NEW: Kail's Story 2/5 [PG] DS9
Carolann Potee
Author: Carolann Potee
Contact: cpo...@towson.edu
Series: DS9, season 5-ish
Part: 2/5
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Star Trek and all entities relating to it belong to
Paramount.
I just like to write stories about it, so please don't sue me.
Archive: ASC only, but link to
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Lot/9166
Summary:
Kail is a lonely changeling living on Bajor and he falls for a young
woman
who knows him better than he thinks. When they detour to Bajor, will he
be found out? Find out now!
*****************************************************
The rest of the day passed quite uneventfully except for
Dovan's broken water pump and another villager's rusted door,
which had fallen off its hinges. It was so rusted and old that he
ended up having to find another door, which thankfully took up a
good portion of his afternoon. The question of what to do with the
rest of the evening was quickly answered when Dovan invited him
to come to dinner with them. Kail did not have to think long about
it; he was almost anxious to talk to Connie again and possibly get
some idea what it was that she found so attractive about him.
Before he knew it, he was sitting at the small kitchen table
with three other people, each eating generously from a very big
bowl of Spiced Hasperat, except for Kail of course. Being a
Changeling, Kail never got hungry, so he only ate to reinforce the
ideals of his humanoid Bajoran disguise. Bajorans had to eat just
like any other humanoid, so Kail had to pretend to eat, too.
"Aren't you hungry, Kail?" Kelsee asked, looking up as she
shoveled the last spoonful of Hasperat in to her mouth.
"Kail never eats too much," Dovan said with his mouth full.
"I don't know how he keeps his weight up."
"I just don't like to eat too much at once," Kail pointed out,
making a note to eat even slower next time.
Everyone seemed to accept that, and silence dominated the
room for several long minutes. Kail couldn't bring himself to eat
any more, but everyone seemed to be almost done, so he didn't
worry too much about it.
Connie finished her bowl first, and pushed it aside. "Kelsee
and I are going to go hiking tomorrow and camp outside for a few
nights. Would you like to come with us, Kail? You're welcome to
join us too, Dovan, if you'd like. It's all right with you, isn't it,
Kelsee?"
"Oh, sure!" Kelsee said, finishing up her own bowl. "I was
just about to ask them myself."
"Thank you girls, but I think I'm getting a little too old to
go out hiking for a long time," Dovan laughed.
Kail had to think about it for a few moments. There was
nothing pressing for him to do job-wise the next few days, so he
certainly had the time to join them. But did he really want to be out
there alone with two women who seemed to be crazy about him?
"Sure, Connie," he responded with a smile. "I'd love to go
hiking with you both."
"Great!" Kelsee exclaimed. "We'll leave tomorrow morning
just before noon, but we'll meet here first to make sure we've all
got the supplies and food we need."
"All right, I'll be here," Kail confirmed, then politely stood
and collected the dishes to be washed. Kelsee gave Connie an
encouraging wink while Kail's back was turned to them, and then
she let out a loud yawn.
"Well, I think I'm ready for bed," Kelsee said while
stretching out her back in the chair. "You all should turn in soon,
too. We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow!"
"Yes, I'm right behind you, Kelsee. Good night everyone,"
Connie said, letting out a yawn of her own, then followed Kelsee
out of the kitchen to her bedroom, leaving Kail and Dovan still
sitting at the table.
For a long moment, Kail's mind wandered and he said
nothing. Dovan had noticed, but simply stared at him, as if reading
his mind. Kail looked up in confusion when Dovan's gaze did not
waver.
"What?" Kail inquired.
Dovan smiled at him. "You like her, don't you."
Kail blinked, not knowing how to respond.
"Yes, I know that look very well," Dovan said with a laugh.
"I saw the way she looked at you. She's crazy about you."
"Yes, I think Kelsee is trying to encourage her, too."
"You're absolutely right, she is. But you don't seem very
sure of yourself when it comes to knowing what it is you're feeling
for her."
Kail smiled. "You're very astute. I'm trying to make an
effort not to disappoint her, but I'm not sure what to expect from
all of this."
"Tescar Kail, in all the years I've known you, not once have
I seen you with a woman. Is Connie the first woman to really show
an interest in you?"
"That's a difficult question," Kail began. "I honestly don't
know if any other women I've met had any interest in a continuing
relationship with me. I don't think so, but I just hadn't really
thought about it until now. I never thought I was that interesting."
"Of course you are! I can't understand why all the young
women in the village wouldn't be beating down your door."
Kail knew Dovan always had a tendency to exaggerate, but
he appreciated the attempt to boost his ego. He had no idea what
Dovan was getting at, anyway.
"Well, right now, I think Connie may be contemplating
whether or not to try and bang down your door for some attention,"
Dovan continued. "So, what are you going to do about it?"
Kail smiled to himself. "I'm going to go hiking with them
tomorrow and show Connie the time of her life."
"Good man." Dovan patted him on the back, and then stood
to go to bed. "Good night, Kail."
"Good night, Dovan," Kail answered, and then Dovan was
gone.
The day had proved itself to be more exciting that usual,
and Kail realized it had taken its toll on his own body as well,
making him feel very tired. He didn't normally sleep like most
other humanoids, but the strain of holding a solid humanoid shape
all day would force him to return his body to it's natural,
gelatinous-liquid state to regenerate. Kail was becoming even more
tired as he left Dovan's house and he approached his home just a
few houses down the dirt street through the middle of the village.
As he walked through his door, he was tempted to just
revert back to his natural state right then and there on the floor, but
instead he forced himself to remain in his solid form for a few
minutes longer in order to relieve himself of his dinner. He had no
digestive tract to digest the food. But the comment he had made to
Dovan not too long ago stuck in his mind, so he sat in a chair at the
small kitchen table to think.
How did he intend to show Connie the time of her life?
What could he possibly do to impress her? They were going on a
hike, so maybe they might pass a bed of wild flowers he could pick
for her, or perhaps he would show her how to catch fish in the
creek. Then he remembered the cliffs just beyond the forest. Not
many people knew how to get there, but Dovan had shown him a
few times before, and Kail had a good memory. Perhaps Connie
would like to see the entire Lerrena Valley from the cliffs. It was a
breathtaking view.
Just the thought of taking Connie to see the Lerrena cliffs
was relaxing him so much, he began to lose what was left of his
weakened control over his solid humanoid shape, and he collapsed
into a puddle next to the chair he had been sitting in. He rested for
a few moments and then picked himself back up in order to climb
the steps up to his bedroom where his comfortable bed was
waiting.
As he turned to leave the kitchen, he was unaware of the
shadow that moved just outside his kitchen window, watching him
as he retired to his bedroom.