First Days - Part 4
As he signed off on the yeoman's report, Sanek glanced at the forward view screen. It currently displayed tactical information, showing a galactic map with the Archimedes position on the left side. As he reviewed the data, he calculated that at their current speed of warp 6.25 they would reach the Afethirr Nebula in approximately seventy-six hours, twenty-three minutes.
Glancing at Lieutenant Commander Thryiss, he watched her scan her console for a moment. "Mr. Thryiss, status?" he queried.
"Cruising at warp 6.25... all systems green and functional," came her immediate response.
"Very well," Sanek replied. Sanek got up from his seat and began to move towards the turbolift at the rear of the bridge. "Mr. Thryiss, you have the conn."
"Aye sir, I have the Conn." Thyriss turned her chair and, getting up, moved towards the captain's seat and sat down. As Sanek entered the turbolift he saw Thryiss scanning the readouts on the arm of the chair... and then the doors hissed shut, cutting off his view.
"B Deck," he stated quickly, and the turbolift immediately began moving, the motion barely perceptible to Sanek as he waited. A few moments later the motion stopped and the doors hissed open, revealing the B Deck main corridor. Sanek stepped out and, turning left, made his way towards Medical.
As he walked down the corridor, he thought briefly on the current status of Lieutenant Vaareler. Her wounds from the Hobus survey mission had broken open again, in no small part due to her decision to continue working when she logically should be resting and allowing the wounds to heal. Sanek had been forced to order her to Medical where she would remain bedridden until Lieutenant Commander Solida cleared her for active duty. His intent was to check up on Vaareler and inquire as to her status from Solida.
He entered Medical a few moments later, noticing as he did so that aside from a single orderly, it was deserted. The ship was set for a standard galactic day on the clock and the current time was twenty-two hours and six minutes. Sanek continued through the front stations to the back area, where the main hospital section was. It was darkened in keeping with the standard clock, but even so Sanek discerned Solida standing next to the only occupied bed in the room, closely watching the set of monitors above it. As Sanek continued, she turned back to the bed and then noticed him approaching. Smiling, she gestured to him.
"Why, Captain Sanek," she said lightly. "What a pleasant surprise."
"Doctor," he responded as he reached the bed and glanced down at Vaareler. She lay there under the sheet, her eyes closed. "Her status?" he asked.
Solida watched Sanek for a few moments before glancing down at Vaareler herself. "She's doing well," she replied quietly. "She refused to sleep, so I had to give her a mild sedative so that she could get some rest." She looked back up at Sanek. "You Vulcans are a hard headed lot, you know," she said with a knowing smile.
Sanek looked up at Solida before continuing. "Hard headed?" he queried. "I am unfamiliar with that phrase."
Solida looked at him for a moment before she burst out in quiet laughter. "Never mind," she said, still chuckling.
"How soon will she be able to resume her duties?" Sanek asked.
Her smile fading slightly, Solida glanced up at the monitors again. "If she obeys the doctor's orders, in a day or so," she said sternly. "If not, then it will be longer." She looked back at Sanek with an indecipherable expression on her face. "Perhaps if you ordered her again..." she left it hanging.
"That is unnecessary," Sanek stated. "She is aware of the needs of the ship, and of her responsibilities."
"Right," Solida said. "'The needs of the many...'", she quoted sardonically, but with a grin.
Sanek raised his right eyebrow before replying. "Humor," he said. "You are... teasing... me, as it is known, correct?"
Solida smiled broadly. "Yes, Captain," she replied, stepping around the bed and taking his arm. "I'm teasing you." She began walking away from Vaareler towards the door to the front section. Sanek turned and followed suit, allowing her to gently pull him as they walked. Just before they reached the door, Solida stopped and turned to face Sanek.
"Sanek," she sighed, dropping her hand from his arm. "Why do you close yourself to me?"
Her blunt question took Sanek off guard for a moment. "I do not understand your query, Solida," he stated.
She lowered her head slightly and playfully glared at him. "You know what I mean, Sanek," she said quietly. "You seem to forget sometimes that I can sense your emotions. All your training in logic can't remove them... no matter how hard some of you try."
"Ahh," Sanek replied. "You assume that I hide emotions from you specifically?"
"Yes, Sanek," she replied with a smile. "Or you try to, at any rate."
"That would be an illogical assumption," Sanek stated. "To suggest that I am reticent to only you is incongruous."
"Really," Solida said with playful sarcasm. "My, how inane of me."
Sanek raised his right eyebrow again. "It appears as if my training in logic offends you," Sanek observed. "I can not apologize."
Solida tilted her head, raising an eyebrow of her own. "You can't, huh," she said. "Well... I forgive you." Her smile broadened.
"You are teasing me again," Sanek observed.
"Yes, Sanek, I am teasing you," Solida said quietly, and leaned forward, taking Sanek's face in her hands. Looking up at him with a slight smile for a moment, she suddenly kissed him briefly... a small kiss, lip to lip. As she moved back she looked deep in Sanek's eyes for a moment. "I can wait as long as I need to, Captain," she said softly. She then turned and left, walking out of Medical and into the corridor, where she disappeared around the corner.
Sanek stood for a moment in the dim light, watching her go. Briefly he reconsidered his decision to recruit Solida as the ship's doctor. For one of the first times in his life he struggled with an emotional response for a brief moment... and then calmed himself.
"Intriguing," he said quietly, and turning, he left Medical for the bridge.