round 21 LtCmdr Jalana Laxyn & Ensign Nyals - Most awkward pair

[Selene Faranfey]

(( Sick Bay, USS Apollo - A ))

:: Jalana leaned back in the seat in her office. She was catching up with paperwork that had piled up while she had served as First Officer. While the EMH had been in charge of Sick Bay, she still wanted to know what had happened, not to forget messages from the outside that had come in and news in the medical field. But after such a long time reading she had to rest her eyes and raised her hands to rub over them and massaging her temples. ::

:: For a moment the Trill closed her eyes. She still had not heard from Viktor and was getting really worried, wondering what kept him. She really needed to keep her mind busy so they would stop wandering to the worst case scenarios her brain tortured her with. Sighing she opened her eyes and looked at her screen. Nyals. The message he had sent her was highlighted on her screen, so she would remember that she needed to answer him. ::

:: Shaking her head Jalana raised her hand to tap her badge. ::

Laxyn: .oO Let’s get this over with Oo. =/\= Laxyn to Nyals. =/\=

:: After he and Sherana planted his Rub'ratya Aristo, Nyals went to gym near his quarters on deck 4 to stretch. He checked the size of Gymnasium and figured there cannot be so many people using it. Nyals replicated both German and Cyr Wheels and after he changed into Leotard and stirrup pants, he started assembling them. Just when he was done with a puzzle of German Wheel and moved to assembling Cyr wheel, his commbadge whistled. Nyals got up from the floor and moved to answer. ::

Nyals: =/\= Ensign Nyals, how can I be of assistance. =/\= :: He responded in calm even voice, though he was pretty annoyed by the call in time he wanted to play. ::

:: A little piece of her had hoped that he was not on board, but she was not that lucky. So she really had to go through with that. She hoped deeply that he did not want to talk with her about this stupid incident. ::

Laxyn: =/\= You sent me a message about wishing to talk with me. I would have time now. =/\=

Nyals: =/\= Now, as right now, Sir? =/\=

Laxyn: =/\= Yes, now. Of course if you don’t have time… =/\= .oO Don’t have time, don’t have time Oo.

Nyals: =/\= No, I just planned to exercise I absolutely do have time. =/\= :: He hoped she need him for just a moment and he will be able to return to his workouts soon. Nyals did not exercise since he left Academy almost a month ago and he knew it would bear badly on his performance. He was a gymnast and was supposed to exercise regularly. ::

Laxyn: .oO Darn Oo. =/\= Good, then meet me in my office in Sick Bay =/\=

Nyals: =/\= On my way, Sir. Nyals out. =/\=

:: The line closed and Jalana sighed as she dropped against the backrest of her chair. No turning back now. .oO Really, stop behaving like a child. You are a grown woman and are able to talk to other people. Get it together, woman. Oo. Sadly the mental finger wag did not work all too well and she raised from her chair and stepped to the replicator. ::

Laxyn: Jestral Tea, hot. Slightly sweetened.

:: The blue light began to form and soon embraced a cup of steaming tea. The scent of it floated into her nose and she sighed relishing it. Her father had introduced her to the tea from Betazed and since then she always drank it to calm her nerves. She took the cup and raised it to her lips for a sip and the warmth began to fill her. ::

:: Nyals attached a commbadge to his chest and moved to the nearest turbolift. He was happy how good he was in going into right direction on the parts of the decks he knew, like the deck 4 with his quarters and the deck 13 with his ward on the right from turbolift and Medical Bay on the left. He passed through the center of the main part of the bay and chimed at the CMO’s Office door. ::

Nyals: Commander!

:: Hearing the voice behind her she almost dropped the cup but caught herself just in time. To spill only a little of the tea over her shirt. She still did not wear her uniform as she was not officially on duty. Turning she looked at the giant of a man, who only was topped by Tal’s height if she wasn’t completely wrong. She offered him a slightly nervous smile, hoping it looked not as bad as it felt, then her eyes dropped to what he was wearing and she raised one hand to her mouth, covering it, but not able to hide the snorting sound.::

Laxyn: Don’t tell me ::snickers:: that is all that is left :: chuckles:: after I ruined your robe.

