Out of Sickbay and On the Couch, Part I

Posted on Mon 22nd Feb, 2021 @ 3:04pm by Lieutenant Commander Dallas Briggs & Lieutenant Commander Kiara Lena

1,209 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Business Not At All As Usual
Location: Kiara's Quarters on the IKS Amar
Timeline: MD 2, 1820 hours

After leaving sickbay, Kiara found her assigned quarters with little trouble and that only because her Klingon was merely adequate. Or it may have been that her thoughts were still on Dallas.

It all happened so fast: the rescue, seeing Dallas. And most of all, hearing him tell her he loved her. Her room was larger than she expected. It must be their version of a VIP area. She would thank Krell for it tomorrow. Right now, she had other priorities.

She put her PADD and tricorder on a table and stripped off her clothes and dumped them in the waste receptacle. Her shoes as well. The only thing she wanted from her stay on the planet was the data she'd collected for her trip and the data she'd scanned in on the planet. There was no reason not to pass that information on to Starfleet--as long as they knew about the predators. It might even be a god place for a colony someday.

She took a long, hot shower, washing herself three times just to make sure she was clean, then wrapped herself in a towel and padded to the bedroom in search of something to wear. Someone--probably one of the nurses--had left her nightgown and clothes for tomorrow. On the floor by her bed were a pair of shoes, all in her size. "Thank goodness." She would have slept regardless, but it was nice knowing she didn't have to worry about any visitors checking up on her tomorrow. There was even a comb, which she used to carefully de-tangle her hair. On the planet she'd left it loose or pulled it into a ponytail.

Finally satisfied, she climbed between the sheets. But she couldn't sleep. She kept thinking of Dallas and wishing he were there beside her, holding her. She knew he still needed to get better--and that still worried her--but she'd missed him so much over the past weeks, and now they were both on the same ship. She sighed and went to get her PADD and tricorder. Maybe if she went over information on the treaty, she was supposed to negotiate she could get her mind of Dallas long enough to sleep.

It worked, but not for hours. When she finally woke, someone had left fruit and muffins on a table. Definitely not one of the Klingons. She would have to say thank you when she went to sickbay.

She ate a muffin, relishing the taste, then showered again, still not feeling clean. After, she'd get dressed she'd see how Dallas was doing.

====

The Doctor had taken a look at Dallas and all his wounds on the outside were completely healed, but on the inside the wounds had to heal in time. He would not be allowed back to active duty for about two weeks. For now, the Doctor restricted him to quarters until he returned to SB 109. He was set up in what the Klngons said were VIP quarters, which hardly came close to that description. The Nurse would have to escort him there to make sure that he would make it there.

Dallas stood and glanced over at the nurse, "I'm ready to go when you are."

She looked up from entering data into a PADD. "I'll be right with you." She finished the entry and set the PADD down. "All right, Commander Briggs," she said, coming over to him. "Just remember you're restricted to light activities. No work for two weeks and you're to stay in your quarters unless you wish to go to the mess for dinner."

She held out an arm. "I'll escort you to make sure you get there okay."

Feeling more like an infant than anything else, Dallas reluctantly took her arm. "You know I can walk okay."

"Yes, and you'll walk just fine until you stumble and hurt yourself," she said. "And that's why you will continue to hold my arm until you enter your quarters. After that, you won't be my responsibility--as long as you follow the rules and don't try to do too much too fast."

"Yes mother," Dallas teased, "I will behave myself and just lounge around bad best I can on a Klingon ship." He thought for a second. He decided that he would contact Odell and have the Amar continue on to the peace talks while they try to break the encryption on the assassin's computer. They were over half way there anyway and in just over a day they could be there and by that time they might have answers for the Ambassadors.

Kiara opened the door to her quarters to see how Dallas was doing. She wasn't sure if the nurse would let her see him, but it would be much easier to ask in person than to be put off over comms. She stepped into the corridor...and saw Dallas walking with the nurse.

Dallas saw Kiara come out of her room, "How about if we let Commander Lena take charge of my health, she does out rank me by time in grade so she can order me to stay in bed or in my quarters." Dallas thought it was a good idea of course after all he was biased.

The nurse scowled. But before she could comment, Kiara said, "I will not let him overtax himself. I have a personal interest in ensuring he regains his health."

This last caused the nurse to smile. "Okay. Maybe he'll behave you better than he behaved me." She waited just long enough for Kiara to take Dallas' arm and went back to sickbay.

Kiara hesitated. "I'm not sure where your quarters are."

Dallas squeezed her hand with his other hand, "My quarters is just up here." He pointed to a door just down the corridor from hers. They reached the door and Dallas opened it, then they stepped in. He turned on the light and looked around, "Well, Klingons don't really believe in comfort or amenities. I'm not too sure how I will be comfortable on that bed. It looks as hard as stone."

"Mine's not so bad," she said. "Maybe my quarters were designed for soft, squishy dignitaries." She went over and tested his bed. "And yours weren't. I could find some blankets to help it be more comfortable if you wish."

"Then maybe you should confine me to your quarters." Dallas grinned. "After all, I wouldn't want to go against the Doctor's orders." He added.

The idea of having Dallas in her quarters--even if she slept on the couch--was intoxicating. "You would be more comfortable..." She didn't argue with herself very long. She grinned back. "What do you need from here?"

"Just you." He smiled back and offered her his arm. He didn't want to step out in the corridor without relying on Kiara for support. Just his luck the Nurse would be there waiting to see if he was behaving.

She took his arm. "You have me," she said softly, walking with him to her own quarters.

Inside she noticed that not only was the bed more comfortable, there were a couple of decorative pillows on the couch. She led him over to it and waited for him to sit down before sitting next to him. "What happened?"

 

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