CEO's Poor Stomach

Posted on 12 Mar 2012 @ 4:20pm by Lieutenant JG Drusilla McCarthy & Command Master Chief Markum Quinn

2,523 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Episode 00 - Pre-Deployment
Location: Counsellor's Quaters
Timeline: MD4 1900hours

As Dru let out the breath she'd been holding, she sighed in frustration. The counsellors office was still an absolute state. She hadn't a notion of where she was meant to see people or if this place would ever be in order before the ship left the dry dock.

Dru realised she really needed a break before she stressed out further. As she grabbed a PADD, Dru headed out the door to try find somewhere quiet to try continue her reading of the files for the crew members. She was half way through the files and had just started on one for a Chief Warrant Officer Markum Quinn.

Markum was walking to get a bite to eat while he could. It had been twelve hours since his last meal, and his stomach was letting him know. Even a Warp Core Specialist told him he was cranky, and should go eat before his meanness consumed his dark, heartless soul. It was a good thing that the specialist was a Chief Petty Officer, and not some cocky ensign, or crewman.

Walking while reading his PADD he all but ran into someone at a junction of two hallways, just in-front of the turbolift. "What the hel....." Markum noticed the young lady was an officer, and was also wearing teal. "Pardon me Lieutenant. I wasn't looking where I was walking. Too busy thinking of what I could devour in the mess hall."

Dru felt herself hit off of something hard and looked up slightly startled, unsure what had just happened. Dru shook her head to try clear it. As she listened to the man she smiled slightly, "It's ok Chief, it was partly my own fault, I was absorbed in a world of my own. I'm the ships' counsellor, Lieutenant Drusilla McCarthy." Dru frowned slightly as she realised she recognised the man's face, "Your Chief Warrant Officer Markum Quinn aren't you? Well there's a coincidence for you, I had just started to read your file."

Quinn smiled at the Counsellor. "Uh-oh. Talk about bad timing on my part. How about I buy you something to eat, and we can talk. I think better while I'm eating anyways."

Dru looked down at the PADDs in her hands and smiled. "I seem to be eating alot lately, at this rate I'll need to order a larger size uniform before we leave Earth." Dru laughed softly before indicating for Markum to lead the way." I assume this is official business, you sure your comfortable with talking in the mess hall? My office isn't ready yet but if you'd prefer I can testify to the act my replicator in my room makes some good food. The place is abit small but the sitting room would suffice for a more private area."

Dru stopped talking as she realised how this sounded, "Ok...I should emphasise, that offer is purely a professional offer...I know people can be uncomfortable discussing personal issues in public and my quarters is the only private place I can think of where you can also get fed."

"Deal. I'm so hungry I'd eat at a Klingon baby shower Counselor." smirked the engineer. "Please, lead the way."

Dru stared at he man infront of her,Klingon baby shower?"Um...right...this way so. It isn't far, I'm lucky my offices are here on deck2 and my quarters are on deck1. So tell me Chief, how are you settling in?" Dru headed for the nearest turbolift.

"Fine so far. I've spent most of my time down in Engineering, fixing, replacing, and training. She is a beautiful vessel. Just have to work out the kinks." replied Quinn.

As Dru walked into the turbolift, she smiled up at Markum, "How long have you been in engineering for in general?"

"Thirty-two years." replied Quinn. "Thirty-two years, and still love it. My parents, and the rest of my family were more than a little upset that I quit the family business to chase stars for a living." Quinn entered the turbolift and continued. "My father told me I'd come crawling back in six months. Man, was he wrong."

As Dru listened to Markum speaking, she decided it would be best to leave the probing questions until she managed to get to her quarters which were just up the hall from the turbolift, "Have you got a big family Chief?"
"Yeah, I am the youngest of six children. I had one sister die a year back though." Quinn hadn't thought of Alurity for some time. They were inseparable.

