Insert wacky title "
By: James McIntyre , ACMO , [NPC]
Teilani Dane, Chief Medical Officer, [PC]

Stardate: 58206.17 1900

In her dimly lit office Teilani streched her legs, she was tired but she was not tired enough to go to sleep.

McIntyre awaited her answer....

"Dinner sounds great."

McIntyre nodded.

"If you do not mind I rather stay here, I need some peace and quiet now."

"Perhaps I could bring you something from the mess?"

"That be nice."

"What would you like?"

"Surprise me James."

McIntyre's lips curled with a develish smirk. "If you say so," he said with a nod, "back in a couple minutes," he said as he turned and left.

Fifteen minutes later he returned with two bowls. He set the dish before Dane. It was some sort of stew with a delicious smelling broth.

"Wow, that smells good," Teilani said as she pushed away some padds she had been reading. "What is it?"

"Its niltar," he said breaking a thick piece of toasted bread and dipping it in. "When I saw that Caitian in here, I remembered having this on Ferasa and it was really good."

She carefully tasted the broth and indeed it was good. "Jee its delicious!" Only now Teilani could feel how hungry she was. She licked her fingers as she finished the bowl in record time.

"So what happened in there?" he asked leaning forward with genuine interest.

"You want the long or the short version," Teilani replied as she moved away the empty bowl.

'Trick Question' thought McIntyre, "How about the medium version?" he said with a wink.

"No problem."

"Well when I fixed commander Wrights arm a few weeks ago I asked him about command training, how to fly a starship. Well we started out with some simply shuttle training. However, I neglected to tell that I already knew how to fly a shuttle.

Anyway we were doing quit nice when all over sudden the Holodeck program went berserk and Birkhoff popped up."

"The guy that took over the ship last month?"

"Yeah the same."

"Anyway the program changed and we ended up on a fishing boat on high sea, and apparently it was the same program which cost Commander Wright his arm.

"So you could have been killed?"

"Indeed, the safety protocols were off as well, it stormed and the little boat could take much, then we stumbled so to speak on an island, and we used the liferaft to get there."

McIntyre sipped his coffee, "I've always been squeamish about the holodeck ... and the transporter," he added, "I've heard of things going wrong, but this..." McIntyre shook his head. "I hope they get it fixed once and for all."

Teilani smiled. " Well they are not dangerous, its only when people tamper with them things can go wrong. The Holodeck is a nice way to relax and there are some good programs."

"If you are still hungry, I could have the replicator here try another batch of that stew."

" No no, it was delicious," Teilani replied. "It beat the coconuts and bananas."

He chuckled as he pushed his bowl forward.

"So how went things here while I was away?"

Looking around, he replied, "same-ol, same-ol."

McIntyre could see Dane wasn't herself, "Excuse me for being so forward, but, was it that scary in there.... or is something else bothering you" he asked with sympathetic eyes.

Teilani's look became serious. "James, have you ever had to lie against someone in order to protect yourself?"

McIntyre tightened his lips a moment as he thought of a safe reply, "what do you mean?"

"I lied at the Commander." she paused. "About the shuttle flight lessons."

He squinted slightly, "lied?"

"Oh I can fly a shuttle quit capable actually but I don't like it, bit of claustrophobia you see."

He smiled, "Ah.... I see. Its nothing to be ashamed of," he said, "after all... you're a doctor, not a pilot."

"Yeah I know but I asked them to teach me something about commanding a starship, but he thought I didn't know anything about flying at all."

McIntyre knew that Dane was studying to take the Maquis Officer's Exam. He smiled at the casual way Dane phrased it. She made it sound like an afternoon learning the riggings of a Bajoran solar sailing ship. After all, the exam was no minor undertaking. It involved months of study and training.

"Well did you tell him you knew how to fly?"

She shook her head, "Never got the chance, both he and Blitzer assumed I didn't knew anything.

"So why do you want to do this?"

"Well to keep the grey cells active, who is going to fly the ship if the command staff is incapacitated? Besides you never know if you need it right?"

He returned her comments with a smirkish grin. "I guess so."

"More coffee," asked McIntyre.

"Yeah and keep it coming. You know what time we will reach QT?"

McIntyre poured fresh brew into her cup: "No, but I've heard some of us are all getting some generous shoreleave. What are you going to do on yours?"

"I don't know, I think catching up on some medical reading, I heard that there is going to be a convention on the andorian endocrine system, so I might sign up for that."

"How about you?"

McIntyre leaned forward, "really..." he said reaching for his PADD. He shuffled through his notes, "I see that session is at the same time as the symposium I was going to attend at the convention, "Advanced Vulcan Techniques to Exo-pathical Stimulation of Neuro Engrams." He set the padd down. "I wouldn't miss that one for anything..." he sighed, "Sometimes I wish I *were* a vulcan," he confessed.

Teilani smiled. "You do? Why?"

"I've always wondered what it would be like to be able to meld one's mind with another."

Teilani grinned. "Better you then me, I have heard poeple say that it is a irry feeling. Vulcans are a peculiar race, I find it difficult to understand what they truly mean. I mean an expression on someones face tells a lot you see."

McIntyre chuckled, perhaps the Chief was getting tired. "Well, I think it is easier to tell what a vulcan is thinking by his facial expressions than say a...gorn or a horta" he said with a grin.

"Perhaps your right James," Teilani said as she stood up. "Do me favour can you take over my first shift for tomorrow? I actually want to sleep a bit longer."

James grinned. "Sure Chief, just come in when your up to it. We manage the store for you." He stood up and walked to the door. "Goodnight Doctor."

"Goodnight James,"

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