Nyals: What? No! :: He was so used to these clothes, Nyals never before felt wrong wearing it. Even during Academy, he was changing in his quarters and walking through the campus to Gym. :: Beg your pardon? :: Still very calm. :: oO Those spots are mesmerizing, especially those on her forehead. Oo

:: She had to put the cup to the side and out of her hands because she could not hold it back any longer and began to laugh. She knew that this was probably a bad thing to do, but he looked too funny in this leotard and those leggings. Usually she was not one to judge anyone by what they were wearing but she could not help but laugh and laugh. Pressing her hand on her belly she tried to stop it, covering her mouth to press it back but nothing helped. Her face was tomato red by now as she tried to speak. ::

Laxyn: I hahaha am soohohoho sohohohohorry.

:: Nyals looked down. He was aware how ridiculous his clothes must look here in the sickbay. He was feeling… insulted? Nyals was breathing deeply as he taught Williams to do. ::

Nyals: You do not look sorry, you seem pretty amused, SIR. :: It was not so loud as it was firm. Nyals was trying to reach his inner calm, but even when he closed his eyes and tried to concentrate it was impossible to get rid of a picture of Doctor holding her belly laughing… laughing at him. If he was naked, he would be just naked. From her reaction, this was worse. ::

Laxyn: ::chuckling:: What do you want me to do? Cry? ::She cleared her throat, trying to focus on not laughing but it was not easy. The whole stress she had been through for months, ever since looking up that rifle on Izar, seemed to become cracks, just in the worst moment.:: So… what is that get up for?

Nyals: I am a gymnast; I was getting ready for exercise when you called me. :: He coughed preparing to continue. :: Gymnastics is good for whole body; developing strength, balance and flexibility. It helps developing healthy lifestyle and prevents numerous health ailments. ::sigh:: It should also raise the self-esteem, though sometimes may drop IT, too. oO I am not a clown. However, from her reaction it looks like I am. Oo

Laxyn: ::Her laughter had stopped by now and she listened fascinated.:: Really, a Gymnast? I always thought that those are small.

Nyals: I was Academy champion in Cyr Wheel. :: He pouted looking up to avoid her gaze. :: I am equally good in German Wheel, but there were better than me in that discipline.

Laxyn: That is quite impressive. I mean that.

Nyals: You sounded as it is emergency, Sir. :: He finally nailed that light in his chest and started to calm crazy beating of his heart. :: I regard my job seriously, Sir.

Laxyn: I could say the same. You sent the note that you wanted to speak with me. So.. ::She gestured towards the seat in front of the table. :: .. what can I do for you?

Nyals: I wanted to talk to you, to see what makes you tick and how you think. You are my direct superior and we are going to work closely together. :: He had to stop and breathe deep again few times before he could proceed. :: We obviously did not start well; I thought talking might change that. :: He stood straight and rigid, still looking up and avoiding her gaze. ::

:: She took the saucer with her teacup and headed to the desk, noticing that he had not looked at her, so he hadn’t seen the gesture. Placing the tea on the desk she sat down in her seat and leaned back. ::

Laxyn: Please, sit down. I wouldn’t want to get a stiff neck. ::smiling::

Nyals: Yes Sir. ::He sat as ordered. ::

Laxyn: ::Watching him, though avoiding his eyes and thought about his request. And he was right, that they really did have a weird start, one she would want to forget about, even though she had not been responsible for how she reacted to that gas.:: Well the first thing you should know about me is that I am not very formal, despite my rank and position.