As Dru stepped into her quarters she suddenly realised it was a good thing they were In a private area, "Ok Chief, what would you like to give me your order t and while I get the food you can tell me about your sister "

"Sure, plain double bacon cheeseburger, fries, and a sweet tea please." Quinn sat down at the table and sighed. "Alurity was great. She was a lot like me, but she had the patience of a saint. She was the only one in the entire family that did not disavow me for joining Starfleet. She even came to my graduating from boot camp." Quinn shifted a bit in his seat. "She died just after I returned from my six year deep space exploration mission. She was living in San Fran at the time, fortunately for me. I took a two month leave to be with her. After she died I was offered the Chief Engineering position on the Valiant. My son was the best medicine after she died."

As Dru set the food and tea, Markum asked for infront of him, she sat herself into the chair opposite him with a sandwich and soda for herself,. Nodding towards the food Dru spoke up, "Is that alright? It must have been such a relief for your sister to be able to have you there for her at the end."

"Thank-you, that's great." replied Quinn. He took a large bite out of the burger and moaned with joy. He then answered, "Yeah. Not that she could do much though. She went quick, and peacefully. Just the way she wanted it. Now if only my son's mother would do the same, all my worries would be over." Quinn took a sip of his tea and set it down. "I can't figure out why such a beautiful souls like Alurity had to die, while an evil, conniving witch gets to live to a ripe old age with perfect health."

Dru noticed how Markum seemed to be jumping back and forward between different issues and tried to figure how she would approach this, "Why do you feel such hostility towards your son's mother?"

Quinn finished his burger and was starting on his fries, "Her. Yeah, talk about a sensitive subject, Counsellor." Quinn took a sip from his now empty glass of sweet, then sat back with a sigh. "Her name is Alexia von Grauss. She is the wife of Aaron von Grauss, Federation Special Envoy to Andoria. It was in sixty-seven, I was a Warp Systems Specialist Second-Class on the USS Galaxy. She was a civilian Scientist on board. We first met while docked at Starbase One-Two-One. It was purely coincidental, but we were attracted to one another instantly. It didn't take long before we were quite the couple. We spent almost every waking, and usually every..umm...non-waking moment together. Sometimes though, she would have to leave ship for a few weeks at a time to conduct research..or so she claimed. It went on for almost two years. Then we found out she was pregnant with my child."

Quinn stood up and walked to the transparent aluminium widow and looked out while continuing. "She suddenly became unavailable more than usual. It wasn't until she was almost four months pregnant that the Galaxy happen to make a stop at Andor to collect a new crew. I was granted a two day pass, so I went to the surface and visited a few old college friends, and went to the college to visit a professor. As I was walking across a lage court with several cafes and fountains I saw her in his arms. I confronted both of them immediately. You could imagine my surprise to find out she was married, and had been for six years. Aaron was just as shocked at the discovery of her lover before him. I didn't see her again for four years. It was just before the outbreak of the Dominion War. She told me that Marcus didn't know about me, and it was best to let her and Aaron raise him on Andor."

Quinn had a crack in his voice, and a slight sniffle, "I was devistated. I wanted to see my son, and I still loved Alexia. That was like a Bat'leth to the back. So, I pulled a few strings and got put on a new Defiant-Class ship, knowing full well that it would be in the thick of the battles with the Caradassian's and Dominion. I signed up for suicide detail. I was not afraid to die. I was fearless. Death, I welcomed it, hoped for it. Obviously that idea went bad. After the War I got transferred to Command Headquarters in San Fran to join a classified research division. I ran into Alexia while stationed there. We talked, and she agreed that Marcus should know the truth about me. He was almost ten. Her husband wasn't too thrilled with it, and I spent the night in the brig, while he had surgery done to correct his broken jaw."

Dru stood over and handed Markum a tissue before resting a hand against his arm, recognising a need for comfort. Markum obviously still had issues about his ex and anger but Dru felt that right now he needed to concentrate on the positive, they could deal with the negative another time,"Tell me about Marcus, he's..."Dru quickly did the math in her head,"...22?"

