Posted by Civilian Joe Milligan (Bartender) in Side Sim Joe’s quarters

Posted by Lieutenant Miriam Cross (Chief Medical Officer) in Side Sim Joe’s quarters

Posted by Civilian Joe Milligan (Bartender) in Side Sim Joe’s quarters
Posted by… suppressed (2) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Joe had had one very long and very busy day. It had all been a very good and productive though. Much more than he could have hoped for really. He had a lot more to take care of tomorrow and to be honest the past week really. Her was tired when he finally got back to his quarters after cleaning the bar. Once ensconced in his quarters he had himself a small drink and then pulled off his clothing to get a shower. It was only halfway through the shower that Joe ‘s biggest question of the day popped up once again.

Meanwhile Cross stepped out off the shower and was about to put her uniform on ‘’Crap I ain’t on duty ‘’ she muttered to herself ,while heading to the wardrobe. The female doctor picked the first thing she saw....a simple blue dress which she had recently bought from the station.Looking at the mirror the doctor rolled her eyes ‘’Great the same color as the uniform!’’ the tag dangling from the hem went undetected .

All she wanted was a couple of drinks at the bar and to see Joe ,she had to tell him about the security named Guy who in the span of half an hour destroyed what brain cells she had left.

He knew that Miriam had pulled strings with the captain to get him this job. And he was more than happy to have it. For here was a good place to get rid of his troubles as well as still bring in money from the Dragon on the station. He had seen Miri a couple of times but that was about it. He had hoped to get to talk to her a bit more. He put on a loose pair of pajamas then and was about to go to bed when he decided instead to have another small shot. He was entirely to wired up yet.

Joe Milligan / Barman/ Counselor

After nearly bumping into the closed Dragon Bar door and a few colorful words in her native language the CMO turned back to the turbolift ,grumbling about the fact that a counselor was never available when you need him.....not that she did, Cross just needed to see Joe.

She press the chime twice in rapid succession ‘’Hey Joe are you in there its Cross ‘’ she shouted mindless of the surrounding quarters .

Cross CMO.

Joe who was by this time leaning back in his bed reading an actual non digital book. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer it was called. He has been so deep into the book that he could swear that the bottoms of his feet were bare and covered in Mississippi river mud. Joe looked up frowning hearing Cross. He then laughed and called out “Well I don’t know where else I might be. Come on in but mind the water moccasins!”

Joe Milligan Barman/ Counselor

Cross hurried inside just in case someone was woken up by her shouting ‘’Eh what water ?’’ she asked looking at Joe on the bed reading. Her eyes caught sight of the bottle and the half empty glass near his bedside .She picked the bottle up ‘’What’s this Joe ? I never knew you drank while in your quarters?.

There was cause for concern ‘’ You spend hours behind the bar and had to bring alcohol here?’‘.

Cross CMO.

Joe laughed, tilted his head to the side and said, “I don’t drink anything at the bar Miriam. The only thing I have at the bar is synthahol for the most part. Toward the end of the night, I might have one but no,” Joe put his forefinger sound across his lips and made a shushing sound. ” Don’t tell anyone Miriam.” So what brings you around Miri ? I haven’t seen you all day.”

Joe Milligan Barman / Counselor.

Cross picked up the bottle and held it towards the light ,she reckoned it was true there seem to be just a glass or two missing .Then did the unexpected , got hold of the bottle and raised it to her lips gulping down a good amount of alcohol.
She glanced at Joe ‘’ Well the Dragon bar was closed ‘’ the doctor said in a strangely clear voice.

” Don’t tell anyone Miriam.” So what brings you around Miri ? I haven’t seen you all day.”.

‘’Why I came to see the counselor , why else would I be here for ‘’ Cross gave a little cry of pleasure and in a sudden manner and at breakneck speed, like lightening , in a split of a second the doctor was now sitting on top of him. Joe may or may not have noticed how quickly it happened ,how someone could run so fast and jump in a blink of an eye or maybe with Cross he did.

Cross CMO.

Joe caught her as she landed on him and began laughing as if he were a young boy again who had just pulled a brilliant prank and gotten away with it. He hugged Cross close and kissed her. Still laughing he said to her in a voice full of delight. ” Well young lady you’ve come to the right spot. With a patient like you though I certainly hope you have a lot of problems!”

Joe Milligan Barman / Counselor.

Cross did not respond, instead she started to kiss him at the hollow between his shoulder and neck ‘’Oh how I’ve missed you’’ she murmured in a breathy voice. She then moved towards his lips and gave him a kiss that was both challenging and full of passion.

There was something different about her behavior and performance......Miriam had matured.

Cross CMO.

As Cross started to kiss Joe on his neck he only began to giggle like a child until he slipped away from her grip. Smiling and laughing Joe said, “Darn it Miri you know I’m ticklish there! However, when they began to kiss Joe put as much if not more into the kiss as did Miri. For she had been the love of his life for years now. Even though most of those years had huge gaps in them when they were apart. Most of this had been Joe’s or fate’s fault. Joe himself accepted his own part in all this. He often wondered if there was something essentially wrong with himself.

