Back to what we do.

Posted on Fri Jan 6th, 2023 @ 4:01pm by Lieutenant Commander Rick Gibbs & Lieutenant Commander Robert Hendon & Captain Karyn Somers

Mission: Shore Leave
Location: Mess hall.
Timeline: A few days before feast.

[ON]

- Mess hall -

Robert gave a loud yawn and scratched his chest. With the R&R ending, the crew were beginning to return to the Leto. Hendon had to cut his early when the wife of one of the crew. Had developed a severe allergic reaction to some pears. She had consumed it on a picnic. It seemed she forgot how real the caretaker and his people were. Could make things. For some reason, her husband had demanded Robert sort her out and not the caretaker.

“Italian coffee Hendon blend file ZCH168.” He said as the drink appeared he heard voices behind him.

Entering the Mess hall Karyn went to the replicator "tea standard two sweeteners milk and hot" she said and while she waited she looked up and smiled "hello Commander Hendon, you are well?" She asked pausing only to look down at the replicator and pick up her ordered drink.

Rick was a little bored, but then again it was shore leave at the moment. Everyone is off doing their own thing. Most or at least a lot of them off with family or groups of friends. Giving a bit of a glance as he came in and bypassing the replicator for the moment. There was a second glance at who it was there and still continued by for now.

With only a brief look back "Hello Lieutenant Gibbs, what is it like Post Omicron for you?" she asked turning to face the Lieutenant.

He heard and knew that voice, he also knew that firey red hair and piercing emerald eyes as well. Taking a breath a moment, before turning to stop and look at her. "Me?" Rick questioned. "I don't know it, oddly enough didn't bug me at all. I don't have much because it was just another day. At least given things I've been through."

Robert nodded towards the two fellow Letonians. As he took a sip of his drink.

“ Just what the doctor ordered. As my mother used to say. There is nothing more pleasurable than a good hot drink. How are you two doing?” Hendon asked.

"Oh I am just smarting from fighting those ^%$%^ playing cards, I thought I was going to get a paper cut, well a lot of them" she added with a wan smile, how Kirk managed to deal with those people beyond me, shame my imagination did not conjure up a hot looking woman to tide me over till we were returned to the ship, but my mind was in pragmatic mode and was wondering what my Sister would see had she been here, as she has a traumatic history," Karyn said.

Rick gave a shrug, repeating what he'd previously said to Karyn when she asked the same question. Looking to Karyn actually, "I wasn't aware you were into women." His next look noted that there was nothing wrong with that. "It just depends on the person I'm sure. I made sure not to conjure up anything, though maybe it was just being that focused on the task at hand and having no time to let my mind wander."

"It's a good thing those playing cards were not like the last ones we encountered. At least they were not dipped in any anticoagulants. Some of the crew nearly died from cuts from the small ones. It makes me shiver to think about what the larger ones could have done to us. If they had been dipped in anything.While we were on the planet though. Did any of you smell anything odd?" Robert asked

"All I could smell was the odour of those cards gave off, to be honest, my mind was not in the zone to conjure up anything" Somers answered "yes, I had a bad experience in my late teenage years, I do not talk about it, but the event put me off men" Somers added looking at Gibbs.

" I am sorry to hear that. But the smell those cards gave off. Was probably down to your mind being subjected to stimulus. Even though you did not sense conjuring up anything. Using odours they tried to trick you into doing so. For me, it was fried onions. They wanted me to conjure up my mother. a very formidable woman. Who could twist an ear until it bled." Robert said.

Looking aghast "Sounds painful," Karyn said and took a sip of her drink as the group sat in the nearest seats, "still, I am looking forward to some downtime, I had been chatting back and forth over subspace with this young lady and she will be visiting the Starbase when we dock" Somers added.

Hendon nodded.

“ I hope you have time to meet her. As you know I am not one of those Chief Medical Officers who likes to lay the law down. But I hope you have booked some time with…..Lt.Raal. We have all been through a rather mind-taxing time.” Robert said.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Somers. Whatever it was that happened." Rick frowned a little, leaving that topic she mentioned alone. "As for the odour, I don't know that I really smelled anything." A pause a moment, "Well that will be nice for you to get to meet her." Giving a shake of his head towards Robert, "No, I haven't really bothered."

“Mental as well as physical health is very important. The muscles need something they control them. The last thing you need is mental fatigue. I once knew a marine major who never saw a counsellor. She went missing for a few days. They found her giggling in a corner stark naked.” Robert warned.

"That doesn't sound particularly enticing..." Rick said.

" Stress is the problem you see. It creeps up on you. From the lowly Ensign to blood and guts storming Marine. It's not a sign of weakness. The mind is a funny thing. For some reason, during the mission, I kept smelling fried onions. My childhood home in Cambridge used to smell them on a Friday. My mother used to make a big family dinner. Her cooking always started with frying onions for the base. If only she had appeared. She could have battled off those attackers single-handed." Hendon said

"At the moment I am just happy to be able to decompress, my nerves are as thin as those playing cards that attacked us were" she laughed lightly at that as she took a drink of her beverage and then looked up "a Marine Major giggling stark naked in a corner, must have been a sight!" Karyn commented dryly.

"I understand the idea you are getting at, Doctor. I'm not going to disagree with it either. There are people who feel differently about going. I myself, don't particularly care one way or another. I'm not afraid of it, or medical doctors at all. Some people are. I don't know why, but they are." Rick paused just a moment, "Other than maybe bad experiences." Looking to Karyn, refraining from commenting.

" I believe it's all down to the bad press some doctors have caused. Look at the history of Earth in the late 15th century. Medicine in those days was well into its early days. The bubonic plague killed a large part of the population. The doctors wore beak-like masks and capes. which made them look like birds. Hence the nickname quacks." Robert said.

"There is that as well." Rick nodded.

" This is why I try to be open with people. I know how some CMOs can be pushy and overstep the ' can take anyone off duty ' thing. But not me. Treat everyone how you would like to be treated, that's my rule. I wonder what our new mission will be?" Robert wondered aloud.

Listening to both "luckily I have managed to escape PTSD from frontline duties, personal life not so much, but I compartmentalize Personal experiences from my duty so I am unaffected, however, my Sister and Cousin have not escaped mental anguish, but then they have been in Starfleet and on the front lines longer than myself" Karyn added.

Family. Roberts was on Earth visiting family.

" My family have gone to Earth to see family. I thought it would help the kids to be normal for a while. Plus with both our large families, it would give Alice a break. Is anyone helping your family? " Robert asked

"I suppose that my age, even if I'm slightly young by my species standards helps a bit with mental fortitude. I guess?" Rick gave a little shrug, then leaned back a little so as to not interrupt.

Robert took a sip of coffee and made a face.

" This is getting cold anyone wants a refill?" Hendon asked.

Karyn shook her head "No thank you, I am good" she said.

[OFF]


Lieutenant Rick Gibbs
Assistant Chief Tactical/Security Officer
USS Leto

&

Lieutenant Commander Dr Robert Hendon
Chief Medical Officer
USS Leto

Marine Captain Karyn Somers
Marine Commanding Officer
USS Leto