Politeness

Posted on Wed May 12th, 2021 @ 5:07am by Commodore Ledeya ‘Ed’ Ehestri (*) & Lieutenant Junior Grade Lakeland Smith

Mission: Cosmos
Location: USS Cosmos
Timeline: 2396
2049 words - 4.1 OF Standard Post Measure

Ledeya was trying to meditate, mediation helped her mind not wander at much as it did when she was on a restrictive dose of the dampener. With the ships supply being used to help the crew who had contracted the mutated flu she could afford to miss a dose to ease the pressure as she had been on such a high dose of it since Starbase 718 but it left her mental barrier fragile and it need of some TLC to assist in keeping her equilibrium.

The steady beating of drums and the darkness of the room allowed her to relax and think about herself and what she needed to do to help her crew below as the situation was becoming dire. She was monitoring the situation from her quarters due to the quarantine situation aboard the ship where they were trying to limit movement other than on shift. She opened her eyes as she heard a polite cough coming from the doorway.

"Sorry," Lake said sheepishly. "I didn't realize you'd be busy." He'd been released from sickbay and had immediately gone looking for her but was surprised by her surroundings. At first he thought perhaps she had a headache but that certainly didn't fit in with the drums he was now hearing in the music. "Everything all right?" He asked cautiously, unsure if he should fully step into the room or not.

"I am fine. I am on a lowered dose of the Betavarix as the ship cannot keep up with the demand with the mutation. I am trying to focus on what the night will bring as the Hippolyte and Seacole will arrive in the next six hours. The darkness helps with the headache and the betazoid drums are a unique beat for telepaths." She admitted with a smile noticing how tired he looked. Sickbay was unlikely to have been a place to rest at the moment she surmised. The drumming most likely made no sense to him but there some something to her.

"Ah, you doing okay then?" Lake asked, knowing how much she was uncomfortable with her abilities. "Do you mind if I stay here?" He asked, stepping the rest of the way into the room.

"Best I can be at the moment." Ledeya knew he would know she was struggling after being on such a high dose for so long but she was trying to not be a martyr. Starfleet did not need any of those, nor did her crew want her to suffer. "I would like that if you stayed. How are you?" She wondered changing the subject.

"Feeling much better," he answered. "I don't think I'll be reading your thoughts again anytime soon though I don't think that was such a bad thing if it would have just been you." He put a pillow on the floor and sat down next to her. "Men need all the help they can get about understanding women," he joked. "But what about you? How can I help?"

Ledeya looked at the man and smiled. He stood beside her in the tough times, instead of trying to protect her. It made her vulnerable in a way she had never expected to feel. Masculinity did not need to be toxic at all. “I hate when you turn things back on me.” She said smiling just a little more before she sighed. She could not hide anything from him. “I am okay. I just need a few moments to re center. It is hard to explain but I feel echo-y on a lower dose.” She muses trying to best describe it.

"Good, good." He wasn't quite sure what she meant by her comment though so he let it go. "I know you don't like feeling like this but I want you to know I'm not afraid of that part of your abilities. I've seen you lit objects with your mind so a little bit less control doesn't bother me." She'd had very little reason to trust him that day in quarantine and hadn't tried to harm him. "Have you ever considered cutting back a bit and seeing what happened? Learning to control it?"

"It is part of my commission that I have to maintain a certain medication level and I lower it and every time this happens. I am damaged." Ledeya revealed quietly looking at her hands with a shrug. It was not something she could change and she really had tried in the last twenty years. He was trying so hard to get under her skin and succeeding easily.

He raised his eyebrows at this. "You're not damaged. Different maybe, but how do either of us know that you aren't just the next step in your people's evolutionary process? But anyway . . . probably not the time or the place to argue about it," he chuckled at his response, there had been anger there. Not directed at her, but at society for deciding who she should be and making her believe it. "Feel good enough to have dinner with me? We can dine in quarters if you want."

Ledeya paused and looked at the man and shook her head. He was being sweet but her condition was caused by her people's final defence of their planet when all else was nearly lost. If the occupation had not ended when it had, it would have cost millions more of their lives. "I would like to stay here.... quartine procedures mean the mess hall is closed." The woman reminded.

"This is true," he snapped his fingers. "Dinner for just the two of us it is then. And we have this romantic serenade going on," Lake chuckled. "Want anything in particular? A traditional Betazoid dish you have a hankering for? Italian food? Klingon Gagh that's no longer wiggling? Because I can't stand to eat something that's not dead."

