Posted by Civilian Jason Reilly (Assistant Director - Colonial Intelligence) in How I Met Your Mother

Posted by Lieutenant Hannah Lori Asimina (Asst. Chief Medical Officer) in How I Met Your Mother

Posted by Civilian Jason Reilly (Assistant Director - Colonial Intelligence) in How I Met Your Mother
Posted by… suppressed (19) by the Post Ghost! 👻
The Ginger Man had been suggested to Hannah by Oj’kiv, the old Klingon Midwife. Dr Fayth had met Hannah at the hospital and walked her through all the intricacies of working at a combined location that was Sacred Heart. Hannah was impressed and had several suggestions as they talked. Fayth was impressed with her. After a working lunch with the head Star Fleet staff, Hannah had spent several hours with the orthopedic and prosthetic depatment. If asked, Hannah would have resigned right then and there to work full time in that department. It was a dream, but lacking someone with her expertise.

With Hannah’s recent ‘diagnosis’ Fayth had taken her to the obstetrics ward under the guise of a tour. Fayth had not wanted to share her personal information, but it had notvtaken the old midwife more than a few.minutes to recognize the reason Hannah was sucking on ginger candies.

The Ginger Man got its name from the proprietor who was Irish and had the classic bright red hair. However, many years ago he discovered his pub sat right outside the main door ro the maternity ward of the hospital. So a marketing scheme was hatched to serve as many things with ginger as possible for those lovely lasses with queasy stomachs. This eventually led to anything from any culture that was a cure for soon to be mamas. And apparently he made the most Devine chicken soup too.

The inside was dark wood paneling with comfortable plush leather covered seats. The main room was filled with tables and booths. The lighting a bit brighter. The back room was lined with booths by the windows across from a traditional Irish themed bar. Complete with mirror and bottles from across the quadrant. There was a strick two drink limit and no smoking. There would be no antics to upset the budding families in the establishment. There was a small private smoking room in the back where new parents were celebrated with a drink and a celebratory cigar. Smoking coats were provided and a separate exit so the odor would not upset the ladies and new babies in the main dinning area. Top notch ventilation kept any unwelcome aromas in the kitchen. But one wouldn’t recognize it for anything more than a warm welcomingvtraditional pub. Tristan O’Dowd did a booming business.

It was here that Hannah asked Jason to meet her at 1830.

Hannah

Jason walked in the door exactly at 1830. His first inclination (habit) was to arrive an hour early, reconnoiter, and find a place that he could watch but not be watched.

That was a habit from another life.

Instead, he walked in the door exactly on time (after having paced outside for ten minutes. Fortunately the location was conducive to such activity, and he wasn’t the only one… although probably the only one there on a date). He walked in and looked around for Hannah. It took him a minute, but he eventually found her sitting in the back away from the majority of people. He walked up to the table and said “Hey… here you are. How was your first shift?” and he slowly took a seat opposite her, the nervousness plainly on his face.

Jason

Hannah had been staring out the window that looked out on a side square between buildings on the block. She had been lost in thought when he walked up. His appearance made her smile, so much so that people around them were certain they were together. His appearance also calmed the nervousness and then made her heart race. She had wondered if he would still come. His note had burned a hole in her pocket all day as she glanced at it whenever she wasn’t busy. “Busy. There are a lot people and pieces. I don’t think even Star Fleet Medical has this many staff on hand. There were lots of meetings and more tomorrow I am told.” The waiter came to take his drink order. Hannah already had tea.

“Cider, please. Non-alcoholic.” and the waiter nodded and left.

“How did your meetings go?” Hannah knew he couldn’t tell her the details, but she was genuinely curious about how his day had been and the question was benign and normal enough. What she really wanted to know, if he had thought about her at all, she was too nervous to ask just yet.

Hannah

He smiled. They were good. Productive. And I had some time to practice my signing. he said and then spoke. “And I like my new office. Its… different… being in a spot to do work. But the staff seems really competent and the environment is a good one, I think.” The waiter arrived and set the glass of golden liquid in front of him. Jason nodded his thanks and then looked at Hannah. “I thought about last night a lot.” and he smiled. “I really wanted to be there when you woke up, but one of my meetings got bumped up to the wee hours. I hope it was okay to come in your room while you slept. Didn’t want to be creepy, but I didn’t want you to wake up alone with no explanation.”

Jason

Oh? Someone on your staff signs? Hannah lifted the tea infuser out of the cup and set it on the plate. She usually liked sugar in her tea, but lately the sweetness was too much. Apparently she liked it strong too, as the liquid was almost as dark as the clay mug. She nodded and smiled. “Yes it’s fine. I said you could. It wasn’t creepy at all. It would have been okay to wake me up.” She looked down into the cup before drinking and setting the cup down. Would little things like that always bother her now? Or was it just because she was adjusting to some harsh truths? Thank you, for the note. I…It helped. I didn’t realize that until just now. She stared at him, searching his eyes a moment. “I thought a lot about it too.”

