A Mighty Huntress

Posted on Fri 7th Oct, 2022 @ 4:46am by Lieutenant Kidan Mallaya DVM

1,715 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: The Hunted
Location: Lighthouse Vet Clinic
Timeline: MD 5, mid-afternoon

Watching the chef, Marin Holmes, clear away the last of the desserts she was leaving for the dinner crowd made Jenna want one, but she was strictly off sugar for the moment. Having observed the making, she knew just how much was in those desserts!

"So where are you going for the rest of the afternoon?" she asked.

Marin glanced up, wiping her hands on her apron before lifting it over he head and tossing it in the replicator. "I think it's time I found a roommate."

Jenna's jaw dropped. "A roommate? What for?"

The chef laughed, "Couldn't I just be ready to make a new friend?"

"Well, yeah, sure, but you don't have to live with her. You can have friends and privacy both."

"I was thinking more along the lines of someone who would need a little care, someone not independent," Marin said, digging her small purse out of a desk drawer and putting it over her head to hang at her side.

"A child? You're thinking of adopting a child?" Now Jenna really was surprised.

Again, Marin laughed, as she opened the employees back entrance to the Orchids & Jazz kitchen. "Not exactly," she said, letting the door swing closed behind her.

Smiling to herself, she walked down the hall and out the unobtrusive exit into the Promenade. Deck 600 was busy in the middle hours of the afternoon, and Marin turned toward the turbolift, strolling past high-priced store fronts. She'd done a little research on pet shops, and decided she wasn't looking for an expensive and rare breed of anything. She wanted a friend, someone who needed her and would love her unconditionally, but have a bit of independence, as well. Coming across an ad for the Lighthouse Veterinary Clinic, she'd decided to pay a visit and get some advice.

Stepping onto the lift, she gave the deck number and moved toward the back of the small crowd. Surely a vet would have knowledge of a rescue operation or something, she didn't know what, that would meet what she wanted to find. A walk down a moderately busy set of stores and other businesses mixed led Marin to the front of the Lighthouse Veterinary Clinic. She pushed open the door and entered a moderate-sized area.

The waiting room was empty, but it was furnished nicely enough to be comfortable. The walls were done in a pale seafoam green color, and the tiles on the floor were white with a subtle wave pattern in them. The desk was made of plas glass, and water filled it most of the way and an elaborate saltwater aquarium dwelt within. The top of the desk was opaque white with a middling height lighthouse on the left hand side.

A small display stood on the desk and read 'Dr. Kidan Mallaya. DVM. Please press button for assistance.'.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained, the chef thought and reached out to press the button, looking around as she waited. The watery-worlds look of the room was soothing, and she could almost feel her shoulders relax. The aquarium in the desk showed creativity, and a large variety of brightly-colored fish circled around areas of sunken ships, small grottos, and living plants. Maybe she should buy fish instead?

A glow kindled in the lighthouse when she pressed the button, and a slow pulsing light was seen flickering from an office. Kidan excited the office, settling his glasses on his face. "Good afternoon. How may I help?"

"I need some advice, and an actual veterinarian seemed like a good person to go to for it," Marin answered the attractive man, presuming he was the doctor. "I would like a pet, though I have little experience of such things. My requirements are some affection, some independence, some friendship. I don't want something rare or expensive. I guess I'm looking for company on a cold night and a little amusement, perhaps? Do you have a suggestion? Oh, and not too large. Civilian apartment, you understand."

He smiled sweetly as his eyes flickered over the words displaying on his glasses. "I may have just the thing for you. If you will accompany me." He gestured to the door that he intended to go to, and turned.

Without hesitating, Marin followed him through a door to a hallway behind. Not having had a pet before, she wasn't familiar with veterinary offices, but she supposed it would be a little like a private medical office, and the doors on either side of the hall were probably treatment rooms. She heard some animal voices toward the end of the path between the offices.

He led her down the hall, and opened a door that had a small anteroom behind it. Huge windows peered in on the kitten room where the babies he'd rescued previously now played. They were putting on weight and eating kitten food now at an astonishing rate. Each day they got groomed by him, handled and exposed to different things holo graphically so they could be well socialized.

