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CH02: S [D02|2200] Do you make house calls?

DO YOU MAKE HOUSE CALLS?

STARDATE 57627.76
APRIL 17, 2381
2200 HRS

[ Lt. JG Kate Foster | Personal Quarters | Deck 22 | Vector 03 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Griffinsummoner

An end to the day had finally come to pass for the Chief Surgeon, after what had been another fourteen-hour stint spent in Main Sickbay. Such an inordinately long shift had been mandated by the madness which had befallen Theurgy and it’s crew in the form of sabotage. So many lives lost, and so many more left with life-changing injuries and memories; the first phase of healing had nearly been completed, as the entire Medical Staff had been tasked to their very teeth with treatments. Kate of course hadn’t been spared, as her skills had been of absolute paramount importance with regard to treating the plethora of severe wounds which had been sustained by those so unfortunately caught in the explosion as it had decimated the ‘Spearhead Lounge’. Instead she’d found herself having regretted volunteering for additional duty the previous few days, as the resultant consequence was little in the way of sleep, and even less in the way of personal consideration.

Aside from a brief but pleasant breakfast with one of the ship’s pilots, and a lunch which had gone slightly awry in the company of Nurse Vojona, Kate had had little time to collect herself, or her thoughts.

However, rather than recede to her Personal Quarters on Deck 08, and spending her night in search of sleep, while endeavoring to not to see the faces of those who had passed under her stead, Kate had decided instead to make good on a wish which had been proposed to her earlier. She could and indeed would frame it as nothing more than a professional courtesy played, but the truth of the matter was, she had a personal stake at play too. Sure enough the petite blonde had fostered an attraction to the handsome man that she’d met at the onset of her day, but more so than following up on that baser interest, Kate needed something in the form of a pleasant distraction from her own deeper thoughts. And the manner in which the Petty Officer had goaded that light-hearted feeling out of her so readily, was something that she hoped he could reproduce given a subsequent chance interaction.

So it was, that after wishing a good-night to Kitty Ellison, who had worked along side her the entire day, Kate strolled out of Main Sickbay under the guidance of Thea, who would lead her to her destination, not before a quick stop-off at the Officer’s Mess to replicate a bit of a well-being gift that was inspired right out of a cheesy romance holonovel.

Rounding a corner after having made the moderately lengthy journey down to Deck 22, Kate followed the guidance of the AI until she stopped outside of a door and took a deep breath to calm any nervousness in the pity of her stomach. There was a realization which came to her in a moment however, that she’d not previously ventured to this area of the ship, and it likewise soon dawned on her that the personal quarters she was about to potentially intrude upon were of an internal only configuration; meaning they were devoid of a star scape view. It was somewhat humbling for her, as she had complained about her personal accommodations ceaselessly since coming aboard, and she had been afforded a rather lovely view of the stars. Of course, her complaints were more so due to the ridiculous proximity of them with regard to her brother’s quarters; literally being right next to his on Deck 08, but all the same her protestations seemed silly all of a sudden.

But before she could regain her focus, a yawn overtook her and she struggled to fight it off, while still feeling the ache which had settled in throughout her slender form. The only thing, which was worse than that general ache, was the stiffness of her delicate fingers on each hand, which had been subjected to more than a traditional scope of work this day. Shifting so that her well-being gift rested in one hand and against her forearm, Kate reached out with one of those stiff hands and tapped at the console just adjacent to the door, triggering an audible chime to announce her presence. Waiting a moment, she swayed her head a little out of anticipation, and bit at her lower lip as she thought about how she might approach this. Suddenly there was a feeling of doubt and questioning which came to the forefront of her thoughts as Kate could hear the brutal condemnation of her brother’s words echoing in her head as if they were being repeated right behind her.

“This is stupid.” She said aloud and felt an urge to step back and flee before the door was answered, struggling with the same issue which had harangued her for years, as the moment she transitioned from professional to personal consideration, her self-confidence and esteem all vanished. All that was left was worry, doubt, and to an extent loathing for who she was. Her façade was crumbling so quickly that she nearly dropped the tray of aromatic baked goods that she had replicated.

“Shit...” she softly exclaimed with a sense of exasperation, as her legs refused to move. Some part of her had thankfully kept her anchored in place just outside of the door and would have her see this through.

Re: CH02: S [D02|2200] Do you make house calls?

