Posted by Lieutenant Commander Sharah Fayth (Chief Star Fleet Medical Officer) in Safe Harbors

Posted by Major General Charles Tenkiller (Vice-Commander, Colonial Customs and Defense Agency) in Safe Harbors

Posted by Civilian Yavia Crockett (Nurse - Sacred Heart Hospital) in Safe Harbors
Posted by… suppressed (7) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
The first to arrive were, as they were affectionately named, the nurses. Temple had picked them up and they all piled out. Yavia thought it looked like circus clowns with the number of people getting out of the car. Sharah heard the thought and started laughing. She quickly stifled it before anyone could ask why.

They arrived with all the noise and antics of a gaggle of geese. Jessie and Elaine were the first. Jessie looked around with open nosey curiosity and saw Sharah slip out of Charles arms where she had obviously just been kissing him. She elbowed Elaine hard, “It’s true!” Elaine rolled her eyes and shushed the younger woman.

Shrine and Temple glanced from Yavia to Sharah to Tenkiller and back. Temple giggled. “Don’t they make a pretty picture.” Shrine smiled, “MmmHmmm one happy little family.”

Ilena and Jal’na made their way over toward the drinks. Jal’na leaned down and lifted Yavia in a massive bear hug. “I knew he was the Warrior for you.” Yavia cackled. “Then why did you keep trying to steal him.” Jal’na gave her a smile - all fangs, “Sometimes the heart needs a challenge to know what it wants.” Ilena paused and looked at Jal’na, “No one had any doubt that Yavia knew what she wanted.” Jal’na shrugged, “Still makes the pursuit sweeter.”

Yavia and the nurses

Tenkiller waved them all around the house to the new porch. “Welcome y’all. Come on in and have a seat, grab a beer. We have some more folks comin’ in a bit and then I’ll start cookin’. Hope y’all are hungry.” He picked up a beer and walked back into the house, stopping long enough to tell V and Sharah he was going to make potato salad and baked beans.

Tenkiller

“Want some help?” No this was not Sharah being flirtatious. She genuinely wanted to help, learn to cook something new. She had never learned but always wanted to, and now, somehow in the massiveness of her responsibilities, there seemed to be enough time to do so. No she wasn’t avoiding socializing. She was comfortable with them and enjoyed their company. They were her friends (that was weird). She wanted to spend time with them too.

Sharah

Charles stopped in his tracks and turned, a grin on his face. Loud enough for all to hear he said “Hun, with tha way you were lookin’ at me earlier and the way you look in that outfit, you know damn well we’d never make it back out here if you did that.” He winked at her and turned and walked around the corner of the house before laughing. Not that he was wrong… they really wouldn’t have.

Tenkiller

The deck was silent for all of 7 seconds and then the surprised laughter started. Yavia walked over and slipped her arm around Sharah and turned her back towards the deck. Where everyone could see how true his statement was. “You know he’s right. Even if you really did want to help. But now I get you all to myself.” Sharah was going to burn a hole right through the floor of the deck.

“Ah she just wanted to show off. She’s got the best knife skills out of everyone here.” Then Ilena grinned, “But I don’t relish stitching you up when you get distracted and cut yourself.”

“Battle wounds! They are glorious! They can be tended later. He is a warrior, he will enjoy watching you handle a weapon better than him.” Jal’na grinned over the prune juice she found and roared with laughter as Sharah blushed.

Yavia taking some pity on Sharah tried to help. “I don’t think there is a weapon that man hasn’t mastered. You should see his arsenal.”

Elaine almost spit out her drink. Temple and Shrine grinned with glee at each other, “Now Yavia, I know you and Sharah and the general there are quite the family, but I didn’t think you would want to show his arsenal off to everyone else. Do tell…” They all leaned in expectantly as Yavia’s mind caught up with what she said. Sharah got up and walked up the stairs to the kitchen and came back, handing something shiny to Yavia. “Oh I don’t think so. You two old biddies get your mind outta the gutter. I warn you we are armed…with Spoons!” Yavia began to laugh as she and Sharah’s spoon brandished their spoons. The whole deck collapsed in fits of laughter.

Yavia

More sliders arrived, and soon the crew that had built the deck was back; along with girlfriends, boyfriends, spouses, and a few children. They waited somewhat hesitantly near the door before Tenkiller stepped out, wiping his hands on a towel. “Well? The party’s back on that deck y’all just built! Go on! Get to tryin’ it out!” and he walked back inside as the small crowd walked around the side of the house towards the back yard.

