Three Men, a Baby and a Jazz Club

Posted on Sun 24th Feb, 2013 @ 7:07am by Lieutenant Thomas Jorrel & Ensign Sean Warren & Petty Officer 1st Class Dae Bhen
Edited on on Sun 24th Feb, 2013 @ 7:08am

2,110 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: http://sb109.sim-station.net/index.php/sim/missions/id/3
Location: Orchids & Jazz, Deck 400
Timeline: MD 04 1220

After scooting the high chair within easy reach, Bhen sat and looked at the menu. Much to his relief it mostly appeared to be sandwiches, which he could handle. He knew how to deal with sandwiches. Even in fancy places. Tomas Waren looked around as Jade walked away, going to attend other customers no doubt.

"Well, now maybe you can pull your tongue back into your mouth and talk to us," Warren said, chuckling as Jorrel turned to him - both glaring and blushing. "Think about it, Thom, guy like you, gal like her - no chance in a theological place of eternal punishment."

"What? No," Jorrel said, "It's not like that. I mean...she's gorgeous. Like...do they still talk about angels on Earth?"

"Angels?" Bhen asked, frowning as he looked between the two.

"They'd be like servants of the Prophets. Or maybe minor Prophets, if your religion has such a thing."

Bhen shrugged, "I don't think so. We have the Kai and there are the Tears but...the Prophets are the Prophets."

Jorrel shook his head. "No, they were messengers and guardians and servants of various deities in Earth's history. Said to be so unbelievably beautiful that some were struck blind from their beauty. I know she's not but, seriously Warren, have you ever seen anyone so beautiful? Bhen?"

"Yes," Bhen said, shrugging as a smile lit his face. "Then the Prophets blessed me and I married her. Then she gave me this wonderful, beautiful son."

"Well, apparently someone's a new father after twelve hours of sleep," Warren said, punching Bhen in the shoulder to show he was joking. "Jorrel, she's beautiful, yes, but really? Angels? When did you start to get so poetical?"

Jorrel shrugged, blushing again as he looked away from the two of them and noticing the beautiful but not as beautiful as the owner waitress coming with a tray of drinks. He waited until she set them down and Warren told her they weren't ready to order yet. With a smile, she said she'd come back in a few minutes. Tomas Waren seemed content with his bottle for the moment.

"Having fun today?" Jorrel asked, by way of changing the subject immediately. "I hope so, there's a lot of work ahead of us. Not only do I have to start getting to know the other department heads but there's organizing all the data and getting to know it, to understand it and be able to speak smartly about it. Warren, you're going to work primarily StratOps helping me with that. Bajor, I want you in tactical. I'm not sure how the staff's been trained when it comes to defense of the station, but I want to make sure they understand zone defense."

"Sir," Bhen said by way of acknowledgement. Warren grunted a reply as he looked over the menu, knowing what he'd be ordering for the table.

"Sometime today I got to tour the Renown. Apparently some 'genius' Fleeter decided to leave a warship in repair for more than a decade. Possibly longer with the Indie, that's an oberth class and -"

"Whoa! Wait a minute, back up. Why are you worried about fixing these ships? Isn't that the job of Ops or Engineering or dockhands? Somebody else."

Jorrel shrugged, "Orders from the Colonel. I'm supposed to-"

"Okay, stop again. Back up further. Colonel?"

"Yeah," Jorrel answered, "Colonel Drake's commander of this station."

"Colonel? As in a Marine Colonel? As in, we've been sent to a Marine station?"

Jorrel shrugged. "Seems like it. First officer, second officer, CoB, all Marine officers."

"No, hold on! We get sent to a Marine station why the hell am I still wearing a goldshirt?" Warren asked. He glanced at Bhen who seemed to be wondering the same thing.

"Orders," Jorrel said as if that was all that mattered. "We've not been released from our loan to Starfleet yet - far as I know. Maybe we will but the orders just haven't been sent yet."

Warren shook his head. "Back the ships."

"Well, the Renown is tasked to Tactical, apparently its orders are to provide station security as well as sector escort."

Warren drained half his beer in one gulp while holding up a finger. Setting the glass down he glared at Jorrel. "Let me get this straight. You get the fancy gold pip on the collar, you get the nice big, way to much room for one person quarters and you get a ship?"

Jorrel nodded as his face split in a large, excited grin. "Appears that way, yep."

"Oh, boy," Warren said, "I've no idea how you're ever going to have to good's night sleep ever again! I want a ship!"

Jorrel was about to answer when the server returned.

"Have you decided what sounds best?" Jenna asked. "I highly recommend each and every thing on the menu. I've eaten everything we make, and there's nothing that isn't made from the freshest ingredients available. There's also the day's special, if you'd like to hear about it." Though she spoke with animation and was sincere in each thing she said, her eyes were on the baby. He was tapping his bottle softly on the tray, and then he looked up at her and smiled a huge, toothless grin. Her heart just melted and, right that minute, she fell in love for the first time ever.

"The baked chicken for these two," Warren said, knowing that'll be typically something served at more formal dinners and so a good thing to start getting used to. Plus, half a chicken should hold down appetites of both men for a few hours at least. "Lasagna for me, and another beer if you don't mind?"