"Oh, what do you have here?" Marin asked, surprised at the tiny furry beasts behind the windows. "Are they as fun-loving as they seem?"

"They range in temperament from placid to playful. They have all been bottle-fed by me and are becoming well socialized." Kidan smiled at the female, and gestured to the door. "Do you want to go in?"

"Yes?" she said, not entirely sure. "They are too tiny to hurt me, but is there an aggressive mother around? How large are they going to get?" She watched as the smallest one batted a paw at a fat, semi-aggressive sibling, then giggled a little as the larger cat shook its head and backed away.

"I like the spirit of the tiny one," she smiled up at the animal doctor.

"There is no mother, I rescued these from the wall next to a shop that sells crystals and various sundries. They were in quite sad shape, but food set them to rights soon enough. She is quite spirited, and loves to be stroked at her shoulders and under her chin. She will bite you if you stroke her tail, she does not like to have it touched."

"Got it," Marin said with a nod. "Let's go in, then, and see who wants to make friends." The vet opened the door and they entered the room, Marin going first. She walked closer to the raised area where the kittens were lounging, munching or playing. The smallest raised its head and gazed at her steadily, then rose and pranced toward her, intent on investigating something new. The others glanced at her casually, but couldn't be bothered to check her out.

Putting a hand out for the animal to sniff, Marin giggled when it ran a slightly rough tongue over her knuckles. "That sort of tickled!"

A rumbling chuckle erupted from the veterinarian and he gave the kitten a gentle scratch. "That is human food you are smelling, little one." He was clearly speaking to the cat, then he turned his eyes to the woman. "She likes how you smell. She wished to know if you also tasted of milk and herbs."

The kitten mewled and again a laugh, deeper and more wholehearted came from the tall man. "I suppose you will have to find that out for yourself, little one."

Marin laughed, "Well, some days, probably I do. I only hope she likes the herbs she finds! I think ... I think I'll take her!" she made a sudden decision. It's what she'd come for, after all. "Now I need to know what I don't know about caring for her, and that's everything. What do I need in the way of equipment? Medical care?" She continued to rub the kitten between the ears, as it seemed to like it. "Have you named it already?"

"As far as equipment, she will need a bed, toys, a scratching post or kitten tower, a collar and tags, and bowls for food and water. I have begun training her to excrete on the Recycler pad, and she is doing rather well in that training. You should not give her catnip until she's fully grown. Do you have any herbs growing in your home?"

Tiny paws kneaded her shoulder as Marin shook her head no and laughed. "I'm a great chef, but a lousy gardener. I can't even grow weeds!" She nuzzled the little living thing, hoping it would thrive with her. Surely it would? A moment's doubt crossed her mind. Maybe she should stick with things that didn't depend on her, but she shook off the thought and smiled at the man standing patiently beside her. "Okay, I'll take her. Get me all that stuff and courier it up to my quarters, please. I'll go straight home from here. I can take her now?"

"You may take her now. What color do you prefer for her supplies?" He walked to a cupboard on the wall, and opened it to pull out a feather toy. The feathers had little wisps of silver gilt in between them and he offered it to Marin. "This is her favorite toy."

"Oh, I didn't even think about that. Um, how about green, it's my favorite. Maybe it's hers, too. Thanks so much. Show me where to put my thumbprint, and tell me when to bring her back for whatever she needs ... well baby clinic?" Marin grinned at the vet, thrilled with her new pet.

"Green. Excellent." He tapped several buttons, to change the selections to a deep forest green. It was also his favorite color, though he was loathe to admit it. He offered her the bill of sale PADD and took it back once her print was upon it. "I shall set up an automated reminder in your PADD, for vaccinations and such things." he said smiling back at her. Her tiny kitten was quite taken with her choice of mistress, and she mewled whilst she crawled up her shirt to perch on her shoulder, all claws engaged to keep her seated on the fabric of the shirt. The ginger kitten began to chew a lock of her hair. Kidan snorted aloud, highly amused and bowed slightly to them both. "I think you will enjoy each other."

 

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