into the lounge with a look of relief on his face. Being cooped up in his quarters all day after the knee surgery was driving him crazy. He needed to get out and get some fresh air, as fresh as it can be on a starship. He spotted Hannah seated alone and did his best to hide the gimpiness of his stride.

“This table just for extremely attractive doctors or can any old gimp have a seat?”

Colter (CIO)

Hannah looked up and smiled. What was he doing out here? She’d told him the cane for 24 hours. And then she realized she’d been working on her implants for longer than she’d realized. She’d meant to eat and then go to his quarters and free him. “Well I don’t see any old gimps around here, but that seat was reserved for you anyway.” He would always have a seat at her table and she pointed to the one right next to her.

He sat down and slid a bit closer to her. “Good, because I would’ve hated to have to kick someone else out of this seat, recently reconstructed knee or not.”

She took his hand as he slid over, as if the five years they hadn’t seen each other never existed, as if he’d never left. She laughed, he always made her laugh. She started to sign, but she didn’t want to let go of his hand. “You’d do it too, wouldn’t you?” she grinned.

She watched him move around the chair to sit. “Are you cautious because there is pain or because you are afraid to put your weight on it?” she asked, instead of what she had contemplated talking to him about. That’s why she had come to eat first. To try and figure it out first. She wasn’t sure what to say, or if she should. After all this time, would it seem childish to him or unimportant? Her hands started and stopped several times, not quite reflecting her thoughts.

“DaVinci raised his eyebrows in mock surprise. “Afraid? Me?, he said deflecting her question.

She shook her head and squeezed his hand. This time she did let go of his hand and signed I’m more observant than most, or have you forgotten? Those smooth conversation skills of yours don’t work on me. She puts her hands down, “I’m your doctor, and you might like my healing touch, but I’m not putting up with that. And it’s my reputation on the line,” she grins, teasing him. “How’s your knee feeling? You made it down here without the cane.”

“The only thing I’m afraid of is not being able to make up the time we missed over the last what, 5 years?”

And Hannah wasn’t sure she should tell him how she’d counted those years. She nods, “Five years. That’s a lot of time to make up. The sooner we start the better. How do you suggest we start?” And her hands asked the question she’d wanted to know since she saw him the day before. Where have you been, Daniel?

“Eat dinner with me?” She flagged down a server passing behind him.
Lt. j.g Asimina, Doctor

“Of course, as long as you’re not going make sure I eat one of those ‘healthy’ Sickbay diet meal. This old soldier needs some meat with his potatoes.”

Colter (CIO)

She smiles and shakes her head, “Sickbay food is not food.” She waits while he orders his food, and then, “I have something of yours.” It was always her way to face things head-on even when she was uncertain. She reached to a chain hanging around her neck, whatever was hanging on it was cupped in her hand as she pulled the chain over her head. What he could see of the chain he could tell it was something that had been worn a lot. She reached for his hand and placed it in his palm. When she removed her hand, it was his dog tag.
Lt. j.g. Asimina, Doctor