Breaking the kiss Joe struggled a bit to catch his breath before asking Miri. ” What’s gotten into you? Usually about this time you’re ready to throw things at me. Don’t you love me anymore?” Joe asked laughing.

Joe Milligan Barman / Counselor.

Cross rolled on her back pulling Joe as she did so ,strangely enough she was neither joking nor laughing .Cross kept on kissing him her arms wrapped around his neck ..she was acting more like a preying mantis then a human.

Cross CMO.

Joe was in fact puzzled. This was not at all like Miri. He still had a whole sting of questions now. Many of which he should have asked. And many perhaps one day that he would. And many that in his future when he looked back on this moment, all he would be able to do was to laugh. And not knowing. And having too many questions and too few answers in that moment caused Joe to acr just like that tiny male preying mantis when he was confronted by a female twice his size. He knew he had everything well in hand.

Joe Milligan Bartender/ Counselor

Cross raised her head from the pillow by a couple of centimeters and whispered in Joe’s ear ‘’Give me a child’‘.

Cross CMO.

At first none of those noises coming forth out of Cross’ mouth registered with Joe’s mind. He thought at first that maybe she was talking into the pillow and had said something that he simply couldn’t understand. He’d just wait until her mouth was out of the pillow so he could understand what it was she had said. Unfortunately, though for Joe it didn’t quite work out that way. In the next instant his body twitched in such a way that reminded him of what some clown had done to him when they were both training to be cadets. The fool had shot Joe with a phaser set to stun. The feeling running through his body now was only somewhat less than that.

Joe knew when to initiate a tactical retreat. He rolled away from Cross a few inches, and then looked her into the eyes to make sure she wasn’t joking. Unfortunately for
him she looked completely sane, calm and cool. His body still tingled, his head felt frozen inside and he found it impossible to speak anything for a moment. His mouth moved several times before he could get the least of noises from it. And then the only thing which emerged was. ” Eh? A baby with me? Like a real child? You and I? With my genes?”

Joe Milligan Bartender/ Counseler

Cross lifted herself up to a sitting position ,she kept eye contact with him ‘’Scientifically speaking …yes’’ .

Cross CMO.

Joe just laughed at her and said, ” I hope you know what you’re in for with my family then! All the females are red heads and are twice as crazy as the males! ” Joe then became more serious then and pointed a finger at her saying. “I want that nut Hunter to look after you. He’s pompous dingbat but he knows his job. ” Scratching his head then seemingly looking for something else he should say. An I to dot, or a tee to cross. He could find none and finally said . ” Okay then. Just don’t complain to me later when you get up in the morning with your face painted blue. “

Joe Milligan Barman / Counselor

Cross did not utter one word ,she left Joe talking gibberish not that she blamed him .

When Joe mentioned Hunter looking after Cross, he could have sworn that he felt a strangely cold and transliminal chilled mist pass through his cabin for a few short seconds. It didn’t appear to be giving off a negative energy, but whatever this spiritual being might have been, he had the feeling that it was of the highest truth and compassion working on their behalf, and only there to provide them with guidance. I any of his sisters had been present, they might have told him that they had been visited by the Celtic goddess Brigid.

• Ship’s Midwife (retired)

Miriam frowned not knowing why for a split of a second the man she dearly loved acted the way he did .Had she too seen a fine mist or was it just a fragment of her imagination ?? The female doctor approached him ‘’Joe ?’’ Cross asked as she lay her head on his chest..... hearing every beat of his heart .

Cross CMO.

Joe just tightened his hold around Miriam’s shoulder as she spoke and asked, “Yes dear? Change your mind already, have you?”

Joe Milligan Barman / Counselor.

‘’Joe I just want to be sure its want you want ‘’ Cross replied as she caressed his face, ‘’ If it happens will your family agree to help us raise the child ......there is no one from my side of the family ‘’ .

Miriam was seen as physically calm but was waiting in anticipation for Joe’s response.
Now in her mid thirties, the doctor felt both physical, psychological and deemed emotionally ready to hopefully become a mother .

She had reflected and weighed in the notion of motherhood for some time now , it was not something Cross had said at the spur of the moment and could understand why Joe was acting the way he did....this was something he never had thought about and her request must had taken him by surprise.

Cross CMO.

” By God woman what are you thinking? A child with you? Who wouldn’t want an experiment like that? The perfect cross of your intelligence and my beauty? How could we lose?” Joe hugged Miri and smiled saying, ” My youngest sister would love a child. And as for everyone else, no little cheek has ever gone un-pinched or kissed and no tummy has ever gone empty. A child in my family usually has at least three homes! ” Joe laughed as he remembered his own childhood, full of cousins, Aunts, and Uncles. “Does that answer your question? ” Joe asked.

Joe Milligan Barman / Counselor .

Miriam smiled ,secure in the knowledge that their child would be loved and taken care off by Joe’s family ‘’When and if I do fall pregnant , I wish to keep it a secret for the time being , are you unobjectionable to that ?’’ .

Cross CMO.