Hannah

He took a sip of his cider and then took a deep breath. He was prepping himself for the end. Her saying it was too much, too fast, she needed time. And the weird part for him was that would be okay. He would understand it completely. But that was the logical side of him. The emotional side was bracing like it was the captain of a storm-tossed sailing ship in a hurricane.

His body language was tense. That made Hannah nervous. She didn’t know of it was a good type of tense or bad. She didn’t know him well enough to tell the difference. Bit oh how she wanted to. What’s… She started to ask what was wrong but he started talking and she put her hands down.

“What did you think about it? I mean… how… what…” and he finally just smiled and shook his head and looked away as he turned several shades of red. “Please… go on. I am here to listen.”

Jason

“I wish you had been there when I woke up, or woken me before you left.” She blushed, bitting her lip, “It’s okay you didn’t. There will be lots of times we both will have to go in early or late. The nature of our jobs. Your note meant a lot. It helped before I could even worry.” She drank from her tea. “I had a message from Alexis this morning. I haven’t talked to her since I left the Saracen. She was worried. She asked me if I was okay.” Hannah was nervous, it showed in the way her hands flexed around her cup on the table several times. Then she signed blushing furiously. I told her I was, but I realized it was true…well…because of you.

Hannah

Jason smiled. He leaned forward and took her hand in his. He looked in her eyes and said “I want to help you be okay, Hannah. In whatever way I can. And I wan-…” and he took a breath and said “I don’t want to add to your pressures. New job, baby, new life here… I don’t want to make that harder.” He let go of her hand. I want to help make the pressure less. I want to help. He paused and took a sip of cider, his mouth suddenly having gone dry. He looked at her and then signed a single word, but it was a question that hung between them like a wall.

More? he asked.

Jason

It was unexpected how much Jason made things better. Hannah had the training to understand that it was easier to tell a stranger your troubles than someone close to you. That was why therapy was successful. And it had started out that way, just over a day ago, but it wasn’t just that. Hannah didn’t think she could have told any other person what she had shared with him. At his question though, there was no hesitation. Yes.

Yes she wanted more. She reached for his hand. “You scare me, Jason. In a good way I think. I don’t know what more looks like, but yes.”

Hannah

He took her hand in his and smiled. “You scare me too, but I know it’s a good scared.” He thought for a moment and then said “If ‘more’ could like anything you want… anything at all… what would it look like? And don’t be scared to be honest or think its too much… let’s get everything we can out in the open so we can manage it. Together.”

Jason

“More when? Now, 6 months, a year, several years?” Hannah sounded overwhelmed. Then her head tipped to the side like he has said something that just registered. She pulled her hand away. That. Together. The sign was two closed fist presed together and circled. Daniel and I were…together but this time when she signed it there was space between her fists. They moved in tandem but never touched. but never really together and this time her fists touched. For me, more is together…not you working on your goal and me working on my goal separately and we happen to be in proximity. More is having OUR goal that we work on together, but also supporting each other in our own goals. Not together but separate. More is together. and she pressed her fists tightly together as she signed the word.

Hannah

Jason looked at her and nodded. I understand. He was still for a moment and then he slowly put his fists together, then pressed them to hers and moved all of them together before signing. This. This is what I want, too. He reached out and held her hand, looking into her eyes. But I need to know how you see me fitting into the future. The baby. What do you want me to do or be?

Jason

Hannah stared at him, oh she knew…if she let go of the fear and self-doubt she saw it quite clearly. How? How can I ask you that? You don’t know me, not really, not yet. But even if…somehow we do, already… and it really felt like they did, how can I ask you to be a family with me and this baby? It’s selfish to ask you to be father and husband. Her hands dropped to her Lao, she squeezed her eyes shut and dropped her head, her face hidden by her hair. It wasn’t fair and she felt so stupid and childish thinking that.

Hannah

There was a tap of a finger on her hand. When she looked up, he looked at her and smiled. When you are ready for that… when you no longer feel selfish for asking it simply because you know that it is what you want and you know me and you are ready… ask me. And I promise you, H-a-n-n-a-h… I will say yes. He then picked up his cider, drank a large amount of it, and said “How is the food here? Should we do dinner here or at home? Or go somewhere else?” and he started looking for the waiter as if nothing life-changing and monumental had just transpired between them.

Jason

It took a moment before Hannah looked at him. Trying hard to keep the crazy emotions from showing. And then he…he said yes…oh it didn’t matter the context of it, it was still yes. Shebwas going to cry. Hannah didn’t really care if she cried or if people saw her cry. Right now though everything felt so beyond her control, and she should be happy not blubbery over it all. She took her napkin to wipe her face hiding it behind her hair again because she was irrationally telling herself she would control her emotions.

The waiter brought two menus, a refill of his cider and set a small tray down with a cold damp cloth. He gave Jason a knowing look, like they see this all the time and it was okay.

