Sweet Dreams

Posted on Fri Mar 29th, 2019 @ 1:40am by Lieutenant Commander Carolyn Corrigan MD

863 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Episode 97 - Cultural Exchange
Location: USS Sutherland
Timeline: MD5 1930 hours

Enjoying the momentary silence and solitude, Doctor Corrigan knew it could not last forever. Even retreating back to her own assigned quarters aboard the Sutherland made little differnce. The solitude lasted eight minutes and seventeen seconds.

"If this isn't a medical emergency, I may kill you," she commented as she opened the door, turning and walking towards the couch without another word.

Standing in the threshold, Doctor Adams was undeterred. Holding up a bag he moved inside, "I brought food. Italian... all the way from a very authentic street vendor on Cardassia. He was Klingon but his Italian was perfect. Didn't even use a translator."

"You don't speak Italian so how do you know?"

"Just a feeling I got," he grinned. "Hungry? Good food will help you sleep."

"Being left alone would help that too."

"Fair point," he admitted, begining to unpack the food on the dining table. The smell was enough to tempt her. Producing a bottle of red wine from the back with an overdramatic flourish he paused, staring at her for a long moment before asking, "is that my Rolling Stones t-shirt?"

"Nope," she lied, sliding into a chair and stealing a bite of garlic bread.

"Interesting," he mused, sitting down opposite.

"We had to pack in a hurry, I grabbed the first things I found. This just happened to be one of those things," she shrugged.

"Hey, if you wanna wear my clothes to bed, I have zero objections," he grinned, pouring some wine. "Looks better on you anyway."

"Obviously."

He full on laughed at that, shaking his head. "Same old, same old... Look, I hope you know I didn't plan on being here. You asked for space and I had every intention of giving you all the time in the world. But then Langdon had a full on tantrum, wanting his main researchers on this trip. We didn't get a choice."

"It's okay. I didn't plan on being here either. And you helped us out today. I mean you were a little rusty with the bedside manner -"

"Hey, I was charming," Adams protested. "I have no idea why that nurse slapped me!"

"Maybe because you asked her wife out for dinner?"

"Ohhhh..." he frowned, shaking his head. "That explains it. Although it means I get to have dinner with you instead before I have to give a lecture tomorrow morning."

"On?" Carolyn prompted, taking a bite from the most amazing carbonara she had ever tasted. Perhaps another visit to the planet wouldn't be a bad idea. And he was right, she was already feeling better.

"Effective triage in the field," he cited, putting on a far more sophisticated voice. "I expect a few differing points of view!"

"I'd be disappointed if there wasn't, because it means they wont be listening," she pointed out. "This food is amazing, by the way."

"Told ya," he smiled, clearly pleased with himself. "Only the best. And you've had a tough couple of days. Sorry I can't stick around and help aboard the Pegasus."

"The outbreak is under control, all but a handful of patients are now back in quarters for bedrest. It will be fine. At least on a starship we have the benefit of an EMH. Besides, you didn't need to come aboard at all."

"I may be a little rusty, but I'm not gonna sit and drink a few beers when we had that going on," he told her with a dismissive shrug, raising his glass, "and its been a while since we worked together. Was kind of fun. To old times."

"To old times," she agreed, raising her own glass. The fell into a comfortable silence, eating. It really was like old times. Which wasn't always a good thing. Plate still half full she flashed him an apologetic smile as she stood, "delicous but enough for an army."

Taking her glass with her she moved back to the couch, curling up in the corner as she set her glass on the coffee table. "You could always go back to real medicine," she suggested, returning to the earlier conversation.

"And miss out on Professor Langdon reminding us daily of how brilliant he is?" Adams grinned, taking another bite out of his meal as he mulled over the idea, "besides, I am so close to finishing my research programme. Maybe when it is done. Plus, with this much Irish charm and rugged handsomeness, it would be unfair to distract my colleagues like that. I mean, I only have so many Rolling Stones t-shirts...."

He expected a comeback of some sort and when it didn't come he glanced over his shoulder, shaking his head. "Still got it," he sighed as he set down his fork.

Quietly clearing up what was left of dinner he made a brief detour to grab a blanket. As he drapped it over her she slept on and he couldn't help but smile. Definately like old times. Leaning over he kissed her forehead, "Sweet dreams CC."

Heading out he paused, using the control panel to dim the lights, remembering how she hated the dark. And with one last glance over his shoulder he was gone.

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