First Time for Everything

Posted on Sat Aug 14th, 2021 @ 9:52pm by Lieutenant Commander Melanie D’BrooNi- Haistro & Lieutenant JG Anek Tua

1,283 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Episode 3 - Fear Is Fear Itself
Location: Sickbay, USS Copernicus
Timeline: Before abandoning ship

ON:

Lieutenant Anek Tua stepped into the Sickbay Compound aboard the Copernicus and was, immediately, taken aback by its size. The Nova Class ship was not among the largest vessels in the Fleet, but the Sickbay of this ship was larger than he had anticipated it being. Even the Symbiont had been excited to see the medical bay as they walked through it, asking a million questions almost to the point of gibberish in a sense.

The young Trill studied his surroundings carefully. He had just reported in to the Captain for the first time and had agreed that meeting with Doctor D'BrooNi was a priority for him. The Captain had spoken highly of the Doctor and Anek genuinely hoped that she could help him with the Symbiont as they weren't exactly getting along swimmingly. Looking around the bay he hoped to find the Chief Medical Officer soon.

Mel could feel D'BrooNi start moving about rapidly. It rarely happened. In fact the only time it happened ...

"Another joined Trill .... " Leiko gushed.

"Where is he?" Kal said

"This is so exciting ... you must find them ..." Mina one of her older and quieter host gushed.

"I don't think that will be too difficult" Mel told all of them in her head. "Its a small ship."

She exited her office and immediately spotted the other spotted alien.

"Oh and hes good looking too .... "Leiko immediately sighed. "If it was my turn as host again ...."

Mel ignored her but did laugh back a chuckle. Charlie and half the younger female crew were just going to swoon over this chap.

"Hi. I'm Dr D'BrooNi. May I help you?"

The new Operations Manager looked at the Chief Medical Officer and was relieved to see another Trill. Even though he had known that she was a Joined Trill, it was reassuring to him to meet her. She looked so poised, so collected. It was an affirmation in a sense.

"Do you ever think that we'll be that cool and collected?" The Symbiont asked, somewhat vulnerably. "I hope that we do make it to that point. I always wanted to be a healer."

He ignored the slight, instead choosing to focus more on the former part of the comment instead of the end. He stepped forward, "I'm Anek Tua. I'm the new Chief Operations Officer aboard the Copernicus."

"And you are joined yes?" Mel smiled indicating he come in to her office. "A young symbiont I think. Mine is rather old but it knows yours is there. I wonder if they can communicate with each other. They did studies on the pools did they not, seeing something that looked like communication. They must be able too. I mean before the time we started joining they were their own species. Would you like a drink?"

"Tua is a newborn symbiont. I am the first host that they have ever had," he was having more trouble with the pronouns than he anticipated. "We have been having some challenges with getting a feel for one another," the young Trill explained as he politely excused the drink.

"Challenges to say the very least," the Symbiont chimed wondering if the others heard.

He blurted, truly curious, "Does it ever get any easier?"

"Yes," she said encouragingly, "It takes a few months to get used to things. Everything settles down. On the plus side your the first host so you haven't got all the rest bouncing around. I sometimes end up having arguments in my head with the others. Some are rather vocal."

"Mine seems to hate me," he answered with a bit of sorrow on his tongue. "It's been hard for me to get over the fact that I was joined with a newborn. I was hopeful, longed for the joining for the new life it brought. I haven't been a welcoming host," it was one of the first times he had been truly honest with himself and hadn't ripped into the symbiont either. "There was an old Earth song about one being the loneliest number and that two could be as bad as one... I am learning how apt that statement can be."

“Why does Tua being newborn bother you?” Mel asked. “Your the first host. The original. Take it from an 8th generation the first makes the biggest impact. In fact the first knows all the secrets believe me. It's new to both of you, of course the blending is going to be longer to get to a place where your both comfortable because of that. And believe me... I promise you. Your never going to be lonely.”

Anek was reassured by the conversation that he had, and he was genuinely hopeful for a first time in a long time. But, he realized he'd ignored part of the Doctor's question. "The truth is we both had a lot of expectations about joining. I hoped to be joined with a long lived host so that I could learn more from the joining, Tua hoped for someone a little more renowned is a polite way of putting it. I hope we do get comfortable with one another because, right now, we mainly snipe at each other."

“You will tire of that, I’m sure you will find a happy medium. Look at it a different way, you both get to learn about the joining together and renowned, really? You have such potential. Show Tua what your capable off. Tua show you. You are both are part of your journey now. This is an amazing opportunity.” Mel said wispy, her eyes sparkled positively

The young Trill nodded, "Thank you for your support, Doctor. I appreciate it, more than you know. So, am I fit for duty?" He smiled only just remembering the real reason he had come to Sickbay today.

"You seem to be. All your levels with the symbiont are fine," She smiled at him. "Its nice to have another Trill onboard. You must come visit me again. No biobeds or tricorders. Just to enjoy some of our food and customs. It would be nice. Maybe our symbionts might become friends too. They could be talking to each other as we speak. Who knows!"

"I hope that they are behaving," he said in reply as he wondered if they were communicating now. The Symbionts were certainly a cantankerous sort, but they had their own culture and history. He really wondered what they thought of one another and if they got along. They may've been gossiping as they spoke. Who knew.

Anek smiled, "Anyway, I think that I would enjoy that, Doctor. Being new aboard the ship I don't know many people. This is my first time being Head of a Department too. I wonder though if it was the joining that led to that."

“From what I heard you were recommended highly to the Captain by Captain Reynolds. Regardless of joining it was you who impressed your last Captain,” Mel smiled at him. “Yes your joined but it’s still you who gets on with things.”

"I'll have to keep that in mind too," he answered letting the words sink in. He had to remember that he was meant to be here. That was what was important. It wasn't just the symbiont, no matter how much the symbiont would try to make him think that. "I'm sure that I'll see you around. It's a pretty small ship after all."

"It certainly is," Mel nodded. "Take care Lieutenant."

He smiled as he looked back through the door, "You too, Doc!"

OFF:

Dr Mel D'BrooNi
Chief Medical Officer
USS Copernicus

Lieutenant (J.G.) Anek Tua
Chief Operations Officer
USS Copernicus

 

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