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CH06: S [D03|1705] In need of a favor.

IN NEED OF A FAVOR.

STARDATE 57654.9
APRIL 18, 2381
1705 HRS

[ Lt. JG Kate Foster | Receptionists Desk | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Pierce @Griffinsummoner

Things had finally calmed.

At least to the point in which Kate could now reasonably take a moment of respite from tending to the patients under her stead. The battle had, for the most part anyway, subsided, and with it the number of casualties being brought into Main Sickbay had seemingly tapered off. Of course she understood that whatever short break she could potentially squeeze in would need to be just that, short. There were a number of people whom she’d wanted to check-in on, especially after what had happened to Tessa, and even worse what had happened to Alessia Garcia. Kate had only just met Alessia a few days prior, just as she had Tessa, and though the latter had been fortunate enough to survive her own calamitous occurrence, the former hadn’t been. The sudden death of the Lone Wolf had naturally struck Kate rather starkly, adding a real sense of consequence to her assignment aboard the Theurgy. Alessia had been friendly from the onset, just as Tessa had been, just as a number of others had been, but now she was gone.

The entirety of the battle, and the aftermath of which had elicited a realization in Kate that she’d not experienced since the Dominion War.

“Thea...” she tapped the combadge as it was still attached to her formfitting teal undershirt, the opportunity to retrieve a replacement duty jacket not yet having presented itself. “...locate Petty Officer LeBlanc for me, please.” She’d already assumed via casualty lists, that the Systems Engineer had survived the battle as his name had been decidedly absent from them. Though, as she waited for a response from the ship's AI, there was a pang of anticipation and worry which hit at the pit of her stomach, causing her heart to skip a beat as she wondered if such an assumption was foolish to make.

[Petty Officer LeBlanc is tending to repair of an EPS Conduit on Deck Sixteen, Section Ninety-Two.]

With a weary yet relieved exhale, Kate ran one of her green and red stained hands through her asymmetrical blonde hair, tucking it behind an ear. Scruffy had indeed made it through the battle, and the sense of alleviation that ran throughout Kate upon confirming this was surprisingly immense but made all the sense in the world given recent events. And though she might have tried to explain away the genuine sense of relief she had felt on the ulterior motive for her going to seek him out, in the very back of her mind she knew that there were extenuating personal reasons at play too. Contemplating this for a moment, she couldn’t prevent a smirk crossing her face as she remembered a facet of their previous interaction, wherein he’d playfully posed for her amusement with a dinner fork acting as a stand-in for a farming implement. Stifling the want to giggle, Kate then peered around her surrounding to once more ensure that the situation in Main Sickbay was well and under control, then finally took a deep breath of contentment and strode out into the corridor, passing a member of the Security team as they were patrolling about.

[ Corridor outside of EPS Conduit Trunk | Deck 16 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ]

Emerging from a turbolift just a minute or so later, Kate rounded a corner to the left and began glancing about for the man whom she’d come to find, taking note of the flickering lights overhead, no doubt a sign of disrupted power output in this part of the ship caused by the battle. Kate raised a sharp brow over one of her tangerine-hued eyes upon spotting someone whose legs were the only visible part of; their torso apparently stuffed inside of an exposed bulkhead panel.

“Scruffy?”


OOC: Tagged writers who's characters were mentioned.

Re: CH06: S [D03|1705] In need of a favor.

Reply #1 –
[PO1 Scruffy LeBlanc | Deck 16 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] @Swift

Once again, Scruffy was burying himself in his work.  He was still distressed over the tragic end of the away mission aboard the Ta’Rom.  Being trapped in a deadly situation again so soon was bad enough (though doing so in active battle was better than caught off-guard), but having to leave Fisher behind, even on his order, weighed heavily on him.  He had been reassured that a rescue plan was already being formed, but he knew it wasn’t for him.  There was little room for a Systems Engineer on such a mission, and he was needed aboard the Theurgy.  If (when) Fisher returned, Scruffy would have to find another way to redeem himself.

