Posted by Captain John Tiberius Glen (Captain) in Downtime on Space Station Deep Space K-5
[snip]

Joe in the meantime felt as though he had been assaulted by some new life form. Then it occurred to him whose voice had called out to him before he had been slammed. Finally, he needed to come up for air. He pulled back and smiled at Cross and laughing said, “Darn it Miri you act like you miss me or something! Joe was bartender a than glad to see Miri . He turned to his bartender and yelled to him over the music of a steel drum band. “Hey, get on the intercom and announce a free round to all fleet personnel .” Turning then to Miri Joe asked her playfully since it was the only way he could think of to address her in the situation. “So Miri what you been up to? You been alright?”

Cross shook her head from side to side ‘’ No Joe I have not been alright since the day you left ‘’ she swiped away another tear with her sleeve .
How could he ask such a question …didn’t Joe understand how much he meant to her ?

’’ How are you health wise ‘’ she asked concerned.

Joe merely smiled at Cross for a moment, paused and looked back and forth nervously for a moment, and then returned his gaze to her to answer her question as he said, “Well to paraphrase my grandfather I’ve been happy as a hog in new wallow. ” Joe then kissed each of her hands and said, “So when are you going to quit treating boo-boos and giving physicals and run away with me?”

Cross nodded ‘’Yes I’ll shall run away with you for I don’t want to lose you again ‘’.

McDuff approached his crew mates, having just come aboard the Station after the Captain expressed his desire for Cameron to do so. “Hey Gang” He said lightly “Mind if I join you?”

Cross did not see Cameron ,in fact in her mind there was no one else in the bar except Joe but Kate did and remembering how he had helped her with Cross and shoved her on the bridge , she made a bee line towards him.

‘’Hi Lt ,how are and what took you so long to come ?’’ she asked a little nervous but happy to see him ‘’First drink is on the house according to the Bartender …just be careful cause Hunter thought he had pensioned him ‘’ the nursing officer finished the sentence with a giggle.

Joe took hold of Kate’s hands and squeezed them, saying as he waved his hand around. “Darn silly little things like making money!” he laughed. Hearing what she said about Hunter Joe could only smile and shake his head. “Hunter’s biggest problem is Hunter. He was too busy with looking at a pretty girl to give me the time of day when I was asking him if he wanted to try something special.  I mean everyone knows I like to drink on occasion. But I could only drink a bit over half of one of those things before I sat it down.”

Glen was surprised to see his old XO as a bartender, given the reasons that he left the Merrimack. Joe hadn’t had a good relationship with alcohol during his life. Glen saw this as his chance to join his crew without interrupting something very personal. He wanted to speak with Joe again but he had no greater need to speak to him than any of the rest of the crew, and that actually gave him an idea…

“Hi Joe! You are looking well. I guess being away from Starfleet has been good for your health!” Glen said.

On seeing the Captain, Cross decided let go of Joe’s arm feeling rather embarrassed like a girl who had a crush on her mentor .The female doctor mumbled something about going to the bathroom and made her way there.....maybe a bit embarrassed but still elated at finding Joe again.

“I haven’t had anything to drink yet. Is there something I should try?” Glen asked. “I’ll skip whatever it was Miriam just had!”

Joe smiled and shook his head as Miriam had taken off as soon as the captain had shown up. He looked at Glen and made a welcoming motion. He took Glenn out of the crowd and over to one of the few private booths remaining. He answered Glenn’s question as he and Glenn were sitting down without a moment’s hesitation. “We still haven’t had that drink of Irish whiskey that I offered you when I came aboard captain. I don’t believe you’re on duty now perhaps this would be the time, eh?”

“An Irish whiskey? Yes, please,” Glen replied. “None of that Aldebaran stuff!”

Joe grabbed a waitress as she passed by, and they soon had an unopened bottle and three glasses on the table. ” I have been doing well for myself sir. I’ve always been one for wandering and for wild places. Something tells me that Miri has plans to shanghai me though. And how have you been sir? “

“Not so good!” Glen replied. “I had a relapse again after you left. Memories of the Ancient’s Worm inside my head again, and I passed out. That Major Wong thought that it is all psychosomatic, but I think something physical was left behind. Miriam can’t find anything physical. I doubt you really wanted that answer, but it seems that none of us can ever leave that damn mission behind. I’m surprised to see you drinking again though, but you do look really good. You also seem to have created a nice little oasis of calm for yourself here… What I wanted to say, and sorry to mix business with pleasure… but I had an idea when I walked in here, that there is always a place for a barman aboard the Merrimack. The way my crew seem to be really opening up in here - that’s something that would be good to have on the Merrimack, with a barman who could listen as well as just dispensing drinks. It would fit with Miriam’s idea that we should employ a Counsellor aboard, but on a much more informal basis, and your office would be the Fan Tail Lounge, as it were?”

“Well, no pressure on that account. Except that we are going to be leaving again shortly. I had hoped we’d get a bit of Liberty here, but now I’ve been told to get ready to ship out in the next day or two… So anyway, how did you manage to get in charge of this bar? You must have pulled some strings to do that?” Glen asked.

• Glen, CO

Joe listened carefully to everything Glen told him. Picking apart each little bit of it and rolling it around as if bit of conversation and he were looking for flaws somewhere.

Finally, Joe grunted and smiled asking, “A counselor, eh? Well considering the fact that if I say no Miri will probably hit me over the head and smuggle me aboard in a gunnysack, I will say my choices are probably a bit limited. ” Joe only then took a drink from the shot in front of him. He took a sigh and then nodded. “Yeah, I could do that for you. I have a barman here I would trust with running this place.

At Glenn’s question about the bar Joe laughed raucously and said, “Well let us just say a certain free trader refused to pay me for the job I did for him. I wound up with his ship here and after finding out that the station commander had no love for my former employer, I sued the free trader for twice what he owed me. And when he showed up here, I was awarded the amount I sought and here I am! ” Joe finished as his arms waved around him. “Sometimes the luck of the Irish is a real thing!”

Joe Milligan.