Where Do We Grow From Here?
Posted on Sat 14th Aug, 2021 @ 5:26am by Commander Paul Graves PsyD & Commander Mikaela Locke
834 words; about a 4 minute read
Mission:
Waging Peace
Location: Deck 600 - Orchids & Jazz
Timeline: MD:01 - 2010 hours.
previously...
"I'm glad you stayed," Paul said. "Not just because of us, but because of Horatio. I think he'd have appreciated that you stayed."
“I think so too,” Mikaela replied with a nod. “I think so too...”
and now...
Mikaela’s focus was suddenly drawn away from Paul and she surveyed the immediate area of the club around their booth.
“I think we should get some food,” she said, returning her attention to Graves. “I’m hungry.”
Paul laughed. "Good, so am I! Man does not live by sangria alone." He glanced about for Jenna and signaled to her that they were ready to order.
Jenna caught the signal and lifted her chin to indicate she'd be right there. She finished taking her current order and sent it back to the kitchen as she made her way back to the doctor and XO.
"What did you decide on this evening?" she asked pleasantly.
"The spinach and cheese ravioli for me, please," Mikaela responded without reference to the menu.
"And I'd like the eggplant lasagna with fresh peas and a loaded baked potato," Paul said.
"Excellent choices. I'll be back in about ten minutes with your meals," Jenna told them and walked away.
"I almost went for the lasagna," Mikaela said with a smile.
"I probably shouldn't have; I'll be dead-dog asleep for my midnight shift," Paul said, "but it's too good to resist." He sipped from his water glass. "So what was the most fun thing you did on your vacation?"
Things were quiet at the table, the two customers apparently listening to the The Dendrobians, Orchids & Jazz's own 6-piece jazz combo, featuring local musicians, as they played the introduction for Isadora Bee's opening number, a 1942 hit, Lover Man, Oh Where Can You Be? It seemed appropriate for the conversation Jenna had heard bits of when bringing the drinks to the table.
The server waved to Elijah to set the tray on her folding table, and he stepped back. "Two delicious meals delivered hot and ready to enjoy," she smiled at the two quiet people. She set their plates in front of them, and then asked, holding out a tall pepper grinder made of ebony wood from Earth, "Ground pepper?"
"A little bit, please," Paul said and leaned back slightly so Jenna could grind a dash of pepper onto his eggplant.
Sensing a tenseness at the table, Jenna casually asked, grinding the pepper for the doctor, "Did you know pepper was one of the oldest spices humans used? Somewhere around 3200 years of use on Earth, I believe. I don't know if it's true or not, but I read somewhere that 3000 pounds of black pepper was part of the ransom for the city of Rome when barbarians captured it in the 5th century AD. Of course," she grinned, pulling the pepper grinder back, "you may not be as big a history fan as I am and find that utterly boring."
"Really? That's fascinating," Paul said. "I knew salt and cinnamon could be worth their weight in gold at various times in Earth's history and on Betazed for salt, but I didn't know pepper was just as prized." He shot a mischievous glance at Mikaela. "I wonder how expensive chocolate was. I understand it wasn't common, either."
"Oh, I wondered that, too!" Jenna exclaimed, enthusiasm for food history taking over. "In fact, I hope to write a book about the history of foods, particularly spices and other substances like chocolate, someday. Just for my own pleasure, of course. I've never met anyone else who cared enough, until just now, to possibly read such a book! But chocolate is even older than pepper. It may predate it by as much as 1000 years, but 500 certainly. And most of the time, it wasn't mixed with sugar! I love my hot cocoa, but I can't imagine it without sugar!"
Paul made a face. "That does sound horrible. I had a bite of 90% dark chocolate once. One bite was enough. Until that moment, I had thought I would never meet chocolate I didn't like."
"I'll keep that in mind if I'm ever confronted with that choice," Jenna smiled. "Is there anything else I can get for you right now?"
Paul glanced across the table at Mikaela, who seemed to be absorbed in listening to the music, her mind a million kilometers away. "I can't think of anything, but I have very much enjoyed the conversa--"
His communicator beeped, and Paul tapped it. "Graves here."
He listened to the message and frowned. "I'll be right there." Paul looked back at the two women. "Mikaela, I've got an emergency in Counseling; I have to get up to Sickbay right away. If you want any of my lasagna, you're welcome to it. Serena, I'll have to leave this uneaten. I'll come back and get a fresh one later. Just put everything on my tab, please."
He leaned forward and kissed Mikaela, then hurried out of the restaurant.
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