With no better option, here he was, literally waist-deep in an access hatch, trying to replace a blown conduit.  Power surges were causing havoc on all kinds of internal systems, and they needed to be stabilized before the ship reached Q’onos, in case they were going back into battle.  But this was his forte, and he had found Thea’s steady voice comforting as he was directed to work.  He was focused now, and didn’t even notice when a pair of feet stopped just off to the side of his own.  When he heard his name called, he was surprised, but managed to keep from hitting his head in the tight space.  “Just a moment,” he called out, finishing up the seal he was working on before extricating himself from the bulkhead.  As he slid out, his eyes trailed up from the feet, quickly sweeping over Kate before his blue-eyes met her amber tones.  “Well, hello, Doctor,” he said with a smirk.  “Good to see you again.”  He was actually relieved that she was safe, even if she did look rather exhausted.  He had just an inkling of how busy she must have been post-battle.  Just seeing her again made him relax somewhat and distracted him from all that was on his mind.

Re: CH06: S [D03|1705] In need of a favor.

Reply #2 –
[ Lt. JG Kate Foster | Corridor outside of EPS Conduit Trunk | Deck 16 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Pierce @Griffinsummoner

A hand rubbing at her aching and bruised neck, varying shades of blue and purple just barely visible under the collar of her teal duty shirt, Kate smiled even more brightly as the man she’d come to find emerged from the bulkhead he’d been half crawled inside of. It had been the image of Tessa, bruised, battered, and nearly dead were it not for Kate’s attentive care, which had sparked a number of concerns in her mind, and Scruffy had been just about chief among them. It was safe to say that he’d made an impact on her during their prior two interactions, and Kate found herself somewhat desperately wanting a third. Asking for a favor on behalf of Tessa served as a thinly veiled excuse, when in reality she would have sought Scruffy out regardless of any professional considerations. She needed a break, no matter how short it might be, and when his blue-eyes found hers, greeting her with a playfully wry tone of voice and smirk across the handsome features of his face, she couldn’t help but let her guard down just enough that a faint giggle escaped. Rolling her tangerine-eyes bashfully, she let herself come to a rest against the bulkhead with her right shoulder, peering down at him as a genuine wave of relief cascaded throughout her.

“It’s good to see you too, Farmer Boy.” Recalling the playful nickname she’d reserved for him previously Kate was more than gleeful to just let herself melt a little.

“When you’re finished with this one, I’ve got a whole sickbay that needs rebuilding.” she mused, trying to make light of the detrimental state which Main Sickbay now existed, though she knew Scruffy was likely aware of the repair teams that were already hard at work on it. Breathing a little more relaxedly, Kate let a short moment linger in which she just watched him, enjoying the fact that he’d made it through the battle. “Gotta say, I’m glad one of these things didn’t blow up on you again. Though, maybe I'm a little disappointed, since I suppose that would’ve brought you right back to me for patch up again.” Narrowing her eyes in a teasing fashion, she tilted the pate of her head just a little as to let the asymmetrical tuft of her blonde hair slip free from where it had been tucked behind her right ear. “I take it Thea is being a little less touchy than she was the last time you went poking around inside of her?” In her mind, Kate imagined that the Systems Engineer had been hard at work, crawling through this cramped space and another during the battle, keeping Theurgy together as it was battered by the Klingons. Naturally, she’d had no inclination that he’d actually left the ship, or that he’d gone on some kind of an infiltration mission with Commander Fisher.

Re: CH06: S [D03|1705] In need of a favor.

Reply #3 –
[PO1 Scruffy LeBlanc | Deck 16 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] @Swift

Quote
”When you’re finished with this one, I’ve got a whole sickbay that needs rebuilding.”

He smirked.  “Once I’m done here, I’m all yours, Doc.”  He smiled at her as she gazed back at him, glad for a moment of respite for them both, however brief.  “I get the feeling you were plenty busy without me taking up space in Sickbay.  I’d rather avoid rupturing conduits as much as possible.  And Thea is being quite agreeable.  After all, getting ‘ship shape’ is a bit literal with her.”  He looked away a moment.  “Besides, I really needed the distraction, and this is me making up for not being here for most of the battle.” 

He took a deep breath as he pulled himself into a seated position against the bulkhead, anticipating her confusion.  “I don’t know if you heard, but Commander Fisher led an infiltration mission aboard the Ta’Rom, and they needed a hardware specialist.  Primary mission was successful, but we got into a firefight on exfil, and the Commander ordered us to leave him behind when he got cut off.”  He shuddered as he spoke.  “I feel terrible about it, especially for my first away mission in hostile territory, but I know there’s already a rescue mission planned.  But with nothing for me to do there, I’m doing what I can here.” 