"Computer end music," Ledeya said slowly rising from where she was sat and picked up the candle she had moving it from the sideboard of her bedroom to the table in the living area. "Now it can be romantic until we are interrupted by the arrival of the Hippolyte and Seacole." She teased thinking about what she was in the mood for. "Chinese food." She finally decided. "Maybe I need to change." She added looking down at her shorts and vest top. She had half been considering bed.

"Pfft, why? I'm not wearing anything special." Lake was simply dressed in civilian lounge clothing from his trip to sickbay. Chinese food it is. Have a seat. We'll make a picnic out of it." He hurried off to the replicator to get dinner and a few other things he thought he might need if they were going to really make this a picnic. In a way, it reminded him of their time in quarantine and somehow that excited him.

"Can you order me some pawn crackers as well." She called as if he would not have already added that to the list.

"Sure, " Lake answered her, popping back into her view only to smile at her. He let out a bit of a sigh and tried to focus on what he was doing. Minutes later he was coming back to her with a tray of food and a blanket thrown over one shoulder. "Hold this please. " he said while he unrolled the blanket and threw it out on the floor. then he grabbed a pillow, took the tray back, setting it in the blanket and offering Ledeya his hand to help her down.

Ledeya grinned and flopped down on the floor with his help with her back against the sofa looking at the flame on the sideboard pretty much one of the few sources of light in the darkened quarters. “Well this look very good.” She mused taking in the selection as she popped a pawn cracker in her mouth.

"Not that I want anyone to suffer, but it's kinda nice that something like this is going on because it gives us the excuse to spend the evening together. We always seem to be pretty busy otherwise." Lake commented. "May I ask you something Ledeya?"

“Sure.” The woman looked at the man and indicated for him to talk. Did he not have free reign to talk whenever he wanted in her quarters?

"Did you ever see yourself falling in love? Or did your dreams always revolve around your career in Starfleet?" He asked, taking a bite and chewing it thoughtfully while he watched her.

"What a unique question," Ledeya commented on picking up a spring roll looking at it thoughtfully as he looked at her. "I guess I did not see myself falling in love. Dating is not something a Captain thinks on especially about my career route." She admitted with a bit of a shrug. Emotions were not always her strongest point.

"That," he pointed to her. "Is what I Thought. Just curious," he shook his head as if it didn't matter. "I always thought I'd settle down somehow. Even in the stars. Funny how life sort of throws things at us that make us change our perspective." Lake shrugged. "I imagined I'd find someone right out of the academy, like they would just be waiting right at the door when I got my first assignment. Silly."

“The only person who came close it’s now our chief medical officer.” The Commodore always spoke fondly of the blue man. He had been the person who had shown her that deep down she did have emotions and she didn’t need to be afraid of them, for that should forever be thankful even if things romantically hadn’t worked out.

Lake smiled, "What about that man in the turbolift? What was his name?" He was teasing her, he knew he shouldn't but it was hard to resist. "I am going to marry you someday, just you wait and see."

"Ah, the Bolian." Ledeya did not blush but she did roll her eyes. "What can I say I am attracted to the colour blue." She said teasing him back just a little before looking at him in a way that was unsure. She was pretty sure he was determined that was going to happen but the woman was unsure if she would make anyone a good wife.

"Apparently! Good thing I have blue eyes." Setting down his fork he smiled at her. "What about dessert? Something with chocolate?" He was already moving to get up and seemed to have a lot of energy, possibly from being in sickbay for a while.

Ledeya did not argue about dessert at all. “Chocolate is always choice.” She conceded with a laugh. It was a good choice in her opinion. “Though suggesting chocolate to a Betazoid is an interesting way of...” Ledeya was interrupted bu the announcement that the Hippolyte and Seacole had been detected on long range scanners.

"I guess that means no dessert," Lake said with a smile inwardly cursing the announcement as things could have taken a turn for the romantic just then.

“Afraid so.” Ledeya murmured standing up quickly acknowledging the announcement. She might not be able to hear or feel his emotions but she could see it in his mannerism. “We have an hour but I need to get showered and changed. They have only just come into long range scans.” She stroked his cheek adding stimulants to her list of things to do before the ships arrived to assist.

"So . . . Feel like sharing the shower?" He asked hopefully.

Ledeya raised an eyebrow at the man. “What has gotten into you?” Ledeya wondered. He was acting a lot more romantic and forward than normal.

He blinked. "Nothing . . . . just thought maybe . . . . your touch meant something more? But I guess, never mind. Go take your shower, I'm going to go get some sleep because sleeping in sickbay is nearly impossible. I'll just see you sometime later."

Ledeya did not have time to argue but she pulled him down to her and kissed softly. "Get some sleep. I will be back hopefully." She murmured confused by him but said nothing more. She had no time to discuss but they were going to talk about it all later, once the cure have been found and everyone was back from the surface.