Reply #1 –
[PO1 Scruffy Leblanc | Personal Quarters | Deck 22 | Vector 03 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Swift

It had been a long day for Scruffy.  Nothing terribly difficult, but after a brief nap afforded him by the anesthetic he had been given, the rest of his day had been spent in restless isolation.  He hadn't even left his quarters for meals, instead just taking advantage of the replicator in the central living space.  He didn't want to risk running into any on-duty Engineers, let alone any other crew personally affected by the disaster.  It had been enough avoiding his one roommate, Morgan Song, by convincing him that he still wasn't feeling up to socializing yet, overselling his lingering injuries.

Fortunately for Scruffy, Morgan had pulled night-shift, so he was out for a while.  Which left Scruffy laying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling.  Since that nap, his troubled mind hadn't let him sleep.  Bits and pieces of last night kept slipping into his thoughts, but never in any duration or enough detail to give him any reassurances.  And although he hadn't slid as far into it as he did in Sickbay, he kept coming back to the question of what meaning his life had.  What significance had he earned, and what would have been left behind had he passed.

At the very least, he was going to start taking his work a little more seriously, starting tomorrow.  He had already set an earlier wakeup alarm, just in case.  He was just a maintenance engineer, not even on a career path with any advancement, but maybe that didn't have to always be the case.  First he had to prove, both to himself and his superiors, that he was both competent and capable, and not just squeaking by on the bare minimum.

He'd spent some of the afternoon reading damage reports out of Engineering, following along on how the repairs had been progressing.  He also took the opportunity to read up on some of the more specialized systems aboard Theurgy and her auxiliary vessels and how various modifications had been integrated.  It wasn't enough to fall back on his SCE training, he needed to know those systems inside and out if he was ever to stand out in his position.  It reminded him of the situation he had been called to aboard the Allegiant, and he had been glad to read that the ship had departed well before the Spearhead disaster.

On a more pleasant note, at least his morning had been dominated by the time he spent with the lovely Kate Foster.  Though the circumstances could have been better, it had effectively made them both captive participants, and he had quite enjoyed their banter.  She had been so kind in delivering the news of the attack and gentle in handling of his panic after.  He could tell there was a lot going on behind her lopsided smile and, to a certain extent, it intrigued him.  Not that he expected to see her again anytime soon.  Her reaction to his invite aside, he had a feeling she had plenty to occupy herself without "slumming it" with him.

He had just convinced himself to get something from the replicator and resume reading reports, sitting upright on his bed, when he heard the annunciator ring out.  Whoever it was was probably here to see Morgan, not realizing that he was on duty.  Without bothering to put on a shirt, Scruffy strode across the shared living space toward the replicator on the far side in just his baggy off-duty pants.  Commanding the door to open, he glanced to see who it was and immediately froze in place.  While far from the last person he expected to be at his door, he was certainly caught off-guard.  He gave her an awkward smile before saying, "Hey, Doc.  Didn't know you were coming by.  Care to come in?"

Re: CH02: S [D02|2200] Do you make house calls?

Reply #2 –
[ Lt. JG Kate Foster | Personal Quarters | Deck 22 | Vector 03 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Griffinsummoner

As much as Kate did want to see Scruffy again, part of her had still hoped that maybe Thea had been incorrect about where he was located on the ship, or that maybe he had been in too deep a sleep to have heard the chime at the door. Anything which might have leant a sense of credence to the doubts nagging at the back of her conscience while also allowing her an escape from the stress of growing attached to someone, only for them to discover who she truly was, and rather appropriately abandon her soon after.

That wasn’t to be the case clearly as an instant late the doors parted at the seam, revealing the target of her interest in little more than a pair of baggy off-duty trousers which hung decidedly low around his waist. Her attention snapping to, Kate couldn’t help but allow her gaze to trail up the man as he stood before her in a relative sense of surprise. Finding his handsome face a second or two later and realizing that her eyes had tangerine-eyes had lingered a little hesitantly at where his abdominal muscles coalesced into an all too appealing ‘v’ at very lowest point of his midriff. “Umm... hey! Sorry! I uhh... yeah, I know I said I would comm you before, but I kind of figured I’d surprise you.” She explained, her words stammering out of her rather hastily as it was clear that heavy nervousness had settled in upon seeing him such a state of undress. It was so bad for her, that she had inadvertently ignored his invitation for what was at least a minute, her left standing outside of his door until it registered.

