Catching Up (Part 2)

Posted on Thu Mar 22, 2018 @ 2:15pm by Commander Caleb Ryan & Civilian Opal Oliver (Deceased) Dr

1,622 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Victory Conditions
Location: Promenade/Gino's
Timeline: MD 2 2030

"I was wondering, it's a bit embarrassing. I just wondered why that Charlene keeps staring at us. Well, you actually. I'm sure it's nothing!" she said off the top of her head, desperate to say something that wasn't what she had really been daydreaming about.

Caleb looked over at Charlene and waved at the attractive waitress. The blonde winked at him and sauntered off.

Caleb chuckled. “Charlene’s a bit of a flirt,” he said. “Ah wouldn’t worry too much about her,” he assured Opal, giving the doctor’s hand a squeeze. “She’s a hologram.”

Opal's mouth fell open. "Seriously?" she gasped. "I had no idea. Wow!" She looked back at Caleb and blushed. "Now you're going to tell me you are a hologram too, right?" she said with the smallest of smirks playing around the edge of her lips. "I really would never have guessed about Charlene though," she went back to the original line of thought.

Caleb chuckled. “It’s advanced holography, Ah’ll admit,” Caleb said. “A next gen civilian model of yer EMH system,” he explained. “Ah don’t know all the details, but Gino’s always been into that sort of thing. He used ta write holonovels,” Caleb said with a chuckle, glancing over at the big Italian man.

"Well, if they were this realistic then I wish I'd had chance to play in one," she marvelled, looking at Charlene again and shaking her head gently in awe. "Say, what if... " She clearly was overthinking this. "Would it be possible to get Gino to take out one of those novels for us to take part in? Don't you think that would be so much fun?" She put her hand on Caleb's forearm excitedly and looked up into his face, seeking his reaction to the idea.

Caleb raised an eyebrow. He liked Opal’s touch on his forearm, though. “Don’t ya wanna know what kinda holonovels he wrote first before ya go jumpin’ inta one?” he asked with a chuckle, placing his hand over Opal’s. He leaned toward her a bit and spoke quietly, “He’s Richard Longwood,” he said, mentioning the name of a rather well-known author-programmer of tawdry historical bodice rippers. In fact, one might recognize Charlene from some of the holo-covers, though she had substantially more clothes on right now, but was still the buxom blonde beauty that often clung to the sinewy thighs of a well-muscled man -- or woman, in a few cases. Dick Longwood didn’t tend to discriminate.

Opal blushed scarlet. "Oh!" she gasped. "I didn't think... I just imagined detective types of… What an idiot you must think me." She looked down, her colour not fading any. "And clearly not without reason."

Caleb turned up Opal’s chin to look at him. “Not an idiot at all,” he said. He gave her a kiss. “Ah just wanted ya ta know what you’d be gettin’ inta,” he said. “An’ if anyone could convince me ta try out one a Gino’s holonovels, it’s you.” He grinned, kissing her again. “After all, Ah darn near ripped yer bodice off not all that long ago,” he reminded quietly.

Opal blushed a little, but she was more than willing to receive and return his kisses. "Well, that's an offer if ever I heard one. What kind of holonovel would you think we should try out?" she asked with an innocent look on her face but mischief in her eyes.

Caleb laughed. “Ah don’t know,” he admitted. “Ah’ve never done one. Though Ah think he’s got some Ancient West ones,” he mused. “Unless ya wanna pick one that ya think ya’d like. He should be in the holonet archives at the Box. He’s pretty popular.”

"I'd let you choose," she said. "I would probably pick something that sounded perfectly innocuous, only to find it was the most notorious one there!" She giggled. "Do we need to have a meal at the Box to try it out? If they have a menu of holonovels, we could choose one over dinner, next time we meet. It's my turn to treat you, as you've been so generous up to now. I'd like to."

Caleb laughed. “Ya give me too much credit, Opal!” he said. “Ah’ve never done any of his holonovels, so Ah’d be in the same boat pickin’ one.” He actually colored a little, as well. “Dinner at the Box sounds great,” he told her. “We can pick one out together.” He figured Ibalin might have suggestions, but he wasn’t going to ask the bartender!

