All you need is triple chocolate fudge cake

Posted on Tue Jan 28th, 2020 @ 1:30pm by Ensign Aria Davis & Lieutenant Commander Ariana Monroe-Wayne

1,186 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Episode 103 - In The Darkest Days...
Location: Promenade
Timeline: MD1 1500 hours

Nursing what little remained of her double expresso, Doctor Aria Davis was in her own little bubble. So much so that - at first - she hadn’t realised anyone had been talking to her. Instead her attention was on the newly released edition of the Journal of Medicine. Specifically on the second in a series of articles around trauma medicine and the impact on front line staff.

It was eye opening and refreshing in its honesty. A rarity in the ‘patient comes first’ culture. And a lot of that pressure was, the writer concluded, pressure they put on themselves and other doctors to be perfect.

Maybe, she mused, she should leave a copy on Dr Mendez’ desk as a subtle hint.

Before she could explore the idea further she jumped as someone said her name, the person standing right beside her. “Counsellor Monroe! I am so sorry, I didn’t see you.”

"That's okay" Ariana smiled warmly as she looked at Aria. "I was just wondering how you're getting on, are you settling in okay?"

“Yes. Kind of, I suppose. I haven’t killed a patient yet that is a definite bonus. But on the flip side my replicator will currently only provide me with pancakes drowning in syrup. I’m in a queue for an engineer. They have bigger problems. How are you?” The young doctor blurred out in one breath.

"I'm fine" Ariana grinned. "Would you like me to look at that replicator for you? Ops was one of my other majors at the Academy so I know what I'm doing." She smiled warmly. "All depends on whether you want to risk it though."

“You did? You would?!” Aria asked, smiling broadly. “That would be amazing, thank you! Please sit, let me get you something to eat or something first.”

Ariana grinned as she took a seat. "Something chocolate would go down a treat right now please!"

Aria smiled as she activated the menu by touching a silver logo engraved in the centre of the table. She scrolled through the holographic displays before grinning, “how does a triple chocolate fudge cake sound?”

"Seriously scrumptious!!" Ariana grinned. "I shouldn't but right now some indulgence is allowed. Chocolate is seriously my weakness."

“I’m not supposed to eat it at all,” the younger woman confided, “but a little bit will be fine.”

With that decided she ordered two desserts which arrived just a few minutes later. “Wow,” Aria breathes as she stared at it.

"Don't just stare at it." Ariana grinned. "Let's get stuck in!" Ariana spooned herself some chocolate fudge cake before closing her eyes in delight as she savoured it. "Mmmm now that...is heaven!!"

Aria grinned as she took a bite, “oh wow... this should have a health warning it is so good!”

"Agreed but who cares!!!" Ariana sighed as she spooned another mouthful and ate it. The taste and texture was sheer heaven. "I seriously have to have this again! Just not too often or I'll be the size of a house!! I'll look that way soon enough if Cameron decides he still wants to try for another baby."

“Cameron?” Aria repeated as she took another bite. “Is that your partner?”

Ariana nodded. "My fiancé. Fate combined to bring us together when dna tests showed he was the father of my baby. Long story short, my husband Jonathon learned he couldn't have children, he arranged for me to be impregnated at a clinic. Only they had to use a donor, he never told me that so it came as one hell of a surprise." She smiled. "It seems fate decided to bring us together."

Aria’s eyes widened, “oh ... that’s definitely a tale for the grandkids right? And you want more kids too?”

Ariana nodded. "I lost my son at three months, I almost lost Stacie too. Cameron wants a large family and I'm not averse to having more children!" She grinned. "I'll keep maternity busy that's for sure!"

“Well, good luck with that,” Aria smiled. “I’m hoping to avoid being assigned to paediatrics and maternity. Actually I want to make it onto the surgical staff just not with Dr Mendez.”

"Mendez isn't so bad, you just have to adjust to a different way of interacting!" Ariana grinned. "Why don't you want to be in paediatrics or maternity? Don't you like pregnant women or children?"

“I’m just not good with children. Surgical is better for me. It is logical, methodical and follows clear pathways. Helps with my nerves. And I don’t need to worry about saying the wrong thing to a patient.”

"Fair enough" Ariana nodded. "Just don't be surprised if you're required to rotate in every department. Being a surgeon means you maybe faced with a pregnant patient in need of emergency surgery, but I could be wrong!" She grinned.

“True. General Hurd asked me to join the marine medical team the other day. Which was odd. Especially since I had just knocked into him.”

"Really? Then you'd be joining err..." She paused. "Olivia...Olivia O'Riley, she's our Counsellor's aide and marine medic."

“I said no,” Aria confided, “politely. I’m no marine, I barely passed basic defence at the Academy. And Really, me, in the middle of a battle? I’d be a liability. He saw one thing on my file and thinks I’m more heroic than I am.”

"May I ask what that one thing was?" Ariana looked at Aria curiously.

“I was just doing my job, nothing more,” the younger woman said with a shrug. “Nothing special.”

"it must have been something Aria" Ariana smiled. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to though."

“I went back for a patient, against orders. But I could fit through the gap ... it was common sense. We were under heavy fire the entire time. I was terrified, my hands shaking... I received a commendation but I also got the wrath of my CMO for taking a dangerous risk. The man I went to help, he was a marine.”

"That's something you should be proud of" Ariana offered Aria a warm smile. "You may not think it but that was a very brave thing to do and being afraid is perfectly normal too. Don't sell yourself short Aria."

“I threw up. Over my CMO. Which probably explains his mood...” Aria reasoned. “It isn’t a great way to make an impression. Hopefully I’ll do better with Dr Hades although I haven’t actually met him yet. Dr Reid and Dr Mendez are kind of covering Doctor Corrigan’s duties so I mostly see them.”

Ariana nodded. “Well Doctor Hades is a nice man but be sure to heed his advice, he doesn’t suffer fools lightly. He has his own fearsome reputation but be yourself and I promise you you’ll come out on his good side.”

“As long as I don’t throw up on his shoes,” Aria grinned. “Let’s eat and you can show me how to fix a replicator....”

Picking up some cake Ariana grinned and nodded.

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