He was glad she was here and, in his lowered guard, couldn’t help himself from letting this all out.  He couldn’t bring himself to look up at her and normally wouldn’t have even mentioned it.  He tried so hard to be the spirit of levity in tense moments, and this showed just how much the situation had shaken him up in the immediate aftermath.

Re: CH06: S [D03|1705] In need of a favor.

Reply #4 –
[ Lt. JG Kate Foster | Corridor outside of EPS Conduit Trunk | Deck 16 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Pierce @Griffinsummoner

Kate caught sight of the smirk as it had crossed the handsome features of Scruffy’s face, soliciting an even warmer smile of her own as she had detected the playfully wry sentiment being conveyed. Rolling her head against the bulkhead as she leaned against it, the petite blonde let out an exhale of further contentment while eyelids gently closed over her tangerine orbs. She’d wanted this. Needed this. The harrowing events of the previous day had certainly taken a toll on her, physically, mentally, and most importantly, emotionally. Too much violence. Too much blood. Too much death. And, while all of that wasn’t necessarily anything she’d not previously experienced, the sight of Tessa on the verge of death had hit home for Kate in a way that had honestly surprised her. In that instant, she’d not been able to really make sense of it, but once the alarm klaxons had started to settle, signaling the cessation of hostilities, at least for a while, she had begun to understand the importance of those budding relationships that she’d made since coming to Theurgy. After all, in a very real way, they likely represented the only people in the whole of the Galaxy who might have cared anything at all for her. Her family, at least the part of it that wasn’t dead, seemed to abjectly disapprove or despise her. It was only natural then, that Kate had come to feel so incredibly alone in the world.

But when she had spent time with Tessa, and later with Scruffy, she’d found herself forgetting that sense of loneliness.

“Busy is... one way to put it.” She acknowledged, not really wanting to delve too much into the specifics of what had happened, both to spare herself having to relive it all, and to avoid worrying Scruffy, given how very close she had come to death. Eyelids opening as she looked to gaze down on him as he further expanded on Thea’s repair process, going so far as to offer another bit of levity, Kate let a little wisp of a chortle escape.

There was more though, upon which the blonde Officer hadn’t been aware of, as her companion in the corridor began to explain. It caught her off guard, because she’d had no idea that anyone had left the ship at all, let alone Scruffy for an infiltration mission of sorts. It sounded brazen. Like the stuff out of a spy novel, and in her head, Kate imagined the systems engineer skulking through a Klingon battleship with his weapon at the ready, and it endeared him even more to her, even if it weren’t an entirely accurate depiction of him or the role that he’d played in said mission. “I... umm... hadn’t heard about that.” She admitted, picking up the manner in which Scruffy seemed to be perturbed by having left behind a member of his team. Carefully, Kate slid down the bulkhead, her long legs curling underneath her slender frame as she came to a rest in a kneel beside Scruffy, one of her stained yet delicate hands reaching out to touch at his shoulder so as to reassure and offer some semblance of comfort. “I’m sorry. I can imagine it’s... tough. But I’m sure you did everything you could. And... it umm, the way you described it, it sounds like someone is going to get him back.” Kate didn’t know any of the specifics, she could only try and assuage any feelings of doubt that he was feeling, out of a desire to be a supportive friend, and perhaps something more innate.

With sympathy and concern clearly evident in the expression on her face, it was obvious that Kate didn’t like seeing another someone, who had started to mean something more to her, in a state of discomfort and worry. “Hey...” she beckoned him to look at her, the hand on his shoulder giving him a soft tug as if to elicit said attention.


OOC: Tagging additional writers who's characters were mentioned.

Re: CH06: S [D03|1705] In need of a favor.

Reply #5 –
((OOC: With writing assistance from @Swift ))
[PO1 Scruffy LeBlanc | Deck 16 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] @Pierce

Scruffy was surprised by the hand on his shoulder, though he was grateful for the sense of comfort it imparted.  He knew there was nothing more to be done; just as he could do nothing more than hope, Kate could do nothing more than offer him company.  Once again, he found himself fighting down a surge of ‘what if’s, and when he felt Kate tug on his shoulder, he gave her a lopsided, half-hearted smile, but he was able to meet her eyes, at least.  He was trying to just enjoy the moment as best he could.