Nyals: Yes Sir. oO Can you see me, really see me, Lieutenant Commander? No woman ever touched me the way you did in the turbolift. She is engaged, I must not think like that. I cannot tell her what I feel... how I feel. Oo

Laxyn: That means I prefer to be simply called Jalana, especially in Sick Bay but also generally. We are colleagues at first, the rank is just some extra metal. That whole ‘Sir’ thing makes me feel incredibly old.

Nyals: Yes… :: Cringe :: Jalana. Ma’am, I wanted to ask you, how old are you. :: Nyals cringed again, but it was impossible to retract the words. ::

Laxyn: ::smiling:: If you are relating to Trills being ‘older’ than they look… No, I am not joined at this point, so I am the age you see in front of you, 30 Earth years.

Nyals: Do you plan to join? Do you have a wish? oO Am I too direct, will she notice? Oo

Laxyn: Yes, I have a remote Mentor. She was on the Apollo before, but got transferred, we keep in touch though and continue the mentorship until the commission is satisfied with her reports.

Nyals: It is good to know.

Laxyn: Well, what is it you want to know, Nyals?

Nyals: You are joking a lot. :: He was badly out of tact, but she was making him nervous. ::

:: The Trill tilted her head slightly and couldn’t help but smirk. He was direct and blunt, she did not mind at all. ::

Laxyn: I take my job serious, while I am not by the book. I know when to be sober, well as we just have seen not always but mostly, but I like to take everything with a good portion of humour. Anything else?

Nyals: Are you in a hurry? oO I cannot lie. I must tell her. Oo

Laxyn: No, why are you asking?

Nyals: You are trying to end this conversation and it is making me nervous. oO Because I do not want to talk, but feel good close to you, cannot you notice that? I am intoxicated with her, what is wrong with me? Oo

Laxyn: I’m not trying that..

Nyals: “Anything else?” as the end of the sentence or response sounds same as “dismissed”.

Laxyn: Then you are mishearing. I merely asked if you want to know anything else, nothing else. :: He seemed to be satisfied with the answer, because he went right on in the conversation. ::

Nyals: Let us talk about serious things first? I have a few questions about the reports. :: He paused. :: Do you believe that as counselor I have a right to keep some information out of the reports? oO Those spots at the edge of her hairline are so kissable. I want to kiss her there. Oo

:: She blinked slightly, placing her hands in each other as she curiously looked at the man before her. ::

Laxyn: What do you mean?

Nyals: Do you expect me to report everything to you or maybe you prefer to do not know? Sometimes Officers tell counselor things that may be very personal and told to explain some reaction, but may be understood wrong if were taken out of context of the whole picture. Do I have to include it all in my reports? oO Like my juvenile record... Oo

Laxyn: You are the Counselor. I am not reading your counseling files and I will read a report only if you mark it as having importance to my job. Some CMOs might do that, but I believe in the confidence between Doctor and patient.. that also goes for Counselor and their clients. I do suggest to file in your report as detailed as possible without breaking that confidentiality unless it is important that the Leadership has to know. For example if it influences their ability to do their duty or are a danger to the ship, that is something at least the CO would have to know.

:: He went right on to the next question and she wondered if he was just nervous or trying to get a feel for what was okay. Since he was new, she thought that both could be a factor in that. ::

Nyals: Since my job is round the clock. It is not something I will never change. If anyone needs me I am available. Do you expect me to be in my office at some exact times or it is fine with you that I am commbadge away at all times?

:: Jalana was pretty surprised about that question. She never had a Counselor ask her these things so she was caught a little off guard. He possibly just wanted to make sure that he did not step on her toes or something like that, since it was his first position as Counselor and he was new to the whole process.::

Laxyn: You do your job the way it works for you.

Nyals: I understand that crew evaluations must be done seriously, with some ugly questions. I will always perform them in my office. :: He sighed. :: Do you expect me to perform all Counseling sessions in my office or other parts of the ward?

Laxyn: Your position is not confined to your office, just as mine is not confined to Sick Bay. If someone needs my help they need the help, same goes for you.

