Thirty

Posted on Thu Apr 30th, 2020 @ 5:41am by Lieutenant Commander Carolyn Corrigan MD

488 words; about a 2 minute read

Mission: Episode 106 – Stalemate
Location: Personal Quarters, USS Mercy
Timeline: MD3 0630 hours

Impatient to begin the day, the tiny bundle of fur inched further and further up the bed, nudging an outstretched hand until the sleeping form in the bed began to stir. Tail wagging, the puppy stood, precariously balanced on the mattress before an excited bark filled the room.

“I’m up, I’m up,” came a murmured reply, a hand reaching out to pat Rainbow’s head and scratch behind her ear.

Reluctantly waking, trying to cling onto the dream for just a few seconds longer, Carolyn opened her eyes. Staring at the pillow on the opposite side of the bed for a long moment, thinking of the dream and dancing under the stars with Harris. One time she had got him to dance, before they had ended up in a tangle of arms, legs and laughter.

Her gaze shifted to the clock and she groaned, “one day you will learn that day off means sleeping trouble...”

Rainbow just licked her face, completely unrepentant.

“Eww, Bow! No!" she chided, though her words lacked conviction. She wiped at the side of her face even as she kicked away the covers and headed for the bathroom, "this is why you are supposed to sleep in your own bed, Bow..."

The puppy at least now had the grace to look sheepish. Curling up on the bed, she watched the bathroom door intently.

"You know, you are so much trouble," Carolyn decided as she returned, kneeling on the edge of the bed and scooping up the puppy. "Don't give me those cute brown eyes just cos you know I can't be mad at them. What am I gonna do if you teach the baby how to do that? Hmm. I'll be in all kinds of trouble then."

At the mention of the word baby, the puppy barked, tail wagging. Carolyn signed, yep, this puppy was trouble alright.

"Come on, food for you little troublemaker," she decided, getting to her feet and heading out of her bedroom, having to pause to unlock the door. It was a habit she couldn't quite break these days. Childish really. Yet sometimes it was all she could do not to freak out if someone surprised her.

Putting out food and fresh water she set Rainbow down as she went to read the messages waiting for her attention. She grinned at Kitty’s message and sent a quick reply, promising to meet her for dinner at six while flatly ignoring the four messages from her father. Dinner with Kitty would still give her plenty of time in the holodeck and one thing was for sure, Kitty never gave you time to consider how alone you were really feeling.

She pushed that away as a ball got dropped at her feet. She glanced down, “okay, okay, ten minutes then I’m gonna eat and then a walk for you. May as well put that energy to good use...”

OFF

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