Naturally, Kate’s instincts and training as a care giver were guiding her, but there was also a personal matter at stake. She’d found herself legitimately concerned about Scruffy, just as she had been about Tessa back in sickbay. “...you okay?” she pressed on, the concern in her face still clear, but she attempted to mask it with a reciprocated smile, hopeful that it might elicit some kind of a positive emotion in him. In a way, she could already see that he too very much needed an escape, a means of distracting himself from deeper consequences of the battle that had only just ended.


He reached up and put his hand over hers, pressing it slightly against his shoulder.  "I will be, especially when Fisher's back aboard.  This isn't something I can just fix, I know, so I'm doing what I can to make a difference until the right opportunity comes up to make amends."  He took a deep breath, then gave her a smirk that was a bit more confident.  "Here I am going on about my troubles, are you doing alright?"

Upon the sensation of his strong hand atop her more delicate one, the brightness of Kate’s smile intensified until she was compelled to tilt the pate of her face downward in a clearly bashful display. Seeing even an ounce of the confidence restored in Scruffy went a long way in assuaging her own concerns and worries, as it meant she’d had an impact on him, and that she could indeed help comfort him when he seemed to need it. “I’ve been better.” She acknowledged, holding out her free hand, it still stained red and green despite having scrubbed it repeatedly for minutes, it would likely take a slightly stronger solvent than what she’d used to truly return it to her natural complexion. “But... I’ve been worse too, so, I guess not too bad, right?” Glancing back to him again, she exhaled deeply before scooting until she could sit next to him on the decking, her long legs splayed out before her as she leant her back against the bulkhead. Simultaneously, she beckoned him to sit beside her in similar fashion, her hand, never having left his, instead guiding and coaxing him in a manner which she hoped he’d follow.

He allowed her to guide him away from the hole in the bulkhead so there'd be room for them both to sit against the wall.  He looked at her hand as she held it out before them, seeing the multicolored stains.  He made sure he caught her gaze with his, then held his own hand out in front, the lubricant and carbon buildup marring his skin nearly as harshly.  "Yep.  Could certainly be worse."

Gently Kate turned his hand over in her own, her slender fingers interlacing with it as she took note of the similarly discolored and generally dirty state, but clearly not concerned about the uncleanness. Instead, she could only offer another more enthusiastic giggle, as it struck her how the both of them were in professions which would result in similarly unkempt hands. “I never realized this before, but we kind of work in similar fields. We both dig into a patient. We then try to fix any internal damage. Our hands get... well, like this, in the process.” There was a crudeness to her words, but there was also a simple truth to them. Seemingly lost in the moment, Kate nestled herself against Scruffy more comfortably, her head coming to a rest at the crux of his left shoulder. Turning her face toward him, her head rolling against his deltoid, she examined the side features of his face a little more closely. “Even some of our tools are similar. My dermal regenerator similar to your... umm... welder?”

"And we both have incredibly long hours, often getting our peak work after everyone else's 'excitement' has passed."  He felt her settle against him, but made no move to dissuade her, even as she fully rested her head on his shoulder.  He tilted his head a moment, matted curls still managing a slight bob due to the motion, before responding to her, "Probably the micro-sealant or material binder.  The fusion welder would probably be more akin to your osteo-regenerator."  He took a few steady breaths before continuing.  "The biggest similarity in our particular specialties is the ability to see a problem and immediately know the solution, however technically challenging.  It is a habit that can too easily become an expectation outside of our professional lives, when the situations are rarely so straight-forward."

“Hah, ain’t that the truth.” She grinned broadly, gleeful that he’d decided to pick up and run with musing over the similarities inherent in their respective professions, as it meant he was trying to relax with her, for however long the opportunity presented itself. She caught sight of the manner in which the locks of his hair cascaded about his face and felt an almost inescapable urge to run a hand through his hair but managed to refrain as she bit down unto her lower lip. “Material binder! That’s what’s it called! It was right there, on the tip of my tongue, I swear!” She said, a tone which betrayed a playful bit of teasing. Content to then listen quietly to the rest of the similarities he pointed out, Kate’s eyes continued to examine the finer details and mannerisms of the side of his face until they shifted to stare at the bulkhead opposite of them. “I guess that’s part of why I came down here, other than to... umm, well see how you were doing.” Crossing one of her long legs over the other, she tried to grow increasingly comfortable nestled against him before elaborating further.

