Guy Talk

[Finn 0]

Finn peered over the top of his empty pint of guinness towards the bar. Somewhere among the throng was Nick, ordering the next round. The day had been a hectic one to say the least, and it was with some relief that he had entered the doors of O'Leary's Bar.

Nick just turned away from the bar with two pints on Guinness in his hands and a grin on his face. When he saw Finn looking vaguely in his direction. Coming closer to the table he saw Finn looking vaguely in his direction and his grin grew even wider.

"Waiting impatiently for the next beer,eh?" he asked.

Finn smiled. 'The first one didn't touch the sides, mate.' he answered, taking the offered pint. 'Cheers'

"Cheers" replied Nick, looking closely at Finn. "Wanna talk about it?" he asked.

Finn took the head from his pint and set the glass down on the table.

'ahh,' he sighed. 'It's a couple of things I guess. While we were out picking up the survivors, I treated the Captain of the Federation freighter.'

He looked at his glass, then back up at Nick.

'She asked me to notify her son of her death and deliver a couple of personal messages.'

Nick set down his own glass and nodded. "That's never easy. But such a letter, if you write it well, can actually help cope with the death of a loved one. It's an important part of our work even though we don't like it."

 

Finn nodded. 'It's not so much writing the letter that bothers me as having to deliver the news. They hadn't spoken for a number of years. Some sort of family issues.' He looked up and smiled, forcing back the sadness.

'I'll do it in the morning. It'll be fine.'

Nick considered his beer for a few seconds. "It's never easy." He sighed and turned his gaze to the bar. "I just met a couple of nice girls at the bar," he added grinning. "I'm sure they'd like to join us...I mean we've had a hard day at work. We could do with some fun....you know some innocuous flirting."

 

Finn followed Nick's gaze. True enough, the girls were staring over in their direction. 'You don't think they're addicted to the smell of hypos do you?' he smiled.

Nick looked down at his uniform. He hadn't taken the time to go to his quarters to change. "Damn...we should have come incognito," he said chuckling. "Anyway...I'm sure you could score with any of them. "

Nick grinned a bit broader as he said those last words.

Finn raised his eyebrows. 'well of course.' he said with mock egotism, 'harmless flirting might be fun. Of course you know my heart is taken!' he winked. 'besides the uniform might stand us in favour.'

Nick frowned slightly. "Your heart is taken?" he asked in mock surprise.

Finn turned his eyes away from the girls, and the redhead in particular, and looked at Nick.

'Aw c'mon, you must know about Mimi.'

Nick tried to suppress a grin but was unsuccessful.

"Actually, it's hard not to notice.’ He said. ‘Though, so far you've been turned down...how many times exactly? I admire your persistence."

Finn almost choked on his guinness. 'Turned down?' he chuckled. 'I haven't been turned down...I haven't... actually asked her on a one to one basis. She's said no to coming out drinking with us, but I think I'm too optimistic to take that as a flat out 'no'.’

He picked up his pint again and turned his gaze to the redhead again.

Nick followed Finn's gaze.

"Maybe you should really asked her out on a date.’ Suggested Nick ‘I can see that she's not too keen on going out drinking with two guys. Maybe we could ask DJ, though. I'm sure she wouldn't mind keeping us company, too much. But then again, having a good looking woman like DJ sit at the table with you could hurt your chances with the cute redhead at the bar."

Nick shrugged and sipped his Guinness smiling at the redhead's friend who had just winked at him.

'A good looking woman like DJ?' asked Finn in exaggerated mock surprise, echoing Nick's earlier mock surprise. 'Why, Doctor Lepage, is there more than one lovesick doctor in sickbay?'

 

Nick shrugged. "Well, I...euh...like her, you know. I mean c'mon...she's my boss so.." He let the sentence trail off, not sure whether he really wanted to pursue the subject

Finn nodded in understanding. 'I see...' he said, smiling. 'You know, I can see DJ is a classy woman. She's got some style. I don't think there's any need to be embarrassed about it.' He paused for a moment.

'Of course, she's no Mimi.' he grinned.

 

Nick shook his head. "Let's just say that DJ being a classy woman who's got style is exactly the problem. I mean seriously, why would a woman like her be interested in a guy like me?" He had stopped flirting with the redhead's friend and was staring at his beer as if he expected the glass to reassure him. "You know, I've never been the kind of guy women were interested in."