“Oh... right, duh!” she exclaimed, a bright red blush finding her paler features as she beamed a cute smile at him in hopes of disarming whatever critical thoughts she may have caused by her behavior. Taking heed, she took a step into his abode, noting that it was indeed a shared domicile as evidenced by the number of bleed off doors which led into the bedrooms that were attached. “Oh, you have roommates?” she asked a little guiltily, as she realized that given the lateness of her visit, she may well have been intruding on their chance to rest. “Umm... if this is a bad time, I uhh... I could come back another time, yeah?” she swallowed again, looking to Scruffy as she took another step inside of the Personal Quarters, clearly hoping that he wouldn’t accept what she had proposed. Though if she were being entirely honest, she had forgotten entirely why she had even come to visit him, and the glass tray of replicated baked goods she was holding onto.

Blinking a moment, she was trying not to sneak any more wayward glances of his physique, though failing rather obviously and shamefully. Were it not for how compromised her self-confidence was, it wouldn’t have been so blatant, but as fractious as her psyche had been as of late, she was struggling mightily with things like this. But she also knew that things would never get better for her if she didn’t try to reclaim some semblance of normalcy to her life once more.

‘Girl, get a grip of yourself!’ she thought to herself.

Re: CH02: S [D02|2200] Do you make house calls?

Reply #3 –
[PO1 Scruffy Leblanc | Personal Quarters | Deck 22 | Vector 03 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Swift

Scruffy couldn’t help but notice the way her eyes trailed over his body.  A moment of self-conscioousness before his lackadaisical nature reasserted itself  “Not to worry, I usually love surprises.”  He was caught off guard by her behavior, this definitely wasn’t the confident surgeon he had encountered that morning.  But that was okay, some people were a lot more confident in their career-skills than social skills. I’ve been much the opposite for some time, casual confidence on a personal level while avoiding too much attention on a professional level.

Then she entered the living space and he got a glimpse of that charming smile he remembered, even if her eyes told him it was a bit forced.  “The one, yeah.  He’s on shift tonight, so you aren’t disturbing anyone.”  He intentionally left the ‘else’ off the end of his statement, to reassure her that she wasn’t bothering him, either.

He saw her tentatively take a couple steps into the space, the door automatically closing as she vacated the proximity, and he was just considering asking her to sit at the table in one corner when he noticed that she was carrying something.  “What’s that you’ve got there?” he asked, stepping closer to the flustered doctor.

Re: CH02: S [D02|2200] Do you make house calls?

Reply #4 –
[ Lt. JG Kate Foster | Personal Quarters | Deck 22 | Vector 03 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Griffinsummoner

Inhaling deeply through her nostrils so as to try and quell some of the considerable nervousness bothering her, Kate caught a bit of Scruffy’s scent as she physically turned her back to him and an effort to prevent her eyes from exploring his appearance so overtly, knowing that she’d already made something of an embarrassing second impression on the man. When he reassured her that he wasn’t intruding, she felt a little more at ease and comfortable with everything, at least for a moment. “I umm... figured I’d check you out some more...” blinking as she realized how that sounded, she spun around to face him and immediately sought to make an attempt at rephrasing it. “I mean, I wanted to check in, umm... check up on you. See how you’re feeling?” she tilted the pate of her head a little, trying to act at least modestly coy and bashful in his presence as an amused smile radiated from her in way of an apology. “Sorry... I’m a little out of practice with social stuff, y’know?” she found his face again, hoping he might understand a little of the trouble she was having.

Her gaze slipping only for a second so as it appreciate him again, it soon returned to his face. “Oh... I uhh, thought maybe you could go for a snack?” she explained when he referenced the tray in her hands, removing the lid from it so as to reveal it’s contents to him. “They’re brownies and blondies.” Upon replication, she hadn’t been sure if whether or not Scruffy liked chocolate, hence the vanilla flavored alternative. “A bit of inspiration from one of those holonovels I mentioned liking.” She added, holding out the tray to him, knowing it was a silly gesture, but that was the point, and in the holonovel she had co-opted the idea from, it had been likewise received as a silly gesture, resulting in a bout of levity being shared by the two characters in the particular scene, among other subsequent activities, though Kate wasn’t necessarily counting any of that happening between herself and Scruffy. At least, not so soon.

“Now that I know you have a roommate, I’m glad I replicated as many as I did. You’re welcome to share them with him if you’d like.”

Re: CH02: S [D02|2200] Do you make house calls?