“I have a bit of a favor to ask. A, umm... real favor, that is.”

He couldn't keep a smile from his face as she nestled against his side, and it didn't falter as she began to ask her favor.  "Of course, Doc.  I'll help any way I can."  He gave her hand a quick squeeze. "And it has been good to see you, whatever brought you down here."

Clearing her throat audibly, Kate rolled her head against his shoulder once more before she went on to explain. “So a friend of mine... she umm... was injured in the battle.” A little hesitant to go into the specifics of it, because of how much the image of a dying Tessa bothered her, Kate breathed in deep, catching Scruffy’s strong masculine scent, allowing it to quell some of her nerves. “Her name is Tessa. She’s one of the Lone Wolves. Well, when she was coming in for landing in her... umm, ship... she crashed. Hard. It nearly killed her, but she’s tough. Like you.” Clenching his hand in hers a little more tightly, Kate sought to emphasize how strong he was in her estimation. “So, she pulled through it. But she’s... it’s going to be a process before she can get out of sickbay, and I was wondering if maybe you could help take her mind off of her injuries by helping her with whatever repairs she might need for her... fighter... or whatever.”

Scruffy sat quietly, both letting Kate vent and get out her request.  He frowned at the mention of Tessa getting injured, and the mention of surviving near-fatal injuries couldn't help but strike a chord with him.  "Of course I'll help your friend.  I will stop by the hangar as soon as I've finished my current assignment and do a damage assessment on her fighter.  I'm sure the deckmaster would appreciate another set of hands given how many of them probably need repairs.  Let me know when she's in a state fit for visitors and I'll be happy to swing by.  I'll take care with her."

Given how many repairs were likely needed across the ship, Kate felt immense relief at having secured help for Tessa, especially from someone she felt she could trust, and who would treat Tessa in a manner which she was due. It was a curious realization to the blonde surgeon, that even though she’d only just started getting to know Scruffy, she’d felt confident and trusting in him. She wondered if perhaps that trust was result of simply having had all bridges burned by past friends and companions, or if there was something fundamental and innate which she had found in him. “Thank you.” She said softly, leaning in to plant a gentle peck on his left cheek, denying a stress-induced desire to show a greater degree of affection toward him, as she didn’t want to seem overly forward with her advances. Sighing with relent, she looked back down the corridor in the direction she had originally approached from. “I guess I should get back to it, and umm... let you crawl back inside of Thea.” The teasing tone in her voice returning, as she nudged her shoulder into the side of his ribs playfully.

Scruffy couldn't stop a slight flush crawling up his neck when Kate gave his cheek a quick kiss.  "You're quite welcome, my friend.  And yeah, I suppose I should get back to work.  And as long as Thea appreciates my roaming around, then the pleasure's all mine." He gave her one of his telltale winks and moved to help her stand.

Biting her lip as she caught the subtleness of his blush, only making him far cuter than she’d already considered him to be, Kate happily accepted his help in standing from where the two of them had been nestled. “I’ll let you know when Tessa’s good enough to meet. You umm... you just be careful while you’re roaming around in there, farmer boy. I’m not nearly done with you yet.” Returning the wink, Kate waddled her head about in a clearly flirtatious manner before she took a step away, her hand still clinging to his for another second or so before she let it go and started down the corridor. A few steps distance, she spun back round to face him again and brushed her hair back behind her ear. “Oh, and hey... whenever there’s time. Like... whenever things seem calmer, or whatever... dinner, again?”

Scruffy watched Kate walk away only a moment before pulling himself back together and sinking back to the deck, but he stopped in a crouch as he heard her call out again.  "Dinner would be great.  We'll figure something out," he said with a broad smile, before crawling back into the access point.
_____________

[Recovery Suites | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy]
2000h

Scruffy made his way into Sickbay, the notes he had taken on his PADD, finishing up a message he was preparing for the Quartermaster.  Tessa's fighter would certainly take a bit of work.  Good thing she wouldn't be ready to hop right back into the cockpit, because it wouldn't be ready for her to just hop back into it, either.  Stopping outside her room, Scruffy pressed the annunciator and entered when given permission.

Re: CH06: S [D03|1705] In need of a favor.