Nyals: Do you accept meditation and hypnosis as acceptable counseling techniques?

:: His lack of reaction to her answers and jumping from question to question amused her but she tried to keep that to herself, so he would not think that she would laugh at him - again. But it reminded her so much of herself when she had just come aboard the Apollo. She had been thrown right into action because the CMO back then had been on an away mission, but after Sidney had been back Jalana could almost not stop asking questions. She smiled gently and leaned forward. ::

Laxyn: Nyals. You are the counselor, not me. I might be the Chief Medical Officer but I will not interfere into your job or tell you how to do it.

Nyals: I must thank you for your understanding, Sir. oO I must ask her. I should tell her. Oo This is personal question, but do mind that I will ask it officially sooner or later, but right now you don’t have to answer it. I have heard that you are engaged with a member of the crew who is often leaving on the missions for Starfleet Intelligence. How do you cope with it?

:: After being all business she had not expected that question. Especially now that she actually wanted to not think about Viktor still not being back. She looked down to her engagement ring, took a breath and shook her head a little. ::

Laxyn: Viktor has not left for Intelligence once since we are together. The only time he had to leave was for personal reasons. There is not much to cope but missing him, thankfully there are subspace messages and such.

Nyals: Do you have children or any other dependent? Do you plan to bring anyone aboard now that we have ship with civilian contingent?

Laxyn: ::Laughing slightly:: No. I do not have children or anyone else that would depend on me apart from my patients. And we already had civilians before on the Apollo. ::She thought about what she had just said and added with another shake of her head.:: But of course you cannot know that since you have never been on it.

Nyals: Thank you, I truly appreciate your answers. Do you have questions for me, S..:: cough :: Jalana?

Laxyn: Since you know these things about me now… do you have family? Like a girlfriend, wife.. boyfriend, husband?

Nyals: No family, but I have a dependent.

Laxyn: And will they join us here?

Nyals: I hope I will be allowed to bring somebody aboard.

Laxyn: ::raising her brows:: Oh really? So, who is it?

Nyals: Dosea Hosie. We lived in same orphanage… she is like a sister to me.

Laxyn: So you are close with her? ::She had not seen him show much expression of emotion since he was on board so it made her smile to think that he might have this other side they had not seen yet. ::

Nyals: oO Am I imagining this? Was that question sounding a bit jealous? It is just my wish. Oo I have not seen her for several years before meeting her on the party at the Academy campus. :: He cringed thinking of the day. :: She was drunk, drugged and was looking for customers. Yes, “that” meaning of customers.

:: Jalana had of course heard enough and was old enough to know what he was talking about and she could imagine that it was not easy for him to see someone in that position that was like a sister to him. She decided to not ask more about her, at least not for now. ::

Laxyn: Well I do hope I’ll get to meet her. ::Leaning back again.:: Tell me about P’Jem, please. You mentioned it during Dial’s party.

Nyals: Well. :: He was not sure how much he was ready to tell her. :: I had trouble adapting to life in orphanage. Master Fabol knew me from before; when he offered to take me to P’Jem, government officials decided it is best for everyone.

Laxyn: I am curious what would bring you to live that big part of your life there and how this experience has been for you.

Nyals: At the start it was hard. :: Hard was understatement, but Nyals was ashamed of that time and did not want to talk about it. :: With time, I got used to order.

:: Jalana watched the man before her and had the feeling that there was something he did not want to say. She was tempted to ask about it, but on the other hand it was not her business. Maybe he would tell her one day when they knew each other better after some time to work together, but right now she was almost a stranger to him, so she understood. There were things she did not talk about either. ::

Laxyn: You mentioned that this Master Fabol knew you from before. Before the orphanage?

Nyals: My… well mother probably, left me at the door of the Fana Monastery in the woods of the northern Dalar. Master Fabol was visiting the monastery often. I lived there until I was old enough for school. They were not suited to raise a child and I was like a wild animal.

