A Defiant 'Verse - In Character
POSTED BY: Defiant2thelast
UPDATED: Thursday, July 23, 2009 08:49
VIEWED: 32764
PAGE 8 of 10
"Do you need anything?"
Dale asked, propped against the doorway.
He knew that, whilst polite, his tone of voice had a hint of ire to it.
Wouldnt hurt to let her know she'd intruded.
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"Well, we could do with some flak packets," Jackie began, interiorly visualizing a list of medications that might be needed if they were heading into a war zone, "and another dozen boxes of gauze strips wouldn't come amiss, along with…."
She stopped suddenly, realizing that there was more being communicated here than his words had conveyed.
"Uh… Dale, isn't it?" Jackie noted his stance, the young man's casual alertness, and something about his expression that seemed almost proprietary regarding the infirmary.
"Oh!" She cried, the truth dawning, "You take good care of the place. I figured … I wonder why… you're a doctor?" 
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"Well, we could do with a couple of flak jackets"
Dale blinked.
Did he hear that right? She didnt say band-aids??
"and another dozen boxes of gauze strips wouldnt come amiss, along with..."
Dales jaw dropped
She wasn't joking. She was serious. Taking inventory.. but, who the hell was she?
The lady dropped her gaze from the imaginary- whatever she was thinking about, turning her light brown eyes on him.
"uh, Dale, isnt it?"
Something was wrong here. Forboding.
She knew this space to well. Her oddly meticulous and prolonged search for object X suddenly seemed more like an inspection. She was familiar with these spaces.
"Oh!"
The lady's (why hadnt he asked her name yet?) expression jumped from brow furrowed puzzle-ing to a kinda cute shock.
light brown eyes
soft pink lips
a stupid hopefull voice in his head said-
"Maybe shes a nurse?"
"You take good care of the place. I figured. I wonder why?"
oh oh. Kindness. Not a good sign. Only superiors are allowed objective kindness. She wasnt a nurse.
Which left one possible identity
Dale gulped
"...your a doctor?"
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He figured it was just sight seers. Some folks just liked to look at the ships, could be a bit annoying at times. He looked back up to Ainsley.
"Sure, depending on what the tasks are I am sure I could find you some volunteers. As for a tour I could arrange that. There's not much to see, on a small boat." He straightened a crate he noticed had slid partially out of it's binding. "You'll be seeing an awful lot of it. Unless you're the type to keep to your shuttle."
He didn't think he'd find many volunteers, not unless Dale wanted to give a hand. Bucket was probably passed out in the middle of his room, Captain was most likely in his office, the Doc just got here. It depended on what sort of errands she was talking about. He'd probably volunteer, just to have something better to do than talk to the captain for awhile.
He spoke his mind. "What sort of errands are we talking about here?"
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"Progress doesn't come from early risers — progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things." Robert A. Heinlein
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Dales head went temporarily numb.
It felt like all the blood was leaving his head, precisely at the moment his brain needed to use it up there.
Hundreds of half formed questions, panics and ideas shot through his head instantaneously as he felt his legs go slightly weak at the thoughts themselves.
ShesADoctor!ThatMakesMeUseless!CAO!
NoWorkNoWayToPayFare!WillTheCapLetMeStay!?NoHomeNoBucketNoLincolnNoNothing
DA-SHIANG BAO-TZA SHR DUH LAH DOO-TZE!
Dale shut his eyes,
breathing in...
breathing out.
Eyes open, feeling at least calm, if not well- Dale walked to a clear stretch of bench lined wall, sitting on it.
Eyes back on the new doctor, he found his head blissfully blank. Better that way,
that meant he'd be able to speak.
"Well, that depends, how good are you?"
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Jackie watched Dale go suddenly pale.
Concerned, she stepped forward to offer her help, but he moved away from the door on slightly unstable legs. She was relieved when he sat down because she was beginning to worry she'd have to pick him up off the floor.
He closed his eyes as if gathering himself, looked at her and said, "Well, that depends, how good are you?"
She ignored his question for the moment, concerned more about Dale's condition. As the ship's medic -- or maybe the ship's second medic, she wasn't quite sure at this point -- the health of crew and passengers on board was her responsibility.
"Do you have these spells often?" She frowned, moving toward Dale with an outstretched arm, intending to check his forehead for a fever.
