Is It Possible

[DrDMatthews 0]

The Reaent's XO and CMO paid an unannounced visit to the Reaent just three days after she arrived at McKinley Station.

 

That morning, they'd visited Grace Allen at her brother's home in Charleston, SC. Gracie happily returned their cat, Nephyts, whom she'd been caring for while Aidan and Deb were on "vacation." Those two weeks on Pacifica had turned into a month, half of which was spent on Earth waiting for the Reaent. Needless to say, Aidan and Deb were curious as to why they were unable to meet the ship as they had originally planned. Their inquiries were met with stony silence. Debbie had her Grandfather look into it but even with his extensive network of contacts, he was unable to find out exactly what caused the delay.

 

Then they talked to Gracie. Her report on Reaent's last mission was downright unbelievable. The ship's Chief Nurse didn't pretend to know all the details. That, and her tendency to exaggerate, left the XO and CMO somewhat skeptical. But even if only a quarter of Gracie's story was true, it appeared Aidan and Debbie had missed out on a truly unique experience.

 

After picking up their cat, they had originally planned on returning to Aidan's family home in Ireland. Those plans abruptly changed after listening to Gracie's tale of time travel, space battles and a visit from James Kirk and Spock. Instead of going home, Aidan and Deb headed for Starbase One with Nephyts in tow.

 

The cat, a beautiful seal point Siamese, protested loudly as her owners stood in the nearly deserted corridor looking out over the space dock. Nephyts' insistent cries echoed up and down the hallway but Aidan and Deb ignored her. Their focus was on the Reaent, floating peacefully just outside the enormous windows like a humongous balloon tethered to the station by a generous gangway. They remained silent as they took notice of the scorch marks and blemishes scattered across the hull. Obviously Gracie's reports of a space battle were not an exaggeration. The evidence of a skirmish were clearly evident.

 

Aidan and Deb looked at each other wordlessly then promptly headed for the nearby gangway. They were met by an attractive female lieutenant and an even younger ensign, neither of whom they'd ever seen before. It wasn't as though Deb knew everyone on the ship but she'd seen them all as they came through Sickbay. These two were very new faces. She surmised they were just assigned.

 

It took several minutes for them to determine that Aidan and Deb were who they claimed to be...some unexplained problem with the ship's billet. Once aboard, the CMO was struck by how quiet it was. The ship was practically unoccupied. The crew certainly didn't hang around long after they docked. Aidan didn't seem to notice. He was concentrating on something else.....another piece of the puzzle so to speak. They went directly to their quarters where they found more evidence of turmoil. Everything that wasn't bolted down had been tossed about like toys in a playroom.

 

Debbie had already started picking up when Aidan sat the cat carrier down with a soft thump. "I'm going to look for the Captain," he stated flatly. "Try to get some insight into what happened here."

 

"I'll stay here," replied Deb, her tone resigned. "But I'm really not in the mood to do this right now."

 

About twenty minutes later, Aidan returned but had no information to share. Captain McQueen was off ship....so was just about everyone else who had been aboard during the last mission. Nephyts remained in her crate, still complaining loudly. "Let's go home," suggested Deb, her head starting to pound. She'd thought about stopping by Sickbay but now, all she wanted to do was get off the ship. "We'll find out what happened sooner or later."

 

Her husband nodded his agreement, picked up the cat and led the way back to the gantry. They hesitated a few seconds in the station's corridor, examining the Reaent once more before heading for the shuttle bay and their trip back to Earth. Once they were comfortably settled on the shuttle, Debbie pondered all she'd heard and seen that day. As outlandish as Gracie's tale had been, there may have been some truth to it. The question was, how much truth.

 

As the shuttle sped away from Starbase One, Debbie leaned over to her husband and whispered in his ear. "Do you think it's possible they really met James T. KIrk?"