"Ice tea also?" Jorrel asked, finding the Original Coca Cola sweet - which he liked - but it had another taste that he wasn't so sure he liked. He wanted to keep trying it, because it was a 'house drink' and he liked the owner of the house, but he also needed something refreshing as well.

Bhen noticed the server staring at his child and tried to put a stop to the banging. "Sorry ma'am, I'll pay for any damage he might do to your equipment."

For the moment, Jenna forgot about her duties as a server. The little man seemed to be slobbering an awful lot for his age. "Oh, no. He can't hurt anything on the chair. After all, it's made for babies," she said absently. "I was just wondering, though ..." she leaned a little closer and was sure she saw a tiny white speck on the baby's lower gum. " ... I think all this drooling means he's teething. Has he been grumpy? Fretful? Having a hard time sleeping? Maybe some ... other unusual developments?"

"Teething?" Bhen asked, scooting closer, suddenly crestfallen. "Oh, no, Bre's gonna kill me! First he rolls over after we depart and now he's teething and she's missing all of it? I'm a dead man! Dead. Oh man!"

Warren rolled his eyes while Jorrel chuckled. "Y'know, Bajor, I really think Bre won't mind missing this part of it. Though," he shrugged, having had a little experience with babies because of nieces and nephews, "I guess that would explain why he's suddenly so cranky and upset all the time. Teething is not a good time for babies."

"But she's missing everything!" Bhen said, looking at the server for confirmation. "Women like this kind of stuff don't they? They get into packs and they talk about this stuff and they help each other out and...I'm a dead man. Next he's going to be walking and she'll have missed first steps and running ... and first words! Oh man! She misses first words not even the Prophets will save me from that!"

Jenna laughed. "Somehow, I don't think this Bre person is going to kill you. But, yeah, women like to swap stories and solutions. I'll bring back a little something that might help when I get your drink refills. 2 baked chicken and one lasagna coming up shortly." She was still chuckling as she went toward the stairs. Imagine them not realizing the baby was teething.

"Teething?" Bhen asked, sighing. "I'm never gonna get any sleep now. I remember when my sister went through this. It carried on forever!"

"Yeah, somehow I think he'll survive, and so will you," Jorrel said. "I'm sure he's not the first Bajoran child to go through this. I'm sure he won't be the last."

"I know," Bhen said, "and it's good to know what's going on that's upsetting him so much. This is going to be so much easier once he starts talking."

"Careful what you wish for," Jorrel said, "Warren's mother said the same thing, then she regretted that wish for the last twenty some odd years."

Warren rolled his eyes. "Your mother is still waiting for you to say something worth hearing," he muttered back. He too was glad that there was an actual reason for the baby's behavior. He hated to think the child was just...cranky. "However, can we get back to this ship?"

"Better," Jorrel said, "I'm taking a tour of it later, to begin seeing where to begin repairing it. I know it's not as fun as exploring the Promenade but, if you guys wanted to come along. After all, I expect you'll want to serve as part of the crew?"

Warren raised his glass in a salute to that. "You better believe it."

"I'll probably bow out for today," Bhen said, "I still need to find child care for Tomas Waren and don't think a mothballed ship is the best place for a baby."

Jorrel and Warren exchanged a glance, with Jorrel shrugging. Bhen had a point. If there was a way to have someone watch the baby, then it would be a different story, but absent that, Jorrel didn't want to risk Tomas's health by taking him on a ship he didn't know anything about. "Maybe if we ask around, someone can help you out with that? I'm sure there's several child care centers on the station. With the amount of crew alone there would be lots of children that need minding. Maybe Miss Lantz would know the best place?"

He wondered about talking to the owner again. Somehow the idea had merit.

Jenna came back with their drinks. Around her little finger, she had hung a small rubbery ring. After she set the glasses down, she handed the ring to the baby, and watched it go straight in his mouth. In the silly voice people used with babies, she said, "Yes, you're a smart boy, aren't you? Yes, you are. You know what that's for. Yes, you do, you little cutie."

She looked at his father and explained in a normal tone of voice. "That's a teething ring. I imagine parents have had something for babies to chew on for thousands of years, ever since there were babies." She grinned. "This one is soft and filled with a non-toxic gel which stays cold. When he gums it, the cold soothes the gum where the teeth are erupting. It won't be long, and they'll be through. Then your life will improve."

Jenna glanced at the baby, happily chewing on the ring, then back at the men. "I'll be right back up with your meals."

"Wait, excuse me, miss," Bhen said as he stood, trying to get her attention. "I was wondering who takes care of your children while you're at work?"

"My -" Jenna started, surprised, then realized what the Bajoran was really asking. "I don't have any children. However, a good friend of mine takes hers to the Tender Tots Day Care Center on Deck 575. If you like, I can ask around about others. Oh, and there's a civilian, Melanie Hasset, who will babysit if you have a special need, even over night. She's the wife of our chef, Douglas Hasset."

"You don't have children?" Bhen asked, "but you have a favorite high chair and recognized he's teething when I didn't have a clue?"

Jorrel pulled out his PADD, having known Bhen long enough, he knew what would be coming. Security checks on both Tender Tots and Melanie Hasset. Bhen had a problem leaving his child with his friends he'd need lots of reassurance that these other people checked out.

Jenna grinned as she turned back toward the stairs. "Nieces, nephews, sister ... and I'm a very observant woman."

 

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