Self-Guided Tour

[Mreh K'hal 0]

Self-Guided Tour

Ens Mreh K'hal M.D.

 

Dr. K'hal, after performing a few more follow up examinations, was quite glad when his shift was over and he was able to exit sickbay. He could never stay in one spot very long without getting antsy, and the tedium of standard test after standard test exacerbated his built-in wanderlust. Since his arrival, he had been very busy and worked a few double shifts, and used the rest of the time resting or sleeping, so he was itchy to explore his new environs. Dr. Kassem, he had discovered after his talk with her earlier, had been in the process of touring the ship when she dropped by. He was forced to conclude that Maria had the better fortune in arrival times. Now, though, he would try to catch up.

 

So, he took the nearby turbolift from Deck 16 to Deck 4 so that he could stop off at his quarters and change into something more comfortable. His frame was quite slight, especially by Caitian standards; most males of his species tended to a stockiness of build. The regulation Starfleet uniforms never quite fitted him properly; he tried and failed a number of times to alter the specifications himself, and the computer was never any help either. He supposed he would need a live tailor to measure him up and make the necessary alterations, but when he had the time, there wasn't a tailor to see, and when there was, he didn't have the time. Over the years, though, he had managed to find some casual attire that not only fitted him well, but suited his taste, and he made sure that the replicator systems where he was at could reproduce them. He slipped out of his uniform, which was always easier than getting into it. His tail was ridiculously fluffy, something his brothers had teased him about in their collective youth, and trying to fit it into the narrow slot provided in the uniform was a challenge, especially in the morning when he wasn't quite awake yet. He had the knack down for the exercise with the loose fitting shorts that he slipped into now, though, and he was able to get through that without swearing. He slipped his favorite button-down shirt onto his torso; a nearly neon green silk-alternative with faux-gold swirls, it was bright enough to be used as extra emergency lighting, or at least that's what his Academy roommate always joked.

 

He exited his quarters, and then walked down the corridor to the lift. He knew, from going over the deck layout on his way to the Excalibur, that there were some recreation courts on Deck 3, but that type of sport wasn't his forte; above that was the command stuff, and nothing to interest him. So, he took the lift down to Deck 5 and marked the location of the forward lounge, and some of the science labs. The holodecks didn't interest him; he preferred to read, and avoided holo-novels and other such things, as he knew that no matter how well they programmed things, they weren't real. If he was going to engage in fantasy, he preferred to keep it inside his head and allow his body to recline comfortably. Walking briskly, enjoying the movement and exercise, he marked the locations of points of interest and greeted a few passing crewman. Stopping outside of the counseling offices on Deck 7, he pondered heading in to see if Alex were around, but decided that prolonged social visits would only delay his tour, so he kept going. When he arrived at Deck 10, he headed into the Arboretum and spent a good twenty minutes wandering amongst the flora. He enjoyed it, and imagined it would be a good place to go when he needed peace and some air without the odors of various species' perspiration and pheromones.

 

After poking into hyrdroponics for a few, he eventually made his way to Deck 13 and explored the recreation areas. A few of the activities seemed interesting, and he would perhaps try them later on, especially when he needed to vent some energy. He then stopped into the Life Support control, and introduced himself to the crew there, as their efforts often go unnoticed, but without them living on a starship would require heavy suits and oxygen tanks, which wouldn't work very well for long-term missions. After leaving, he curled into a chair on the observation deck and watched the stars go by for a while, contemplating his new assignment and the men and women he'd be working with.

 

Maria seemed quite nice, and handled the arterial scan with ease and grace, something he could certainly appreciate. His experiences growing up on Earth amongst humans had cetainly shown that they varied considerably person-to-person, but that on average they were somewhat clumsy and akward in their movements and activities, at least compared to his own people's ease of movement. Dr. Kassem, he thought, was one of the ones that managed to move about without making a clamor. Her bedside manner was exemplary as well, and Dr. K'hal was pleased about that, as too many doctors he had worked with in Starfleet had been quite brusque when a more tender approach would have suited the patient better. Not that there aren't patients who prefer that brusqueness, of course. He had always tried to guage a patient and present the attitude that seemed appropraite, and he always thought it a considerable deficiency in those who could not, or would not do that. Medicine wasn't just the long-winded terminology, fancy equipment, and a steady paw, after all. For a patient to be healthier, they had to be in a good state of mind. Why else would there be counselors on starships?

 

He had yet to run into the Caitian female he had briefly spotted on the bridge when he had responded there to tend to the Captain. He had thought about checking the files to see who she was, but the fact that it had even crossed his mind annoyed him, and he wouldn't use his medical access to get information for his personal life. He had never in the past been so eager for the company of his own kind, a byproduct of being raised in San Fransisco and having a limited number of Caitians about. He was missing his family, though, and he figured that's probably why his mind kept mentally pinging in that direction. She may not be family, but meeting her would perhaps help him to ease that longing. Well, he would meet her eventually; even with the sprawling Sovereign class and the large crew, it would be only a matter of time.

 

Uncurling himself from the chair, he decided to answer the grumbling in his belly and head to the main lounge on deck thirteen and order up some dinner. As a matter of course, he loved pork products above all other meats, but worked diligently to keep his diet varied so that he'd enjoy the pig meat all the more when he had it. He tended to avoid beef though, as it never seemed to digest properly, even though it tasted good. To celebrate his first evening off, he was going to order sweet and sour pork. It wouldn't be as good as his favorite Chinese restaurant in San Fransisco, but it would certainly do. He'd been craving it all day, but ordered the chicken parmesan for lunch, deciding to wait for the evening to indulge himself. The lunch hadn't been satisfying though, since he was still thinking about the coming dinner. With his tail wrapped around his leg as he walked, he entered the turbolift, well satisfied with his exploration and eager to set into a full plate.