Tenkiller

Yavia heard the cars and got up heading around and, “This way, Come on. Don’t be shy.” She refrained from saying they weren’t earlier. They were not going to have enough seats. “You all did a great job this really looks amazing. Come on, the beer is cold and if you want something different we have that too.” Yavia was oozing welcome and fun and friendliness. “Come on, let me introduce these lovely nurses from the hospital.” Yavia lost the single ones at the word ‘nurses’. That was okay, the girls liked the attention, and it broke the awkward beginnings of a get together of strangers.

Yavia

It took TK about forty minutes, but he did eventually come out with a large pot of something that smelled sweet and slightly tangy, and on a second trip a massive bowl of something cold. The last trip was an enormous metal tray that he had to get help form one of the builders to carry piled high with hand-pressed hamburger patties. “Sharah, V… can you go in and get the burger toppings and buns, please?” He looked at Jal’na and said “Gotta send the best buns to get the buns, ya know?” and he grinned and winked at the Klingon before moving to the relative safety of the cooking level of the porch.

During that forty minutes Sharah stayed close to the nurses, Yavia drawing enough attention that no one paid Sharah much attention. Yavia grabbed Sharah by the hand and took her with her off the deck and towardsvthe house.

Jal’na slammed her fist down next to her drink with a roar of laughter. “It is amazing you can get any work done, General!”

“Tell me about it!” he yelled back and laughed.

Sharah looked at Yavia as they went inside. “He is enjoying this far too much.” Yavia’s laughter trailed after them, “So are you.” They returned shortly with the requested trays and set them up on the cooking level. Yavia grabbed a beer and handed Sharah a water.

The grill was fired up and soon Tenkiller, in apron with a spatula in hand, was cranking out the most delicious, juicy, and perfectly cooked hamburger patties on Oed.

Tenkiller

It was then that Karajl, Malvana, and Fylaza arrived. “Sorry we’re late. Babies have no sense of urgency. She’s only a month and she is already learning to be late.” Malvana gave him an incredulous look and lifted the baby a little higher in her arms, staring at the stairs with some worry. Karajl took Fylaza and followed her up the stairs. Sharah shooed everyone around on the couch to give Malvana the corner seat, Ilena stuffed pillows around her, and Shrine grabbed drinks while they settled in. “Oh I feel like I’m back in the hospital with all of you here to take care of everything.” Malvana looked tired, but content. Such was the life of a new mother. Yavia leaned over and peered at the tiny face. “Tell your daddy to get used go it. You’re beautiful and worth the wait.”

There was a steady line of people getting burgers and beans and potato salad. The kids ran around the large back yard while parents made plates and chatted.

Sharah

It was another hour or two of socializing, eating, socializing, drinking, eating some more, socializing some more, and drinking some more. The sun had set and the lights on the porch had come on. Charles had set them low with a kind of amber-light, and the firepit was turned on with flames gently flickering up and around the volcanic glass. The kids were winding down, and Tenkiller had invited the parents to bring them inside to the den to watch vids until they fell asleep… which took all of fifteen minutes. When he came out again, he carried his guitar case. “Music anyone? Or should we just sit?”

Tenkiller

Yavia had settled in next Sharah. That was a lot of drinking and she remembered how it affected her at Diamond Jim’s. Ilena ended up on her other side, acting as a sort of buffer. No one was being appropriate or drunk but it did make the tone of the input much different. Shrine had pilfered a blanket from Yavia and was making much over Malvana and the baby and keeping them warm and comfortable. Shrine loved to care for others.

The sight of his guitar case made Yavia share a hot knowing look with Sharah. The feelings and memory shared between the three of them. At his question every single one from the nurses staff gave loud and then soft (don’t wake the baby) agreement. “Yes, music. I was told you make amazing music. I missed it so I must hear.” That was Jal’na and the rest of the group was happy to agree. It was a good way to end the evening. Yavia grinned, “I will never complain about listening to your voice. Jal’na you go stand over there. He’s ours.”