Reply #5 –
[PO1 Scruffy Leblanc | Personal Quarters | Deck 22 | Vector 03 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Swift

He couldn't help but chuckle lightly at her bashful behavior.  She was just adorable, and when she miss-spoke (or did she?) he took the verbal cue and briefly checked her out, too.  "That's alright, Doc.  Practice makes perfect, right?" he asked, giving her a wink.

He looked at the tray in her hands as she opened it.  He gave her a brilliant grin when he saw what she had brought.  "I could definitely go for a snack."  He reached forward and with his broad but nimble hands he grabbed one of each flavor, switching the chocolate to his other hand and quickly enjoying a bite of each.  "Actually, I was just about to eat dinner.  Would you care to join me?" he asked, gesturing to the table and the replicator.  "Unless you've already eaten since getting out of sickbay, of course."

He finished eating the pieces he had grabbed, and took a moment to just relish the flavors.  "Yeah, maybe.  Assuming we don't finish them all by ourselves."  He smirked at her, and turned toward the table, both somewhere to sit the tray down and take a load off, themselves, even if they weren't sharing a meal together.

He pulled out a chair for her, before taking his own seat, the replicator practically within reach if he needed it.  "So, how'd the rest of the day go?" he tentatively asked, both in honest interest and apprehension of the circumstances.

Re: CH02: S [D02|2200] Do you make house calls?

Reply #6 –
[ Lt. JG Kate Foster | Personal Quarters | Deck 22 | Vector 03 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Griffinsummoner

Kate was more than appreciative the level of welcome that had been shown her; how Scruffy had picked up on her relative discomfort and was likewise attempting to instill a calming sentiment, just as she had done for him earlier in the day. And just as it had worked for him, it was working for her too as she was starting to feel a little more comfortable with this social call, as it was.

“Thanks.” She responded to his kind reassurance, taking note of the wry little wink he passed off at her. It triggered within her an instinctual response in the form of the familiar act of running one of her delicate hands up to her blonde hair, so as to tuck it back behind her ear. Though it slipped free an instant later when she tilted her out of bashful need to avert her gaze as he had afforded her a broad grin, which quickened something inside of her, and resulted in an equally as brilliant grin. She watched as he pawed at two pieces of her baked offering, one of each flavor, and found a sense of glee welling up inside as he ate them, that glee replacing the nerves which had plagued her a mere moment earlier. “Umm, yeah I could go for a bite. I uhh... didn’t really get a chance to just yet.” The explanation wasn’t necessary, as the reality of the day and what had pre-empted it was still fresh within her mind, and she was certain it was certainly still within his. “...and my lunch was a little light, due to other reasons.” She scratched at the back of her head, once again remembering how the break in the day with her Ovri friend had gone off plan.

As she moved over to the table that he motioned toward, musing about how the baked goods might disappear so succinctly, Kate let a little giggled escape her as she settled into the chair he’d offered. “Well... I might steal one or two.” She teased, indeed selecting one of the brownies from the tray after she had set it down on the table. Taking a bite, she was surprised by how good it was, considering it was replicated. “Mmm... oh...” she chewed quickly, padding the back of her hand against her lips out of modesty before answering his next question. “It wasn’t too bad. A few other surgeries, but none that were particularly difficult, more so tedious. Then there was this thing in the Mess Hall with a Klingon... but, I’d rather not get into it.” Swallowing the bite she’d taken, she leant back in the chair and watched Scruffy once more, thankful for the chance to engage in chatter with someone. Hesitating a second, she let her thoughts gather before resuming. “We lost a few more today. None of my patients, but... still.”

“Umm... how... how’d the rest of your day go?” clearly, she had hoped to find something a little less emotionally heavy to focus on and draw attention away from how her day had gone. “Did you get some sleep?”

“Any good dreams?” she teased with little wink of her own.

Re: CH02: S [D02|2200] Do you make house calls?

Reply #7 –
[PO1 Scruffy Leblanc | Personal Quarters | Deck 22 | Vector 03 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Swift

He couldn't help but give a pleasant grin as he noticed her enjoying her own brownie, as if she'd never tasted this particular item before.  It told him a bit about the spontaneity of the moment and also how she was finally beginning to relax.  His face went through several expressions as she talked, relief at the ease of the surgeries, querying concern about the Klingon "incident" (though he didn't push for more information), and contemplative melancholy at the mention of the loss of a few more lives, a lingering consequence of the sabotage.  "I'm sorry to hear that.  I'm glad they weren't your patients, but you and your colleagues have my sympathy."  He could only imagine how much the loss of her patient would weigh on her, as he started to get a sense of what she was like when her mind was free from the focus of work.