Reply #6 –
[ Lt. JG Tessa May Lance, callsign "GoldenEye" | Recovery Suites | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Griffinsummoner [Show/Hide]

The process of breathing was a difficult one now that she was awake and doing it on her own. From the blunt head trauma, gashes, bruising and other lacerations suffered from the crash landing of her Valkyrie, Tessa was tired. But not dead. Bandages were still swiped over the length of parts of her torso, head, and arms which restricted movement somewhat but helped ease the pain on the various muscles. The pillows on the medical bed were at least comfortable, although she wasn't sure if it was due to Kate or the fact she was now fully aware of her surroundings. Daydreams hit her mental faculties as she imagined how she could have done different on the crash, but alas nothing came to her. The trauma of the crash was immediate as the last thing she saw was the ship careening towards the fighter control operation station before waking in sickbay.

She was thinking of how Lauren was alive and had sat by her side almost the whole time during her medical induced coma and incoherent stupor. That was when she heard the door chime outside of her recovery suite. Tessa furrowed a brow as she wasn't sure who to expect knowing Kate was inundated with other patients now and Lauren was out on duty again with her hand now repaired weirdly enough. Brushing the dirty blonde hair
from her face and repositioning as to be careful she wasn't displaying any tender parts, she covered back up before acknowledging the door.

"Come" she said softly to the person at the door. As it swooshed open she was surprised to see Scruffy coming around. Then again, she wasn't all that surprised. He was an engineer after all and she had just totaled out her Valkyrie, so it was expected in a way.

"Hi! What can I do for you?" She said attempting to add some of her bubbly behavior back in as much as she could. One it made her feel better, but it also puts others at ease having that sort of disposition hit them instead of bringing up the obvious of her condition. A smirk hit her lips as she looked at him. "So...how bad is my girl in the fighter bay? She fair any better than me?"

Re: CH06: S [D03|1705] In need of a favor.

Reply #7 –
[ PO1 Scruffy LeBlanc | Recovery Suites | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] @Swift @Pierce

Scruffy walked into the suite, his eyes still on the PADD, getting his presentation straight in his head.  He glanced up, though, when he heard the voice and looked up, nearly forgetting everything else.  With bandages covering a good portion of what wasn’t covered by blanket, and intense bruising on much of what wasn’t bandaged, the woman in front of him definitely wasn’t at her best.  And yet… there was still a vitality, a strength in her eye only partially masked by her fatigue.  He had only briefly looked up her record so as to know he was talking to the right person, so it was striking seeing her normally fair and angular features so concealed behind swelling and discoloration.  Still, the smirk she gave him made him smile in return.  “Hello, Lieutenant.”

He came into the room, looked around briefly, and walked over to the display on the wall.  Entering a couple commands, he synched it up with his PADD and pulled up a diagram of her fighter on the wall.  “It is a good thing you won’t be hopping back into the cockpit immediately, because she’s not going to be ready to fly anytime soon, either.  At least you heal automatically, once stable.” He tapped on his PADD and highlighted the propulsion system.  “A testament to your talent as a pilot, but the emergency decelerations and other maneuvers you were forced to pull strained a propulsion system that had already taken damage.  That’ll probably take the longest time to get back to optimal condition.”

He switched the display to the bow of the ship.  “The crash landing resulted in significant damage to the superstructure, not to mention crumpling the nose.  Fortunately those are fairly easy to replace, with the parts either already available or easy to fabricate, including the deflector.  The cockpit damage is a bit more intensive for all the wiring, but most of the console and restraint system components are kept on hand for frequent replacement.”

Rotating the facing of the ship, he highlighted one of the wings.  “Unfortunately, the crash resulted in shearing a wing off, and not cleanly.  That’ll probably take the second-longest to repair, as what’s left has to be removed before the new one can be rebuilt, especially to ensure the stability and reliability of the hardpoint systems.  And speaking of shearing,” he flipped to the ventral view, “The tetryon cannon was all but sheared off.  It is going to have to be rebuilt from the ground-up.  Depending on how well our quartermaster has kept up stocks and how many other weapon systems need to be replaced among our auxillary craft, it could be a quick fix or it could take even longer than the wings due to the delicate precision of such a high-powered weapon.”

Checking to be sure there wasn’t anything else of significance, he left the display slowly switching between the different views as he pulled up a seat near the foot of the bed.  “Sorry, I know how important your ‘girl’ must be to you, but at least she’s salvageable.  Any questions?”