Yavia

Charles laughed softly and said “Music it is.” He pulled out an actual guitar, not a technologically modified one, that was obviously old and well cared for. He turned the pegs and tuned the instrument for a few moments and then strummed the strings and nodded in satisfaction. He began plucking the strings and humming softly, and then he began to play and sing…

I’m not the devil you think that I am
It ain’t no excuse, but I’m just a man
I slipped and I fell, it got out of hand
But I’m not the devil you think that I am

It wasn’t no gun they held to my head
I got caught up believing in lies that were said
And in a moment of weakness
I stumbled, and I made my bed

I’m not the devil you think that I am
It ain’t no excuse, but I’m just a man
I slipped and I fell, it got out of hand
But I’m not the devil you think that I am

He looked at Sharah and Yavia and smiled.

There’s 10, 000 reasons for you not to stay
And no one would blame you
If you want it that way
It might take some time
But I’ll show you that I’m worth the wait

I’m not the devil you think that I am
It ain’t no excuse, but I’m just a man
I slipped and I fell, it got out of hand
But I’m not the devil you think that I am
And I’ll spend forever, do all that I can
To prove I’m not the devil you think that I am
And I’m not the devil

Tenkiller (with thanks to Cody Jinks ‘Im Not The Devil’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ocqBCvds1w )

The words touched Sharah on a much deeper level. She was not the devil she thought she was. He, they, kept telling her that. They were going to keep telling her too. She smiled at him from the other side of the fire pit.

Jal’na grinned, “Is that not true of every warrior? If they can not see past the devil, General…” she left the words hanging. Temple laughed so hard she smacked her knee, “Is he really a devil, Yavia?”

Yavia gave him a very obvious and lavacious stare. “I can’t think of one reason to leave, but thousands to stay.” She winked and turned to Temple but was interupted by Sharah. “Oh he’s wicked for sure. He wasn’t signing about himself though. Noooo the devil here is Yavia.” Which got howls of laughter and agreement from the nurses. Sharah seriously considered kissing Yavia right then. “Jal’na you just keep those offers to yourself. You,” and she pointed a finger at her, “might be taller than us, but you are not enough woman to replace both of us.”

Jal’na was messing with Yavia and this kind of banter wasn’t unknown between the women. However coming from Sharah was unexpected. Jal’na laughed loudly and elbowed Shrine with a wink. Yavia grinned widely and put an arm around Sharah pulling her closer and whispered in her ear.

Sharah

Charles watched and kept playing and then he smiled and started singing again.

Couldn’t ever dawned on me
All the things that I would be I
I never really looked out quite that far
It’s never been a simple thing
To see the world with a young man’s brain
With an old man’s heart, restless soul

Yeah, my family went broke my 18 year
Dad took a job many miles from here that
That was alright by me I was on my own
I had a band, found a job, life was alright
I worked when I had to we played all the time
Only, got through that first year of college alright

But I learned more on the freight docks
Driving forklifts on the 3 o’clock a.m. shift
In the winter time, man it got cold
Selling guitars on the west coast goin’ hungry
Chasin’ ghost around and around we would go

And I saw it all tending bar at night
Treatin’ saints and sinners right
It’s a good thing to do all the time
You never know who you’re talkin’ to
But always know who’s watching you
Keep your feet movin’ straight down the line

I’ve known a lot of real good men
Grad school or no school
I’ve called ‘em my friends, I’m
I’m somewhere in the middle and that’s just fine
No, I don’t give a damn how much money you make
If your last shirt has pockets, take all you can take, I’m
Well, I’m goin’ out with nothin’ like I came in

‘Cause I learned more on the freight docks
Driving forklifts on the 3 o’clock a.m. shift
In the winter time man it got cold
Selling guitars on the west coast goin’ hungry
Chasin’ ghost around and around we would go

And I saw it all tending bar at night
Treatin’ saints and sinners right
It’s a good thing to do all the time
You never know who you’re talkin’ to
But always know who’s watching you
Keep your feet movin’ straight down the line

But I learned more on the freight docks
Driving forklifts on the 3 o’clock a.m. shift
In the winter time man it got cold
Selling guitars on the west coast goin’ hungry
Chasin’ ghost around and around we would go

And I saw it all tending bar at night
Treatin’ saints and sinners right
It’s a good thing to do all the time
You never know who you’re talkin’ to
But always know who’s watching you
Keep your feet movin’ straight down the line

Yeah, somewhere in the middle is just fine
Yeah, somewhere in the middle is just fine

Tenkiller (with thanks to Cody Jinks ‘Somewhere In The Middle’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3rgDr7FHog )