"My day was pretty restful.  I got some sleep, took it easy as ordered, and mostly put my mind to work since my body was resting."  He didn't mention that that sleep was only just after returning to sickbay, and he had been unable to sleep since, regardless of how tired he had felt.

"Any good dreams?"

"None better than the one I'm experiencing right now, I can say that for sure."  He gave her another of his charming grins and gestured over his shoulder to the replicator.  "So, what are you in the mood for after this long and stressful day?" he asked, letting his words have just the hint of something other than what his gestures indicated.

Re: CH02: S [D02|2200] Do you make house calls?

Reply #8 –
[ Lt. JG Kate Foster | Personal Quarters | Deck 22 | Vector 03 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Griffinsummoner

A little excited to grab some food in the company of Scruffy, Kate was surprised by something else about him; as even a thanks was generally hard enough to get from patients, because many including her brother held the belief that simply doing your job deserved no acknowledgement or appreciation, even if your job was something as critically imperative as Doctor. But sympathy was a whole other sentiment which had often gone by the wayside, as it was lost that those working in the Medical Field were directly faced with sorrows of pain and loss like few others. It was their job to fight to save lives, to be there for someone when theirs was coming to an end, to comfort friends and family afterward, and to keep going on afterward. It was a foolish idea that anyone working in Medicine could entirely steel away themselves from the consequences they faced, no matter how sturdy or stalwart they were in emotionality. Eventually, it all took a toll on you.

That Scruffy had the wherewithal to make mention of it, knocked him up a notch in Kate’s regard. He wasn’t just a handsome face, or a good body, he was also someone who carried a notion of outward consideration, and it felt genuine.

“Thanks.” She said simply.

Yet as he went on to explain what his day had been like, she could sense that there was something off, but wasn’t entirely sure if it was just her inability to rightly read others, given her own slightly compromised state. Instead, she decided to embrace the idea that he’d gotten some rest, because truthfully, she hoped he had for his sake. She’d barely known him a day, and found herself relatively invested in him, and his recovery. And no matter how she tried to tell herself that such an investment was just her being a good Doctor, there were other reasons behind it. So when she teased him about any dreams he might have had, and he in turn teased her back with a charming grin which crossing his face, she let any exterior walls melt away and reciprocated with a smile of similar intent. It was blatantly clear by the way she was on the verge of giggling, how Kate was thoroughly enjoying the flirtatious game they were playing and wondered for a moment how far she might push the issue without crossing any lines.

“Well... I’m definitely a little hungrier now than I was before I got here.” She expressed playfully, picking up on the hint and feeling more confident with herself as thing were progressing.

“Maybe you can make a choice for the both of us?” she tilted the pate of her head inquisitively, biting her lip once more.

Re: CH02: S [D02|2200] Do you make house calls?

Reply #9 –
[PO1 Scruffy Leblanc & Lt. JG Kate Foster | Personal Quarters | Deck 22 | Vector 03 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Swift

He wasn't really sure what had come over the good doctor, but it caught him off guard.  Her flirting had definitely ratcheted up to full-teasing.  She definitely got a bit of a flush out of him, so he half-turned toward the replicator.  "Alright, let's narrow it down a bit.  Dinner or dessert?"

Kate could see how she had caught him a bit off-guard with her more aggressively flirtatious comment, and in a sense she kind of liked seeing that bit of a blush come to his face. It was also boosting her confidence to know that she had such an effect on him. “Well, I think between the two of us...” she looked at the tray of baked goods she’d brought, which was currently indeed situated between them. “...we have dessert covered, yeah?” Of course there was double meaning there, all part of the fun that this had turned into rather hastily, and Kate wasn’t necessarily opposed to either interpretation of that matter. “So how about a small spot of dinner first? Something light?”

His eyes shifted to the brownies on the table. Yeah, looked like dessert could wait. "Oh, right.  Alright.  Terran dishes alright?"  He was clearly flustered, if his limited word choice was any indication.

Settling back a little, she couldn’t help but let an amused little giggle escape her when he remembered the brownies and blondies. “That sounds good, yeah.” She acknowledged.

"Small, but hearty or filling, but less concentrated?"

