JP: PO Greywin Fergus (PNPC) & LtCmdr Nia Calderan: Working Together (No Tags)

[Lt.Cmdr Nia Calderan]

(( Comm Quad, Deep Space 10 ))

:: Greywin had, for the first time since the crisis, been let go from
the medical level. He had made his way to the comm quad at the request
of one of the residents, whom he wasn’t familiar with, except by name.
From one of the nearby benches, a lady in her mid twenties with a
suitcase alongside her called out to him. ::

Jones: Mr. Fergus! Over here!

Fergus: Hm? Oh, hello. You would be Ms. Arlena Jones, I presume.

Jones: Correct. You were kind enough to respond to my request to take
care of this little pup, since I’m being moved off station. Male beagle,
not more than a week old. I can’t take him with me where I’m headed. His
name is Devlin.

:: The little dog was adorned with a simple black collar, his brown and
white fur soft as silk, and was asleep. Fergus leaned forward and
extended his arms for the transfer of the little pup, which she obliged
and handed to him. ::

Fergus: I think I know someone who would benefit from having him
around. Thank you, Ms. Jones.

:: The woman chuckled softly ::

Jones: Oh, no. Thank you, Mr. Fergus. You’re doing me a huge favor.
Farewell! :: and she picked up her suitcase before heading toward the
docking ring. ::

:: It didn’t take long for someone to interrupt the calm that Fergus
seemed to have won for himself. Fortunately, the chirp of the badge
didn’t disturb the puppy’s nap.::

Calderan: =/\= Officer Fergus, this is Lieutenant Commander Calderan.
Please copy.=/\=

Fergus: =/\= Officer Fergus speaking, ma’am. How can I help you?

:: Nia coughed to clear her throat, then continued.::


Calderan: =/\= I understand you were very helpful in assisting Doctor
Skyfire during the recent quarantine crisis. I was wondering if I could
have a moment of your time for a chat. Are you free anytime soon? =/\=

:: Strange. Had reports of his involvement gotten submitted so quickly?
He was being requested to meet formally with one of the Garuda crew, who
was a commander. He assumed, the captain of the vessel. oO Curiouser and
curiouser. Oo It took him a few seconds to formulate a reply. ::

Fergus: =/\= Yes, ma’am. I just got remarkably un-busy, and am currently
in the Comm Quad. I can meet you at the restaurant of your choice, and I
will buy us some lunch to discuss this over. Just so you know, I’ll be
bringing a puppy to the meeting.

:: Nia stifled a chuckle down the line. A puppy? That was unusual.::


Calderan: =/\= As long as he’s house trained, and extremely cute. I am
on the station, near the Jolly Spaceman restaurant, and don’t worry,
lunch is on me.=/\=

:: It was arranged. This may be his first assignment off the station
since he enlisted, and he was now being asked to meet with a captain of
an active vessel. Out there. In the front lines. With his small little
charge cradled to his chest, he started to make his way toward the
suggested restaurant. ::

(( Jolly Spaceman ))

:: Fergus didn’t know whom he was looking for, apart from a female
commander in command red. He had heard the name before during the
crisis, but didn’t have the time to review an LCARS terminal before she
called him. He came straight from the med bay to the quad, then to the
restaurant. The puppy shifted in his arms, but remained asleep. ::

Calderan: Mr. Fergus, I presume?

:: Fergus stopped in his tracks and turned around once his name was
called from behind him. He flashed a smile, and shifted the puppy to his
right hand before extending his left for a firm handshake. ::

Fergus: Commander. A pleasure. Petty Officer 2nd Class, Greywin Fergus.
Nurse assigned to DSX.

:: Nia smiled, and gave the nurse a polite nod.::


Calderan: It’s a pleasure to meet you, Petty Officer. I see you kept
your word about having an adorable puppy to show me.

:: The younger officer nodded and patted the sleepy canine in his arm.
Nia put a hand out and gently stroked the little dog’s forehead.::

Fergus: I was thinking of gifting him to your Dr. Skyfire, who seems a
fairly high-stressed type. Pets, especially dogs, are very theraputic
for high-stressed folks. :: He let a heartbeat elapse before changing
the subject to their business. :: Shall we have a seat and order before
talking shop about the recent excitement, which I’m assuming includes
the reason you wanted to see me?

:: Nia agreed that pets were great comfort. She personally preferred
cats, like her Kitty, but dogs were very lovable too.::


Calderan: Yes, you’re correct. Since the loss of the station’s CO
through the Maquis tragedy, I have been helping out with the
administration. I noticed that you are interested in furthering your
medical career. Come, let’s sit and discuss it.

:: As they sat down, the puppy stirred. He was so tiny and cute as he
looked up and yawned, his tiny paws and not so sharp claws digging into
the lad’s arm. He wagged his tail, and glanced up at Nia with his tongue
lolling out of his mouth, panting softly. ::

:: Nia’s heart was stolen, and she wanted to hug him tightly, but not
too tight.::


Calderan: Aww, he’s sooo cute!

:: The beagle gave a soft acknowledgment in agreement. ::

Devlin: :: quietly :: Yip!