 

He shrugs and says quietly "Well, the question really is if they weren't telling the truth why would they say that? I don't see any reason for Gracie and the others to lie to us or to embellish the truth. At the moment I'm just glad they're back safe and sound. Was getting more then a little worried. And I am a bit concerned on where everyone is. Even while in dock there should be more people onboard then there is. Though I guess if I had gone through what they apparently did I'd want some leave badly." He brushes the back of his hand against the side of her face and murmurs "Let's just enjoy our last few days of leave. And at least we're not the ones that have to deal with Department of Temporal Investigations." His smile brightens a bit, "And between meeting James Kirk and Spock or spending time alone with you that's still a easy choice to me."

 

Deb laughed aloud at Aidan's comment. She had little, if any, experience with Temporal Investigations but their reputation was known far and wide. Nobody wanted to deal with that group. She looked up at him with a mischievous grin. "Hmm.....the legendary James Kirk and the equally legendary Spock....those are awfully big names. I think I'm... honored that you would rather spend time with someone as inconsequential as me."

 

He arches an eyebrow, "Inconsequential? You're the most important person in the universe to me." He smiles and presses a finger gently against her nose as he says that. "I think perhaps when we get back planet side I'll have to see about figuring out a way to remind my wife of that fact. Hmm, wonder what to do...." His tone takes on a mischievous tone as he adds, "Besides, I'm not sure it wasn't a good thing that my wife didn't get to meet Captain Kirk. He did rather have a...fondness for women. I'm afraid I might not have measured up, as it were."

 

"James Kirk doesn't have a thing on you," quipped Deb with a grin. She picked up the crate with its howling Siamese and handed it to Aidan. "Come on," she continued heading toward the door. "I'm anxious to find out how your going to prove how important I am to you. Besides, I have a feeling everyone left of this ship can hear our darling Nephyts. They probably think we're killing her and would like us to finish the job somewhere else."

 

He reaches for Nephtys' pet carrier and takes it from Deb. Slipping his free arm around Deb's waist he guides her down the corridor. "I'm not entirely sure what I have planned to remind you how important you are to me." He sighs dramatically "One would think that marrying you and other personal intimate things would be proof enough." He smiles wryly and asks "Don't suppose you have any suggestions? I do have a few faint ideas but if you have something in mind?"

 

Debbie smiled gamely as they passed yet another new face on their way to the turbolift. She wasn't the least bit concerned about this particular lieutenant seeing the XO and CMO walking down the corridor, his arm wrapped securely around her waist. The truth was, she enjoyed it. Such public displays of affection rarely occurred in the common areas of the ship. But Nephtys was another story altogether. It seemed impossible but her howling was growing even louder. To make matters worse, it echoed up and down the hall. Now it sounded like there a dozen irate Siamese prowling Deck 4.

 

She quickened their pace a bit as they approached the lift. "I have no clue what you can do to prove my worth to you. I'll leave that up to you," she said over the yodeling of the highly annoyed feline. "You always come up with the perfect idea. But right now, all I want to do is get this cat off the ship. She's really ticked off with us for leaving her."

 

With great relief, they stepped into the lift. Once the doors closed, Nephyts' howling was nearly deafening. Deb looked at Aidan and sighed. "Next time, we're gonna have to take her with us."

 

He glances at Deb as she says that then raises the pet carrier to his face so he's looking at the yowling Siamese. WIth a little ice in his voice he says "That is enough of that, Nephtys. You missed us, and we missed you. Now knock it off. Or you will not be let out of this little cage even when we get back home." The "knock it off" and the rest of the words that followed are given in an annoyed clipped tone. The threat, as it is, seems to be enough and Nephtys stops her yowling other then a few quieter meows. Aidan leans back against the wall of the turbolift and says dryly "I wonder if this is what having kids are like. And we really do need to get Gracie an appropriate thank you for dealing with little Miss Loud Beyond Her Size. I doubt Gracie will agree to catsit ever again."

 

"And while I'm thinking of our plans for tonight perhaps you can let me know what you think of an idea I had earlier today. That being perhaps we should take a day trip to Hawaii? If only to further our one discussion that we had on the beach back at Pacifica?"

 

"I would love to visit Hawaii!," replied Deb dryly. "But if we can barely handle a cat, I don't want to think about kids." Neither spoke again until the lift opened and the two headed for the nearby gangway. Deb glanced at Aidan with a mischievous grin. "About Hawaii....do you think your sister would catsit for us?"