Kate raised an eyebrow at the follow-up question, surprised at the level of specifics that he was getting into, when she had all but given him the green-light to proceed however he so chose, but in a way it was endearing, and cute at the same time. “Something small... for now.” She playfully teased him further, obviously struggling to hold back a heartier bit of laughter.

"Soup, or do you feel like something with a bit more carbs to reclaim your energy reserves?"

Nearly bursting at the seams at this point, Kate knew he was feeding these obvious setups to her, but she was more than receptive, and appreciative of the chance to further their silly game. “Probably the carbs. I think you might need that energy.” Bringing one of her delicate hands to her face to cover her broadly grinning face, she also found herself increasingly infatuated with the man named 'Scruffy.'

"Yeah.  Tomorrow will probably be a busy day for the maintenance teams.  Computer," he began to the replicator, ready to order, before her phrasing caught up to him and he froze a moment, swallowing the lump in his throat before continuing.  "Two orders, grilled chicken over wild rice, light seasonings with a hint of citrus."  He turned toward Kate, his earlier bashfulness all but hidden. "What would you care for, beverage-wise?"

Watching as he replicated their meal, still bare from the waist up, and painfully aware of how low at his hips the pair of off-duty slacks hung, Kate let her eyes wander a little when he had his back to her, admiring the lines of his toned physique, and also the shapeliness of some other features that were on display for her. As he turned back, she snapped her attention back to his face. “Oh... umm, I could use something to unwind. Some chardonnay sounds like it’d pair well with the chicken.”

He noticed her seeming a tad distracted, but turned back to the replicator.  "And two glasses of light chardonnay, chilled."  As the replicator began to produce the dishes, he glanced down, only again noting his state of dress.  He half-turned toward her.  "Umm, I should probably grab a shirt while we eat."

When he caught onto the fact that he was in such a state of undress, hinting that he should put on something more, Kate tilted her head in an over the top display of disappointment. “Spoil sport.” She added, with a wry little wink. “But I suppose if that’s what you feel like.” She considered pressing on the issue a little, a smirk crossing her face as she figured why not. “Or give it a bit, and I maybe I could make us even on the matter?” Curious as to what the response to that might be, she let a far more audible chuckle escape her as she let her slender arms come to a rest on the table in front of her. “I’m sorry, that one may have been too much.” She acknowledged.

He was all ready to respond to her pout with "Well, I thought you'd be more comfortable, but if you'd prefer," and then she smirked and continued her statement.  And his eyes went wide, his mouth, surprisingly, not hanging open in shock.  When she started to laugh and lean forward on the table, apologizing for the tease, he gave a fake sneer.  "Fine then.  If that's the way it's going to be," he said, retrieving the dishes from the replicator, making no motion toward fixing his state of dress.

Beaming with appreciation of how he was placating her wish for the free show to continue, the petite blonde cutely fidgeted where she sat as he retrieved the replicated dishes, her legs crossing in front of her as she continued to watch him intently. “I like when I get things my way.” She admitted to him, a bit of honesty on display, as she liked the manner in which he had so slyly acquiesced to her, once more getting the sense that he was doing for her spirits, what she had done for his health earlier in the day.

He set the dishes in front of each of them.  "You know, you'd probably get your way more often if you were clearer about what you wanted, like with dinner," he said, giving her a smirk as he took a sip of his wine.

“Thank you.” She said simply as he set the dish before her, reaching for a fork so as to start digging in, the scent of the chicken and citrus wafting heavily into her nostrils, indeed emphasizing how hungry she actually was. “And forgo the chance to play this little game? I think not. That said...” she dug her fork into pick up a piece of the pre-cut chicken. “...you did masterfully.” She took the bite, her tangerine-gaze watching him all the while, as she wondered what might have been going on in that head of his, and what she represented to him. Setting the fork down, she likewise retrieved her glass of chardonnay to wash down the bite. “So... where’re you from, Scruffy? I mean, like... originally?” she genuinely wanted to get to know about him, now that it was clear she felt an infatuation with him, which she imagined, and hoped might accelerate between them.

He watched her dig into her meal with relish, enjoying her enthusiasm. "Thank you," he said, before doing the same.  He considered her request a moment.  "I was born on my mother's ship, surrounded by Starfleet, but spent most of my youth on Earth with my grandparents, on a small, self-sustaining farm outside of Anaheim, California."