Markum graciously accepted the offered tissue. "Thanks. He's a good kid. In the Academy, studying medical sciences. I'm not sure if he'll go on to med school, but he's smart enough. He is waiting for the day when the 'ol man will have to salute him before before I can give him a hug." He chuckled some at the thought. "Imagine that, my boy an officer. He is a lot like his mother. Intelligent, driven. Knows what he wants and takes it, usually without asking...little brat."

"Even if he's not smart enough to go into medical school there is ways around that. I know many Doctors who went the route of residencies and internships and they are just as good as anyone who came out of Starfleet Medical School. "Dru smiled at Markum.

"Yeah...I just want him to do whatever it is that he wants to do. As long as he isn't a criminal...or a bureaucrat." laughed Quinn.

"Maybe he should try engineering like his Dad?" Dru smiled over at Markum as she walked back over to the table to collect her own drink.

Quinn chuckled at the thought. "Nah, he's much to smart for that. I always imagined him as a scientist like his mother, maybe figure out a way to travel through subspace instead of normal space, or even discover something entirely different."

Quinn looked over to Dru, "I haven't spoken of these things to anyone for a decade I bet. Thank-you. It feels good to talk to something besides a Warp core, or a bone headed engineer that only understands things spoken in binary and propulsion calculated algorithms."

"Chief...Markus if I may call you that. It's not a problem, I'm glad you feel easy enough to be able to speak with me, I'm here anytime you need a chat," Dru smiled easily at Markum as she realised she had enjoyed listening to him, "And I wouldn't downplay an engineer. You must be doing something right that you managed to get these replicators to produce some nice food."

"Yeah, the trick was getting the transporter to fit someone small enough inside the replicators." Markum smiled, "You can call me Mark, all my friends do."

"In which case I'm Dru." Dru smiled over at Markus before starting to clear the table, "Markum is such an unusual name, where did it come from?"

"Ha, funny story about that. My mother was incoherent when I was delivered. The nurse asked my fathewr what my name was going to be, so he replied, 'Mark...umm...' They thought that was going to be my name, not realizing my father was naming me Mark, and trying to remember what the middle name was to be." Quinn always laughed at that story. "You had to know my father, and my mother. She was irate when she came to I was told. After a while the name grew on everyone, so they decided to keep it. In honor of my father's mistake, Alexia agreed to name our son Marcus."

"Well mistake or no mistake, it's nice to have such an unusual name and a story behind it." Dru loaded the replicator with the dishes and dusts off her hands. "And Markus I'm sure is proud to be named after his real father."

"Thanks Dru." smiled Quinn, "Ya know, you may very well be the first counsellor I ever liked. Your certainly the first I've spoke to for more than two sentences. I must be getting nicer in my old age."

Dru blushed slightly and tucked a piece of loose hair behind her ear, "I'll take that as a compliment on my personality and ability to make a person feel relaxed. Of course it could be the fact your in my quarters and instead of a counselling suite. If that's the case, at least I know now where to bring you to in the future anytime you need a chat."

"Yeah...and you fed me don't forget. You're a tricky one. I'll have to remember to keep my eye on you." Quinn remarked while laughing.

"There's a famous saying, a way to a man's heart is through his stomach...maybe I should adapt that to a way to a man's head is through his stomach. Might help further counselling sessions."Dru laughed as she realised this conversation was becoming abit silly."Well I'm happy to say I do want to see you for a few more sessions once we get under way so you'll have aplenty of opperunity to keep an eye on me."

Quinn nodded in agreement, "You bet Counsellor. Thank-you for your time, and for listening to the ramblings of a bitter old engineer. I need to get back to Main Engineering. I have to make sure the kids didn't wreck anything."

Dru genuinely smiled over at Markum,"And thank you for my first easy counselling session of my new post Markum. I'm always available for random ramblings. And make sure your people stay away from the replicators, no point fixing something that isn't broken."

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Lieutenant JG Drusilla McCarthy
Chief Counsellor
USS Galileo

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