"That's settled then," she agreed, getting a little enthusiastic now they had talked it over more.

"When shall we do that? Do you have any time off again soon?" She wondered if he would have a lot of duty shifts. She supposed that would depend on what kind of trouble popped up in the near future.

“Might be busy next few days,” Caleb admitted. “Ah just got promoted to XO of the station,” he told Opal. “That’s gonna require a lot of catchin’ up on things. An’ Starfleet just sent a small fleet our way for war games. But Ah’ll see if Ah can carve some time out,” he promised Opal, taking her hand and kissing it. “Ah do want ta spend time with ya.”

Caleb worried his lower lip. If he was going to get serious with Opal, he needed to consider introducing her and breaking the news to Aleczandra, though her assault against Dr. Telamon seemed to indicate she might know already.

"Promoted...to Executive Officer!" she spluttered. "Oh my God! That's amazing!" She squeaked with excitement. "Congratulations!" She leaped up and scooped him into a huge hug. He wasn't so small as for that to be a small feat, but she didn't seem to even notice. She was jumping up and down and pumping his arm up and down as she held his elbow excitedly.

"I'm so proud of you, Caleb!" she breathed as she finally realised she was drawing attention and sat back down, still holding tightly to his strong forearm. Just finding herself holding him tightly set off all kinds of other deep feelings inside her, and when the first rush over his promotion settled a little she realised what else he had said.

She dropped her eyes, and when they came back up to meet his again they were misty. "I want to spend time with you too," she said softly. "But you have so much to do to settle into your new job, and we would also need to talk about how your daughter might feel about me being around a bit more in the future, so we so have to take this slowly. I realise that," she added, trying to show him that she understood how complicated this might get.

Caleb nodded. “It’s...well, Ah’ve been meaning ta talk ta ya about that,” he said. He took Opal’s hands. “Ah can’t see ya anymore.”

Opal took in a shocked gasp of air and turned pale, her large eyes seeming to grow even larger as she looked up at him in horrified disbelief. "Was it the holonovels idea? We don't have to… Did I say something stupid? I'm always doing that.” She began to babble and then stopped as she noticed that he was looking confused too.

Caleb blinked, realizing that hadn’t come out quite right. “Ah mean...as yer patient, Opal,” he said, actually flushing a bit himself. “Ah need a new doctor. Ah don’t want ya gettin’ inta trouble for datin’ a patient. There are...ethical issues involved, an’ it would be best even for mah own medical care ta have someone else.” He paused again and shook his head. “Not that ya ain’t a fine doctor, but feelings...well, they cloud judgment,” he said with a wry smile. “Ya understand? Ah was thinkin’ of goin’ back ta Dr. Telemon, or whoever’s steppin’ up, since Ah know she’s about ta pop.”

Opal drew in the first breath she'd taken in the minute or two that the whole moment had taken to pass, but it had seemed like a week. She forced herself to breathe deeply. "Oh, I am so sorry," she breathed. "I totally misunderstood that at first. No, of course. It's fine. The CMO is still working, but as soon as she has her baby I know Benj will do a great job of stepping up. I understand your caution, and you're right," she agreed.

Caleb gave Opal a smile, taking her hands again. “Sorry if Ah scared ya there,” he apologized, kissing her hands.

Opal felt a warm glow as he kissed her hands. It was such a sweet gesture and it reminded her of how heavenly his touch was.

Charlene stopped by.

“Tab,” Caleb told her, and the waitress nodded. He looked back at Opal. “A s’pose it’s gettin’ late, an’ Ah should walk ya back ta yer apartment,” he told her. He paused. “Which Ah’ve never been to an’ don’t know where the heck it is,” he said with a laugh.

"I'll show you." She smiled mischievously. "And you can find your own way back in the morning," she added as nonchalantly as if she'd just said, 'Don't forget your coat'. She took his arm, proud to be walking around with him.

Caleb actually blushed.

FIN

Cdr. Caleb Ryan
Executive Officer

Gino Romano
Proprietor of Gino’s
NPC Caleb Ryan

Charlene
Waitress
NPC Caleb Ryan

Dr Opal Oliver
Civilian Consultant General Surgeon
NPC Amia

 

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