Stellar Serenade
Posted on Mon Oct 16th, 2023 @ 1:25am by Commander Abernathy Rice PhD & Lieutenant Commander Viessa Kenobi
Edited on on Sat Oct 28th, 2023 @ 11:12pm
0 words; about a 1 minute read
Mission:
The Sins of History
Location: Sick Bay - Deck 9 - USS Artemis
Timeline: MD003 1230 hrs
Aboard the USS Artemis, a different kind of voyage unfolded—one of the heart. Commander Abernathy "Abe" Rice found himself embarking on an adventure that had little to do with star systems or nebulae. Instead, it revolved around a mysterious, enigmatic figure—Lieutenant Commander Viessa Kenobi, the El-Aurian Chief Medical Officer.
As the soft hum of the starship's engines reverberated through the metallic corridors, Abe stood outside the entrance to sickbay, nerves gnawing at him like an insatiable alien creature. Despite the bravado he exuded, he felt like a cadet again, uncertain and jittery. A minor ailment suddenly seemed like the most pressing matter, all in the name of seeking a glimpse of the captivating El Aurian doctor. However, he was certain the good Doctor would see right through his ruse.
Ever since his first meeting with Viessa, her presence had an inexplicable pull on Abe. Her aura of wisdom, grace, and timeless beauty was simply magnetic, and he found himself drawn to her like a moth to a gentle, guiding light. Abe took a deep breath, trying to quell the butterflies swirling within his stomach. As the Officer, he had faced many tough situations, yet asking Viessa about a phantom ailment was daunting. "Pull yourself together, Abe," he whispered under his breath, his eyes fixated on the closed doors of sickbay.
Just as he was about to convince himself to turn away and abandon this clandestine mission, the doors parted with a gentle swoosh. His heart skipped a beat as he caught a glimpse of her—a vision of serenity and poise, moving about the medical bay with effortless grace. Viessa's El Aurian features carried a sense of ageless wisdom, her eyes shimmering like pools of knowledge that had traversed the eons. Abe felt a rush of adrenaline mixed with a tinge of vulnerability. He realized that his feelings for Viessa had grown beyond admiration—there was an undeniable attraction that he could no longer deny or suppress.
As Abe finally gathered his courage to step into sickbay, he knew the journey ahead had uncertain outcomes. And so, with a heartbeat echoing like a pulsar's song in the vast cosmos, Abe took his first step toward revealing the truth—both to the enigmatic El Aurian doctor and to himself. "I'm here to see the Doctor," Abe's voice cracked. He coughed, "I've been having this pain in my lower back," he told the receptionist.
"Of course Commander. I'll let Dr Kenobi know you are here. She is the only one in, is that alright? We have no male doctors in at the moment..." Carli the receptionist smiled at him.
"That will be just fine," Abe replied.
The morning had been slow for Viessa. With the type of ship the Artemis was it wasn't going to be getting into many battles and the most she'd deal with was sniffles and ouchies. As such she'd dealt with a sprained wrist this morning from someone who'd been in the holodeck foolishly with the safeties off... they got a mouthful from her. Another a burn from trying to cook 'for real' and not realising you cannot pick up a scalding hot pot straight off a cooker top.
Honestly, she wondered how some of these officers and enlisted crew made it in life this far.
Viessa had been pottering around in the back of sickbay when she felt an emotion that gave her pause.
"Dr. Kenobi, Commander Abernathy is here complaining of a lower back pain. I've shown him to biobed one for you."
"Thank you, Carli." Viessa replied, her heart quickening slightly.
Their lunch was sweet and insightful. He was a nice man, someone she'd formed somewhat of a link to, someone she'd want to get to know better and even if he didn't feel like a crew was his family just yet she was sure she could convince him otherwise over time. After all, she had all of it in the universe.
Looking over the statuesque figure of the man made her pause. The greying/white hair made her smile involuntary and the way he carried himself did give off a powerful yet gentle vibe.
She walked over, a slight blush in her cheeks, and as he looked up at her for a moment her mind went blank. She shook her head a little to loosen some cobwebs. "Commander Abernathy, very nice to see you again." she smiled warmly and placed a hand on his shoulder. Oddly she wasn't not as cold with him as other members of the crew. "Carli said you were having some back trouble?" she asked.
Abe appeared anxious. Abe tried to hide his emotions behind a smile as he struggled to find the right words. "Well, you see," he stammered, adjusting his posture, "I've been experiencing some discomfort in my lower back lately. I suppose it could be attributed to the natural effects of aging, even though I don't consider myself that old." He blushed slightly and corrected himself, "Let's start over; yes, I am."
Viessa chuckled. "I can promise you, you aren't old at all." she smiled. "Please take off your jacket." she asked. Viessa decided to do this a little of the old fashioned way and use hands to feel for sore spots, gently. As Abe took off his jacket and placed it next to him she looked at his body, subtly of course, and he was still well proportioned for a middle aged Human. "I'm just going to have a little feel around your lower back. Tricorders are on the fritz." she lied but she had a damned good poker face.
As she put her hands on his back she felt him tense. "Relax Abe, I'm not going to bite." she teased. "I can't find the real tension if you get all jittery. How long have you had this pain?" she asked not being able to find a source just yet, her hands gliding along his lower back and giving the odd press.