Listening to him as he answered her question, Kate ate a little more of the food before her, quite rather savoring the replicated meal that the man had chosen for the both of them. “Hmm...” she started once he finished, squinting her sharp eyes so as to emphasize her point while also reaching for her glass once more. “...I can imagine you in a pair of farmer’s overalls. Pitchfork and all.” Taking a sip, she then let a little snicker escape once she set the glass down. “Kind of cute.” She was relatively relieved that he hadn’t immediately returned the question to her, as she could sneak one in before she was forced to remember the broken home she’d come from. “So... umm...” hesitating a moment, as she tried to clear the thought of that home by literally clearing her throat. “...what’s a typical day for Scruffy Leblanc like, now that you’ve left the old farm behind?”

"Unbuttoned overalls and all?" he asked as he struck a pose, hand on his fork like he was leaning on a pitchfork, eyebrow raised.  "Well, if I'm lucky I wake up long enough before my shift to nurse a cup of coffee, maybe even grab a bite to eat.  But... that usually doesn't happen if I'm working Alpha shift.  I might spend some time doing limbering exercises to warm up before my shift, or after I'll probably get in some holo-time or even pull out my drum or ukulele, depending on how much tension I need to work out."  Coasting through life.  Yeah, that's how I used to live it he thought to himself, hiding his more contemplative face behind his glass.  "Yourself, Doc?  We talked interests, but what's a typical day for you?"



OOC: Thanks to Swift for participating in the JP.
 

Re: CH02: S [D02|2200] Do you make house calls?

Reply #10 –
[ Lt. JG Kate Foster & PO1 Scruffy Leblanc | Personal Quarters | Deck 22 | Vector 03 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Griffinsummoner

Once more beaming with a broad smile across her face, Kate admired the handsome man as he recreated an image of himself, the farmer with his dinner fork having served a rather ridiculous replacement for that which may have skewered hay bales. Losing it, Kate let a burst of laughter escape her as she brought a hand to her face out of politeness, averting her gaze as she tried to dismiss the silly image. His continuing on about how a day might unfold for him, gradually helped the lithe surgeon come down from a fit of giggling as she in turn imagined each aspect of him going about his day. When he then brought the question round to her this time, she swallowed down the bit of food stuck in her mouth and followed it up with another sip of the chilled chardonnay before speaking. “Umm... well, first... I wake up, usually a little later than I should, and after giving poor Thea a hard time for it.” Letting her fork rest on her plate, she settled back in her chair and looked across the table at Scruffy.

“Then I shower, dress, stroll into sickbay, get caught up on the day’s schedule. And then lately, it’s been one routine medical exam, after another routine medical exam, since we’ve been trying to get all caught up on the back log of them.” Sipping once more at the wine, Kate felt a strong sense of peace and contentment in the moment, all thanks to her choice of company. “...and umm, you can call me Kate... y’know, if you want.” She tilted her head down, and bashfully averted her tangerine gaze as she felt a bit of a blush come back to her face, trying to control the torrent of pleasant thoughts which ran through her with regard to him. Only when she found his face once more, she remembered the silly image of him as a farmer earlier, and after a bright smile spread across her own face in an instant, she burst out laughing again. “I’m sorry. I keep imagining you in those overalls, and that pitchfork.” She giggled, raising an apologetic hand until the fit subsided. “Unbuttoned and all.” She teased, once more biting her lip as her voice betrayed a more confident tone which made it abundantly clear that she liked the second image in her mind even more, even if she could enjoy his bare upper body in the here and now, which she clearly and certainly was.

"Do you give Thea a hard time for waking you up, or for letting you sleep in?" he asked with a grin on his face, imagining her groggily arguing with the ship's AI.  "Getting caught up on the backlog is certainly a luxury on this ship, something our departments have in common."  He gave her a warm smile when she suggested using her first name, though he was a little surprised when she suddenly burst out laughing.  After she explained herself, he relaxed in a good-natured smile, his posture easing in his chair, leaning back as he saw her checking him out again.  "Well, I'm glad that image of me is stuck in your head, Kate."  He finished the last few bites of his meal and finished off his drink, turning to set both back in the replicator.

“Probably the former, and unfairly I blame her for me letting myself do the latter.” She mused, admitting how it was often her own fault and her insistence on pushing for just a few more minutes of sweet slumber each morning, a trait which Kate was starting to imagine she shared in common with him. She liked how everything felt in the moment, and how none of her woes seemed to penetrate her thoughts, even if they were still there at the back of her subconscious. He had put her at ease, and for that she was very grateful, because in a way it was the first time in a long time that she had felt so blissfully carefree. “It’s... not the only image of you I have stuck in my head.” She said softly, evidently content with the food she had eaten, even it was only half of what he had replicated for her. Letting a bit of silence linger for a moment, she sat quietly and leant back in her chair, wondering what the right next step might be, and realizing that it was likely her turn to make it.