Re: CH06: S [D03|1705] In need of a favor.

Reply #8 –
[ Lt. JG Tessa May Lance, callsign "GoldenEye" | Recovery Suites | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Griffinsummoner @Swift [Show/Hide]

Tessa sat up in anticipation for the rundown of how her 'girl' was doing in the fighter bay. She knew the prognosis wasn't going to be good but she hardly expected to hear all that was wrong with her Valkyrie. But what can you do when you had to emergency land or blow up in space? She giggled at Scruffy's remark about 'healing automatically once stable.' It was true, as a humanoid lifeform, the healing factor is important and a life saver. When you need a doctor though, she couldn't think of any better than Kate. Lost momentarily in a daydream of sorts about the other blonde woman, she shook her head to get refocused on the engineer's damage report.

As Lt. Lance glanced at the display, she was sad to see how badly she trashed the small ship but knew with his guiding hand, that it wouldn't be long before she had it again to fly the stars in battle. She was afterall a fighter pilot in TAC CONN. It was a given that the equipment and the pilots would be worse for wear.

"Thank you Scruffy for the report. I guess I just didn't realize how bad she was. Or for that matter that I'm even still alive. I owe it to my friends that I'm still alive and kicking. Kate and Lauren and now you." She reached over to his hand and held it gently as she thanked him. "I know it's just your duty, but thank you." A warm smile hit her face as she released her hand from his before changing the energy of the room again.

"I'm glad that she's salvageable but would this be a good time for upgrades? Like maybe some equipment changes? Ooh ooh! Or even a new paint job or custom seats!" She was lost in her exploration of the possibilities given the situation. The look of excitement was contagious in the room as she explored in excited mumbles thinking some items aloud.

Re: CH06: S [D03|1705] In need of a favor.

Reply #9 –
[ PO1 Scruffy LeBlanc | Recovery Suites | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] @Swift  @Pierce

Scruffy was looking right at Tessa as she finished processing the information, but was caught off guard when she proclaimed him to be a friend.  Not that he minded, of course, but he certainly hadn’t been expecting that when he agreed to Kate’s request.  Off balance as he was, he couldn’t help a slight blush as she held his hand and smiled warmly at him.  “It’s as much a favor as my duty, but also a pleasure to work on, especially when it led to making your acquaintance.”

When her mind seemed to pivot to opportunities to upgrade her Valkyrie, he was reminded of a recently-lost engineering friend of his.  Kikki was killed in one of the Klingon boarding actions, while he was away on his “mission.” But Tessa’s open, honest energy pushed any darkness from his mind and Scruffy’s face took on a warm, if mischievous, smirk.

“Well, I’m not familiar with the regulations regarding cosmetic changes, so we’ll have to check with the Deck Leader for any new paint job.  But as long as the chair has all the required safety systems, we might be able to do something to make it more comfortable.  We can look into the options when we come near the completion of the repair work.  As far as equipment options, there’s only so much we can do with the reactor that is already installed, but we could see if the power output can handle any of the components from the more advanced models.  Might end up with a rather optimized hybrid, if we do it right.”

He reached out and touched a bit of unbandaged area, trying to avoid any pain or other sensitive areas, resulting in his hand gently coming into contact with bare, soft, skin.  “We’ve got plenty of time to work all that out, once the structural and underlying repairs are complete.  I promise you, you’ll be as involved as you want, but you need to focus on getting back on your feet and into ship-shape, yourself,” he said with a wink.

Re: CH06: S [D03|1705] In need of a favor.

Reply #10 –
[ Lt. JG Tessa May Lance, callsign "GoldenEye" | Recovery Suites | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Griffinsummoner @Swift [Show/Hide]

She could see the response her holding his hand had produced but decided to not dwell on that part of their meeting to not further his predicament. Tessa's thoughts on refitting her Valkyrie to make it more her own seemed to excite her even if it wasn't entirely possible in this sort of situation. Especially when the need to get back up and running was a more pressing matter. Aesthetics weren't a requirement for a fighter ship to do it's duty. Nor her pilot. The idea of changing her chair however was just as welcome a change as any.