"Thank you, Viessa," Abe responded with a faint smile, his heart racing as her warm hand made contact with his shoulder. Her touch seemed to have a soothing effect on his jumbled nerves, despite his best efforts to maintain composure. Abe chuckled at her playful reassurances. "I'll try my best to relax," he quipped, taking a steadying breath. "The pain started a few weeks ago, but it's been coming and going. Nothing too severe, just a persistent ache. I've been trying to ignore it, but it seems my stubbornness finally caught up with me."
Viessa's fingers moved with gentle expertise over his lower back, her touch sending a curious blend of comfort and excitement coursing through him. He couldn't help but marvel at her professionalism, even as his mind wrestled with emotions that seemed to be clouding his judgment. "You know," Abe began, attempting to lighten the mood, "I'm starting to think this 'aging' thing isn't all it's cracked up to be. Maybe I should have paid more attention in those yoga classes they offer back at the Academy."
"So, you're telling me that you've been in pain and discomfort for weeks and thought you knew better than to come to me and let me help? Let medical solve a medical issue?" she stepped back in front of him with her arms on her small hips. "Abe, there's stubborn and then there's being a man." she commented. "God I've known hundreds, if not thousands of your species that thinks they if they ignore something long enough it'll go away." she shook her head but look at him with a small smirk just to let him know she was half teasing.
Moving over to pick up a small hypo, she pressed it against his neck and smiled. "As for aging... dear, things get far better with age. I won't tell you what age I am... I can let you find that out on your own with some serious digging and investigating. You are a previous man of science, are you not?"
Abe wasn't sure if his deception was failing, but clearly, he was certain that he wasn't pulling one over on the dear Doctor. "I would like to think that I am still a man of science," he replied, "I may have changed uniform trim but somewhere under all this red is still a Science Officer. As far as the age, I hope that I age like a fine wine."
He was fairly certain that his deception wasn't working and that Viessa could see right through his lies. "And yes, most men would rather live in pain then admit certain feelings." He paused realizing how true that sentence was in this particular moment.
"Certain feelings?" Viessa smiled at him and then placed the hypo down. "Is this where you awkwardly ask me to dinner and a movie?" she tuned to face him. For a moment she realised he might not know what a movie was, and this was her definitely her showing her age.
Back on Earth before all this Starfleet and space nonsense it was just Humans being Humans and falling over all the time. Movies had their time and place and she missed the 'getting lost' in them for an hour or two but as time moved forward, decades, centuries, so did the habits of a once isolated species.
Viessa moved her hand in to fix a stray hair that had fallen from his grey mane. It was at the front of his head, she placed it back into place. "I would say you were aging like the finest wine. Good thing I like a sip from time to time." she implied she reciprocated his feelings.
Abe met Viessa's gaze, feeling a mix of vulnerability and relief wash over him. Her perceptive nature was both comforting and slightly unnerving. He couldn't help but smile at her remark about certain feelings, appreciating the subtle humor in her words.
As she mentioned the idea of dinner and a movie, he couldn't help but chuckle softly. "Well, I must admit, the concept of a movie is a bit foreign to me, but I'd be more than willing to give it a try. And as for dinner, that sounds like a delightful proposition," he replied, his voice warm and sincere.
He felt a gentle touch as Viessa fixed his stray hair, the tenderness in her gesture not lost on him. Her words about aging like the finest wine filled him with a sense of contentment. "I'm honored to be compared to such a fine vintage," he said, his eyes reflecting his genuine appreciation.
"Do you know what one is?" Viessa asked. "It's like a vid but more old-fashioned storytelling and there are so many genres to choose from." she smiled at him. "It's not often I find someone I'd want to share a bag of popcorn and a movie with."
Abe smiled, “I am familiar with them,” he stood up, “tonight at eighteen hundred. I’ll bring dinner and the popcorn, you pick the movie?”
"Sounds perfect." Viessa smiled at the charming man in front of her. "Do you have any particular tastes in genres? There are a lot of movies out there... and you can come to my quarters. I have a set up for watching there." her eyes twinkled at the thought of having him behind closed doors, but she was getting ahead of herself. First date after all and she needed to act like a lady if nothing else.
With a genuine smile, Abe replied, "I trust your judgment, Viessa. Surprise me with a genre of your choosing. I look forward to it." They exchanged one last glance filled with anticipation, "It's a date," he blurted out instantly blushing.
"No pressure." she chuckled. "Picking a film can be quite stressful you know." she moved back to let Abe stand. "You are good to go. Need to let you go about your duties until later." she squeezed his shoulder a little.
Abe found himself suddenly wondering what wine paired well with popcorn. Did the Doctor even drink? Perhaps a Chardonnay or a Cabernet Sauvignon; he found his mind drifting off. "Thank you Viessa," Abe smiled, "until tonight," he realized in that moment several of the Medical staff had been watching them. He stammered his words, "Doctor," he nodded.
Viessa looked around and raised her eyebrows at her staff as if to say 'what? back to work' and with quick spasm of body movement they did so. Smiling to herself she turned to Abe, "Until tonight, Commander." she nodded in faux professionalism as he nervously left the room.
A Joint Post By
Commander Abernathy Rice PhD
Executive Officer, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
Lieutenant Commander Viessa Kenobi
Chief Medical Officer/Medical Examiner, USS Artemis
Starfleet Criminal Investigations Unit
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