Watch Your Step

Posted on 15 Jun 2014 @ 12:54pm by Commander Andreus Kohl & Lieutenant JG Wakeham Paul Alasia Ph.D.

1,829 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 06 - Legend of Souls
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 7, Callisto Bar
Timeline: MD 05 - 2011 hours

[ON]

Hungry.

Only a couple hours earlier, Andreus Kohl had consumed a light supper in his quarters, and yet he was fiercely hungry once again. It was the anxiety that did it. And even more than the anxiety, it was the fear and the gore. When Kohl had worked as a battlefield medic, he had gained fifteen pounds -- at time when all of his colleagues were looking emaciated. Kohl had managed to lose it as soon as he was transferred away from a battlefield, but life aboard Galileo was really starting to feel similarly precarious.

Equally precarious was his balancing act with a bowl of stew and a tumbler of synthehol on his tray. He was carrying his bowl of cheesy, vegetable stew between members of the crowd in the Callisto Bar. Since the remodel, it had become increasingly difficult to find a seat to call one's own. Kohl was staring at his bowl intently, determined not to tilt the tray, determined not to spill a single dollop. Nor a drop of booze. Of course, he was staring at the bowl so intently, he didn't even notice when he crashed into another man.

Paul managed to skirt around the left shoulder of Andreus, nudging the bowl with his forearm to keep it from spilling. The synthehol was a different story and spilled over Paul's left shoulder, dropping down to his wrist.

"Shit!" Paul exclaimed."I am so sorry sir. I should've done a better job of getting out of your way."

After bleating out a throaty laugh, Kohl blurted out a, "What?" Kohl's brows furrowed and he shook his head gently. "Why are you apologizing for my inattention?" Kohl asked. He upended the tumbler on his tray, even though it was entirely empty now. "I'm the one who's sorry. I really am sorry."

Paul attempted futilely to dry off his sleeve. After a moment, he gave up and began removing his over-shirt. "Really, it happens. I feel bad for you, sir. I'd much rather be spilled on than be the one doing the spilling." Paul chuckled. "They definitely either made this place too small on purpose or severely underestimated how popular it would be."

Nodding his head in some agreement, Kohl remarked, "Foolishly, they must have allocated more recreational space to the science labs." There was no trace of irony in his tone, despite the Science-teal highlights in his own uniform.

"My name is Paul, by the way, sir." Paul gestured to the opposite chair. "I don't know if you were on your way anywhere but if you want to eat here, I'm happy to have to company."

"Now that," Kohl said, "would be the very least I could do. And thank you." He grinned sheepishly at Paul, as he lowered himself into the proffered chair. Carefully, Kohl set his tray down on the table. "...It's Andreus. My name. I'm not on duty."

"Andreus, then. An absolute pleasure to meet you. I'm embarrassed to say I haven't quite learned which specialty of the 12 kajillion scientists we have on board yet. So what do they have you doing around here? Doctor? Counselor? Straight hard science?"

Kohl's mouth hung open for a heartbeat in a silent laugh, which was quickly followed by a "huh". He lifted his fork and stabbed into a lump of vegetable matter in his bowl. "Yes," Kohl replied in what one might consider the most oblique manner possible. "I ask myself that same question most days now."

"Uh-huh." Paul shook his head. "Trying to maintain an air of mystery or am I actually not allowed to know?" Paul chuckled. "If I - you know - If I'm prying, just tell me to shut up. Lord knows the more I learn about this place, the more it seems like I'm better off in the dark."

"No, oh no," Kohl said. The words came blurting out, thick with an apologetic tone. "It's not about you. It's, um, I legitimately don't know. You see, I went to the Academy for diplomacy." --Kohl gestured to the colour of Paul's own collar-- "And I came out of Starfleet Medical as a Nurse Practitioner. But now... now I've been appointed the Assistant Chief of Science." --Kohl squinted then-- "and I'm not entirely sure if it's a permanent appointment, or more like a trial offer."

"Well, that's fantastic!" Paul offered with genuine enthusiasm. When Andreus failed to return in kind, he added in the same tone: "Sort of!"

Paul smiled. "Well, to start with, it's great to know I have someone else with diplomatic training on-board. Besides that, though, a circuitous route to your current position on board is nothing to be ashamed of. The order in which things work out is strange sometimes. My path to this ship doesn't really make any sense at all. I feel like it's more likely to be a positive reflection on you as an officer than anything."

"That's..." Kohl had barely begun to respond when he trailed off, but he had been nodding at Paul's words. Kohl continued to nod at Paul's words even after Paul had finished. "I can appreciate that," Kohl said. He sounded guarded, but in agreement. "I do feel... stronger in my career than I have in some years. More hopeful for what my future holds. But as for today, I don't entirely know what I'm supposed to be doing. And I certainly don't know what I want to be doing."