Excitement jumped into her more than she probably should have allowed it to after surviving a near death experience. "Ooooh oooh! We could put some flames and hot rod red and some black and some..." She poked at her temple, nearly hitting a bandage but recoiled in time to prevent the painful shot to connect. "Just something in leather and comfortable and that looks cool! Holy smokes, a hybrid would be awesome!"

The gentle touch of Scruffy's hand on her exposed arm sent a shiver down her spine as the connection was made. He was careful, and she could feel the coarse nature of his palms. No doubt from extended engineering type work. Especially with all that had happened about the ship in the past several hours. But the touch felt...good she thought to herself. The concern in his voice told her there was someone he was missing right now and didn't want to see another friend go in that direction either. Tessa could tell that he meant everything he said.

"I'd love to be involved! Any chance to tinker is fun for me. And I will definitely keep focused on getting back to duty." She pondered for a moment then decided to go for it. A slight twinkle was in her golden hued eyes as she spoke to him. Her cheekbones lifted as she smiled warmly. "You know, you are welcome to join Kate and I in our next Holodeck Adventure. Our last one was pretty stellar and out of this world. I don't know if she told you but the program went crazy and mixed program matrixes together to create some we're new version." She paused almost laughing. "And the safeties were stuck on off so we really had to be careful. Either way, I think you'd have fun with us in there. What do you think?"

She looked at him reciprocating the kindness being shone to her and wanted to help him feel the same welcoming nature. Aside from that, she really liked hanging out with people in the holodeck and anytime it went unscripted, she enjoyed it all the more.

Re: CH06: S [D03|1705] In need of a favor.

Reply #11 –
[ PO1 Scruffy LeBlanc | Recovery Suites | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] @Swift @Pierce

Scruffy was impressed with the energy of the pilot before him.  He couldn’t help an amused smile appearing on his face as she started talking about colors and textures.  He’d definitely have to set up some holo-model they could use to brainstorm once she was back on her feet.

He was taken aback when she extended the invitation to him.  He couldn’t really make sense of the brief tale she spun, but it sounded both thrilling and concerning.  That being said, more chances to interact with Kate in a recreational capacity was more than welcome, but he would also like to get to know Tessa better.  She certainly seemed like she’d be fun, especially if the enthusiasm she expressed in sickbay was indicative of how she’d be normally (and not just a consequence of whatever medication Kate gave her).  “I think that sounds like fun.  As long as Kate agrees, I’d love to join you.  Let me know when you next reserve the holodeck, and I’ll try to make sure I’m not on shift.  I’m sure we’ll have a great time together.”

He smiled warmly at her, his deep blue eyes locked on her emerald-gold ones, and felt a bit of a flush climbing his neck.  He turned back to his PADD.  “Well, I’ll let you get back to recovering.  I’ll take what we’ve discussed and get the work-orders submitted for your fighter.  Take care, and get well soon,” he finished, heading for the door and only briefly glancing back while he finished his goodbyes.  Still, he couldn’t help thinking about Tessa as he walked the corridors, just to get an idea of what she wanted for her fighter, of course…

[ Lt. JG Tessa May Lance, callsign "GoldenEye" | Recovery Suites | Main Sickbay | Deck 11 | Vector 02 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Griffinsummoner @Swift [Show/Hide]

Tessa found that she really liked the engineer and his mannerisms. He was a good colleague and hopefully a friend with the shared friendship of Kate. The pain was still present despite the many internal and external remedies the doctors has to treat her with. But she felt happy that he'd possibly join them for their next excursion on the holodeck. Maybe having an engineer on hand might be useful in the event it went wonky again. The technology was great, when it worked. But when it doesn't, it can be problematic.

Her mind wandered about her fighter upgrades. Especially knowing she wanted to get back out there. But there was little she could do at present being laid out in the bio-bed. But a few days and she should be back to a full recovery. The sleep was fighting it's way to take away her conscientiousness. Scruffy finished and said his goodbyes which was fine with Tessa. Normally this would have elicited another conversation starting. Today however, she was welcoming the rest in the comfort of sickbay.

"Thank you Scruffy. I can't wait to get to work again. I'll let you go and take a nice rest here. It's been a while since I've had a good night's sleep anyhow." She waved goodbye as he stepped out of the sickbay and into the corridor. Her blonde hair rested gently on the pillow and she drifted off to sleep. Darkness took her as she closed her golden eyes. Still dreaming of the next holodeck excursion with her now close friend Kate.

-FIN-
 
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