Taking the hint that she was done with her plate, he reached across the table for it and, after getting a visual cue of permission, picked it up to return it to the replicator.  "Well, sure, I imagine me trapped under a medical stasis field made an impression, too," he teased her as he reached for one of the blondies.

His words definitely rang in her head, triggering another quick and playful tease that she could come back with, something along the lines of her having him stuck under her being more in line with her thinking, but she instead let the sweetness of the moment linger. Noting how he selected a blondie from the tray between them, herself reaching out to select a brownie in opposition, taking a bite of it. In her chest, she felt her heartrate quickening as she mulled over how to proceed, and when she’d finished the last bit of her selected baked good, Kate sighed deeply. “I umm... I guess I should let you get some more rest, yeah?” She scooted back in her chair, and slowly stood up from the table, internally fighting a battle that he wasn’t necessarily overtly aware of.

He had been fighting a similar battle, wanting to thank her for the meal but not wanting to end the evening.  At the same time, he recognized how much she (they) needed rest, so he sighed, standing up as well.  "Thanks for joining me for dinner, Kate. It was a very pleasant surprise."  He walked around the table, gently, slowly, leading the way to the door, letting her pace carry her closer to him.  As he got there, before he reached for the panel to open the door, he couldn't help but tease her again.  "I hope I passed your check-in, Doc.  Let me know if you want to schedule a follow-up," he said with another smirk, gazing down at her with a bit of a glint in his eye.

“No yeah... umm, it was fun.” She acknowledged, taking her time as she crossed the short distance from the table to the door, following after the still topless man, growing closer in proximity to him, and detecting that subtle scent which he carried. Stopping just before him, taking note of the way he too seemed to look on her with something more at play behind his exterior expression, she smiled sweetly when he resumed their teasing play, standing a few inches taller than her. “Umm... yeah, totally. Definitely.” She liked the idea of a follow up, but at the same time she really didn’t want this particular check-in to end either. Hesitating with a bit of a sway to her as she considered leaving, Kate could feel her nerves building, and a shouting match in her mind as her internal voices were arguing with each other. Taking a deep breath to regain control, Kate clenched shut her eyelids in an effort to silence both voices, so that she could make up her own mind on the matter.

“Umm...” she took a step to leave but stopped herself. Instead she came back to him and closed their distance until she was just an inch or so from him, reaching out with a delicate hand which pressed against his exposed chest. She caught his blue eyes with her own of tangerine and once stepped up on her tip-toes to even out their height disparity, Kate let her head tilt back in contrast to his which was tilted forward. Hastily, before her better judgement or rather his could stop them, her lips found his as she kissed him softly. A token of her appreciation for how he had indulged her in the little flirty game, and perhaps an expression of what he now represented in her mind. A moment of catharsis for the petite blonde, who felt it more than necessary to make such a gesture toward him, even if it wasn’t one which she was sure would be reciprocated.

Scruffy wasn't exactly surprised when Kate hesitated at his door, but he was pleased when she stepped closer, touched his chest, and reached up to his him.  His own hand drifted down to rest on her hip, giving it a light squeeze, but didn't push the kiss any further.  He saw the conflict, so took her anticipation of a further meeting as enough for tonight.  He kept eye contact as they broke the kiss, pulling back a little but not stepping away.  "Maybe we'll save any further tests for next time, then?" he whispered.

Pulling away as the short but sweet moment passed, she found herself relieved to have made that first step, and knew it was exactly the right note upon which to end this evening. “Yeah, I think I’d like that.” She said softly, letting herself settle back unto her heels, and taking a step back, her outstretched arm maintaining that touch of his chest until it finally trailed away after her. “...thanks, by the way. For umm... everything.” There was a genuine sentiment shared on her behalf as she stepped backward through the doorway. “Have a good night, farmer boy.” She drew once more on the memory of his silly pose and let her beaming smile return as she spun around and made her way down the corridor, replaying the pleasant experience in her mind as she made for the nearby turbolift. Excited about the possible prospect of that future interaction and getting to know Scruffy Leblanc a little better.

-FIN
 
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