Paul furrowed his brow. "Look, we just met and I swear I'm not trying to be your therapist - but you seem, like, deeply uncomfortable with your professional situation. Did the switch from Nurse to ACSO happen under bad circumstances?"

Paul's approach came across as engaging and accepting to Kohl. In truth, he almost seemed affectionate, for someone who hardly knew Kohl at all. It was why there wasn't hesitation or dissembling, before Kohl replied. "It was probably the worst circumstances for any promotion ever," Kohl said. "I was paralyzed in an attack on the ship. I wasn't capable of performing my medical duties while I've recovered."

"Jeez, I didn't notice anything now. Have you recovered?"

To Paul's question, Kohl tilted his head from side to side, as he struggled for the most honest answer. He bit his lower lip, and then he fell back on his medical training. "Recovery is a process," Kohl said, and it sounded like as much of a cliche as it was. "I'm stronger than when I was before, and I am fit enough for duty." As if to make his point, or another point, Kohl extended one leg beneath the table and stroked his foot up Paul's calf and reaching Paul's thigh.

Paul jumped nearly to his feet from his chair but his body temporarily disassociated from his mind. "I 'm sure you'll be back to where you need to be... Uhh..." Paul's eyes darted around the room and back to Andreus. "I, uh..." Andreus' gaze from across the table was not one of confusion. Paul unconsciously fiddled with his wedding ring before suddenly realizing the usefulness of the gesture - he vigorously attempted to draw attention to it.

"Paul, what's wrong?" asked Kohl, sounding genuinely perplexed by the other man's reaction. So clueless was Kohl, he hadn't even pulled his leg back to his side of the table.

"I don't..." Paul continued fiddling with his ring. "I'm married..."

His mouth agape, Kohl could only cock and eyebrow and shrug. "Congratulations?"

"Do you seriously...?" Paul furrowed his eyebrows. "He pushed with his index finger on Andreus' foot. "Do you feel that?"

"I certainly do," Kohl replied, but he shrugged at Paul again. "Same way you've been rubbing against my foot since I sat down, buddy."

Paul raised his hands, palms out, to his shoulders. "Andreus..." Paul chuckled. "I'm married. Like, actually. She's not a beard. I haven't touched you."

At that, Kohl's entire facial expression screwed into the very picture of puzzlement. He asked, "...Then who has been touching me?" Kohl braced his palms against the table, and pushed himself back. He bent down, lowering his head beneath the table, and as soon as he did so, he said, "Oh, it's you again."

"Who? Who could you possibly be talking to?" Paul quick glanced underneath the table

Kohl uprighted himself in his chair and he offered an apologetic frown to Paul. "I'm really sorry about all that," Kohl said. He shook his head, expressing at what was happening. From beneath the table, Kohl raised his hands, along with the tribble he was clutching between them. He set the tribble down in the middle of the table.

"A friggin tribble!" Paul exclaimed. "That's what I saw earlier today! Holy... man, that explains about 12 things that happened to me today." Paul laughed cathartically. "So you had that little guy rubbing up against you and you though it was me getting fresh?" Paul smiled.

"I just thought you were being friendly," Kohl said, correcting Paul's assumption in a jovial manner. "I wanted to be friendly in return." --And Kohl shrugged-- "I still can be."

"Well, I'm sorry. You're a, uhh... you're very handsome Andreus... like too handsome -- suspiciously handsome." Paul laughed. "If I wasn't so square, you'd be my first call. But, I am, in fact, a boring old zero on the Kinsey scale."

"Oh no," Kohl said, with sympathy in his timbre. "You're not that bad looking. I'd say you're at least a six." --Kohl took up his spoon, and dug into his stew again-- "Maybe even a mid-range seven."

Paul decided to let the misunderstanding go and laughed. After a moment, his brow furrowed and his smile gradually shifted to a concerned frown. "So, wait... shit, how many of these are on board? Are we meant to do something about this?"

In a nonchalant manner, Kohl said, "Eh. I found one in the gym this morning. I gave it to security." As he chewed on a spoonful of vegetables, Kohl reached over to pet the tribble. He patted it all over until he made it purr. "I suppose Security will destroy them, or give them to some refugees, or maybe they can survive in the mines?"

"Yeah, you're probably right." Paul sighed. "So, it was incredibly awkward and an absolute pleasure to meet you, Andreus."

Kohl pursed his lips and stared at the ceiling for a couple of heartbeats, as he considered Paul's words. And then, "Yeah," Kohl said. He nodded and he looked Paul in the eye. "I have that effect on people. You're perfectly charming, though."

"Oh, we're all having that effect on each other every day. Until next time." Paul waved meekly but sincerely and headed to his quarters.



[OFF]

Lieutenant JG Wakeham Paul Alasia
Diplomatic Officer
USS Galileo

Lieutenant Andreus Kohl
Assistant Chief Science Officer
USS Galileo

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