Another Time, Another Place

[ElaineDelgado 0]

Elaine paced around the sick bay, feeling grumpy. Why did she always feel grumpy when she thought of things that pained her? Looking over the article again, she scowled.

 

…Dr. Ji Qiao accepted the award today with these words,

 

“During the last several years, I have enjoyed the assistance of many graduate students while I was developing the cure for Heebleek’iis disease, and would not have been able to finish the work so quickly if it had not been for them. The names of the students who helped me reach the finish line were Cameron Reynolds, Bwan’Ze Elmarna, and Elaine Delgado.”

 

She sighed at that, wondering why he even bothered mentioning her name. Cringing, she wondered how he could not. Had what happened then not even affected him in the least? Her mind began to wander…

 

--------------

 

Four years ago

 

“Dr. Qiao?” Elaine peeked around the corner, into his office.

 

“Come in,” he said, without looking up from the papers he was grading. She was taking his course on experimental medicine over the summer, as well as several other classes, hoping to finish her courses at Starfleet Medical a little more quickly than the usual time allotted. Dr. Qiao had told her that if she wanted to earn some extra credit she should come to his office after her classes that day and speak with him. “Please, have a seat over there.” He motioned in the opposite direction of the spare chair, still not looking up.

 

Elaine sat down in the chair, smirking, and asked, “What was it that you wanted to tell me about.”

 

Finally he looked up. “Have you ever been involved in a research team, Delgado?”

 

She nodded. “Yes, I spent a year with my aunt, Dr. Marcella Delgado, in an archeological expedition.”

 

“Not exactly what I meant by research, but alright.” Setting his papers aside for the moment, he looked up at her. “How would you like to be my assistant in the research of the infectious Heebleek’iis disease? I’ve been working on it for quite some time now and always take an assistant on over the summer to help me with whatever I’m working on at the time. As I said before, it is a chance to earn extra credit.. I have already set it up with the school.” He handed her a data padd, which she began skimming over. “It would require your weekends. I must mention that if you do not think you are up for the challenge, I have several other students who have requested the position…”

 

“I would love to be involved with this, sir,” Elaine interrupted, handing him back the data padd. “When would I start?”

 

“How about this weekend? I’ll send a transport to pick you up.”

 

Three weeks later

 

“Ji, someone is at the door!” Elaine leaned over the railing and hollered down into the lab.

 

“Well answer it, answer it!” Dr. Qiao yelled up, not moving from his scrunched-over-a-microscope position.

 

She walked to the front entryway and did so. Before her stood a young man about her age who held a striking resemblance to the Doctor. “Hello,” she said to him.

 

Grinning, he asked, “Is my uncle here? I mean hi, I’m Ben.” He pushed past her and walked into the house towards the lab, yelling out “Unlce Ji, you in here?”

 

“Down here and do shut up.”

 

Ben turned back around to Elaine and handed her his jacket. “We’ll take coffee in the lab: make it strong enough so I can feel my teeth, alright?”

 

Handing the jacket back, she informed him, “You can make your own coffee, I have work to get to… in the lab.”

 

Dr. Qiao looked up at them, laughing. “Well I see you two have met. Ben, try to treat my assistant with a little dignity.”

 

Later that evening, Ben and Elaine sat at a table finishing dinner while Dr. Qiao showered.

 

“You seem to be a bit young for my uncle’s assistant. Are you a student?”

 

She nodded “yes” and slurped some more soup down.

 

His eye narrowed. “Highschool student?”

 

Elaine coughed on some of her soup. “Indeed no, I am twenty-years-old, working on my degree at Starfleet Med school.”

 

“Well, even then you’re a bit young for Med school.”

 

“I started college courses at sixteen,” she explained. “My mother was my teacher and had always given me advanced courses. I started the medical courses about a year ago, and by continuing on coursework even the summers, I have the chance to graduate at twenty-three and be on a ship soon after.”

 

“Ah, that makes more sense.” Ben stirred his soup around. “So what do you think of my uncle?”

 

“Ji? Oh, I think he’s cute in a sweet, fatherly-sort of way. I adore him.”

 

“I think he’s an obsessive, self-centered, womanizing pig.” Ben grinned at his description of his uncle.

 

“Glad you think so, always good to know my family loves me,” Dr. Qiao’s voice startled Elaine. She turned around to look at him. They smiled at each other, Ben laughing behind it all.

 

The next afternoon Elaine was in her room packing up her things from the weekend as she prepared to go to go back to school for the week. Dr. Qiao walked in and sat on the end of her bed next to her pack. He smiled at her.

 

“Yes?” she asked, still moving about, packing things away.

 

“So you think I’m cute, huh?” he asked her. Elaine laughed and continued walking around. Returning a compliment, he said, “Well, I think your paintings are cute.”

 

She rolled her eyes. “Abstract is what they are. Not exactly something you can describe as cute.”

 

“Alright,” he stood up and walked over to where she was. “Then I think your ears are cute.” This he said quietly, brushing her hair away from an ear. “And I think that smile is cute, too.” He leaned down and gently kissed her lips.

 

”Ji…” But, he soon quieted her protest.

 

To Be Continued