Impromptu House Call

Posted on Fri Nov 4th, 2022 @ 7:54am by Captain Devin Hadenbeer & Bartender S. V. Jones & Lieutenant Commander Klarth

1,636 words; about a 8 minute read

About an hour before the conference about the Captain, Klarth went over to her quarters. He hadn't gotten a chance to really talk to her since the proverbial shit hit the proverbial fan as a human might so visually put it.

He hit the door chime. He hoped she wasn't busy writing notes for the meeting or something. He figured she was the type to have done that already and that this last hour she'd just be anticipating the meeting and wishing it was over already and could use someone to help pass the time.

Just as Klarth's hand was moving to the door chime the doors swooshed open. Within Devin was laying on her bed clad in a t-shirt and shorts, her right leg tucked tightly against her chest, her hands wrapped firmly about her knee. Mister Jones stood over her with a medical tricorder in hand. Both turned their heads to regard the Doctor.

"Well," Jones noted as he shut off the tricorder, "It seems my work here is done. Doctor, I leave the multiverse' worst patient in your hands."

Klarth was surprised by the tableau in front of him but he decided it was somewhat serendipitous "Mr. Jones, It's good that you're here. What I wanted to talk to the captain about was Elle and what it was like for the two of you to bear the weight of such a secret for so long, how long was it, exactly?"

"Could we discuss such matters at another time?" Devin hissed, "I am in some discomfort here. And in my underwear."

She glared over her knee, "So if you could kindly do something about the muscles that have seized up in my leg, Doctor...!"

"I will go get her pants," Jones murmured as he walked over to the dresser.

Klarth was knocked out of his previous thoughts "Of course. Sorry" Klarth came over and began massaging the leg muscling hoping that would relieve some of the tension. "Have you ever tried Klingon pressure point therapy? It would stop the pain but the drawback would be you wouldn't feel the leg at all. Or we could have S'Lace use some Vulcan techniques which could make you forget that you have legs."

"I just want it working again," Devin replied through gritted teeth.

"Has this happened before?" Jones inquired as he opened a drawer.

"No! But I haven't had six straight hours of sleep in...in..."

Devin paused and frowned, "I...honestly can't remember the last time I had six straight hours of sleep. It must be...years..."

Klarth continued to treat the leg and as he worked he said "Well, maybe you'll sleep better now that you no longer have to keep Elle a secret?"

"One would hope," Devin sighed as she felt the muscles slowly unclench. She was about to say more when a pair of trousers landed on her face.

"And...my work here is done," Jones replied, "I must return to the pub before daylight, else I shall turn into a barrel of stout."

As Jone departed Devin pulled the trousers off her face and closed her eyes.

"It...has not been easy, Doctor," she confessed, "The secrecy, the constant worry of discovery. And I am afraid I have traded in one set of problems for another."

She smiled, "Still, I cannot deny that-strained leg notwithstanding-six hours of sleep feels...wonderful..."

Klarth smiled and said "Yes well, the difference is that now you can have a real crew again.... You were forced to only keep senior officers for as short a time as possible so they didn't find out about Elle, weren't you?...That's no way to live. When Starfleet is your life, your crew is your family."

Devin's smile faded as she sat up. Tugging her pants on, she replied without looking at Klarth, "That is just a fantasy now, Doctor. This is my last trip. Once I get back I am going to be arrested and drummed out of Starfleet. I am no Janeway; I do not get to have all my sins washed away with some spectacular victorious return. I assaulted a fellow officer, inspired a mutiny, and now I am party to the theft of Starfleet property in avoidance of facing the charge of allowing an artificial intelligence to take residence in the ship's computer."

She looked up at him soberly, "On top of that I cannot afford to trust half the officers under me, I have a ship full of refugees from Gabriel Station who will no doubt resent me and..."

She sighed, "And I would love to skip this coming breakfast..."

"But Elle is clearly a new life-form," said Klarth. "Surely there will be those who applaud you for preserving such a life."

"Captain, can I tell you a story?" asked Klarth.

Devin was about to say something-

"It's an old Klingon story..."

She sighed and resigned herself to the tale.

"Once there was a young Klingon who dreamed of leaving home and going off to fight battles in far away places and bring glory to his family name. But then on the very day the young man was to enlist, his father had a sudden heart attack and it fell to the young man to continue the family business. And that is how it was for many years. And the business, though still struggling, had helped many people in the village. But the man did not see it that way; he thought his life was a failure since he never got to go and be a soldier. But then one night the man had a dream and a warrior spirit from Sto'Vo'Kor appeared to him and showed him his life and the many people in the village he had helped and what great warriors his children and their children would become.... I do not want you to be like this man who does not see all the good he has done. The Federation is lucky to have you and all the officers you've mentored will be like your children and will bring glory to the Federation for many generations."

"Do you just make up these stories, Klarth?" Devin inquired as she reached down for her boots, "Elle told me about the one you told her," she glanced up at him as she tugged a boot on, "I am well aware of my accomplishments, Doctor. I am also aware of reality and how it is going to come crashing down on my with the mass of a neutron star. And as loathe as I am to acknowledge it, Starfleet as a point. Elle possesses considerable firepower and it is my word alone that supports the claim she is not a threat to anyone. Me, the person who knocked out a man and stole his ship. I am hardly a credible character witness to even the most forgiving of judges."

Klarth got a twinkle in his eye and said "Make these stories up, they are traditional Klingon wisdom. This one is from Kapra himself."

Klarth frowned and said "Yes, I do not think that Elle appreciated the story I told her nor any of the advice I tried to share with her. She acted like a rebellious teenager. We need a way to send her to her room when she talks back to us."

She tugged on the other boot, "Please grab one of my canes from the bucket over there, would you? Any would do. It seems after years of using one as an affectation I may need one for real..."

Klarth looked for the most Klingon looking cane. Something that could double as a deadly weapon.

There was a cane with a handle shaped like some scaly lizard, it's thin tail wrapped half way down the shaft.

"Elle can be a pain," Devin conceded, "She is also terribly lonely. She only has had me and Jones to speak with and even then the protocols have been strict to the point of punitive. This is why she wrote the books, as an outlet. She told me her alter ego has friends."

She stood cautiously, "And what would you have me do, confine her yet further than she already is? Unable to move, unable to see outside except for when someone shows her, unable to defend herself unless under extreme conditions. You are a warrior as well as a healer, Klarth. Tell me that would not drive you the least bit mad."

Klarth said, "Yes, I am only beginning to understand what she had been going through and it really didn't help that we ended up getting into a pseudo father-daughter type fight....I should tell R'elle about it, she'd probably write a paper about it...Anyway, we can't forget, she is also, the ship's computer so we need her for all the everyday functioning of the ship."

"I am not certain if the counselor's motivations and yours align, Doctor," Devin noted, "Commander R'elle seemed most agitated by the dimensional jump. I can't help but wonder if any and all decisions she makes will be influenced more by fear than a desire to come to terms with a sentient being being responsible for the very air she breathes."

She shrugged, "I will meet you at breakfast in a bit, I have a few things I need to finish first, all right?"

Klarth understood he had been dismissed he started to leave and on his way out said "Good luck today Captain."

Devin nodded her thanks. As she glanced about she spotted her shirt and tunic on the chair...and Marta seated on them. She smiled as she limped over, reached down and was gratified with the cat's standing and butting her furry head into her palm.

"Wherever I am bound," she murmured, "I hope they allow cats..."

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