Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in Side sim: Early Morning in the Lab

Posted by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in Side sim: Early Morning in the Lab

Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in Side sim: Early Morning in the Lab
Posted by… suppressed (9) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
Rand was now rubbing her fore arm, trying to get her hand to relax. When Randy got off duty she’d have him look at it. The lid removed from the bowl, Rand could smell the seasoned stew and she inhaled the aroma happily. “Don’t be sorry. What ever Gorshin made is fine. He works very hard, and this is one of my favorites that he makes.” The table, though simple, was set very properly. It made her smile, it was just a small detail, but he took the time to make the effort. So that meant that the spoon was on the left so when she picked it up in her left hand she didn’t have to reach across herself to get it. Rand was right handed, not left, and that meant it was a little awkward at first. It wasn’t that she wasn’t coordinated or didn’t know how to use her left hand, it just took an adjustment because she wasn’t used to using her left hand. The heat from the bowl probably would feel good on her cramped right hand, but she kept it firmly in her lap. She was accident prone enough without Roman finding out her hand was hurt.

Rand

Roman was opening his own bowl. Rand was right, the ship chef was good at what he did, and the food smelled amazing. “He is a fantastic cook,” he said. When he looked back up at Rand, she was rubbing her hand, or maybe her arm. Rand was right handed, Roman knew that. But her right hand was still under the table. “Is everything okay?” He asked, and then he took a bite of the flavorful and fragrant stew.

~ Roman

Rand was busy enjoying the first bite of the stew so she wasn’t aware of where he was looking. When she finished the bite she sighed, frustrated, before she answered him. She kept stirring the stew slowly, left handed, to help it cool while she answered him. “I don’t like being behind in my work, and it’s frustrating. We only carry so much actual paper, because everything is supposed to be mostly electronic, unless there is a system malfunction. This isn’t a malfunction it was deliberate.” Another sigh, “I don’t care if people like me or what I do. It’s created a waste of ship’s resources, time, and is making our reports back to fleet command late, and makes Rogers look incompetent, and that’s bad. Command doesn’t promote women to captain’s positions often.” The whole situation was frustrating and made Rand angry…since the pranks started she’d spent more time cursing in Gaelic than she did talking about anything else. And it was made worse by the sudden painful twinge in her hand. Just another reminder of the whole thing.

Rand

The situation frustrated Roman as well, because it did mean the reports took longer. But he remained calm as always. “You could put a priority ticket in to engineering,” he suggested. Originally it made sense to wait but now it had been long enough it needed to just get fixed already. He took another bite of his food, waiting to continue until he was done with it. “Rogers does a fine job, I’m sure a few late reports won’t soil her name forever.” If it were him, he knew he would be frustrated, he hated being late. But there was also nothing to be done about it.

~ Roman

Rand nodded, “I did. But engineering can’t fix it. They sent it to computer sciences. They tried to get reset everything but it didn’t work, so they sent it the computer security people.” She took another bite or two and then just nodded. Rogers would be fine. It wasn’t the captain they would blame for the missing and messed up reports. It was Rand that would get blamed. “I’m sure you’re right. Rogers won’t be blamed for the reports.” She’d tried to scan the hand written reports in, which was SOP when they couldn’t be done electronically,....water marked hearts and flowers shoed up on the images. Rand was so frustrated and angry over it all, her messed up uniforms and computer access was one thing. Other people had been pranked far, far worse. She was loosing her apatite, but it would be rude to not eat. So she continued to eat, all bit slowly. But that may have been because she was being overly cautious to not spill her food with her left hand. The stew really was good.

Rand

Roman sighed into his stew. He could tell Rand was frustrated and angry but there just wasn’t anything he could do about it. He couldn’t let her use his, it wasn’t really within the rules. “It will get cleared up, and we will catch this pranker,” he said, and then, wanting the mood to be lighter, he changed the topic. “How has your foot been doing?”

~ Roman

She smiled, determined and resigned at the same time. “I know.” Rand had a paper listing every prank and ever rule or regulation it violated. They may have pranked her because she was good at her job and serious…they were about to find out how good…when Rogers read the violations to them…

“Hmm?” Her foot? That seemed so far removed from the day’s events. “It’s better today. Not so tired. I tried to sit when I could today. That seemed to help.” She focused on the meal for several moments. “I…I have to go back to Sickbay tomorrow. They want to take more images of my foot. Make sure it healed right.” She didn’t want to go back to Sickbay. “But if everything looks good I can start running again.”

Rand

It was, it had nothing to do with anything, but Roman honestly hadn’t been able to think of anything else to ask about that wasn’t work related. There was good news and bad news. “That’s fantastic!” He was very happy to hear she might get to start running again soon. Sometimes, from the way she said it, he could swear Rand hated Sickbay as much as he did. “Do.. you want me to go with you, if I can?” He offered. He wasn’t sure what time she was supposed to go, he might be too busy. But if he could be there, he was willing to brave it for her.