:: Fergus smirked as a passing waiter brought a bowl of milk for the
puppy, setting it on the table. Devlin leaned forward and sniffed the
bowl, then proceeded to pad off the officer’s arm and started lapping
eagerly at it. ::

Fergus: He is at that. One of the station residents wasn’t able to take
him with her, so I’ve been tasked with giving him a good home. :: Pause.
:: Anyways, my medical studies. Yes. I’ve been...the word ‘trapped’ is
probably more applicable to the recent crisis than to my current career
progress, but I’ve been posted here since graduation. And since there
aren’t any Starfleet docs here to further my training, I would welcome
the chance to actually get an MD.

Calderan: Well, I think that is an excellent reason for you to come and
join us on the Garuda. I will need to clear the paperwork with the
Captain, and the Chief Medical Officer, but your recent performance has
been noted, and stands you in good stead moving forward. Would you be
interested in transferring before our next mission in a week’s time?


::Nia stroked the happy puppy again and smiled at Fergus.::


:: Devlin looked up and licked Nia’s hand before returning to his bowl
of milk. Fergus grinned back, almost like an enthusiastic little boy who
could be told he could make a mess. ::

Fergus: I would welcome the opportunity, and can be ready within the
hour. Or within...however long it takes you to clear the paperwork.
Maybe I can do a bit of shopping for Dr. Skyfire’s new quadrupedal
friend, to help make his transition smooth and seamless.

Calderan: Excellent, well then I hope to be welcoming you and this
little guy to the Garuda very soon.

:: Nia grinned and had a sip of her drink.::


:: The lad’s enthusiasm was boundless. He wanted to hit the ground
running, and the recent mention of his performance during the crisis put
him in good standing just made him smile wider. He had a sip of his
soda, and smiled again. ::

Fergus: I never thought my exemplary performance during a station-wide
fiasco perpetrated by the Maquis would be such a career changer. ::
Beat. :: Oh, if it helps, I do have a few minor skill sets beyond just
medical. Comm and environmental systems in particular.

Calderan: That is always good to know. I like a man who can multi-task.

:: Nia gave Fergus a wink. She meant nothing more by it than a bit of
gentle teasing.::

Fergus: Much as I appreciate the compliment, Commander...I suspect I’m
not your type.

:: Nia looked to the side, and chuckled.::


Calderan: No, I don’t think you are, unless you suddenly weighed about
six hundred pounds and were made of rock.


:: That caught him by surprise, and he leaned back in the chair. Devlin
looked up lazily from the bowl of milk with a bit of a milk moustache,
his tongue lolling slightly as he gave another soft yip before returning
to his drink. ::


Fergus: You’re into Brikkars, then?

:: Nia pursed her lips and blushed slightly. Her mind also raced back to
her dear fiance Eerie, millions of miles away on the USS Victory.::

Calderan: Yes, you could say that. I intend to marry one in particular
very soon, I hope.

:: She fiddled with the necklace Eerie had bought her, tucked safely
under her jacket. She missed him so badly it hurt.::

Fergus: Permit me to offer my congratulations, Commander.

Calderan: Thank you, Mr. Fergus. :: Nia was still blushing slightly, and
she fanned herself with her hand.:: So, assuming your transfer goes
through smoothly and quickly, do you have any plans for shore leave? Do
you think Devlin needs a walk on the holodeck?


:: The thoughts were some that he’d been thinking of, though he hadn’t
made any determinations apart from giving the pup to Dr. Skyfire. And he
replied with a shrug. ::

Fergus: I have no plans, no. Devlin may like a walk on the holodeck, but
at that point I suspect he’ll be the doc’s pet by that point. I have no
romantic investments at present, and no pets of my own. I like a good
book.

Calderan: Books are great companions, and never let us down. Reading
anything in particular at the moment?

:: Another literary aficionado like himself. oO Will wonders never
cease? Oo He never would have figured the commander as someone who would
lose herself in a good book, though after that recent comment revised
his opinion. ::

Fergus: A few of science fiction varieties. Greywalker, Kris Longknife,
and Iteechee Wars. Have you read them?

Calderan: No, I can’t say I have, but would very much like to. Maybe you
can send me the files for my PADD?

Fergus: Of course, Commander. I will happily transmit the files once I
get settled in.

:: Devlin finished the contents of the bowl, and licked the bottom of it
eagerly. He rolled onto his back as the food arrived with a derpy look
of contentedness on his smug little puppy face. Fergus chuckled and took
a bite of his food, closing his eyes in bliss. He’d miss this place. ::

Calderan: That’s great. Ok, anything else I can assist you with? I am
looking forward to working with you on the Garuda.

Fergus: If you like, you can help me out a bit with the shopping for the
newest quadrupedal addition before processing the paperwork for my
transfer. :: The young man replied with a grin. Devlin just lay on the
table and fell asleep on his back, content in the moment. :: Otherwise,
I’ll leave you to processing the paperwork while I attend to our little
friend here.

Calderan: ::smiling:: I can never resist shopping…

===

To be continued...

JP by:
Devlin the Beagle
Civilian Pet
Simmed by: Lt. Chythar Skyfire

PO 2nd Class Greywin Fergus (PNPC)
Nurse
Deep Space X / USS Garuda
Simmed by: Lt. Chythar Skyfire

Arlena Jones
Civilian Teacher
Freighter Fallstone
Simmed by: Lt. Skyfire

&

Lt.Cmdr Nia Calderan
First Officer: USS Garuda
wiki.starbase118.net/wiki/index.php?title=Calderan,_Nia
* * *
Leo Handley-Page - SB118 Podcast Team Facilitator
"Professional Daydreamer & Rural Spaceman"