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Everyday at four fifteen Dale thought dryly, but keeping his words to himself as she leant over to take his temperature.
Fair enough too, he did feel faint, and his blood-less head was probably clammy too..
But the Doc's hand was warm. Whoa, when was the last time someone had touched him outside of awkward handshakes?
Suddenly Dale felt very hot as he noticed the Doc's proximity, and for the first time noticed her slim, fit figure leant over him.
Intensly studying the molecuscope across the far side of the infirmary suddenly seemed THE most appropriate thing to do.
But even that didnt help entirely, as, deprived of innapropriate vision, Dale was overwhelmed by the indefinable allure that is unique to the well cared for hair of beautiful ladies.
Ok, so passive ignoring isnt working, time to actively ignore. Work against it Dale!
Think. Unsexy thoughts. Niagara falls. NO! That makes you piss. Think unpleasant thoughts! Yes! Like that-...
Dale felt a swooping sensation in his stomach, and a definite cooling off of, well, areas unmentioned.
She was a doctor. A great doctor as far as first impressions went. Great bedside manner, professional,confident, diligent (...still leaning over me taking temperature!?)
"Well, I guess that answers my first question"
Dale thought, then realised he'd done so aloud.
Best to follow up
"As for your first question..Me.." Dale shrugged "I, I was the lesser of two evils. Bigger evil being- no medic"
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"You mean the pile of go-se sitting over there?" Mei shrugged. "Well, I'll give it a shot."
Mei walked up to the fat man sitting outside the ship. He didn't exactly look trustworthy, but looks could be deceiving.
"You hiring?" she asked.
The man looked her down, appraising her in a way that made Mei feel somewhat uncomfortable. His look of interest was soon replaced by one of disgust.
"Forget it, ugly. You ain't worth my time."
Mei shrugged, and returned to the Defiant.
"No luck there," she said to the woman who had pointed her to the Wednesday. "What's your name, by the way?"
But... FOR THE LOVE OF EXPLOSIVES!
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"Well, I guess that answers my first question," Dale muttered, barely audible.
The doctor lowered her hand from the patient's forehead, satisfied there was no fever. The fellow seemed awfully nervous, twitching about on the bench, eyes darting from one place to another and rarely meeting her own.
Odd, he'd seemed rather cocky when she'd first seen him in the lounge. Apparently, her presence in the infirmary had made him very uncomfortable.
Or he was suffering from space dementia. Not enough information to make a diagnosis yet.
"As for your first question... me...," he continued, with a shrug, "I, I was the lesser of two evils. Bigger evil being no medic."
"I'm Doc Holliday, by the way, in case you didn't catch the name." She shook his hand and then moved to his wrist to take his pulse.
"A little rapid," Jackie said, carefully hiding her concern. She released his wrist and stepped over to her medical bag, drawing out a stethoscope.
"So you've been the ship's medic," she stated, thinking about the strange behavior of the pilot, Bargara's limp, and wondered why the captain hadn't mentioned they already had a medic. She'd ask Dale about his training after he calmed down a bit.
"Looks like us two have some common ground to stand on," she smiled benignly, and moved beside the examining table. "How long's it been since you yourself had a proper exam, hmm?"
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Hmm. Good question. When had he last had a proper exams?
Had he ever? Nothing serious, just child-hood check ups, nothin like a full body exam..
Oh god.
Does she mean that!? Now? Me? Her?
Sheesh- Dale blew out. Medical exams werent ever really sexy, but he didnt trust his anatomy to behave with her around, touching, feeling. DAMN!
Dale crossed his legs he what he hoped was a casual way. There was no way he could trust his anatomy.
Or mind, for that matter.
Ok- bluff and blah power- ENGAGE!
"Nothing lately Doctor Holliday, been a fair few years since I had anything serious enough to visit one on my own health's sake."
The doctor looked like she might start to talk so he continued, faster- so she wouldnt interrupt.
"Oh, and in med school when learning tests we'd usually practise some on each other and ourselves. All my vitals, bp and cholestrol levels are on the healthy side of normal"
He said this last part as he unfolded his legs and dropped off the bench, starting to head for the door-a cheery great-to-meet-greet-and-cya-later line all lined up to disguise his retreat.
All he had to do was get through the door without her saying anything...
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