Finn shrugged. 'I've not had a great deal of luck in maintaining a relationship myself.’ He said. ‘I mean sure, the odd night here and there, a couple of months, that sort of thing, but that kinda goes with the job a little. Besides, it's not as if you've not got anything to offer. Newly promoted, good in your field, respected. Hey you're a catch!'

 

A mirthless laugh escaped Nick. "I'm a good catch if the woman in question either has a chronic disease and therefore has to stay in sickbay a lot or if she isn't too keen on seeing her boyfriend very often. The last time I've been with a woman I got into real trouble... with DJ, kinda ironic, don't you think?"

'Very ironic' Finn frowned. 'It's a shame too, because the two of you have a lot in common, dedicated to your work, long hours spent together over the autopsy table, an unspoken language of medication.'

He stopped speaking as the band in the corner began singing 'Wild Rover'.

'Hey, now that is a song!' He took a sip of Guinness and then looked at Nick again. 'You think they'd really come on a

date with us?' he asked.

 

Nick looked back up and smiled at the two women. "It looks like they are mildly interested in spending the evening with us. I mean we could ask..."

Finn followed Nick's line of sight and caught the redhead smiling in his direction. He smiled back. 'Not them,' he said, 'I mean DJ and Mimi!'

Nick laughed. "Now that might be a bit more difficult. You know, I get kinda scared at the thought of asking DJ out on a date. I mean... I'm just so good at making a fool of myself in such situations."

Finn leaned closer. 'Then we ask them on a social..erm...team building meal or something. What, except our dignity, have we to lose?'

Nick looked up, an expression of surprise on his face. "You have dignity?"

'So my mother told me.’ Replied Finn dryly. ‘Admittedly, I was six and had just lost a fight with Seamus Cole in the playground.'

Nick grinned and took another sip of his Guinness. "I'm not going to question anything your mother told you. To come back to your idea... we could try that. I mean...it'd just be a dinner, right?" He looked at the redhead who was just whispering something in her friend's ear. They both started giggling.

'I think that would be an excellent idea!' replied Finn, finishing off his pint. 'Ok, let's put these lovely ladies out of their misery shall we?'

He smiled at the redhead and she and her friend both smiled back at the two Doctors. Finn motioned at a chair and the two women began to walk over to them.

"Alright,” said Nick, “well turn on your charm and try to make up some crises you've managed and races you've saved from extinction. Women love that."

Nick got up as the two women joined them at the table and offered them chairs.

 

The women stopped at the chairs and giggled nervously. The redhead turned to Nick and smiled. 'It's Doctor Lepage and Doctor Halek isn't it?' she asked.

Nick was slightly taken aback. They knew their names? But he quickly hid his surprise and smiled at both women. "Just call me Nick." He drew out a chair for each of the women.

'Thanks, said the redhead taking a seat, the brunette took the other seat. The two of them smiled sweetly at the two Doctors. 'My name's Samantha' said the redhead.

'This is Karen. We were just erm...wondering...'

 

Finn raised an eyebrow.

Nick was still standing behind the two women. He shot a questioning glance at Finn, waiting for Samantha to elaborate. Samantha cleared her throat and leaned closer.

'We were...erm...well, wondering, you two guys work with Dr Collier and Dr Grissom right? You wouldn't know where they go to hang out would you?'

 

Finn shot Nick a look.

'Drankums?' he asked Nick. 'Shall we move on to Drankums? I know the ferengi can't tempt me!' he said in exasperation.

Nick shrugged and looked perplexed. "I'm not sure but Drankum's would certainly be a good place to start." For now that was all he managed to say.

'I'll get the tab.' said Finn standing up. He put his hand on Nick's shoulder. 'Come on mate. I think we'll be luckier with drankum's dabo!' He turned to the two ladies. 'Excuse us.' he smiled. The ladies nodded in bewilderment.

Nick followed Finn. "Correct me if I'm wrong but this is a good reason to get drunk, isn't it?" he said.

Finn nodded emphatically. 'The best reason.' he said, tossing a handful of latinum on the bar as they headed to the door. 'Let's go drown the past hour.'

 

The two Doctors headed out of O'Leary's.