“Umm…Oj’kiv, one of the nurses. She said a lot of…new…of obstetrics patients come here.” Home…he said home. Well it was his home. Hannah’s subconscious gave her a mental head slap. ‘That is not what he meant and you know it. Don’t be dense.’ Oh she was talking to herself now…

“We?…We have a lot of left overs. That’s fine with me.”

Hannah

He slid the menu to her and said “No we don’t. Caterer cleaned up after you left this morning. But thats okay. We’ll consider this date number three.” and he smiled. He took her hand in his and said “Scary part is over. Now we move ahead.” and he let her hand go long enough to sign Together.

Jason

Hannah brushed her hair back and gave him a small smile, Together. She spotted the damp cloth and gave it a funny look, but picked it up and wiped her face with it. It helped. She picked up the menu and read through it. Oj’kiv was serious. The menu was several pages from traditional Irish meals to comfort food to food for picky stomachs to odd things people might crave. When the waiter came back Hannah ordered Potato Leek Soup. It sounded good and it was something she usually liked. Hopefully she didn’t need a plan b meal.

Hannah

Jason ordered Shepherd’s Pie. When the waiter left, he looked at Hannah and said “So tell me all about your day. How do you think you will like the hospital? Is the staff a good one? Where will your office be? When do you take lunch and can I meet you sometimes?” he asked and grinned.

Jason

Hannah finished off her tea and picked up the ceramic pot and poured still piping hot water into her cup and then put the infuser into the hot water. “I was in meetings all day. My office is on the fourth floor middle wing, lunch varies, but you can whenever you want. I spent the morning with Cmdr Fayth. We went over, in detail how the hospital runs. What I am used to is Star Fleet going in, but temporary. We fill spots or run clinics or research cures. Set up and run medical facilities until the civilian staff arrives or is trained and then we back out. Our whole focus is to make the colonial system stronger and self sufficient. That is the goal here, but we don’t leave in the end. We continue to work side-by-side. So the dynamic is different. But it is really amazing. I spoke with Dr Helaky who is my colonial counterpart. He said that Sacred Heart is the only place on the colony where the different groups don’t fight. He and Fayth told me there are a lot of tensions around the colony. They assign duties based on expertise and experience. That they really push that who provides our credits doesn’t matter. What matters is care of the patient. Which is how it should be.” Hannah gave a firm nod to that.

“We worked through lunch and meeting the star fleet staff assigned to the hospital. I will rotate through with Cmdr Fayth, but some of the other staff does not. They are assigned there. I got to spent several hours with the orthopedic and prosthetic depatment. Master Chief Trond is the lead biomechanical engineer. He is brilliant. I have used several of the prosthetics he has designed before. I had no ide he served on Oed.” Hannah went in for several minutes, even after the food was delivered, about the department and new equipment, the medical staff that worked there. Hannah was obviously extremely passionate about her job and was excited about the new techniques and equipment and devices being developed and tested at Sacred Heart.

Hannah

Jason smiled as she spoke. Itvwas good to see her just being and not struggling and dwelling on things. He listened in rapt attention to every detail, filing away pertinent information like office location, names of coworkers, schedule, and the like.

When she finished, he smiled and said “Well it certainly seems like you have your work cut out for you, but you sound like you are looking forward to the challenge. And it certainly doesn’t sound boring!” and he laughed.

Jason

Hannah had started on her soup which was surprisingly good. She ordered it because she liked it but it was like she hadn’t eaten in days and it was the best thing she had ever eaten. “I love my work, Jason. I was lucky on the Fearless going from colony to colony to research posts, etc. We got to see up close how we helped people. I or my patients were shuttled back and forth from Fearless if someone needed my particular skills. Most ship stationed doctors don’t see their contributions. We are there just incase. To fix the occasional broken bone or burn.” She took another spoonful of the soup.

It is like you said, on Oed you can see the difference you are making. Sign was great for when your mouth was full.

Hannah

Jason chuckled and signed around the bite in his mouth. You do remember I was in Star Fleet, right? I was even the X-O of a ship at one point. I saw what the doctors did… and couldn’t do… and I can only imagine that there is more… and he paused while trying to think of the gesture, … more… f-u-f-i-l-l-m-e-n-t when you are stationed somewhere like this.

Jason

Hannah set her spoon down and faced both her index fingers facinf backwarss and flipped them foreward and then placed rhe sides of her flathands on her abdomen, one at her sternum and one lower. She repeated the motion and then, f-u-f-i-l-l-m-e-n-t. She smiled, she enjoyed signing with him and showing him signs he didn’t know. It was a level of self identity she hadn’t expressed in a long time.

“Ship assignments are great for general surgeons and practitioners, but for specialists it can almost ruin your career because you don’t have the opportunity to practice your skills.” She lifted her tea for a moment. “It is fulfilling. I mean I don’t want people to become that injured but being in a place that I can do something about it, feels good.”

Hannah