Doctors Do Lunch

Posted on Mon 11th Nov, 2019 @ 2:55pm by Lieutenant Commander Lanis Dhuro MD
Edited on on Thu 14th Nov, 2019 @ 1:49am

1,197 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Resolution
Location: Deck 83: Sickbay & Deck 1554: The Rock Bridge Inn
Timeline: MD 1, 1145 hours

"Dr. Kyra?" Lanis said to the green-skinned physician who had recently joined the infirmary staff, "I wondered if I could interest you in lunch today or some other day? I really don't know you too well, and I'd like to amend that, if possible."

He had come across the Vinvocci physician on his way out of the surgical practice holo-chamber, where he'd spent much of the morning training surgical residents.

Kriathiana Kyra stopped and turned as the Bajoran chief of surgery spoke to her. She hadn't particularly been paying attention to who had been around her as she made her way back towards the main sickbay offices. The vast majority of the faces on the medical staff were still new to her and she knew even fewer names. As such, she tended to walk around in a bit an isolated bubble - acknowledging people who spoke to her, but otherwise keeping pretty much to herself.

"Of course, sir," she replied, recognising this particular interlocutor by face and, of course, by his rank pips, but otherwise drawing a blank. "That would be great," she said eagerly. "As it happens I'm free this lunchtime... but only if that works for you," she added quickly, trying not to seem over keen.

"I'd be delighted," Lanis said. "Pick someplace where you'd like to eat, and we can go whenever you're ready. I'm quite easy to please; I'll eat anything that doesn't try to eat me first."

“Um...” Kyra paused, clearly taken aback that her opinion on dining establishments was being sought. “I’m fairly... easy to...” she managed to stammer. “When it comes to food,” she added quickly and meekly, for fear of misinterpretation. “Although...” she continued, quietly, “I... do enjoy fish... sir.”

"Fish and I are old acquaintances," Lanis said. He pulled a mini-PADD from his coat pocket. "Let's see where they might serve that on this station. Hm ... Here are a couple of places--Cap'n Kirk's Lobster Shack and Edmund Fitzgerald's on Deck 1550. There's also the Rock Bridge Inn on Deck 1554. Why don't you have a look at their menus, and let me know what appeals to you?"

Kyra took the PADD from Lanis and quickly scrolled through the menus that he had pulled up. "All of them look lovely," she replied, but, sensing that Lanis was encouraging her to make the final decision, added, "Perhaps ‘The Rock Bridge Inn’? Unlimited chips is always a bonus."

Lanis laughed. "Sounds good to me! Are you ready to go now, or do you need to wait a bit?"

“Now is good,” Kyra replied with a smile, handing back the PADD as they began to walk towards the turbolift.

A little over half an hour later, the two doctors were sat in ‘The Rock Bridge Inn’, devouring three different varieties of fish from the buffet and far more chips than was good for either of them.

“...And then,” Kyra laughed, barely able to finish the story, “The Klingon head-butted him so hard, it knocked him out!”

Lanis laughed, as well. "Klingon. Figures! And I thought only Cardassians could be that hard-headed. So what happened next?"

“I don’t know,” Kyra replied with an embarrassed smile. “I’m a bit ashamed to admit it, but I just left him there! He never bothered me again though.”

"That is excellent," Lanis said, still laughing. "He deserved what he got. And good for that Klingon. Did you ever meet the Klingon again?"

“On and off for my last year at the Academy. We were on different tracks, but, you know, I’d see him around campus. He’d always say... Well, he’d always greet me. At least,” she paused to think, and absent-mindedly stuffed a chip in her mouth. “At least, I presume it was greeting - sometimes, with Klingon, you just can’t tell.”

"I hadn't met too many Klingons before coming to 109," Lanis said as he dipped a piece of fried shrimp into some hot sauce and ate it. "There used to be one who was a Marine fighter pilot--and now we have a Klingon ambassador and his staff. I will be interested to see what Klingon diplomacy looks like. I suspect it might consist of, 'The best diplomat is a well-sharpened bat'leth.' Though, considering he was attacked on his way to the base, that might be a wise thing."

“Indeed,” Kyra replied, “Most Klingons I’ve met tend to swing first and ask questions later.” She ate another couple of chips. “That ambassador,” she said, curious, “Did he make it?”

"He made it," Lanis said. "Considering his ship was attacked by three ships, it's a miracle he survived. I'm relieved. Klingons make terrible patients."

"You'll get no argument from me on that one," Kyra replied. "But that is good to hear. So," she continued lightly, feeling the sudden need to change the subject before they got bogged down talking 'shop', "How long have you been on the station?"

"This is my second stint on 109, actually," Lanis said. "I was stationed here as part of my residency during the Dominion War. After that ended I spent time on ships for a while before returning here. I've been here for about three years now. If this goes on for much longer, I'll have to put down roots."

"Wow," Kyra replied, helping herself to more chips. "This is my first assignment out of the Academy. At the moment it's really hard for me to imagine staying in one place for that long."

"I figure I'll go home to Bajor when I retire," Lanis said. He speared another piece of shrimp with his fork, dipped it into his hot sauce, and winced as his eyes watered a bit. He cleared his throat. "I didn't think humans could make a sauce this hot. So where are you from? Is Vinvocci the name of your planet or just the name of your people?"

“Generally we refer to our planet as Ch’Ka,” Kyra explained. “The closest translation is probably ‘The Home Place’ or ‘The Place of Dwelling,’” she continued. “The concept of home is very important to our people. Most Vinvocci will never leave their village, let alone leave the planet and join an organisation like Starfleet.”

"Just as the Besm named their planet Home," Lanis said. he grinned. "Beats naming your planet after dirt."

Kyra laughed. "I know, right?" she said. "I've never understood that!" She glanced up the at chronometer on the wall. "Wow," she said, "Look at the time, I probably ought to be getting back to sickbay."

"You and me both," Lanis agreed as he too clanced at the clock. He tapped the table to see the bill and pay it. "I enjoyed the chance to get to know you a little better. Perhaps we can eat lunch together again, sometime?"

Kyra smiled. Like most of her species, she had always naturally been somewhat introverted, which often led to difficulty making friends, but with Doctor Dhuro, she had been very comfortable. Perhaps a genuine opportunity at friendship had presented itself without her needing to look too far for it. "I think I would like that very much," she replied.

 

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