Unpacking

[Webmaster 20]

Subject: Unpacking

Date: Fri, Feb 28, 1997 10:43 AM

From: LtHerel

 

 

   Herel opens another drawer and transfers some more folded clothes from her bag into it.  She’s just about done unpacking from her duty leave on DSD1.  

   The chime to her door rings.  "Enter," she says and looks up.  

   "You do want this back, don’t you?" Lieutenant Lefevre asks as the door opens.  He holds out Schrödinger.  

   "Schrödie!" Herel reaches for the blue cat with black points.  "Oh, Chuck, thank you so much for bringing him.  I was going to stop by as soon as I finished unpacking.  He, ah, he wasn’t too much trouble was he?"  She glances guiltily at Lefevre and then quickly hides her face behind the purring cat.  

   "Oh, no," Lefevre replies, "he was no trouble at all.  No, he didn’t shed blue hair all over my quarters, including my underwear drawer.  Nope.  And he didn’t run out the door every chance he got, so I didn’t have to spend hours off duty tracking him through Jeffries tubes so he wouldn’t fry himself in a conduit or the warp core.  And did I mention that it is a personal dream of mine to step on cold, dead trats in bare feet in the morning as I get out of bed?"  He says all of this with a smile.

   "Oh, Chuck, I am sorry.  I know he’s a pain in the @, but I really appreciate you taking care of him while I was away.  I promise to ask Acrop or Day next time, to spread the wealth, so to speak."  

   Chuck laughs.  "It really wasn’t a problem.  And he’s kind of warm at night.  As long as you had a good time, then it was worth it.  And you did have a good time."

   Herel looks up at him.  Her eyes get big as she remembers that Lefevre is Betazoid.  He laughs as she starts to turn red and tries to hide again behind the cat.  "Have no fear, Ter, you know I won’t breathe a word.  And I’m thrilled for you.  Even…" he pauses.  "Even if it can’t be me."  He feigns a look of sulking hurt and traces a pattern in the rug with his foot.

   "Oh, stop it."

   He smiles and says, "You do know that if you need an ear, I’m always happy to listen.   And I’d love to hear all the gory details… that actually wouldn’t be too difficult to read from you right now, as they’re teaming about on the surface.  Relax!  I wouldn’t do that, either."

   "Thanks, Chuck.  I just might take you up on that.  It took me by surprise, and my head is still spinning."

   "Well, I’ll let you finish unpacking and get reacquainted with that," he points at Schrödinger.  "You know he’ll be jealous."

   "Well, tough trats to him, he’ll deal.  I can share; so can he.  Thanks again, Chuck."