:: Now that was interesting. A wild animal? Jalana could hardly imagine him as such and was curious about what that actually meant. But he seemed uncomfortable talking about all this. .oO Maybe later, when we know each other better Oo. Again she left the topic and steered towards a question that sounded safer for Nyals. ::

Laxyn: P’Jem is Vulcan if I’m not all wrong about it. Does that mean you follow the Vulcan philosophy?

Nyals: My emotions were tamed; I mastered emotion suppression techniques needed to control my body and mind. oO Though it may fail sometimes. That is it, sensory failure. When she touched me, she caused disbalance. It caused my unusual body reactions when I am near her and that is why I have a need to stay close. I enjoy emotions I did not feel before. Oo

Laxyn: Is that difficult? From your file I saw that you are Betazoid, that is quite .. different from Vulcan. Or didn’t you have much background in your Betazoid roots before going there?

Nyals: It was… I did not… :: He was on a slippery ground. :: I remember my life in the woods. I remember Fana Priests fighting and me learning to follow them. I remember arrival to the city and the walls surrounding me, which were choking. I remember running away from it, but I could not escape. My first travel in the ship was shocking experience... :: He suddenly stopped talking. All the memories, together with her presence were too much. Sensory overload made him holding to the chair so tight his fingers hurt. However, his face kept calm as the night. ::

:: Her eyes dropped to his hands, seeing his knuckles turn white and she knew that his face was only a facade. She apparently did hit a bad spot there and looked up to his eyes again and softened her voice. ::

Laxyn: I apologize if that is too personal, I do not wish to intrude in your privacy.

Nyals: Commander. :: He practically whispered it. :: It is too late. :: He opened to her as he never opened to anyone and while he wanted it, it scared him. Nyals was confused, he felt so much at the same time he could not control it. He knew his control was failing him. ::

Laxyn: ::She was not sure what he was referring to and quietly asked:: Too late for what, Nyals?

Nyals: There is no easy way to say that. There is no proper way to say it either. Just straight to the point.

Laxyn: ::Her confusion only grew. It seemed like he was in his own little bubble that she did not have access too. She resisted the urge to furrow her brows. :: Say what?

Nyals: I have a crush on you. :: He watched her with eyes wide... scared. He was scared from the words he just uttered. ::

:: That she had not expected and her eyes grew almost as wide as his. Did she hear him correctly? Did he say a crush? Her mouth opened but what was she going to say? Thank you? Oh? Why?... No, nothing came out, she just looked at him, not even able to whisper a word in her surprise. ::

Nyals: No woman ever touched me the way you did. It caused sensory failure and when you are close I cannot concentrate and my heart is beating fast and… :: Nyals jumped from the chair and vanished from her office and from sickbay before she could even inhale to say something. ::

:: Jalana was stunned and speechless. Her mouth remained empty of words as he suddenly jumped up like stung by a bee and literally ran out of Sick Bay, followed only by her eyes. What had he said? Sensory failure.. was that what had happened when she had been under the influence of the gas? They would have to work together! It took her several moments before she finally found her voice and only one word left mirroring her confusion and surprise. ::

Laxyn: What?

:: Nyals was running through the ship. It was late evening and good for him was that only few engineers from the yards were still working on the ship. He entered the opened shaft to Jefferies tube and crawled through it until reached junction, then chose the way up and then crawled and climbed, until he reached Deck 4. After some walk, he reached gym where he left his wheels and when assembled both he exercised and exercised. Nyals knew he could not continue when he grips the wheel so lousy it twisted his hand until he felt a crack of the ruptured ligaments. Nyals did not care. Pain was familiar feeling, one he could control. ::

---

Lieutenant Commander Jalana Laxyn

Chief Medical Officer / Second Officer

USS Apollo-A

&

Ensign Nyals

Counselor

USS Apollo-A