~ Roman

She really grinned at his excitement. “It will be slow at first, but I am really excited about it. I might stop feeling so cooped up.” Rand did not hate sick bay as much as Roman. But having to stay over night had brought up bad memories. She glanced over at him, curious at his offer. “Really? Are you sure? I mean ..yes I would, but it’s just x-rays…I hope.” Hopefully they wouldn’t be using the bone fuser again. Her face turned a little mischievous though, “That would be a little telling, though, wouldn’t it? If you took me to Sickbay, again?” She was teasing but also knew more than Scott would make speculations if he went with her. Did they want people to know?

Rand

“We both know I’m slower than you anyway,” Roman said, smiling. He’d be glad to have something to do on the mornings he was up anyway. Especially so if it was with Rand. “Quite sure,” he said. He was used to hiding his dislike for Sickbay, he had to pretend he didn’t hate it as much as he did so the crew didn’t know about it. He was more than willing to do it for her. Then she got a more mischievous look and he smiled too. He wanted to say Then let them think what they will, but he paused and hesitated, his smile fading slightly.

Did they want people to know? He wasn’t sure. At this stage, it wasn’t like this was nothing. They’d basically said they loved each other earlier. And it wasn’t like he was ashamed of her or anything. He was used to people talking about him, it didn’t bother him. People knowing about his personal life did, but that was inevitable. So why was he hesitating?

~ Roman

Rand noticed the look on his face. She set the spoon down and reached for his hand. She knew that look, she wore it often enough - uncertainty. “It’s okay. I…I…was just teasing.” He never seemed to mind when she had before. Did she say something wrong? She didn’t think she’d accidentally mentioned a ‘taboo’ topic. No, she was sure she hadn’t. So if it wasn’t that maybe it was just her implication about people finding out. That must be it.

It seemed strange to be the one offering comfort. “It’s okay, really. I don’t like people knowing about my personal life, either. People talk and it makes me uncomfortable. I’m..I’m not ashamed for people to know, but it also doesn’t bother me to wait.” It was all really new and people would ask questions. She could deflect, ignore, give non-answers for awhile, but Rand knew that only worked until made up stories were more fun. It was all so knew and she wanted to know what it all was before she had to answer questions. At the same time she really liked that he was willing to go with her.

Rand

Roman was clearly relieved that Rand understood his hesitation. He took her hand as she reached for his, his relief obvious across his face. “I’m not ashamed of you at all. And I know people are going to know. I’m… not sure why I’m putting it off,” he admitted to her. The gossip was going to start either way. He was always finding reasons to see her anymore, it was becoming obvious. And he wanted more than anything for Rand to know that he was willing to support her. “Let me take you to Sickbay tomorrow.” He said. He sounded like his usual self again. Confident, like her understanding of him had caused his doubt to fade away. “We won’t say anything officially, not yet. But to hell with it, they’re going to talk no matter what we do.”

~ Roman

Ah she understood why. Enough time with Randy talking her through it and other doctors and therapists. “I know you’re not. And we’re putting it off because privacy is very important to both of us. To give that up feels fundamentally wrong.” She squeezed his hand again before letting go and picking up her glass and taking a drink, setting it back down on the left of her bowl instead of the right. She smiled though when he said he would take her. “I’m supposed to go at 1600 tomorrow. I’m not sure they will talk…much. I heard a couple techs in the Galley a couple days ago…no one believes Scott. They feel bad for both of us because she won’t let it go. They think she’s lying. But honestly she brought it on herself.” Rand had another thought though…”What…what about those pranks. One was even on one of the nurses. We’ve both been targets…”

Rand

Rand was right of course. Privacy was intensely important to Roman - and to Rand as well. He appreciated the emphasis she put on we’re, that it was her too, not just him. Once she let go of his hand he took another bite of his food, and then smiled back at her. “If I finish my work early I’ll be able to make it by then.” He was glad to hear no one believed Scott - and he agreed. Her gossip habit caused this for her. At the mention of pranks, Roman shook his head and shrugged. “I’m not worried about the prankster. So far he’s messed with technology, I can’t see him meddling in personal business.”

~ Roman

Rand didn’t bother to tell him not to rush that if his work wasn’t done not to leave it to come with her. There were probably times when one’s personal life should come first, before work, but Rand didn’t think that this was one of those times. It is as just an x-ray. She didn’t agree about the prankster. They had destroyed her uniforms and doused that poor nurse in green paint. But Roman was probably right. She ate quietly the rest of the meal. The company allowing her to relax and the day’s tension to disappear. She finished and sat back. Absently rubbing at her hand in her lap. Roman’s presence and release of tension letting her hand relax significantly as well. She had seen the book when she walked in. “What are you reading?”

Rand

Roman knew he couldn’t rush through his work, he wasn’t planning to. But he figured he could get done faster instead of dragging feet through the paperwork. He finished his own meal in silence as well. “It’s Dracula, actually. One of the classics I haven’t read yet.” He said, shrugging slightly. “It’s alright, so far.”

~ Roman